Nothing the repugs say publically about President Obama is legitimate criticism (nor based in reality for that matter). From that you can largely conclude that almost no mainstream or corporate media criticism of the President is legitimate or based in reality, as opposed to being repug propaganda, frames and talking points.
Combined with the sorry fact that large numbers of our population treat corporate media outlets as legitimate sources of information, this can have a negative effect on citizens’ perception, especially in concert with pre-existing prejudices (which are deliberately encouraged). Dishonest negative ads must be considered a part of this illegitimacy, as should the business practices of parties who profit by selling airtime without regard for truthfulness and against the public interest. This type of criticism should be called out as the false, destructive and self-serving force that it is.
Legitimate criticism - from the left - for instance, of things like the executive death list, the persecution of whistleblowers, selling out on the public option, letting banksters off the hook with the “mortgage settlement”, continuing or expanding the NSA spying operation, escalating a useless war, buying into the austerity frame, etc. etc., won’t be found in the corporate media as those are topics that are simply not discussed in any kind of truthful way. They don’t fit with the narrative. These topics are nonetheless of extreme importance and the implications affect us all (as does the absense of truthful discussion in the public sphere).
The only place to find that truthful discussion is here at DKOS or Chomsky.info or on Democracy NOW – places, that is, that are frequented by people on the left, and that aren’t subject to the corporate filter.
Further, the realistic and probing discussion of these issues is required as an integral part of our duty as an informed citizenry. I believe liberal/progressive policies, morals, and ideas should withstand or reply to criticism, unlike conservative policies, morals, and ideas, which wither before criticism and thus must be shielded by friendly and compliant media outlets with no interest in truthful discussion.
Conservatives must shout down criticism because their ideas won’t withstand scrutiny. I don’t welcome such a concept on the left. If policies and ideas won’t withstand scrutiny, perhaps one’s support should be reconsidered.
This in no way advocates for voting for repugs or against President Obama, whom I support. But it does advocate for dragging the whole dialog closer to rather than further from the truth.