Monday, March 4, 2019

Jim Hood: Blogs Aren't Legitimate

It's never a good idea to publicly snub the media, as Attorney General Jim Hood found out Thursday.  The website questioned how much money was spent on General Hood's office in Houston.  It's a legitimate question that any politician could expect to arise during the campaign.  Y'all Politics has had the Attorney General in its cross-hairs for quite some time so the Democratic candidate for Governor should have known he would have to answer questions about his Houston office.  Unfortunately, Jim Hood didn't exactly provide the best answer when a Y'all Politics reporter questioned him at a press conference.




Kudos to the AP's Jeff Amy for defending Ms. Carter's right to ask the question and taking up the question himself.  The Kingfish has some advice for Mr. Hood: Don't publicly duck such questions.  Imitating Cindy Hyde-Smith when on the hot seat is never a good idea (See, that is a bi-partisan barb).  The "media" asked the question anyway so he had to answer it.  The story went from one on a political-news website to one covered by the main-stream media as WJTV and the Clarion-Ledger reported their accounts on the snub. 

As for whether blogs are legitimate, well, Mr. Hood, I've got news for you.  It is 2019, not 1999.  Blogs cover the news, in some cases, better than your "legitimate media."  Let's see.  This website has been cited as a source probably at least thirty times by the "legitimate media."  This "blog" gets more traffic than most media in Mississippi (according to Alexa, take it for what it's worth.).  This blog has gone to court three times to enforce public records laws while filing numerous public records and Open Meetings Act complaints at the Ethics Commission. 

By the way General Hood, as one of those "blogs",  let me give you some friendly advice.  Treating "blogs" or reporters so shabbily in a public forum is a good way to ensure you will become the focus of their attention.   Ever heard of the treatment? It's something most politicians prefer to avoid, trust me. 

Meanwhile, here is the Y'all Politics story that generated so much interest last week. 
 

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

If he thinks that question was tough wait til he's got to explain where donations are coming from and his relationship with the national democratic socialist party.

Anonymous said...

Tell you what else. The same people who bitch about Jackson being unfit for human habitation are bitching about General Hood having sense enough to live in and work from Houston -- which is fit for human habitation. More or less.

I'm voting for him and will follow him to glory.

Anonymous said...

So what.

He actually makes money for the state to the tune of hundreds of millions.

Y’all politics is not a “news” outlet as much as it is a partisan gossip column for the Republican Party.

This blog leans far right at times for the clicks and the cash.

Next.

Kingfish said...

It's gone from a blog that aggregates and posts the opinions of the owner to one that's producing more original content. Jay Hughes was a CL Reporter in its glory days. He's hired another reporter as well. Now is the focus on libs and Democrats? Yup. I've taken issue with them before, see DPS.

Anonymous said...

Mississippi Today is not a “news” outlet as much as it is a non-partisan partisan front for the Democratic Party.

Anonymous said...

The JFP leans way left all the time for the clicks but NO cash.

Anonymous said...

I’ll be voting for Jim Hood regardless.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know said...

1. Is this office open to the public?
2. If not, why not?
3. Is the door locked to keep the public out?
4. Does this office have a public/listed phone number?
5. Who is coming and going from this office?
6. Install a surveillance camera to watch who is coming and going. That video would be quite revealing.

Anonymous said...

The Democrat Socialist party, which supports General Hood 100%, would love to do nothing more than shutdown the voice of the other party. I'm sure General Hood will require strict press credentials from now on to keep the people's voice away. He won't have to worry about all that expense though after the election because he won't be Governor.

Anonymous said...

AG Hood Blogs don't count

What about anime image boards, and sites like Reddit that meme presidential wins into reality?

Only a fool would discredit a site like JJ.

Does he actually think it was "Russia bots" that put Trump over the top? It was an army of meme trolls and grandpa posts, and a hacker known as 4chins.

It is because no matter how much CNN tried to ignore Wiki leaks and Seth Rich and the Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, it was all over the internet.

Anonymous said...

I can’t see that it matters if Mr.Hood considers y’all politics a legitimate news source or not. He is an elected official, therefore he works for us,(even though he doesn’t seem to think so) and needs to understand that we, (any of us) have the right to question his actions.
In my opinion his response to this is a good indicator of why we don’t need him for a governor.

Anonymous said...

Y’all politics is the people’s voice??? Haha

Anonymous said...

Attn 6:49 If he actually "makes money" for the state, why doesn't the state defund his department as well as allow his people to be covered by the their own private retirement plans. What Kool-Aid are you drinking?

Anonymous said...

