Are Media Out to Get John Edwards? (by Jeff Cohen at CommonDreams)

[marmar]

Published on Thursday, May 31, 2007 by CommonDreams.org
Are Media Out to Get John Edwards?
by Jeff Cohen

Give me a break about John Edwards’ pricey haircut, mansion, lecture fees and the rest. The focus on these topics tells us two things about corporate media. One we’ve long known - that they elevate personal stuff above issues. The other is now becoming clear - that they have a special animosity toward Edwards.

Is it hypocritical for the former Senator to base a presidential campaign on alleviating poverty while building himself a sprawling mansion? Perhaps. But isn’t that preferable to all the millionaire candidates who neither talk about nor care about the poor? Elite media seem more comfortable with millionaire politicians who identify with their class - and half of all U.S. senators are millionaires.

Trust me when I say I don’t know many millionaires. Of course I don’t know many presidential candidates either (except my friend Dennis Kucinich, whose net worth in 2004 was reported to be below $32,000.)

But I’m growing quite suspicious about the media barrage against Edwards, who got his wealth as a trial lawyer suing hospitals and corporations. Among “top-tier” presidential candidates, Edwards is alone in convincingly criticizing corporate-drafted trade treaties and talking about workers’ rights and the poor and higher taxes on the rich. He’s the candidate who set up a university research center on poverty. Of the front-runners in presidential polls, he’s pushing the hardest to withdraw from Iraq, and pushing the hardest on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to follow suit.

Given a national media elite that worships “free trade” and disparages Democrats for catering to “extremists” like MoveOn.org on Iraq withdrawal, the media’s rather obsessive focus on Edwards’ alleged hypocrisy should not surprise us.

Nor should it surprise us that we’ve been shown aerial pictures of Edwards’ mansion in North Carolina, but not of the mansions of the other well-off candidates. .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/31/1570/

[waiting for hope]

1. Could it be there is

real fear from the right if he gets the nomination? If that's all they've got - I think it's a pretty lame smear.

[spooky3]

3. I'll go a step farther...

they will smear (or insufficiently challenge someone else who smears) any Democrat, using standards that are complete different from those they apply to Republicans. They may "tailor" the disparaging comments to the candidate, but certainly Edwards is by no means the only target.

For evidence, see mediamatters.org, among other places.

[AX10]

2. He can connect to rural voters.

If a Democrat were to get those votes, the GOP would be crushed in any election. He could have sizable coattails in the house and state legislatures too.

[Cosmocat]

4. It is just indicative ...

of a corporate bought and sold media ...

1) It is OK to be rich if you support trickle down economics ... The founding fathers wanted a totally unchecked economy, and if you support a free market you have every right to every dollar you can finangle, pretty much regardless of how ... You are a GREAT american, and someone to be admired, and for whom no explaination of any behavior is required ... You get to just say consitutional and patriot and all is good ...

2) You are a hypocrite, and thus subject to scorn and ridicule if you advocate for the greater good and have ANY level of personal wealth ... If you want to advocate for the common good, you should live in a self sustainable 800 square foot house, grow your own food and travel by foot ...

3) If you live in a self sustainable 800 square foot house, grow your own food and travel by foot, you are a failure as a person, unable to achieve in America, and thereby are not someone to be taken seriously in the least ...

[Clark2008]

5. Could be that he's just not the right guy.

At least he GETS coverage - which is more than I can say for other deserving candidates.

[Inspired]

16. Um...no, that isn't it. n/t

[Clark2008]

22. Yeah - I think it is.

Any senator who had access to the classified NIE report on Iraq and didn't bother to read it before casting a vote to send thousands to their deaths isn't the right man for the job.

[zbdent]

6. No.

Now, if the article said the media was out to get everybody (but Joe Lieberman) with a "D" after their name, then I'd have to agree ...

[Cameron27]

7. Yep, I'd say

they're all getting dumped on by the media. After all these years, I wouldn't have expected anything different unfortunately.

[venable]

9. so not but yes?

Edwards is not Liebernman and he has a D after his name.

are they out to get him? according to the second half of your answer, yes.

the piece suggests that he is the most left of many dems so he is getting it worse. I agree.

[zbdent]

21. My point is that it was not ONLY Edwards

My error in semantics ...

[TwilightGardener]

8. To be fair, Edwards can sometimes be his own worst political enemy, by

basing his campaign on populism and defending the poor and then giving critics an opening (and they WILL take it) by making poor choices.

[FrenchieCat]

10. If the media starts talking about his co-sponsorship of the IWR and

the fact that although he sat on the Intelligence committee, he still didn't see the contradiction in the intelligence reports that he said he read or was briefed on.....then I might agree that the media is "out to get John Edwards".

Those are the real substansive issues that could turn voters off, the fact that he seemed incompetent when it required him to be most diligent. So since I don't hear shit on those counts by the "Corporate" media, I doubt that they are "out to get" him. :eyes:

and so instead, it would seem that the ridiculousness of the press on his Hair, House and Hedgefund only seem to make activists love Edwards the more for it....and maybe that is what the Corporate media actually wants;for us to get behind John Edwards......so that later on, when they start to push him positively again, Dem folks will be right there for him!

Call it reverse sphychology. The Media ain't stupid. They know that it is the issues that Dem care about the most, not so much the bullshit!

[Vinnie From Indy]

11. The last thing our corporate masters want to see is a populist

politician speaking out against the evils of corporate facism. That is a likely reason that the corporate media has been given it's marching orders concerning Edwards.

[GreenArrow]

18. our corporate masters

might have a real need for a fake populist, though.

[Cha]

20. Exactly! Just like they were given

their swiftboat orders for Gore and Kerry.

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. Every candidate can make the arguement that the media has it in for them

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. You bet!

[wryter2000]

14. Is the Pope German? n/t

n/t

[saracat]

15. Yes.They are.

[calteacherguy]

17. No. nt

[Merlot]

19. I hope they try their best to smear him

Because I'd like to see what he's made of. So far he's been on top of things. I want to see if he has a team in place to handle the inevitable swift-boating that will occur if he gets the nomination. I think he learned a lot from the candidacy with Kerry, both good and bad.

I liked Kerry, but it was disappointing when he didn't hit back on the swift-boating. What ever candidate we get has got to be on top of it. So, trial by fire it is.