I met a 77 year old Bush hater today who thinks the media is liberal

[Nordic]

Just today I was downtown Santa Monica talking to some wonderful ladies who were handing out Kerry/Edwards literature and such, and a 77 year old guy walked up and started spouting about how he's never seen anything so awful in his 77 years as this guy Bush.

Then we got to talking poll numbers and everybody was saying like "how can so many people still support Bush?" and I said "it's the media!"

They all looked at me like I was a bit mad, then the 77 year old fellow said "how can you say that, the media's liberal, look at those guys like Rather and Brokaw ...."

I did my best to set him straight. He seemed amazed. He stopped me and asked me if I was joking, he seemed truly shocked that I would be deadly serious about this. And he HATES Bush, had on Kerry pins, was complaining bitterly about Bush.

I gave him a few examples for him to digest. Including the one about CBS shelving the report on the Iraq WMD's until after the election. I wish I'd known about the CNN thing today about the explosives, that one REALLY burns me up.

It's sad. Most people have NO IDEA about the media.

We at DU are way way way ahead of the curve. We were on Iraq, we are on most things.

The MOST important thing for us to do in the next four years is to completely change the media. Make it, force it, to tell the truth.
Jon Stewart is the ONLY person on the planet doing this in public so far. Thank God for Jon Stewart, he's the pebble that can start the avalanche. Hopefully.

Also, something I thought was kind of funny -- at one point I said "I want to see Bush in jail!" and these women just about jumped out of their seats, saying "ME TOO!" I'm not exaggerating, they looked like I'd just hit them with a cattle prod. They seemed so happy and relieved to hear someone say what they thought they should keep to themselves.

And this is in extremely liberal Santa Monica CA.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

1. I think it's because the "liberal media"

theme has been pounded into everyone's head for about 30 yrs now, that people accept it as fact.

[lostnfound]

2. "Who do you think owns the media -- a bunch of rich Rs or some D's?'

"If it's a bunch of rich Rs -- and it is -- why would it tilt to the left? Do they sit around the boardroom and think, "God, I really hate this company?" The answer is, it doesn't."

On social issues it may by and large tilt somewhat left, but on the issues the rich Rs REALLY care about -- economics and foreign policy -- the media passes on spoon-fed, rightwing gruel for breakfast.

[The Minus World]

3. I know the feeling.

I had a similar discussion with my sister, who insists that there is some subterranean liberal cult that influences the media by shifting it to the left.

It's almost impossible to stand alone, claiming that outlets like FOX, CNN and MSNBC frame the debate in right-wing terms, without sounding like an absolute lunatic; a raving liberal who only sees things from his position way out in left-field. It's outlandish to these people, that the same media that embraces Bush's pre-emptive war plans can also embrace Michael Moore's "propaganda" - that, to them, is evidence that lefties are really the ones calling the shots. Of course, you can't blame the right-wing for all their misgivings - that would simply take too long.

Some cannot, and will not see the distinction between individuals who happen to possess progressive opinions while famous, and the overtly right-biased corporate news outlets that feed us our daily pablum.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Good job! Yes, we need to push this agenda forward

I love Jon Stewart, but Al Franken and Michael Moore are going a great job, as well. They're getting the word out, getting young people to register, and traveling to swing states and attracting huge audiences. And Bill Clinton's now doing the same.:-)

[obiwan]

5. They must be the only people in Santa Monica without cable. Or Internet.