This is Mississippi Mr. Hood. I don't blame you for wanting to avoid political hacks who come at you with their agendas calling themselves media, but you chose the state of Mississippi, not New York or California. Here, a hundred people is a large constituency and a blog IS a media outlet with more readers than the newspapers. It's a good lesson for all statewide candidates to take a look around and remember where you are!

Anonymous said...

@6:41

So why didn't he announce his candidacy from his "home" instead of the civil rights museum ?

Anonymous said...

First let me say that of the candidates with a viable shot at the governor's mansion, Hood is about as qualified as any other...yes, I realize that is damning with faint praise.

One of Hood's primary cited reasons that the Houston office was a reasonable and viable situation was the state of modern communications. The very thing that gave rise to "blogs." But neither JJ nor Y'all are "blogs." Reasonable people can debate whether or not such sites are "(traditional) journalists" - I would offer they are "journalists," but they can be legitimate sources of news and information, just as they can be sources of false and dangerous DISinformation.

The problem in this case is that Hood, an attorney, answered a reasonable question, asked in public, with a condescending, tone-deaf answer, which led Jeff Amy, a "real journalist," to jam Hood up on the question. Condescending, tone-deaf answers from Mississippi politicians are nothing new or surprising, but in this particular case, THAT answer, from a telecommuting AG, was a particularly glaring example of the type of answer that can and often does snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. See Hilary Clinton and her POTUS campaigns for more information.

Anonymous said...

So Hood is just like Trump - they disdain and attack the media when it doesn't glorify them as they think they deserve. Pure narcissistic hubris.

Anonymous said...

I've never understood the comments about clicks converting to cash that support blogs. Somebody might want to explain that.

Also, I don't come here to read petty squabbles between the blog admin and a cabinet the admit has a hard-on for. That's silly.

Why are we quoting or giving kudos to Y'all Politics. That's nothing but a gaggle of northeast Jackburg elite who live for the day when they can see their photos (with wine stems) in a Jackson area rag-mag in a waiting room. Sprinkle in photos of about three black couples and they think the gatherings gain worldwide attention.

Anonymous said...

I live in a trailer and support billionaires because Jesus. I don't understand how this is one of the richest countries in the world but my wife is more likely to die in childbirth than her mother, I graduated from high school but can't read beyond a sixth grade level, my wife graduated from college but can't find a job much better than minimum wage and can't pay her student loans, we have no savings, we can't afford medication, we can't afford childcare, we had to file bankruptcy when our daughter got sick, I had to close my small business because, even before Trump increased my taxes, I was paying 30% in taxes, the bridge is out so I have an hour long commute to my new job that pays me hourly and doesn't have any benefits, my son just left for a war that started before he was born, I am forced to give up all privacy in order to use electronic devices or otherwise participate in this economy, my sister was fired from her job with the government because she published some research that showed a policy put in place to support a large industry was detrimental to the public at large, and I don't feel like I can question any of this without being labeled an anti-American liberal socialist. It must be because of all the immigrants.

Anonymous said...

BATTLE OF THE EGOS - GETCHUR TICKETS HERE

On one hand we have Jim Hood (who talks down to the press) who doesn't think he ought to answer the questions of someone he believes doesn't count.

And on the other hand we have this blog (who talks down to everybody else) who thinks we ought not be able to comment on the '300 supporters of Tater Reeves'.

{to the tune of 'Doggie In The Window'} "How much is that ticket in the window? The one for the best seat in town?"

Anonymous said...

I kind of like Hood's politics generally, but man, does he look like a typical fat sweaty Mississippi politician or what?!

Anonymous said...

I understand Hood's frustration as blogs are more likely to be like The National Enquirer than The Wall Street Journal.

Indeed, many blogs ( like talk shows) have " hosts" that have a history of mental illness or drug abuse and whose host lack both education and expertise.

Hood should have pointed out the reasons other States are encouraging " work from home". It increases the response time and number of work hours an employee works. Those factors along with reduced travel costs and lost time travelling , can actually be cost effective.

Some costs are shifted rather than duplicated. Some costs , like paid parking are eliminated. How many employees commute but could do their same job on laptop?

Corporations are doing the same. And, reporters should study an issue in more depth so they won't appear to be over-reacting and making mountains out of molehills.


I wish more of the media in every category would bother to " know what they don't know". Once there were researchers at every media outlet and reporters that had areas of expertise. Now the " entertainment" factor that is lucrative outweighs the responsibility to inform our citizenry.


