Daily Kos: It's the Metaphor, Stupid!: Cheney story bigger than you think

[Pirate Smile]

It's the Metaphor, Stupid!: Cheney story bigger than you think

by thereisnospoon
Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 11:43:38 PM PDT
(From the diaries -- kos)

The Cheney shooting story isn't about to die down. I predict that the press is going to run with this story for days, if not weeks--and it has very little to do with the possibility of Cheney's being drunk, or with the 18 hour delay, or anything else. And this story is going to be much bigger than what we've seen so far in the White House Press Briefings.

It's because this story is a perfect metaphor for this administration's foreign and domestic policy. It says everything you need to know about Dick Cheney personally, and the way this entire administration operates.

And the press does this all the time: they run with little things that display flaws in character: Al Gore's "Internet" quote to highlight his weakness for exaggeration; Kerry's "Voted for it before I voted against it" to highlight his weakness for equivocation.

In this case, we have Cheney and the entire Bush Administration foreign and domestic policy in a nutshell. Especially in Iraq and Katrina.

In this case, Cheney and friends were killing innocent creatures who were trapped in a pen with no hope of escape.

Overeager, Cheney hunted with a shoot first, ask questions later mentality, and managed to strike his own partner, and send his friend to intensive care.

It later appears that Bush and his situation room (or so they said) had no idea what was going on on the ground there. They waited an entire day to even report the story, even though they obviously knew what happened. Hell, someone else had to force them to report the story, because they sure weren't going to unless they had to.

The official story then has Cheney blaming the victim, saying it was the victim's fault he got in Cheney's way.

It starts to become clear there was a pretty big hush-hush coverup job about it, but that the truth couldn't help but get leaked, despite the Administration's best wishes. There is even speculation that Cheney was possibly intoxicated, and not using his best intelligence before he started shooting.

And, of course, they couldn't afford to admit the truth, because the truth would probably be an impeachable offense.

---------------------------------------------------------

It's a perfect analogy for the way they have conducted their entire administration--and all the biggest flaws of this presidency are on display in one little vividly portrayed story.

A little story that has tremendous sway because, let's face it: THE VICE PRESIDENT JUST ACTUALLY SHOT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. The imagery is clear and potent--and not subject to the typical political "he said, she said."

There is no way to play the usual equivocating politics with a story about the vice-president ACTUALLY SHOOTING SOMEONE.

And that's why I guarantee you this story isn't going away: It's a perfect way for the press to indict the entire Administration through the perfect metaphor.

And they'll be able to do it without retribution, or accusations that both sides aren't being fairly presented.

And it's going to haunt these assholes for a long, long time, if my hunch is correct.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/13/23432/4110

This was posted on Kos on Monday, before the heart attack.

[babylonsister]

1. And as another DUer pointed out, there is not one Dem to blame;

Cheney did it all by his lonesome. Retribution, kharma, whatever it is, it's long overdue!

[BR_Parkway]

11. Breaking - K Armstrong confesses to being secret Democrat, should

never have allowed Cheney party on her property, it's all her fault. Clinton made her do it! Stay tuned for more tonight at 5, 5;30, 6, 7, 8, and a special report "How Hillary and other Angry Feminist Democrats tried to make the VP look bad with Paula Zahn. :sarcasm:

[Vanje]

21. The role of a leading Dem in the Cheney hunting story

The first report I heard about Cheney shooting a man was Sunday evening on NPR.
The reporter described the shooting in a few brief sentences, then played recordings of statements and commentary about the clothes that candidatte Kerry wore goose hunting.

Apparently wearing newly bought khakis is on a par with shooting a man in the face.

[AuntiBush]

23. Try Google.

When I checked out Google's news page, under one of the top stories (Cheney Shooting) you'll see on the bottom right a ton of links to related topics.

After clicking on the link, low and behold were a ton of links with the name Kerry in bold letters, and mention of his hunting habits.

If that's the best they can do, it's completely absurd. It's the talk of my town today. And my town is HUGH1111!

[freefall]

24. You're joking right? NPR didn't really segue from a story about

Cheney shooting another human being to talking about Kerry's ridiculous campaign goose hunt? Did they? Please tell me it ain't so.


edited for grammar

[Vanje]

27. I. Am. Not. Joking

I'll bet they have a audio clip of the piece available on NPR.org. Follow links to Sunday all THings Considered.

[babylonsister]

28. Senator Kerry? How lame is that? NPR is going down! nt

[revree]

2. What a legacy...

Cheney is a jack ass for sure, and his legacy will be forever associated with this incident. How proud his parents must be...

[librechik]

3. I just posted this on another thread--the media are looking for a "story"

the media are looking for a "story," a narrative

they have to fit Cheney into some stereotype they can write about freely without doing too much work (who knows how they pick these things?) Anyway, this incident gives the media a storyline: Cheney is reckless and evil, or alternatively, "IT's ALL CHENEY!!!" Now all the other Cheney stuff will be hauled out of the safe triumphantly and they'll say "Look over here! He did this too! And This! And this was all Cheney too!"

