Everytown Lobbyist Arrested For Domestic Violence, Media Silent

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

You may not know the name “Robert Blaisdell.” I mean, why would you? He’s not anyone of particular importance for most of us. He’s just some guy.

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However, Blaisdell was recently arrested for domestic violence.

Again, you’re probably wondering why it should matter? Domestic violence is terrible, but it’s not exactly national news when it happens–a sad commentary on how prevalent it is, to be honest. So why should you care about this instance?

Well, because Blaisdell is a lobbyist for Everytown for Gun Safety, among other groups, and the fact that such a thing wasn’t publicized far and wide betrays the media’s bias.

From Stephen Green over at PJ Media:

Patch.com calls him “a well-known fixture” at the Concord statehouse, and that his recent clients include NH Troopers Association, NH Police Association, NH Court Reporters Association, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, Walmart, Bank of America, and FedEx. And, of course, Bloomberg’s nationwide Everytown for Gun Safety group has a $36 million dollar annual budget according to its most recent filing, and includes well-known subsidiaries Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action.

You might think that such a juicy story about a lawyer with so many big clients who is also a lobbyist for such a well-known organization would make some big headlines.

But no.

Groucho Marx quipped, after being asked by a Lindy’s waiter how he had found his steak, “Quite by accident. I moved that piece of tomato and there it was.” That’s pretty much how I found out about Blaisdell’s arrest. Although Blaisdell was arrested almost four weeks ago, I only learned of it yesterday from a Twitter link to a New Hampshire-based political blog, Granite Grok. Literally the only other write-ups I could find were the Patch.com report (linked above) which was “derived from info supplied by the Manchester Police Department and Manchester District Court,” and this even briefer report from the New Hampshire Union Leader. In other words, there’s been next to zero original reporting. It’s probably safe to say that had Blaisdell been a conservative lobbying for the NRA, reporters would have descended on Queen City like hungry locusts, but with worse manners.

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Pretty much.

We’ve had complete coverage over how much the National Rifle Association is blowing on travel and clothing for certain members of the staff from pretty much every media outlet imaginable, but a lobbyist for one of the largest anti-gun groups is arrested for domestic violence, and we hear nothing?

It’s not like we haven’t known for some time that the media has an anti-gun bias. This is yet another example of a phenomenon we’ve all seen time and time again.

Activist journalism isn’t just about how the media cover stories, but also in which stories they cover and which they don’t. In this case, refusing to cover Blaisdell’s arrest is a calculated choice. Green likens it to the media’s refusal to cover the Kermit Gosnell story, with some calling it a local story despite the horrific nature of it. I think that’s an excellent comparison. If anyone else were being tried with murdering babies, it would be a front-page story, a media sensation. It wasn’t because it went against the narrative.

Blaisdell’s arrest does as well.

Of course, at least we now see why he worked so hard to keep New Hampshire women disarmed. Allegedly.

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