Why Is The Media Attacking Clark And Not The Front Runner?

[KittyWampus]

Those who say Clark has had an easy ride up until now should just google Clark/Shelton.

[Democrats unite]

1. The media seems to be after all of them...

They seem to be taking turns.

[wyldwolf]

2. click here for your answer

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v2i2elections2004gop.htm

[Jack_Dawson]

3. Cause after Feb. 3rd he'll BE the front-runner,

and they know this.

[KittyWampus]

6. Do You Mean He Might Be Doing Better In Individual States

across the country than anyone else?

But But But, this hasn't been reported anywheres on the mainstream news.

[jmaier]

4. His coverage has

been almost consistently negative since the initial 'honeymoon' of his announcement. He hasn't been the front-runner yet but he gets hounded by pundits especially no matter who is leading. Why?

I can only see 2 explanations:

- the rightwing attempt to destroy a candidate that makes them nervous
- the media/politician mutual back-scratching to keep the heat on someone from outside the 'club'

Or, some combination of the two!

[Leilani]

5. Bingo!

You win the prize.

[Bread and Circus]

16. Tell him what he's won, Bob...

Four more years of Bush if we all don't wake up.

[isbister]

18. explanations

3. Maybe they fear having to cover the rookie QB in the Superbowl... it could be an exciting game but the chances are that the rookie will have trouble under the spotlight.

4. They must have made a ton of money they didn't plan for in 2000 with all of that extra coverage. Maybe they dream for another tie?

5. Maybe a candidate says, has written or done stuff that does not fit with the position they are taking now and the media is asking why

[maxr4clark]

7. "I guess they finally figured out who's the biggest threat." eom

[Maddy McCall]

8. My thoughts exactly.

He may not be polling the highest, but he's a huge threat to bush, everything that bush is NOT,and they know it.

He can handle them, though.

[KittyWampus]

9. He Is In First Or Second Across The Country

Not EVERY state... but many.

And I mean individual states not nationally.

[edzontar]

10. They are just waiting for Kerry to be the last one standing...

Then, the deluge will begin.

[jpgpenn]

11. because the media wants Anybody BUT Clark!

If they think pushing a guy like Kerry as a alternative to Clark they have another thing coming. There were many reasons Kerry was virtually dead before Dean's tanking 1 week before Iowa. Just ask those from his nieghboring NH. The mans campaign was all but finished, he resorted to borrowing against his own home.

Now with the step in shit happenings in Iowa the media see a major avenue to pump him up. The main goal is to hit Clark with everything they have before NH on tuesday. If Clark finishes at least second he is home free. They want him at least fourth because they feel that will take the momentum away from him.

Kerry is in NO WAY an alternative to Clark.

[Loren645]

12. You know why. :)

Fear Clark, Smear Clark.
He's not a pol insider. They can't control him.
Bush contrasts esp unfavorably with him.

I know everyone tends to think that their candidate
gets assaulted the worst (and Dean's taken a ton of cheap
shots lately). But the smears on Clark are extraordinary.
Outright lies, fabricated quotes.

Finally the demagogues have something to fear.

[OKHRANA]

13. The media has smeared all of them...

now it's focusing on Clark, again.

But I kinda like that since Clark voted for Nixon, Reagan, Bush HW, and just a couple of years was brown-nosing George Junior, Colin Powell, Rumsfeld and Rice.

That is highly suspicious at best to me, and we need somebody with a track record we can trust for this particular office if you ask me.

[mmonk]

17. see how well its working?

[meow mix]

14. because they know what we know..

its inevitable. he has a date with destiny.
wewt!

[West Coast Democrat]

15. Because he can compete w/ Bush across the country

and win.

[Ms. Wonderful]

30. You are correct, Sir!

:yourock:


P.S. BTW, www.WellstoneAction.com

[TopesJunkie]

19. The Repub Media isn't afraid of the current "front runner"? --

[KittyWampus]

20. Are They Attacking Him?

Kerry has been getting lots of lovely air time.

[TopesJunkie]

22. Apparently --

And sticking his foot in it all the way. How did he win Iowa? I don't get it.

[frustrated_lefty]

21. I've given this some thought over the past month or so

And I'm coming to the conclusion that the rightwing pundits and media aren't attacking any of the candidates because they really fear any of them particularly much.

