It says something. and it's not good.

[cali]

It says something that the MSM, by and large, treats Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee and other republican candidates for President, as legitimate and is dismissive of Bernie Sanders.

Any reasonable person, looking at what these republicans espouse, would come to the swift conclusion that their "ideas" are not only ridiculous (do away with the IRS!, shutter the EPA!, God wrote the constitution!, etc), but are bullshit when it comes to implementation- hell, at least half their "ideas" are unconstitutional. And that's not even getting to the hate and bigotry that they spew. Whereas many of Bernie's ideas, are actually popular among people and none, as far as I know, are unconstitutional.

Such treatment by the MSM is indicative of a couple of things: 1) The MSM is part of the corporate world and the republican nutcases don't threaten that world. Bernie does. Heaven forbid that people start paying attention to what Bernie says. 2) The MSM scribes and talking heads are mostly out of touch- see Todd, Chuck.

I have but one thing to say to these opinion makers:

Bernie is going to keep telling the truth and you'll continue to think it's hell.

Give them Hell, Bernie.

[winter is coming]

1. The media are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Bernie.

On one hand, it would be great for the "horse race" meme if they covered his candidacy, because otherwise the Dem primary process looks like a snoozefest right now. On the other hand, it's kind of hard to cover Bernie without talking about what he's talking about... and his "government isn't working for ordinary people" message isn't something most media owners want to cover.

[cali]

4. that's a great observation.

[truedelphi]

14. With media owners being bought and paid for,

They really cannot promote Bernie without ending the ad monies coming their way.

Hospitals and Big Pharma provide a lot of ad revenue - as do local utilities.

Why the heck the hospitals in the US are allowed to advertise is beyond me. Ninety percent of all health consumers are stuck going to the hospital that their doctor is at - or that the insurance provider provides for. No matter how many "We really care about our patients" ads that Sutter or Kaiser run on TV, I cannot choose between them based on ads - I have to choose based on my insurance.

With Vermont being the only state right now that has Single Payer Universal HC, the network owners simply cannot promote that part of his message. And I seriously doubt his thoughts about ending the endless wars, getting tough with Wall Street, returning jobs to our shores etc would sit well with the station executives.

[Enthusiast]

51. I don't believe Vermont has Single Payer Universal.

The Powers That Be put a the kibosh on that deal.

[Hissyspit]

65. Wikipedia Says:

"In 2011, the Vermont state government enacted a law functionally establishing the first state-level single-payer health care system in the United States. Green Mountain Care, established by the passage of H.202, creates a system in the state where Vermonters receive universal health care coverage as well as technological improvements to the existing system.

On December 17, 2014, Vermont Democrats abandoned their plan for universal health care, citing the taxes required of smaller businesses within the state."

[Enthusiast]

73. Curses you PTB!

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[staggerleem]

74. Much of the advertizing we see on TV today is not meant to SELL anything.

It's sole purpose is to BUY influence over programming.

[Jackpine Radical]

79. You make some really interesting pints.

The marginal payoff in new "customers" due to this advertising probably isn't too great. It might have some effect on people whose situations give them choice of providers, but maybe the real payoff comes to them through their increased ability to control the news by means of threatening to cut off the ads.

Big Pharma, I think, does benefit directly from their advertising expenditures. Docs will often comply with patients demands for specific medications that result from advertising (a very destructive effect in itself, really), and they also have strong vested interests in certain political outcomes and in the suppression or soft-pedalling of various news and opinion pieces.

[nikto]

46. Exactamente

[Fairgo]

61. I think you are on to something

Let's see how they thread the needle.

[geek tragedy]

2. same people that compared Elizabeth Warren to Ted Cruz.

I mean, really?

[Enthusiast]

52. Elizabeth was just another nut, you know.

[dreamnightwind]

3. We have to expect this treatment of Bernie

and push back against it, also find ways around it by getting his message out in other ways. When your policies go against the interests of the money collectors who own our media outlets, you are going to have a hard time getting your message out.

Bernie and his positions are interesting to viewers who are used to (and almost universally turned off by) seeing only the same old two-headed corporate beast fight between itself, so he might bring good ratings to programs that cover him. Also income inequality is a trending issue, Bernie is a great point person on that.

[deutsey]

56. I'm hoping Bernie and his team are well aware of this obstacle

and are developing strategies to get around corporate media.

At the very least, I think we (i.e., his supporters) should organize creative and engaging ways to get the word out.

Like you, I believe there's a large audience that will be receptive to it.

