2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumAn ‘Unqualified’ Success at Media Manipulation
By Robin Andersen
April 12, 2016
On Tuesday, April 5, Bernie Sanders won the Wisconsin Democratic primary by double digits, and his victory speech ran for half an hour on CNN, a rare media moment when he was able to repeat the issues that have resonated with many Democratic primary voters.
After the Wisconsin loss, the Hillary Clinton campaign went into high gear, sending emails out announcing a new strategy of going negative. The next day, CNN (4/6/16) ran a piece by senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny that began, Hillary Clintons campaign is taking new steps to try and disqualify Bernie Sanders in the eyes of Democratic voters. The story laid out Clintons new three-part strategy with regard to Sanders: Disqualify him, defeat him and unify the party later.
Political strategists know well that attacks can backfire, especially for candidates with high negatives such as Hillary Clinton. Accordingly, the Clinton campaign attacked Sanders through a common political maneuver: They used surrogates.
CNNs Zeleny reported:
A Clinton campaign fundraising appeal after the Wisconsin primary offered a glimpse into the new approach. The campaigns deputy communications director, Christina Reynolds, argued that Sanders is unqualified, sending a full transcript of a New York Daily News editorial board interview of Sanders. [Emphasis added.]
Weve said for a long time that this primary is about whos really going to be able to get things done. And from reading this interview, you get the impression Senator Sanders hasnt thought very much about that, Reynolds wrote. In fact, even on his signature issue of breaking up the banks, hes unable to answer basic questions about how hed go about doing it, and even seems uncertain whether a president does or doesnt already have that authority under existing law.
Though as FAIR (4/7/16) pointed out, the banking issue was a red herring. (When asked how he would break up the big banks, Sanders said he would leave that up to the banks, economist Dean Baker wrote. Thats exactly the right answer.) But by Wednesday, MSNBCs Morning Joe (4/6/16) had already picked up the Clinton campaigns talking points. Host Joe Scarborough repeatedly tried to get Clinton herself to weigh in on whether Sanders was unqualified to be president. Instead of answering yes or no, she reiterated the campaigns carefully massaged strategy: I think he hadnt done his homework, and hed been talking for more than a year about doing things that he obviously hadnt really studied or understood, and that does raise a lot of questions.
(As Salon4/8/16pointed out, question is what Donald Trump did in 2012 regarding Barack Obamas birth certificate: I dont consider myself birther or not birther, but there are some major questions here.)
The Washington Post (4/6/16) jumped in with a story headlined Clinton Questions Whether Sanders Is Qualified to Be President. Though it parrots the Clinton campaigns talking points against Sanders, it attributed them to anonymous critics rather than to the campaign:
Clintons comments follow a New York Daily News interview with Sanders that critics say revealed his inability to explain specifically how he would accomplish goals such as breaking up the biggest banks. [Emphasis added]
On Wednesday night, Sanders responded to the charges at a rally at Temple University, where he suggested Clinton was getting a little nervous. And she has been saying lately that she thinks that I am, quote unquote, not qualified to be president. He went on to use the phrase as a rhetorical devise to criticize her policy record:
I dont believe that she is qualified if she is, through her Super PAC, taking tens of millions of dollars in special interest funds. I dont think that you are qualified if you get $15 million from Wall Street through your Super PAC. I dont think you are qualified if you have voted for the disastrous war in Iraq. I dont think you are qualified if youve supported virtually every disastrous trade agreement, which has cost us millions of decent-paying jobs.
The next move revealed the sophisticated media-handling of Clinton campaign strategists. Clinton operatives Christina Reynolds and Brian Fallon went on the offensive with, as Salon (4/8/16) put it, sanctimonious incredulity, saying, This is a ridiculous and irresponsible attack for someone to make. They complained that Clinton herself had never said such a thing, yet Sanders opened his comments with quote, unquote.
And thats when the media storm hit. In the face of Clinton denials, media opened with Bernie Sanders going negative:
NBC (4/7/16): Bernie Sanders: Hillary Clinton Not Qualified to Be President. The gloves are truly off between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Less than 24 hours after Sanders big win in Wisconsin, the senator from Vermont hammered Clinton for not being qualified to be president.
NPR (All Things Considered, 4/7/16): The Democratic presidential race has turned negative. Bernie Sanders now says Hillary Clinton isnt qualified to be president.
Huffington Post (4/7/16): Sanders criticisms of Clinton focused on her policy positions, but to many of her supporters they came off as a personal insult
. Especially for many older supporters, they have heard throughout their lives that theyre not as qualified as their male counterparts, and they relate personally to the struggles Clinton has faced.
Paul Krugman (New York Times, 4/8/16): The way Mr. Sanders is now campaigning raises serious character and values issues
. There was Wednesdays rant about how Mrs. Clinton is not qualified to be president
. Is Mr. Sanders positioning himself to join the Bernie or bust crowd, walking away if he cant pull off an extraordinary upset, and possibly helping put Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the White House?
