FACT CHECK: Land An "Invisible" Candidate? Hardly.

In an outrageously bias hit piece against Terri Land, Dave Catanese twists the facts, takes multiple situations out of context, and gives false information in what looks more like a Gary Peters press release than a US News and World Report article.

He claims Land is merely counting on television ads “while hardly campaigning.” Absolutely not true-Land has campaigned all across the state at dozens of events since 2013. 

But wait, it gets better! Quoting Peters,

“It is odd. I’m the guy who’s up in the polls, who is asking for a debate,” Peters tells U.S. News in an interview. “It’s a sad commentary of where American politics has gone if a candidate believes they can win an office like the U.S. Senate and simply rely on attack ads and millions of dollars of ads.”

He later adds: The spending disparity that Land has enjoyed is about to reverse itself, with the Democratic Senate campaign arm reserving more than three times the amount of ad space than its GOP counterpart in the final weeks.

So it's horrible when Land has the money for ads, but when Peters does the same thing, it's all good?

He also claims Land is "close to invisible," writing:

"But on the trail, she’s taking a minimum exposure approach that’s making her close to invisible."

Interesting. Makes one think Land might be walking the halls of Hogwarts as opposed to running a race for the U.S. Senate...

The author derives his headline and inspiration for his article's theme from a quote given by a Democratic consultant who fully backs Peters, writing:

“It is kind of like the Wizard of Oz. Who’s the woman behind the curtain? She could almost be from another state,” says Jill Alper, a Democratic consultant based there. “It’s like Casper, the ghost for Senate.”

Comparing Land to Casper is demeaning and simplistic. The top statewide vote-getter two times over certainly isn't "invisible." 

Catanese further attacks Land, writing:

“Land is a wobbly, uneven candidate, uncomfortable with the unscripted interactions required of any statewide contender. 

Her singular joint public appearance with Peters at the Mackinac Policy Conference back in May is remembered for an unvarnished moment when she responded to a scrum of reporters bombarding her with questions with the frazzled reply, “I can’t do this!”"

Wobbly and uneven because of one experience that was completely taken out of context after Land asked media who surrounded her to back off a little for space reasons?

And "A statewide contender," eh? Might someone who won big statewide two times over know a thing or two about being a statewide contender?!

The author's half baked narrative doesn't end there.

"But because she’s the GOP nominee in a midterm year when President Barack Obama’s statewide approval rating languishes in the low 40s, Land is a prime test case for whether a lackluster candidate can still succeed by running a one-dimensional campaign."

Lackluster and one dimensional? Jeez. Maybe this written at Gary Peters HQ? He's obviously never met Land, nor is he familiar with her powerful life story. Has he even looked at her website?

Catanese's hitjob continues, quoting Rep. Dale Kildee, a staunch Peters supporter.

 “No matter how much marketing you do, if the product’s not a good product, I don’t think she can simply buy this race,” he told reporters back in July.

Kildee has something negative to say against Land? What a shock!

Catanese also claims WOOD-TV was "forced to cancel" a debate between Land and Peters. This is not true at all. WOOD TV merely postponed the debate, a very common occurrence with political debates.

He writes:

"Commercials – and her ability to outspend Peters on 30-second spots during most of the summer – has allowed Land to keep pace. Most polling shows her trailing by single digits.

But her refusal to debate might be the strategic decision that marks the beginning of the end of her long-shot hopes as the fall campaign veers into focus. Her political truancy is beginning to draw wider attention.

On Monday, the local NBC affiliate in Land’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was forced to cancel its scheduled debate because Land’s campaign team never agreed to terms. In order to highlight her absence, Peters stole a page out of Clint Eastwood’s 2012 Republican National Convention playbook, propping up an empty chair and debating it in front of a gathering of his own supporters." 

And what hit job would be complete without attacking her for giving female pols a bad rap?

"But Barb Byrum, the Democratic Ingham County Clerk, contends there are bigger repercussions of Land’s candidacy that she worries will have enduring effects for aspiring female politicians.

“As a female candidate myself, this is bad for women candidates. I know that women candidates are held to a higher standard,” she says. “It all makes her appear to be very thin as a candidate.”"

What a joke.

It looks like Catanese's article was born out of frustration-not facts.

"Over a two-month period, U.S. News put in repeated requests for an interview with Land in the state or on the phone. She was not made available."

With articles like his, she probably made the right choice.