[dreamnightwind]

67. Yes

Have any ideas?

A lot more people get their news from the internet these days, that might help some, most of it though is still from the same corporate perspective, and the people that read other sites are already aware.

It would be good to reach the disaffected masses, many of them turned off and tuned out of politics long ago because they're all crooks, I'd think those people, whether on the left or the right, would be receptive to a lot of Bernie's message.

Maybe a product like Bernie Beer or something, where the message is on the bottle rather than in it, actually each bottle could also contain inside a message or factoid like a fortune cookie, just riffing here, pretty silly, but sometimes reaching the lowest common denominator is the key.

[deutsey]

75. This might be worth raising in the Bernie S. Group

Corporate media combine to create quite a monolithic giant, but I think Occupy in its early stages demonstrated that if the audience is ready for a message, there are ways to get the message out to it.

You may remember that in those early days, corporate media (if they covered Occupy at all) outright ridiculed it as a bunch of pot-smoking hippies banging on bongos...until the message about the 1% seeped through and struck a very raw nerve.

[spanone]

5. it says everything.

n/t

[m-lekktor]

6. i hate to be an arrogant elitist northeastern gay leftist atheist *bigot* but

those religious right wing loons are fucking batshit insane from where I sit. I completely agree with this post!

[cali]

9. it's the emperor has no clothes syndrome and narrative so often pushed by the MSM

And I agree wholeheartedly with "they're batshit crazy"

[m-lekktor]

15. yep. that they are taken seriously by the MSM is the what's upsetting.

I would be considered the batshit insane fringe one.

[Puzzledtraveller]

47. Bernie won't generate ad sales.

Even the loathing of Cruz and ilk is more attractive to the ad execs when it comes to spending money.

[carolinayellowdog]

18. humble egalitarian southeastern gay leftist semi-believer anti-bigot agrees

that the Republican field offers NOTHING but sameoldsameold, and even to a small town southerner it seems that Bernie is the ONLY candidate speaking to the PEOPLE's interest which transcends all these concocted divisions

[Brainstormy]

7. I'm not sure that's true

My take on it, even from the MSM, is that there's nothing to see here. They're waiting. But I don't think they even know what for.

[cali]

11. then why the disparity in the coverage?

[GoneFishin]

38. You are right on target. When Chuck Todd speculates about possible candidates that MIGHT

jump into the presidential race while while implementing a news blackout of Bernie who HAS jumped into the race, it rips the mask off these transparent lying assholes.

[metalbot]

63. The disparity is due to the disparity of likely outcomes

The Republican field is wide open - none of the declared candidates is polling well, and it would be very hard to predict a winner at this point. Also, there are so many of them, no individual candidate is really getting a lot of attention. The Democratic ticket is Hillary vs anyone else, which makes "anyone else" less interesting.

If the polls move to the point where Bernie is a contender, or even threatens to be a contender, it's likely that you'd see more coverage.

[cui bono]

40. If that's true then they are truly blind.

There's PLENTY to see here!

[Octafish]

8. They don't give a voice because their owners are afraid.

President Sanders would lead the break up of the media monopoly, for starters.

[deutsey]

55. It wasn't long after Dean talked about breaking up media monopolies

That he was taken down.

From January 31, 2004:

http://www.joplinindependent.com/display_article.php/c-jensen1075581263

What happened in the campaign that inspired the media to turn on Dean and throw their support to uninspiring Kerry? A clue may be found in a story published in the Washington Post on November 19, 2003. The Post reported: "In an interview Monday night [ll/17/03], Dean unveiled his idea to 're-regulate' utilities, large media companies and businesses offering employee stock options. He also favors broad protections for workers including the right to unionize."

Also on November 19, the Associated Press reported, "Dean, the former Vermont governor, said Tuesday that if elected president, he would move to re-regulate business sectiors such as utilities and media companies to restore faith after corporate scandals such as Enron and WorldCom."

Dean's idea of re-regulating two out-of-control business sectors produced criticism from some of his competitors and surely struck a raw nerve within monopolistic utilities and mega-media companies. I believe Dean's progressive attack on monopolies helps explain why the corporate media started piling on Dean, portraying him with the pejorative term of the angry candidate.

[Octafish]

60. ''YEEE-ARGHHHH-HHHHHHHAH!!!!!!111!!''

"Portraying" being the operative term.

Thanks, deutsey! Did not see that article in the Detroit newspapers or that Sunday's New York Times back in '04.