Everyone will happily pile on because it gives the Shrub an exit from his current troubles: "It's All Cheney!!" "Everybody Loves Shrub!" will be shouted at us 24/7

They will do it clumsily though. A lot of other people will get hurt. Facts are awkward pointy things and need hard spinning to fit into nice chewable memes. It's hard to see how they can protect Shrub from the worst of it, but they will try. Cheney has given them an opportunity, if they are smart enough to take it. Shrub is not smart, tho, and he can't tolerate change. He'll probably fight some. Heh.

Nah, his middle name is "pass the buck." It won't take them long to stop being stupid and toss Cheney under the bus.

[wtmusic]

4. Not really a metaphor

just another example of the same inability to accept responsibility.

[Karenina]

29. Yes, REALLY a metaphor!

Plaid Adder Tue Feb-14-06 07:15 PM
Original message

The Bush Presidency In A Single Shotgun Blast

I've figured out why this story is resonating. I mean, apart from the mindblowingness of the fact that the Power Behind The Throne just shot a 78 year old guy in the face--and, it now appears, in the heart.

To the rest of the world, this is what America is now: an over the hill, bloated, inconsiderate jerk toting a dangerous weapon he doesn't know how to use on the hunt for an enemy which any rational person can see poses NO threat to him--and who, in the process of missing his target, manages to maim his own allies.

And then, as EarlG so rightly points out, blames the victim.

Yeesh.

The Plaid Adder

[NVMojo]

5. read this last night, it is perfect and appears it could be perfectly true

[leveymg]

6. There's a "propaganda cycle" that has to be played out before

the axe comes down. If it wasn't this, it would be some other emblematic incident. The public has to be prepared emotionally for what is about to happen to Cheney -- he's out the door after it came out that the Veep "authorized" Libby to share classified CIA materials with Judy Miller, and more indictments are coming.

The shooting incident is indeed a metaphor. There may be some sort of deal that if Dick leaves, they won't prosecute him for the worst felonies. The GOP leadership is desperate to be rid of Dick, and to see McCain approinted as the White Knight of "reform politics" put in the spotlight. It's all bad political melodrama and kabuki theatre.

[Solly Mack]

7. Yes. I agree. It most certainly does epitomize the entire

Bush/Cheney Admistration.

[peekaloo]

8. Beetwasher had an excellent post about this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x403634

[smomfr]

10. Shoot first think about .......

the consequences latter. Think of the quail as an insurgent and the shootee as innocent civilians, it was just another case of colateral damage.

[KAT119]

9. Just as it seems clear how fate is working, along comes a curveball! Thank

You!! . Another part of this - criminal metaphor illustration - Whittington is responsible for funeral fraud i.e.' Funeralgate' and putting bodies in a mass grave - not proper cremation etc.etc. Are Mass Graves happening soon closer to home engineered by our criminal, murderous, secretive WH?? Native Americans are experts in reading 'Signs and Portents' as every aspect of Mother Earth is talking and mirroring back truth to us...

[NNN0LHI]

12. I wonder why CNN doesn't have a film crew outside the hospital then?

It seems odd that they don't?

Don

[Pirate Smile]

15. There must be some crazy paparazzi trying to get the first pic of the

victim. He must look terrible with all the wounds to the face.

Who will get the first photo?

[Pirate Smile]

13. kick

[Generator]

14. The birds are caged in a pen and they let them out to shoot them?

YEE HAW. What a great sport, what a great sport for characters like Cheney.

[Uncle Joe]

16. Yes, I agree, I believe this is a micro ism of their Iraq policy,

shoot first and ask questions later.

[Pirate Smile]

17. kick

[Gregorian]

18. And the good thing is,

they just can't spin away Cheney with a gun in his hands, and a victim with a blast to the face. A smoking gun- no problem. But this one is like catching Cheney doing an abortion, or some such thing. PEGGED!

So we run with it. Faster than a speeding vice president.

[bonito]

19. No hunch

It's black and white, like what is said, what goes around comes around.
Life is like a mirror how you conduct yourself in this grand arena will come right back to you.
Some live and learn, some live and learn over and over again till the lesson comes home, and some live and learn and teach what must be learned.
Your putting your self among those who you call assholes.
I'm wishing for better things for you. Peace

[fishnfla]

20. "know your target and whats beyond"

I said it before: a perfect metaphor for Iraq

[Vanje]

22. I challenge this statement.

"And the press does this all the time: they run with little things that display flaws in character"

Only if the character is a democrat.

I cannot think of one instance in the last 4 years that the media ever laid bare a flaw in a republican's character.

[cybildisobedience]

25. the best part of this whole thing is that it's so simple

even a Bush voter can understand it.
It doesn't involve obscure concepts, critical thinking or deep analysis -- the average knuckle-dragging, gun-toting Bush voter can say to himself, "Shit, if I got drunk and shot a friend our hunting, I think I'd be in trouble."
For the first time, it's an issue they wrap their heads around and actually see this administrations imperial attitude and arrogance.

[fearnobush]

26. Need to pump up "Funeralgate"

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Whittington>