No Valentines for Us Bleeding Hearts?

Valentine’s Day fast approaches, which means our thoughts turn to. . . .

The California primary?

To quote the dearly departed Charlie Brown, good grief.

Not content with having a meaningless state primary in June, somebody got the bright idea to move it up three months.

So at a time when my mailbox should be filled with romantic couplets, I’m getting sample ballots. Not a single one contained chocolates.

Didn’t we just have a primary? Didn’t Gray Davis beat out those other Democrats and Dan Lungren the Republican?

You talk about March Madness. NCAA hoops are nothing compared with national politics. And, come March 7, our great big state dives into the fray.

That puts extra pressure on us at the newspaper. It means we have less than a month remaining to show how biased we can be, as we drop everything and try to get our favorite liberal candidate elected.

Or at least that’s the rap I’m already hearing and reading from--gee, what a coincidence--conservative commentators.

As sure as lilies bloom in spring, so too comes the charge of media bias in favor of the liberal guys.

I’m tempted to let it slide--and not just because I’m about the most magnanimous guy you’d ever want to meet.

No, it’s mostly because it’s pointless to argue with people who know what they know.

And as sure as God made little green apples, he made the media biased.

Introducing ‘Viewer Bias’

In Orange County, this year’s political crocus comes in the form of Gil Ferguson of Newport Beach, a salty old dog who can be quite entertaining when he puts his mind to it.

The ex-Marine is a former Republican assemblyman who likes to slap Democrats around. But, it must be said, he hasn’t been afraid to knock the Republican establishment, either.

In the current issue of his six-page newsletter, “Principles and Politics,” Ferguson sounds the oft-heard alarm.

“Beware the Media Bias,” reads the headline. “If you haven’t already noticed the bias in the media against our GOP candidates,” it begins, “you haven’t been watching the pundits on TV or read any of the political reporters in the local newspapers.”

I have watched the TV pundits and read the local newspapers and, frankly, haven’t picked up on a thing. In fact, the story of the unfolding political season has been how the media have swooned over Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Ah, the conservatives have that covered too.

Conservative radio talk-show host Dennis Prager informed his listeners recently that the media were partial to McCain because he’s a liberal masquerading as a Republican.

That bombshell should startle former Nixon man Ken Khachigian, the San Clemente political consultant whose conservative credentials are impeccable. He joined the McCain campaign in December.

I used to get my underwear in a bunch over stuff like this. Now, as I near my twilight years, I tend to shrug it off.

People will believe what they want, and if they see even one story or headline that seems to tilt against their party or candidate--Ha!--they see a conspiracy.

Someday, I’m going to introduce these bias-detectives to something known as “viewer bias.” That’s the concept--never considered by them, I’m sure--that the “bias” they see may reflect their own.

I found the perfect squelch during the 1994 California governor’s race.

A reader periodically sent me articles and headlines from The Times that, he explained, showed our bias. “It’s obvious to me that The Times wants Kathleen Brown [the Democrat] to be the next governor of California,” he wrote in one of his letters.

A week or so before the November election, The Times broke a long-standing policy of not endorsing anyone for governor and endorsed Pete Wilson, the Republican.

I could only imagine how devastated he was. All I know is, I never heard from the gentleman again.

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Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821, by writing to him at The Times’ Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail at dana.parsons@latimes.com.