I do know this: I would not have piled on the good doctor the way I did knowing what I know now.

PS: Lots of what's old is news. Take the Mighty Wurlitzer, please.

[d_legendary1]

84. I remember how the MSM marginalized Dean

I remeber watching the morning shows and Katie Couric was talking about how angry Howard Dean is. Then after that the hit piece and followed by some political hack talking about how disturbed Dean was. Hopefully in this day and age of technology we can change what the MSM is failing to do.

[rufus dog]

10. The problem is with his message

Not with him and his ability to clearly articulate the message.......but the actual message.

[KittyWampus]

12. Bernie Sanders raised more money his first day then any of those clowns.

[Bjorn Against]

13. As Gandhi said first they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win

Right now they are doing everything they can to ignore Bernie but with all the attention he is getting on social media they can not keep that up for long. Expect the constant jokes about his hair to start soon, but that won't work for long either and then the attack ads will start. Once we start seeing attack ads against Bernie we know they are scared that he has a real chance at victory.

[mother earth]

16. MSM only supports CORPORATE candidates for their oligarchs. nt

[AtomicKitten]

17. The moment they come around, and they will

.... they will realize we don't need their dog and pony show. Best thing that ever happened to me was going to Roku. I see occasional clips of news stories and none of the bullshit. Bernie is running in the real world, our world, and the MSM will realize they are dangerously close to being obsolete. I wiill miss Jon Stewart's commentary during this election season. The MSM only wishes they could do half as well.

[zeemike]

19. The Republican clowns are shills.

And most people don't understand the job of a shill...it is not to advocate for the ones who pays them, far from it, it is to drive the herd in the directions they want them to go.

There job is to make us so afraid of them we will accept anyone but them...IMO.

[Puglover]

53. Thom Hartmann

called them hucksters and grifters. They make their living running for President. They know they haven't a prayer. They simply make money with this sham. Take a look at Fuckabee. Just disgusting.

[MrModerate]

20. The "corporate world" needs to understand . . .

That if you put an utter nutbag in the White House (such as Cruz, Paul, or Huckabee), you're asking for disaster that will reach into the boardrooms of America and empty their wallets.

Self-interest alone should protect us from the nutters. Will it?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. You know, the German industrialists thought they could control Hitler

(I'm currently rereading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, a huge book by a man who was a newspaper correspondent in Europe in the 1930s.)

They looked at him and saw a loser who had never accomplished anything in his life but did know how to work a crowd and give speeches that stirred the mobs. They said, "We'll support you if you promise to suppress the leftists and the labor unions and let us manufacture armaments again."

The backroom deals were complicated, but as a result, Hitler ended up as absolute dictator of Germany, even though the Nazis never won an election.

[MrModerate]

42. Given that Cruz and Carson . . .

Already think America is equivalent to Nazi Germany, your reference to Shirer's book is even scarier.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

21. I've seen this movie before--with the Kucinich campaign in 2004

DK did well only in localities where there was a strong "guerrilla marketing" team, because the MSM ignored him unless it was to ridicule him.

Bernie is starting from a stronger position, and use of the Internet was not as well developed then as it is now.

[carolinayellowdog]

24. let's hope for a different ending this time

The Internet is one factor that is different now, but also we are at the end of 8 years of a Democratic presidency. So the "1% always wins, no matter what party occupies the WH" meme is a hundred times more viable now than it was in 2004.

Glad to see you still here, ALWAYS one of my favorite DUers.

[Auggie]

25. Yes. And they ignored Kucinich in 2007-2008 too

Remember the so-called "debates?"

[bvar22]

87. Thanl You,LL.

The MSM pushed Kucinich off the edge of the stage,
and the one candidate on that Democratic Primary Stage who was offering anything different
was asked about Flying Saucers instead of Medicare for ALL being cheaper & easier.

(I hope Timmy Russert burns in hell for eternity for THAT insult to America.)


We will have to do this on our own through Social Media and local organizing.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

89. My minor role in that campaign taught me more about how things really work

in America than all my civics and poli. sci. classes.

[Punx]

22. Not good,

But not surprising. As Winter is Coming mentioned, the media is stuck. They must clearly see Bernie's idea's as a threat to their power, and in the end power, both economic and political is what the top .1% is all about, and they by and large control the MSM. Can't have any narrative, especially economic that doesn't fit the libertarian/neo-liberal/privatization/government is bad agenda. Republican ridiculous "ideas" the OP mentions don't threaten those in power, are useful in keeping the "suckers" distracted and divided.

