Wow, the cable news networks really did a job on us!

[cottonseed]

I watched the Reverend Wright speech last night and I thought he did a good job. I didn't see anything he said particularly controversial, especially knowing that the guy wasn't running for office. I enjoyed his introduction by Wendall Anthony (which is a must see), and I thought Reverend Wright made a fantastic speech. He showed why he's a very accomplished man and has found himself in proximity to power over all these years (Johnson, Clinton, etc..).

I thought CNN's coverage was fair and the post speech analysis barring the 2 clueless SDs was also fair. I even wrote a nice letter to CNN thanking them and the host for a fair take on the speech.

Then, this morning all Hell breaks loose! I don't know if it's the Hillary supporters returning from their early bird specials, or if the cable channels have been overly-aggressive with their spin of this thing, or both, but from the tone of the posts on DU this morning I really feel a disconnect from what I saw last night.

Whoever goes on to take the presidency, one thing I know we'll need to work on in this country is the disgraceful state of our press. What I saw last night was a pastor speaking at an NAACP dinner, and doing a pretty good job; I saw nothing that would cause me to go into fits of hysteria as I'm seeing now on DU and I'm afraid I'll see later on the old TeeVee.

[ClassWarrior]

1. The sun rose and the little trolls scurried out from under their bridges...

NGU.

[Crazy Dave]

2. It's a damn shame isn't it?

And as far as candidates go, we'll never know what they really think or what they really believe in. The media and the polls dictate their answers to questions and opinions.

[cottonseed]

17. It's a shame, but with the Net we can finally find some balance.

I'm sort of hoping for an X 2.0 type media revolution in this country led by the Generation X'rs and Millenials (2.0). We've getting their with the explosion and quality of Blogs and sites like DU. We're also making strides with fund raising over the internet, what half a billion between Hillary and Obama?

I'm hoping we can keep up with Net Neutrality, increase the mobile broadband coverage in the country and slowly start to move away from Cable News (which I believe is happening). I'd also like to see if some company like Google could enter the arena, or better yet have a PBS model for the new century where basically we can "buy" our own Cable News channels with big fund raising drives over the internet.

Well, regardless of the dreaming, our press right now is a disgrace, but slowly and after being screwed over a few more times, I think we can continue on this road to better information.

[LSparkle]

3. Agreed ... but large swaths of the public don't have the patience to watch it

They'll go by the soundbites and the commentary which will be biased.
I despair at how stupid our country has become. If we're so easily
convinced by bumpersticker politics, then we have no one but ourselves
to blame when we end up with corrupt, incompetent leaders.

[TeamJordan23]

4. The Media is trying to save the establishment - Clinton and McCain. nm

[Andy823]

5. I agree.

The press is run by the right wing. Over the years they have bought out most of the countries media control. They have an agenda to take this country their way, and nothing will stop them! When the major new source in any country is in control of one political party, there will always be trouble.

[crankychatter]

6. It's the same MSM that brought us the Iraq War-Patriot Act-Torture

You would think that DEMOCRATS would get a clue.

I think this hand wringing over Wright is bogus.

I think they're Judas Goats... disingenuous Obama supporters and if they weren't proferring THIS as "proof" of Clinton's assertions of his "unelectability," it would be some other erroneous BS.

When I say "fuggem" I mean it in the best possible way.

[Klukie]

7. It may be due to the speech he gave to the national press club this a.m.

I thought he was great.

[DemsUnited]

8. What happend was Wright's 8:30 am Press Club appearance

which was awful. As an Obama supporter, I'm very disappointed that Wright followed up his wonderful Bill Press interview and good NAACP speech with this morning's not helpful to Obama (to put it mildly) performance.

[cottonseed]

14. Thanks for the heads up on this.

I was expecting them to attack on last night's speech, but I thought this morning's reactions were a little over-the-top. I'll check out this morning's speech.

When all is said and done, I don't see how anything can have the shock value of the original ABC hit piece, so I'm going to assume that this will eventually fizzle away.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

28. exactly. The Bill Moyer interview was excellent, the MEDIA BLITZ was horrible

this guy is no friend of Obama's and he's no Martin Luther King.

MLK spoke to everyone in such a way as to lift them up,

Wright is no MLK.

[ErinBerin84]

9. Yes, I knew that the coverage would be like this.

They are too exhausted from hobnobbing at the White House to even pretend to approach this responsibly.

Kind of off-topic, but has anyone seen pictures of Mark Penn at the WH correspondent dinner from this past weekend? Wonkette has one that's hilarious (the reporter for Wonkette actually said that Mark Penn was the nicest about taking his picture with her.) It's such a goofy and hilarious picture.

[blm]

10. No kidding - we have Clinton supporters siding WITH RW lie machine in sheer joy

at the opportunity to attack Obama.