The Factcheckers Step In
By late Thursday afternoon, the website PolitiFact (4/7/16) evaluated Sanders claim, asking and answering, Did Hillary Clinton Say Bernie Sanders Not Qualified to Be President? Not Directly. Sanders claim was mostly false, it found, citing Morning Joe, where Clinton only questioned his qualifications. When the Sanders campaign pointed to the CNN report saying that the Clinton campaign would disqualify him, defeat him and unify the party later, PolitiFact retorted that the CNN article says Clinton spokeswoman Christina Reynolds argued that Sanders is unqualified, not Clinton.
Washington Post headlines on Clinton and Sanders' qualifications
Even more curious was the Washington Posts (4/7/16) review of Sanders claim in a piece titled Sanders Incorrect Claim That Clinton Called Him Not Qualified for the Presidency. The Post gave Sanders three-out-of-four pinocchios for dishonesty, saying: Sanders is putting words in Clintons mouth. She never said quote unquote that he was not qualified to be president
. He cant slam her for words she did not say.
The Post gave itself no pinocchios for headlining its own article the day before, Clinton Questions Whether Sanders Is Qualified to Be President. It offered instead, The art of headline writing is an imperfect art. Not only doesnt the Post hold Clinton responsible for her campaigns negative attacks, it treats her use of surrogates to make negative attacks as a positive, saying she diplomatically went out of her way to avoid saying that Sanders was unqualified.
In the face of Sanders responding in kind, Clinton retreated by way of a similarly disingenuous comment she made to reporters outside Yankee stadium on Thursday. CBS (4/7/16) and other media reported that Clinton laughed off the attack when reporters asked her to react to Sanders: Well, its kind of a silly thing to say. She added, I dont know why hes saying that. But I will take Bernie Sanders over Donald Trump or Ted Cruz any time, so lets keep our eye on whats really at stake in this election.
As Clinton backed off from the disqualify strategy, Sanders backed off as well, telling the Today show (4/8/16), I respect Hillary Clinton, we were colleagues in the Senate, and on her worst day she would be an infinitely better president than either of the Republican candidates. He acknowledged to Charlie Rose (CBS Evening News, 4/7/16) that he was responding to the Clinton camps declarations that theyre going to go much more negative on us.
But in the aftermath of the Wisconsin win, the media frame was not about Sanders momentum, Clintons connection to the Panamanian tax haven or, as US Uncut (4/8/16) reported, three major policy wins for Bernie Sanders, but how Sanders had gone negative and was untruthful. It occupied the news cycle for days, knocking out a barrage of bad press that was hobbling her in the run-up to the New York primary. With a lot of help from media friends, the Clinton people rewrote the news.
Robin Andersen, author of A Century of Media, a Century of War, teaches media studies at Fordham University. Follow her @MediaPhiled.
http://fair.org/home/an-unqualified-success-at-media-manipulation/
KPN
(15,646 posts)just by watching Latest Threads daily. Yesterday was a good example. They werre panicking because Bernie is gaining points every day at a rate that will overtake her.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)will he handle Putin and the Chinese?
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)bullshit..he was suppose to be long gone. He was not suppose to be any threat to
Clinton.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)there are a lot of ways to credibly attack Clinton, attacking her as "unqualified" was about the worst possible one to choose.
Clinton was very happy he did that.
bobbobbins01
(1,681 posts)I'm trying to figure out what scale we should use to judge it by.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Al Sharpton teased de Blasio about it this morning. He's treating it as a joke.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)I like and respect a lot about Sharpton -- But Al also looks out for Al
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)on Twitter, in between his Tweets absolutely ripping Bill Clinton to shreds on race.
It was a dumb, awkward joke.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)if he had showed up late somewhere and said "Sorry. I was operating on CP Time" can you imagine the brouhaha?
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)But it wasn't her that said it, it was Bill de Blasio.
When people go after Clinton instead of de Blasio, they're showing what their agenda is, and how weak their argument is.
reddread
(6,896 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Of course, you should bring that into the AA forum and instruct everyone there on what we all should or shouldn't be offended by.
But that won't happen, no? Weak sauce is only served in GDP-- groups require courage of one's own convictions rather than merely simpering behind implication.
Of course, there's a lot of space provided free of charge for you to rationalize why you cannot be bothered to post something so relevant in the relevant group. I look forward to it...
reddread
(6,896 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)to talk about how experienced and qualified Clinton is?
To eat his own words, and to get flayed for lying about what she said about him?
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)was damn clear. Look, it's a primary campaign and she is notorious for playing it smarmy
and she felt it come back at her.
Biden and Obama, especially Obama, have felt the need to undercut Bernie long before
this last go around...and all b/c Bernie is doing a hell of a lot better than any of
them ever expected. When the crowds and the money from small donations came pouring
in he became a threat..so please lets not pretend he hasn't had the entire establishment
against him for some time now.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)That was a lie.