This is a legitimate area of inquiry but before getting everyone riled up, it would behoove everyone to find out more facts before jumping to conclusions. And, to remember that having knowledge about one subject doesn't mean you have knowledge about every subject no matter how "smart" you are.



Anonymous said...

wow, this is insane. I take back my support for Hood. At least Tater respects free speech (and free chicken night at Chick-Fil-A)

Anonymous said...

many comments here reveal the ignorance people have of the history of news journalism in mississippi. KF is the first reporter in the history of this banana republic that has had the guts to lay it all out on the table.

Unknown said...

I have to agree Y'all politics is a Republican hack site. You get one viewpoint, even though they deliver multiple storylines, the viewpoint remains the same. Then when you try to comment a different viewpoint the comment is never published. So I have to agree Y'all politics is not news, media or a blog. It is simply a Republican propaganda site. Where I disagree with Hood is a blog site is a source of news when properly moderated by a neutral entity, that allows for varying view points. So keep the blog fair and keep it real.

Anonymous said...

Hood needs to worry about those arteries clogging. The man has put on some lb's and most look like in his face and jowls.

Who can it be now? said...

Can you really consider anyone who uses a screen name and hide it's true identity as a news source? Even back yard gossip occasionally is based on truth.

Anonymous said...

(and free chicken night at Chick-Fil-A)

When is that? Asking for a fat friend.

Anonymous said...

Tate wins....the light is too hot for Hood.

Anonymous said...

If you think Hood's comment demonstrated a snippy, condescending attitude, wait til you get a load of that little tyrant, Maximus Tater.

Anonymous said...

Nobody is neutral. Even Donner gets that right.

Anonymous said...

At 8:46

That's right this is Mississippi. The Times Picayune and The Times of Picayune. No difference. You can't look down on anybody here.

Anonymous said...

I feel Tate would be shooting himself in his little grubby feet if he dissed JJ. I would launch a third-party candidate to run on the KF platform as retribution.

Cynical Sam said...

Is it saving money when Hood's office has to pay continuous per diem (hotel/meals) for his security detail and any other staff not domiciled in Houston?

@9:17 AM, you are a very talented "cut and paste" 'anti-American liberal socialist' (your words, not mine) hack.

Anonymous said...

@8:27, I laughed. He reminds me of a throwback John Grisham novel 80s and 90s Mississippi lawyer or politician.

Anonymous said...

I don't have a problem with offices through out the state if they are effective. With that being said, Hood walked right into that and got embarrassed. He should be smarter than that. Being an elitist will get you unelected.

Anonymous said...

6:41 - it ain't where Hood chooses to "live" - so your attempt to justify his home-office by demeaning Jackson doesn't fly. He can live all day long in Houston as far as I'm concerned, but I'll be damned if I will agree that he gets to move the principal office of the State's Attorney General from the Sillers Building to some rinky-dink building in Houston, where only he and his local friends can gain admittance.

Many agencies have offices on the coast, or in NE MS (Tupelo, Golden Triangle), or Desoto County ---- but, those are not offices where the principal spends his day.

Hood not wanting to do his job as AG, running the department of several hundred employees but leaving that up to his political buds while he stays at home on the farm, is not an acceptable process. Granted, for years he has used his campaign account to fund his travel costs between Houston and Jackson (hiding the expenses on his AmEx card), which in and of itself is a violation - but for him now to decide that he doesn't have to come to the office is beyond belief.

If he doesn't want to do the job, let him quit. Nobody's stopping him. But to be elected to a $100k+ state paid position and then decide he doesn't need to come to work is criminal. And his arrogant attitude to anyone who would ask about it - media, blogger, or just ordinary citizen, does nothing but put his aristocratic attitude out for all to see.

Anonymous said...

12:15 - offices around the state may make sense, particularly when they are in population centers or where the agency has a particular interest/activity. Those that exist generally have staffs that are present to try to assist citizens with the issues of the agency.

BUT, the AG office in Houston is none of those. It is an office for one person - the AG. It is not open to the public; it is not designed for the public use for issues related to the attorney general's office. It is not located in a population center, nor where the AG's office has any particular interest - except that the elected office holder doesn't want to leave home.

As to the idiotic comparison that 9:30 tries to make, this is not the same as the 'telecommuting' example. None of the other employees of the AG's office are allowed to work from home - or telecommute. They all report to work at their state supplied state office space where they generally have to interact with other employees in the same building.

AG Hood is not telecommuting - he is staying at home, and using his office for personal reasons. Sure, he can use the telephone to talk to his staff, and even log on to his state supplied internet services to transmit messages. But to try to compare this to the concept of corporate or 'other states' encouraging work from home is laughable.

