These "Democratic" strategists on television?

[kentuck]

Are they approved by the Democratic Party or are they chosen by FOX News? Just wondering. I have seen some nice lady on MSNBC and FOX described as 'Democratic strategist' or some such title. However, she does not give off a tough image when discussing the war in Iraq or the war on terrorism. She appears to be timid or weak. Is that the strategy of the Democratic Party or the mainstream news? Just wondering?

[madokie]

1. m$n

The tee vee is crawling with the imposters,

[Lerkfish]

2. fox would never have a robust democratic spokeman on.

reminds me of when talk shows first started in the 70s, with Donahue and OPrah, they would have as representatives for the male gender a redheaded bearded guy who insistedon wearing a dress and a cartoonish male chauvinist parody. These would be the people standing in for "men", while the extremely intelligent and well-argued women experts would rip them to shreds. AT the time, it was cathartic for women who had suffered under (and still suffer under, actually) gender discrimination and suppression. The fact that these guys were not representative of the average man was unimportant. It was important they be weak and easily cowed and ridiculous to the point of obvious condension from the host.
btw: I don't blame women viewers for this, they were being consciously or unconsciously manipulated.

Its a strawman. You set up weak opponents of YOUR choosing and then shoot them down and try to extrapolate from that that all of that group is weak and ridiculous.

[fasttense]

3. Another common strategy is to bring in a ringer

Lieberman and Zell come to mind. The corporate media brings in a republican who calls himself a member of the Democratic party and has him agreeing with everything the neocons love. The Democratic member comes off as if he is mainstream and any real Democratic member who says anything else comes across as extremist. Stations like Fox can then appear as if they are showing both sides of an issue when in actuality they are showing only one. The ringer is their token democratic guest.

[Armstead]

4. I just think it's the "In Crowd" mentality

Except for Fox News, I don;t think it's a deliberate strategy by the networks to have lame Democratic strategists on.

It's more that those stretegists represent the lame power center of the Democratic Party. These people make their living by trying to win elections by looking at them in terms of selling a product. So they push "lowest commen denominator" versions of what they believe is a "marketable" Democratic party.