LA Times on Elan Carr: The Full Story

Elan Carr (Source: Alpha Epsilon Pi)

GOP hopeful starts TV ads in race to succeed Rep. Waxman The LA Times reported today that the first TV ads have hit the cable airwaves for the 33rd Congressional District, otherwise known as "The Waxman Seat", although no Congressional District strictly belongs to any politician, but to the people who elect the officials to represent them.

In another back-handed compliment toward Republican politicians running for office, the LA Times article starts out by highlighting the GOP contender's distinction:

Gang prosecutor Elan S. Carr, a Republican in the crowded race to succeed retiring Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), on Monday became the first of the candidates to start airing campaign ads on cable TV.Not State Senator Ted Lieu, nor former LA City Controller and mayoral candidates Wendy Greuel (both Democrats), nor even Tea-Party-of-the-Left Marianne Williamson have aired TV ads yet for Congress. Republican Elan Carr, endorsed by retired District Attorney Steve Cooley, judge advocate general and LA deputy District Attorney has taken his campaign to the airwaves.
You can see his first commercial here.

Imagine that. A Republican is already airing television ads. As a first-time candidae, Carr has to. Name ID is key in the 33rd, not just because of the sheer size of the district (from Palos Verdes to Agoura Hills, with Malibu and Beverly Hills), but the large crowd of candidates running. What has taken the Democratic candidates so long to start broadcasting campaign commercials? Surely they have the money by now. The Democratic Pacific Palisades Club required hefty campaign war chest minimums, per Democratic candidate Kristie Holmes.

Then comes the LA Times editorializing:

Carr does not mention his GOP affiliation. Waxman's 33rd Congressional District is strongly Democratic.

Marianne Williamson is an independent, even though she was a Democrat for so long. Why is no one calling her out for that in the LA Times, or in this article particularly? For a district that is "strongly Democratic", a Republican-turned-Independent Bill Bloomfield took in 46% of the vote in 2012. Assessing his ground game as well as his chances of regaining a chairmanship in the House, Congressman Waxman decided to retire, even though he had released eblasts in 2013 signaling his intent to run for reelection. This district does not necessarily belong to any party, considering that the non-affiliated and Republican voters outnumber the Democratic registration.

For a district that is so strongly Democratic, Waxman won reelection with the lowest majority vote in his career, plus the low-hanging approval ratings which are dragging down President Obama and his party. South Boston Democratic Congressman Stephen Lynch even forewarns Dems that Obamacare is going to wipe them out in 2014. To put it mildly, the ground numbers do not favor incumbents in general, not just Democrats in Congress, but also in the state legislature, where three state senators have been indicted or convicted for felonies.

Not just the hollow editorializing of the article, but the photo headlining the piece is slanted. Jean Merl is writing about Elan Carr, yet the article features Congressman Henry Waxman, specifically the moments after his announcement to retire.
What? Readers will find a headshot of Elan Carr at this top of this post. Surely the LA Times could have used this photo. What has happened to the LA Times? Is the paper so desperate with its biases that they will present Democrats, whether candidates or politicians, at the expense of Republican and Independent contenders?

Then the article features another Democratic contender's assessment of Carr's chances of entering the top-two for the general election:

In another development, one of the 10 Democrats on the June 3 primary ballot has halted his [Carr’s] campaign.   

Businessman James A. Graf said  Monday that polling he commissoned [sic] for the race showed  several others who are better known to voters had snapped up backing, especially former Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel and state Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance).

Who's James Graf, and who cares? Wasn't the article supposed to be about Elan Carr? The journalist is taking a candidate's commissioned (that's who the word is spelled) polling for an assessment? What about the Associated Press? Why didn't the LA Times do their own polling?

Just to review, the title of the article was:

GOP hopeful starts TV ads in race to succeed Rep. Waxman

The last two paragraphs report on James Graf's decision to give up his run, as he recognizes that he does not have a chance to make it into the Top Two. Apparently, columnist Jean Merl is trying to achieve the same outcome for Elan Carr.

Fair and balanced, are we?

No wonder the LA Times is struggling for readers these days.

All the News that Fits. . a liberal, anti-GOP agenda?