Anonymous said...

This is pretty much par for the course for Jim.

I've sat in closed door meetings with elected officials and private sector leaders, and heard him say flat out, "I don't answer questions from anyone who wasn't elected."

I'd still probably vote for him over Tate, though, who's an even bigger douche.

Theca Jones of the Roguish Gent Podcast said...

This isn't a blog. This is a bar.

Anonymous said...

He should have just spouted some gibberish about fake news, banged a couple hookers, pissed on the constitution, and moved on. Seems to have worked fine for everyone else who has tried it in Mississippi.

Anonymous said...

It's simply a typical Demorat temper tantrum to any report from a media source that is not the MSM. You can hardly blame Hood, why bother acknowledging any media other than the MSM when the NYT, WaPo, CNN, MSNBC, and local CL are such Democrat lap-dogs. There is really no difference between the left leaning MSM and Mississippi Today or the right leaning dailycaller and Y'all Politics... except the sanctimonious "Real Journalists" label the MSM give to themselves

Anonymous said...

What Hood should be asking is how can MT have 20 people on staff and produce so little content that so few actually give a damn about.

Anonymous said...

This afternoon a group of Dems in Washington criticized the president for offering better FEMA response to Alabama after their tornadoes than he did to Puerto Rico after the hurricane. Your comments Mr. Hood ? Damn this is gonna be fun.

Anonymous said...

He couldn't have handled that much worse. Lord help us.

Jim Bakker said...

"I'm voting for him and will follow him to glory." March 4, 2019 at 6:41 AM

Newsflash, Bubba - This ain't the Jimmy Swaggart show.

Taxpaying Bloggers Demand Answers said...

Is it illegal for him to campaign from his Houston office, considering it is taxpayer funded, including utilities, rent, internet, telephone...?

Paul Mitchell said...

Blogs have been the only place for legitimate news since 2005. News aggregators came before that, just ask Bill Clinton. Democrats live on another planet, populated only with stupid people.

Anonymous said...

I've been watching Mississippi media and, at times, have been part of it for more than 20 years. This experience includes both print and electronic media. Mr. Hood would do well to recognize the fact that blogs, social media and other means of digital communication have essentially eclipsed the so-called "legitimate" media. One only has to look at the tremendous turnover rate at the Clarion Ledger these days, not to mention that fact that newspapers around the state have either disappeared or have scaled back their publication days. Television, by nature, provides only base political coverage and not too many breaking ones. What Mr. Hood means is "you're not friendly media." Or at least not of the type that would typically cover for him. I will say, that he was probably surprised that Amy jumped in and took up the question himself. Now if this media would ask the same hard questions of Mr. Hood's hand picked psudo-Republican successor, Ms. Fitch, we would even be better informed for it.

Anonymous said...

Oh Paul...
Were you packing to go to the pizza restaurant expecting to find a child sex ring?
Did you believe that the photo of the NBA champs welcome home was Trump's crowd in Texas?
And, you probably still believe a woman whose was an American citizen all her life could have a baby who isn't.
You don't check out a damn thing you read or hear for accuracy ever or you'd know the difference between fact and fiction. You are deliberately ignorant in a time when you can easily research on a computer. So that means you are lazy too!



Anonymous said...

Jackson is 70% black. Houston is about half that.

Expect Robert Shuler Smith (and Democratic primary voters) to draw an obvious conclusion.

Anonymous said...

RSS is going to hammer Hood on his Houston office. RSS is going to win the vote of black Democrats. Hood is in serious, serious trouble.

Anonymous said...


He talks down a woman but answers a man.

If he were Republican, the "legitimate" news outlets would scream sexism.

Anonymous said...

You have my utmost respect for you as a member of the media, but that nutjob Hattiesburg Patriot has not earned the same respect from the public. You don’t post rumors or take comments as being “sources”, but that’s what HP does and that along with his unprofessional attitude, is why he is thought of as the Enquirer of Facebook. He could learn many things from you, but he’s too much of a know it all TO learn. Thank you for being the place to get the real story done in a professional way.

Anonymous said...

12:46 HPNM is a great watchdog that has saved residents hundreds of millions of dollars when they stopped an unnecessary mechanical wastewater plant. Nothing they have ever posted has been refuted. Can you refute anything?

Anonymous said...

12:46, Commenters can be sources when they are not ANONYMOUS. JJ doesn't use commenters here. Why? They are ANONYMOUS. All commenters here are hiding who they are. On Facebook, commenters can be interviewed, vetted, etc. So it's perfectly fine to take a person commenting on the record as a source if they are properly vetted.



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