NYT Double Standard Alert: GOP 'Death Tax' in Quotes, Dem 'Windfall Profits' Not

In Wednesday's off-lead story by Michael Cooper and Larry Rohter, the New York Times found both McCain and Obama retreating to home base when it comes to economic solutions. But the Times' unconscious embrace of liberal conventional wisdom was evident in how it treated much-argued political terms like "windfall profits", "the death tax," and even "victory" in Iraq.

And look how the Times used quotation marks as warning flares or to suggest a conservative position was dubious. While "victory" and "death tax" were seen as partisan Republican terms and secured in protective quotes, Democrat-loaded terms like "windfall profits of oil companies" weren't put in quotes but stood unencumbered and presented as fact, even though the phrase "windfall" is calculated to make it appear oil company profits are somehow unjust or unearned...

[minor but legitimate: quotes in this context are used to convey dubiousness, or alleged, claimed etc. Conversely, their lack implies a phrase is ordinary, mainstream, accepted (often factually). Play along: note how quotes are/aren't used in this fashion when you read - the prevalence of this {sophomoric} tactic will surprise you {or not}]

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