The rightwing seems to be confident Bush will win no matter who has the nomination. Jeb is still in Florida. Ahnold is in California. Texas has been re-districted. Investigation into 9/11 and the Plame affair has been effectively stonewalled. Saddam has been captured. I would not be surprised to learn Bin Laden is already being held in a "spider-hole" waiting to be pulled out as an October surprise.

It isn't a question to the extreme rightwing that they will win. I'm not saying the will, but the neoconservative wing has no doubt this election is locked up. What they're playing at now is determining how badly the democrats will lose.

And the best way to do that is leave the democrats entering the DNC with 3 or 4 viable candidates. They can simply say "look, all the democratic candidates suck so badly, the dems are struggling to figure out which one sucks the least."

In a situation like that, it doesn't matter which candidate we select, we'll have the lowest democratic turnout in a century or more in the general election.

We need to stop thinking of this as "they fear <my guy>," because they don't. We need to realize we're being set up for the worst defeat the party has ever experienced. Any of the top 4 can do the job, although the battle may be tight.

We all need to start replying to the media when they character-assassinate ANY of our candidates. WE need to remove the media from our decision making process, and WE need to consider our candidates on the basis of their merits.

Now, as a Dean supporter, I am going to sign off for a while and go send a bitchslap to Jennings for how they tried to minimize Clark at the debates last night.

[OKHRANA]

23. Excellent post...

[Loren645]

24. Thanks f_l! I pelted him with mail today.

Solidarity!

ABB...

[frustrated_lefty]

25. I got stupid for a while

I finally remembered what we're up against.

We're against a pissant who has failed at his every endeavor, who is destroying America.

Over the last 3 months, watching the news, I have developed a dislike of many of our candidates. I am de-programming myself in that respect.

We have a good panel of candidates, so let's drop the slurs and character assassination.

I spoke at Career Day to 6 high school classes to kids who were surprisingly enthusiastic about their future. They didn't know red from blue, but they had hope. That is what we're fighting for, so let's set aside petty shit and fix things, let's make things better.

I spoke to the science classes and at one point said, you spend a lot of time becoming a scientist, it should be FUN, you should LOVE your work. If it isn't fun, you shouldn't be doing it. Their regular teacher drove the point home, she said "you should love what you do.

Our four top candidates love the people, they are all better than Bush. Look at what they get hit with, you don't suffer that unless it's for a 'greater' cause.

That's a long way of saying I feel some hope. ;like we should all feel.

[sandnsea]

26. RNC Guns Open On Kerry

It's right out there in the forum. Fox has been coming after Kerry all day.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=179032&mesg_id=179032

[JI7]

28. well

kerry doesn't take things too personally. he knows what politics is about. so rather than complaining about being attacked, he more often deals with it. look at how great he handled the question about the medals. and he has been asked many times about iwr. and i agree with him, these are things someone who is running for public office should expect and be ready to answer. also, notice how he differentiates his military service with bush's by highlighting and playing up his service rather than pointing out directly bush's lack of it. this makes it positive without being negative while getting people to notice the difference. i like his line he got from bill clinton, where bill clinton said 2002 elections showed people would rather vote strong and wrong rather than weak and right. and kerry says he has the ability to be strong and right.

[Justice]

31. RNC Has Not Yet Begun To Hit Kerry - Using Pop Guns Now

To say in the primary that Kerry's record is just like Kennedy's -- how is that hitting Kerry?

The guns that will come out for Kerry are later - if he is the nominee - the guns that will come up will be real.

I've read a few things on DU already. I am not repeating them, because I am not going to be negative. My point is only to say, be real - RNC is not out for Kerry - not yet.

[dusty64]

27. They DO appear

to be giving the "outsiders" a harder time. I suspect the Pravda machine would prefer the nominee be a Washington "insider" whom voted for many of the things that the chimp should be hammered on. I guess they may feel it will be much harder for criticism of the regime. Regardless, the nominee will be smeared, slandered, and tarred with every lie, innuendo, and rumor that the propaganda press can throw at them, while all the while giving our chimp in chief a complete pass again.

[OneTwentyoNine]

29. No,why is the media attacking ONLY Dems while giving Chimp a free ride??

That's the logical question....