Clinton supporters side with Dominionists maintaining their influence on the powerful elite over a progressive black minister they would have agreed with openly just two years ago.

[cottonseed]

18. When this is over, they'll all need to take a long hot shower.

The Clinton supporters are showing so much joy in siding the RW I'm afraid that when it's all said and done they just might become a little more like them when it's all over. They should be ashamed of themselves. These are not Democratic or Progressive principles they've been showing.

[TexasObserver]

11. MSM wants black men who talk like Eddie Haskell schmoozing Mrs. Cleaver

How dare he speak his mind?!

[GodlessBiker]

12. The media makes money on conflict. They want an explosive convention.

And they will do anything to get it.

[cottonseed]

15. The cable news full employment act.

Heard someone on MTP use that term last night. I'm looked at Gallup this morning and it looks like they got the race right where they want it. They'll probably try and trash Obama too the point of Hillary leading and see what NC and IN have in store. These people are shameless. I can deal with excitement, but when they peddle issues they know to be false then they're showing no moral responsibility to the American public and their professions.

[The Traveler]

13. Liberation Theology is dangerous

to the right wing churchmen, the corporatists, to the established power structure. It must be suppressed. People must be told what to think of it. It must not be considered merely for its own merits. We must be outraged.

Because if we accept its presmises and achieve anything resembling the reconciliation Wright advocates, they won't have the kind of power over people they now enjoy.

[madrchsod]

20. we all live in a "gangster`s paradise"

[The Traveler]

26. But "Lady Liberty Has Posse"

I like that! Let's ride ...

[madrchsod]

35. i`m going to sticker it...

lady liberty will not be denied

[MadBadger]

16. How has CNN covered it? I saw MSNBC's shameful coverage but didnt see CNN

[madrchsod]

19. i guess i`m not the only that noticed

i thought i was reading stormfront this morning.....

[anonymous171]

21. Whoever wins needs to repeal the Telecommunications act of '96

[cottonseed]

23. Bingo.

I'm not a media scholar, but I know there were many telecommunication and laws affecting the press in not such a good way to be passed over the last few decades. I wish one of your candidates would put together a 10 point plan or an understandable platform outlining how we can get out of this mess.

I realize a ton of crazies in this world and on this board think Obama might have a secret agenda, I wish this would be it.

[MattNC]

22. Cable news

is total garbage (except for maybe one or two shows). I don't know why some of you people bother watching it.

[cottonseed]

24. It's free market Prapaganda.

That's the most infuriating part of it.

[rucky]

25. The unbelievable part is: At the Detroit NAACP dinner, CNN sends cameras

to cover it - then their commentators turn around and say Wright's a publicity hound.

If that alone doesn't smell of a hit job...

[EffieBlack]

31. And he speaks at the National Press Club - something people do every day of the week

and they cover his speech live - something they DON'T do with all of the others who speak there - and then accuse him of being hawking publicity.

Nothing more precious than watching Pat Buchanan, who apparently does little else in his life than park his butt in front of the MSNBC camera, accuse anyone of being a publicity hound.

[CTyankee]

32. Iheard him today on "Morning Joe" and his voice kept getting higher and higher.

I was thinking "no sopranos before 9 a.m." please.

[cottonseed]

34. Do you know what his schedule is?

Is this a protracted speaking tour or something like a one week burst? I don't care either way politically, just wondering.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

27. the media is not your friend

as someone who has been quoted correctly and incorrectly by media - many of us
learn this important lesson.

Remember it.

[DearAbby]

29. The Media is part of the problem

when are we going to learn?

[Why Syzygy]

30. Me too. I feel like I'm seeing people fall into the rabbit hole all over DU!!

You stated my position exactly. I was a bit surprised to see the funky headlines. Now they are saying Wright defends the black church and blasts the media. BELIEVE ME, if they feel threatened, or *attacked* in any way, they will come out to DESTROY YOU. I didn't even get that he was attacking anyone.

I just hope DUers CRAWL OUT OF THAT HOLE. beebus

[cottonseed]

33. Ok, I took a quick peek at CNN and MSNBC

Other than the fact that it's annoying that the discussion is, "Is this Bad for Obama", and, "Does Obama need to do more to distance himself from Wright", I don't see anything new in the coverage.

I can see where it's frustrating that he's in the news again, but in some ways I see some benefit in him getting out there. No matter how the press wants to frame it, this could dilute the initial shock of the original ABC hit piece. Whether the guy convinces people that he's a good guy, or people still hate him, or they just get bored of seeing him, I see this "issue" of him speaking this week as another controversy to fizzle and fade away.

I give it another day or so, or at least until his speaking tour is over. One thing we'll all need to think about is what side of history we want to be on. If the powers that be are able to take Obama down on this and we find our support fading, we'll be ashamed of ourselves a decade from now. Speaking only for myself, I won't let this happen.