An example of how 'screwn' our country really is

[Stinky The Clown]

Gallup has determined that George Bush is the Most Disappointing President in History.

Republican values and positions are not in the least popular.

Only 28% of the country supports Bush, and they're clearly deadenders and crazies and genetically predisposed to willful ignorance.

Democratic values and positions - like universal health care and social justice and ending the Stupid War In Iraq - are widely held values by an overwhelming majority of Americans.



Yet ....... to listen to teevee and the radio, you'd never know that. Right wing gasbags and right-biased news dominate our public airwaves.

Unless we get an honest media again, it will take an inordinately huge amount of Democratic political gain to change things.

Even when the tide is in and lapping at their doors, the media tells us its low tide.

[raccoon]

1. Well said and rec'd. nt

[JDPriestly]

2. We will have to do tabling.

You go to events like parades or farmer's markets and you set up a table in a public place. (You may need to call and obtain permission in some venues.) Then you take your voter registration cards and materials about your candidate including buttons and, if possible, balloons or free things to give away, and you simply start talking to people one on one. You need to be well informed about what is going on and all of your candidate's policy stances as well as those of the other candidates. It is a lot of fun, and it works even better than TV advertisements. Above all, you solidify the base for your candidate, and then that base can extend to the friends and families of the people you talk to and bring firmly into the base. This is really essential. I have done it in several elections now. It is an underrated underused and very valuable tool. It is particularly useful for Democrats. I have watched tables chaired by Republicans. Maybe it is just our area, but Republican passers-by do not respond to tabling with the enthusiasm that Democrats do.

[Stinky The Clown]

3. I'm in a 'former purple turning bright blue' area of a bright blue state

And you're right, tabling always works and the Democratic tables are always far more crowded than the lonely Repubican tables.

[malexander777]

4. there are media activism groups that are fighting for this

Check out FreePress.net, Alternative Radio, and The Progressive. All of these orgs are fighting to eradicate corporate owned media. The problem is that the big corporations and the council on foreign affairs literally own the media...they are projecting to the general public what they want us to think. It is away of pigeon holing the average joe into ignorance. These organizations are working to make this STOP!! Also check out this artist...he is working to get free media back as well. www.myspace.com/jordanpagemusic - he is writing political songs about this and other freedoms that are being taken away from us through the corporate republican machine.

[Selatius]

5. The news media will be dominated by corporate interests unless they are defeated.

No Democrat I've seen so far except a small few are proposing breaking media monopolies or any other monopoly for that matter. The Dems as a whole are timid and pale in that respect. As a result, I would not hold my breath until the day I believe the news media is balanced.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. You've hit on the problem

I only ever heard Kucinich - among the presidential pretenders - ever even mention it.

[Selatius]

8. And he's considered an extremist. That's the state of the party today.

This is not the same party that elected FDR 70 years ago to defend working class interests. This is a pale imitation of one.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. I agree ..... and who do we have as candidates? Same and Samer

[Echo In Light]

6. Media Reform

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Media_Reform/Media_Reform.html

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0105-20.htm

Take Back The Media:
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/

Liberal Media Myth:
http://www.webpan.com/dsinclair/myths.html

http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-liberalmedia.htm

Orwell rolls in his grave:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SV_mvc4zKw

"They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficiently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind, just as a grain of corn will pass undigested through the body of a bird." ~ Orwell