I said a couple of days ago it will be interesting to see how they try to dismiss and diminish him. It will become increasingly hard to dismiss him over time. Especially with the number of people and the $ support he is generating, they will be forced to cover him. Also it will be interesting to see what happens if the rethug candidates start mentioning him. They are kinda one trick ponies with their Hillary hate at the moment.

[Downwinder]

26. Clowns don't do much but they get good billing.

[BlueJazz]

27. Bernie is one politician I plan to follow either all the way to the top or down to the bottom.

For the first time, I don't have to hold my nose to vote.

[Thespian2]

28. K & R !!!

I think Wall Streeters and corporate ceo's (read "assholes&quot are very, very scared of Senator Sanders...They are trying to find any way they can to diminish his campaign...GO,BERNIE!

[panader0]

29. He did very well on Chris Matthews today.

He hides nothing, and speaks from the heart. His fire is growing.

[glowing]

36. And the caption headline said; Hilary's challenge from the left.

Or some such nonsense... Would they put, up "Bernies challenge from the Center" ? No, they would call the interview a big "get" and call it the "interview"....

It's so obvious what they are doing... Even crazier is watching local media outlets trying to cover Bernie. They were fact checking his statement about 99% of all wealth going to the top 1% and had to say it was true... So, hard to cover up the truth that is being finally told.

[cui bono]

41. They can't wait to fact check a Democrat's truth.

But they never fact check the GOP's lies.

[Enthusiast]

50. I noticed that.

[Depaysement]

30. When you talk about class . . .

. . . You get kicked in the ass.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

31. Everyone that can afford it should donate some to Bernie

That's the only thing that they understand. And the only way Bernie has a chance. It's more important sooner than later. I'm Elmer and I approve this message.

[GeorgeGist]

32. The internet is a weapon.

MSM is a commercial.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

33. our media is total bullshit.

I don't watch...it's beyond comprehension that teddy cruz, for only one example, is given airtime, as if he were respectworthy in any way.

Puke.

[Enthusiast]

49. It is, total bullshit.

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[BlancheSplanchnik]

57. LoLoL!

Awwww, that's cute!!!!!

Now I feel rotten for maligning bulls!! And shit!!!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

34. fortunately the right has oretty much poisoned the MSM well.

Bernie is likely to pull in some who might back Rand or Ted.

[DonCoquixote]

35. The sad thing is

The corpoations are indeed willing to make the nightmares happen, because they are fundign people that would have been laughed out years ago. Even the Gingriches of the world dared not say half the stuff a Ted Cruz would.

[Initech]

37. Our media sucks ass.

No really - every single republican candidate is a complete fucking joke. Ted Cruz? Too much of a religious extremists. Rand Paul? He's a blithering idiot. Scott Walker? He's in the Koch Bros back pocket. Carly Fiorina? Ask anyone she laid off at Hewlett Packard.

Fact: Bernie Sanders is the best, and really only shot ww have of taking America back from the clutches of the upper 1%. If he doesn't win, Citizens United wins.

[Tsiyu]

39. He is firing up millennials, and they don't "do" MSM

They reddit.

And reddit lurves them some Bernie Sanders.

Younger people seem to be starting to realize just how stupid they were not to vote, just from reading many posts on "younger" political boards. They are starting to see that they really do need to vote to see any change, and Bernie is offering them a "difference" that they always claim to want, since they very naively buy that "both parties are the same" BS.

So the MSM will find itself having less influence if the younger vote is in play. Younger people couldn't give two flips what the MSM has to say.

[StandingInLeftField]

58. This!

I'm fairly certain my 28 year old daughter has never watched a MSM news "cast" or "show" even though she is politically and socially aware.

Her news outlets are strictly "social" in nature. Bernie's campaign hopes are tied to social media until a grass roots groundswell propels him to a position that cannot be ignored by the MSM.

[JDPriestly]

43. K&R.

[kentuck]

44. Hot damn!

That was good !

[pansypoo53219]

45. the so called liberal media is crapitalist. of course the right is not crackpots.

[Enthusiast]

48. K&R! This post deserves hundreds of recommendations!

Treating Bernie with respect would be a game changer. TPTB do not want the people to get a single whiff of Bernie. That should tell us everything we need to know.

[raouldukelives]

54. K&R We have the best media corporate shareholders can bankroll. Profit trumps reality. nt

[Capt. Obvious]

59. Will they ask him if he's seen a UFO?

Then they'll get serious.

