How much of the "Dems don't want Dean" schtick is being [View All]

[janx]

pushed/manufactured by

1. The media, because they live to create sensation; and/or
2. Republicans, because they want Dean gone and want to create doubt?

Think of the sources of this information. Edwards was cornered by a reporter who gave him an out-of-context quote. Obama's comment came from a right-wing news source (Moonie Times?). Biden's comments were there for all to see. Pelosi's comments were chopped and edited.

So far, the sources with the greatest emphasis on portraying congressional Dems as being unhappy with Dean have been the American Spectator, Rush Limbaugh, the Moonie Times, Faux News, and the vice president.

These "news" sources all blend together, journalists don't check facts, sources, and complete quotes, and the whole thing begins to run together. Take, for instance, this recent piece from CNN/Time.com that uses as a premise the fact that "Practically every nationally known Democrat from House minority leader Nancy Pelosi to 2004 vice-presidential nominee John Edwards seemed to be distancing themselves from Dean and his incendiary comments -- asserting that many Republicans 'never made an honest living in their lives' and that the G.O.P. is 'pretty much a white, Christian party.'"

Practically every nationally known Democrat?

My favorite recent "news" source on this topic is something called Chron Watch, a right-wing propaganda tool that asserts a conspiracy on the part of the Democratic Party, and which, predictably, eliminates any reference to sources. It is written by a self-described satirist--but who is going to check? And how is it more satirical than the CNN/Time article's assertion that "practically all nationally known Democrats" have distanced themselves from Howard Dean?

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=15112

WASHINGTON, DC --- An official Democratic memo released anonymously to the media today showed that the recent Howard Dean crazy attacks on the GOP were purposely staged. The outbursts allowed other Democrats to attack him as being too radical and to show some kind of victory for a Democrat over an opponent. Any opponent.

The Memo:

"It has become quite frustrating to continually lose elections and support. We believe that the American public views us as too liberal and radical. This might be true, but we desperately need to change the perception. Howard Dean has agreed to be our fall guy on this. He will take the usual Democrat stand on issues, and other major Democrats will attack him publicly as being too mean and radical. This will give the impression that some of our Democrats are to the right of Dean and allow them to compare favorable in the eyes of the public. It also has the added benefit of allowing a Democrat to beat up on someone and appear to win. Even if this win is against another Democrat, the perception of us winning is a HUGE improvement.

PS - Please don't tell Senator Patrick Leahy about this memo. He will leak it to the press, even if by accident."

Democrats were embarrassed by the leak. "I think Ted Kennedy might have accidentally forwarded this memo to Senator Leahy in a drunken stupor," said a Democrat insider. "This doesn't look good for us. I really think the ruse was working before the memo was leaked."

We should start keeping track of this stuff. The media crave sensation. The Republicans want Dean gone. So before we start parsing the words of our fellow Democrats, maybe we ought to pay more attention to what the media are saying and where they get their "facts," eh?