Lie.
False statement.
Because he and his team lacked the attention span to read past a headline.
No one outside the inner sanctum of the Bernie Bubble thinks that little stunt of his went well.
Clinton is still more than happy to drop the word 'qualified' wherever she can to needle him on it, and remind voters what he said.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)she knew exactly what she was aiming for., TO DISQUALIFY.
Just as she has done in the past......"Not as far as I know"
I'm not in a Bernie Bubble, I am well aware of what the odds are and I have a very good memory of Hillary
and her truthiness as well as her surrogates in the press.
randome
(34,845 posts)It's so unfair.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Human101948
(3,457 posts)Truth is that Hillary has a more effective propaganda operation than Bernie. Congratulations!
But what we will get is more of the same old, same old and the one percenters will still be firmly in charge.
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)tabasco
(22,974 posts)(code words)
shhhhh!
dchill
(38,503 posts)Octafish
(55,745 posts)Media Millionaires
Journalism by and for the 0.01 Percent
Fairness & Accuracy In Media
EXCERPT...
The media business outstrips other industries in generously compensating its top executives (New York Times, 5/5/13), and those resources could of course be put to better use by hiring reporters. But thats not the way the system works. And its not just the bosses getting rich. Indeed, many high-profile members of the media elite live a rather charmed life. The journalism business looks to be in a disastrous statebut the view from the top is just fine.
SNIP...
David Gregory
As host of NBCs Meet the Press, David Gregory is paid to quiz politicians on the tough issues of the day. But he offers his own opinions on the show, too; hes encouraged the Obama White House to propose big spending cuts in order to confuse Republicans (1/27/13; FAIR Blog, 1/29/13). He thinks the White House should have done more to have a moment in the Rose Garden with a few corporate CEOs (11/11/12; FAIR Blog, 11/13/12), and demanded to hear more from the White House about the hard choices Americans must make to get by with less (1/29/12). He worried about the problem of Occupy activists demonizing Wall Street (10/10/11). He expressed concern that the more people criticize big banks, the closer you get to wiping out the shareholder completelya person who is not just a fat cat (2/22/09).
In that sense, Gregory is reflecting what passes for conventional wisdom in corporate mediabut also among people in Gregorys economic class. His salary is not disclosed, but his predecessor, Tim Russert, reportedly made more than $5 million a year (Washington Post, 5/23/04). As Politico reported (3/15/12), Gregory was seeking membership in the exclusive Chevy Chase Club, which requires an $80,000 initiation fee. Gregory was sponsored by a couple of Washington-area real estate moguls.
SNIP...
In 2013, Gregory made gossipy news in Washington after apparently becoming incensed about a parking situation near his home (Washington Post, 4/10/13). Visitors to the D.C. Design House, an architectural showcase to benefit the Childrens National Medical Center, were evidently clogging up the streets near Gregorys home. According to one of the designers, Gregory came to the house to very loudly complain on the front lawn. Witnesses claimed that Gregory yelled something about knowing all the politicians in town, which the anchor denied.
CONTINUED with Links and professional profiles on the likes of Thomas Friedman, Fareed Zakariah, Chris Matthews, Bill O'Reilly...
http://fair.org/slider/cover-story-media-millionaires/
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)G_j
(40,367 posts)to keep me informed on the media. They are well researched and thorough.
jillan
(39,451 posts)"Disqualify and Destroy" him.
But what is surprising is how the media went with the Clinton machine's line of attack. Especially CNN!
It was their network where the Disqualify and Destroy campaign tactic was announced... to Jeff Weaver.
It was a set up. And the media fell for it and ran with it.
Uncle Joe
(58,365 posts)Thanks for the thread, Jefferson23.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)I'm confused.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)Blaming the media for a lack of success is always the last gasp of a dying campaign. As much good as a true social revolution would do this country, it's been pretty clear to me for a while that it's not here yet.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)nor his surrogates contributed to it.
The political movement is moving forward, it hasn't been derailed, events have been
explained, those attempting to portray him inaccurately has been exposed.
BernieforPres2016
(3,017 posts)"it treats her use of surrogates to make negative attacks as a positive"
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)I know, I cracked up over that one too.
BernieforPres2016
(3,017 posts)to throw feces at your opponent while you pretend to remain above the fray.
And if an attack dog accidentally spews some bigotry or otherwise goes completely off the rails, you can fire them. Or pretend that you no longer employ them, like Hillary did with Sid when she was Secretary of State.
The Washington Post has become a laughing stock under Bezos. Katherine Graham must be rolling over in her grave.
Xyzse
(8,217 posts)I appreciate the timeline.
d_legendary1
(2,586 posts)I was pulling my hair out when I saw that the media was more focused on "Sanders attacks Clinton" headlines from last week. I've also noticed how no one called her out on her right wing policies during her daily news interview (invest in private investment, etc). They are more concerned about turning this into a mud fight than having the American people find out that the oligarchs are in charge.