[cali]

66. Has he ever said anything new agey? Why no. They asked Kucinich

about it because he had spoken of UFOs.

[lostnfound]

62. Fantastic post and very true. This is well worth forwarding in email to others.

[HoosierCowboy]

64. The Clinton/Sanders Contest...

...will blow the GOP milquetoast lineup right out of the water publicity wise. After Hillary gets a black eye in the early primaries the GOP will regret that their attacks on her weakened her support just enough to keep it interesting and on the front page, ahead of anything the GOP was trying to get in the headlines.

[Chipper Chat]

70. Oh my word - what will Fox do

if Bernie wins the Iowa and New Hamphsire primaries? They now spend 14 hours a day bashing Hillary in hopes that this will help Jebbie eke out a victory.
Oh, and "ditto" (pun intended) vis a vis El Rushbo.

[Efilroft Sul]

68. The media are only as liberal as the corporations that own them.

Candidates like Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein are the antithesis of what the country has become since the Powell Manifesto. Of course, such candidates would have been mainstream circa 1932 to 1964, before America became bat-guano crazy, but Powell changed everything top to bottom in this country over the last 40-plus years.

When you think about it, all those pretty little newsreaders making six figures aren't going to give good press to candidates telling voters that people making more than almost $120,000 aren't paying their fair share. Their bosses long ago probably gave the media staff their marching orders to provide a forum to the crazies but not the fiscally sensible.

#Murica

[oberliner]

69. Are you sure you don't see any similarities to the way Ron Paul was treated?

I mean this is literally exactly the argument that the Paulites made during his run for the presidency.

[cali]

71. I paid little interest to Paul. I quickly dismissed him years ago as a nutcase and bigot

What I do find icky is that you keep pairing Bernie and Paul. They have nothing in common. Why do it. It's so damn passive aggressive- a tactic that I admittedly find.... icky.

[oberliner]

88. OK

I find the way they are both ignored by the MSM in favor of more establishment candidates in spite of their popularity especially among young people and on internet forums to be very similar. I have made a point of saying that I find nothing else about the two men to be similar other than this phenomenon. I would argue that both situations tend to hammer home the argument that the MSM is out of step with the new media.

[McCamy Taylor]

72. I find it highly suspicious that they are not praising him since a third party spitter is their

best shot at unseating the Democratic nominee and selecting a Republican. If they are praising the GOP nutjobs, in effect they are encouraging them to run. This suggests that the MSM---and corporate America---is more than resigned to a Clinton presidency.

[cui bono]

76. He's running as a Democrat. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

77. Todd, Chuck et al are not "out of touch."

They are purposely installed to push the rightwing-corporate agenda.

[The Wizard]

78. Our news media

is propaganda designed to keep us distracted from the fact that the top 1% have us bent over a chair.

[JDPriestly]

80. I think that the MSM overlooked the Thom Hartmann, liberal radio and liberal internet

phenomena. They listen to hate radio on the right, but they have dismissed the liberal radio as irrelevant. Big mistake. Big, big, big mistake.

And of course, the MSM is really the corporate owners of the MSM, so since they don't like liberals, they ignore us. Big mistake. Big, big, big mistake. We, too, buy stuff. But they ignore our opinions, our culture and our power and the result is that they lose out.

[raven mad]

81. It looks like we need a new media.

RUN, BERNIE, RUN!

[RoccoR5955]

82. And they wonder why people don't watch/listen to MSM any more?

This is exactly why.
People don't get their information from MSM news outlets any more. They get it from the web, and other sources. That is why it is very important that we talk up Bernie whenever we can. We can stop them, but we all have to do at least a little work.

[PufPuf23]

83. Keep it up Cali.

You have been on a major roll.

[brooklynite]

85. UNREC

Where is the indication that the media is dismissive of Bernie Sanders?

He was on all the network news shows the day he announced.

He was on MEET THE PRESS on Sunday. He's been on CNN and MSNBC and Fox.

Here are some "dismissive" headlines:

Bernie Sanders' 'socialism' may have mainstream appeal -- Los Angeles Times
First Draft | Bernie Sanders Urges Breaking Up Big Banks -- New York Times
Poll: Bernie Sanders gains ground in New Hampshire -- CNN

If the Sanders people are going to be whining all year long, it's going to get tiring.

[cali]

90. lol

[Babel_17]

86. People go (turn on) to the circus (their TV), they expect a clown car

The MSM is ethically obliged to provide their customers a fully occupied clown car. The FCC requires it!