THE MEDIA has been telling you that Republicans were going to win big for the past 13 months!

[FrenchieCat]

So I guess, they knew even back then exactly how the electorate would react
due to their insightful "political crystal ball"? :shrug:

OR did they, the media, steer voters exactly where they wanted voters to be by Nov 2010?

See here the running polls from month to month (press prior month or next month to compare the stats)
http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/polls/archive/2009/10


Ever since the Health Care Debate, Obama and Democrats have been getting
super lousy press from our media, and it has gotten progressively worse
as time has worn on.

Whomever the Media could get on both sides to show their disdain for this
administration was welcomed in for interviews, party affiliation not a qualifying factor,
but being "mad" at the President was.

The three main "explanations" for how Democrats were going to "Lose" came early....
like not more than 9 months after the President had sworn the oath.

The first was that 2010 would be the year of the Anti-Incumbents,
which was talked about widely starting in October/November of 2009,

The second was that Independent voters were switching to the Republican party,
and these media discussions started also in October/November of 2009,

and the third was that Democrats lacked enthusiasm,
again, those political discussions also started in October/November of 2009....

meanwhile the Tea Party folks and Sarah Palin were shown all over the media
just about every day; day after day, in an attempt to grow this movement,
something our media (not just Fox) brazenly worked on for long extended periods of time.

The Republicans anti-health care rallies were reported on and were well covered...
while ours (like Dean's health care rally) were not.


see the time-lines here:
Anti-incumbent wave pounds city halls - Alexander Burns - POLITICO.com
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28688.html


AP Analysis: Off-Year Election Lessons Will Shape 2010 Campaign
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/56658

Poll: Anti-incumbent sentiment surges
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29458.html

Poll: Anti-incumbent sentiment strong
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/11/poll-anti-incumbent-sentiment-strong/


Those articles are all dated October and November 2009, an entire year prior to the election,
less than 9 months into Obama's presidency, and before the health care bill was finalized.

-----

The meme that Independents were trending toward Republicans.....
started being "reported" on around the same time as the "Anti-Incumbent" media predictions....

see here: RealClearPolitics - Irate and Independent
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/10/25/irate_and_independent_98867.html


Independent voters big for GOP; Democrats maintain black vote ...
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/66431-independents-big-for-gop-democrats-keep-black-vote


An independent move to GOP
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/hall-of-fame/an-independent-movement-to-gop.html


The Buzz: Independent Voters Shift to Republicans in November Election
http://fciruli.blogspot.com/2009/11/independent-voters-shift-to-republicans.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ea7nv2GedlU/Sv26tXVhCNI/AAAAAAAAAFY/sVIwehHzONI/s400/Generic+Congressional+ballot.jpg


Exit polls: Independents voting for Republicans in gov races – CNN ...
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/04/exit-polls-independents-voting-for-republicans-in-gov-races/


The third meme of Democratic voters lacking of enthusiasm also started around the same time....

Nov 28th, 2009

But a bigger indicator of peril comes from a new survey question added the DK tracking poll for the first time this week. The poll now includes a rather simple indicator of baseline voter enthusiasm for the year 2010. The question offered to respondents is a simple question about their intentions for 2010:

QUESTION: In the 2010 Congressional elections will you definitely vote, probably vote, not likely vote, or definitely will not vote?


The results were, to put it mildly, shocking:

Voter Intensity: Definitely + Probably Voting/Not Likely + Not Voting

Republican Voters: 81/14
Independent Voters: 65/23
DEMOCRATIC VOTERS: 56/40



http://themoderatevoice.com/54455/poll-2010-promises-democratic-losses-due-to-enthusiasm-gap/

New poll paints ugly 2010 picture - Allison Kilkenny -
November 29, 2009
http://trueslant.com/allisonkilkenny/2009/11/29/new-poll-paints-ugly-2010-picture/


The repetition of these 3 memes constantly,
and the promotion of the Tea Party to be seen as an Alternative
have been crowed by the media for over a year.....

and when Nate Silver of NTY does polling analysis (not polling)
that points to Democratic losses, we don't question much if
his numbers, since they are based on corporate for-profit polling outfits,
could possibly be as faulty as our media has allowed them to be, could be off base....
NO, of course not! Instead we hang our head down and get sad and shit......

And then come November of 2010, we sheepishly wonder...."Could they be wrong?"....

Problem is Democratic voters never questioned them before now,
and did little but pile-on to the memes, no matter what our government
did in the ensuing year.

Health Care was passed amids great difficulty and terrible press,
and we were only pissed that we didn't get better reform.
Scores of other legislation have passed since the memes began in November of 2009,
but rank & file Democrats responded by letting it be known that it was never gonna be enough.

As early as possible, Hispanics were told by the media that it was
this Administration's fault that Immigration legislation hadn't yet passed,
omitting that the Bush Administration in its 8 years hadn't done a damn thing about it.

Yes.....9 months after Obama was elected, during a terrible financial crisis,
and when rabid anti-health care rhetoric and disinformation was being spread
by the news media throughout the land, and just about everyone and their mama was jumping onto that
"Just holding his feet to the fire" bandwagon, the defeat of the Democratic party was
predicted....by those who control the overall political national message.

Even Black voters were assaulted with media messages that Obama didn't really "care" about them,
and hadn't done enough specifically for them (but this message failed big time, not only
because African-Americans are used to being lied to by the media, but also because
African-Americans never forget this as a provable fact, and whatever the media says,
the tendency is to react in an appropriate manner that sends the message "Screw you media...we ain't about
to fulfill any wish that you might have that will be bad for us.....but thank you just the same...
now kiss our collective Black asses!" ) They did this in reference to the Clinton Blow Job,
and in reference to the Iraq War. They never supported Bush, even after 9/11, in the large way that the rest of the American population did.

So in essence, Pres. Obama was given a full 9 Months to undo 30 years of conservative policies
by a press who, by large, supports conservative policies, before they hung the party out to dry,
and started working hard influencing voters, in truth, telling voters what they should do come
an entire year later.

So the question is, were all of these memes created due to the fault of the Obama administration?
An administration that has been called everything from Hitler-like Authoritarian Socialists
to callous political Corporate sell out cock-holders? By a President who has been depicted as a
Monkey, an enemy of the people, not a "real" American, pushing an "Unpopular" agenda, the cause of
all of our personal financial problems as well as oil spills through the media?

What we have seen is a media that decided not to stand up and state that the name calling
and the irrational blame-game was not only unpatriotic and unamerican.....
but was vile and didn't make any sense. Of course, for those who have forgotten,
the same media told us that Bush was elected, not selected by the SCOTUS in 2000.
The same media also allowed the Bush administration to link Saddam Hussein
to Bin Laden freely for as long as was required, or at least long enough to start a war.
Yes....this is the same media who consistently "forgets" to remind Americans that the deficit
wasn't important in the GOP rethoric of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008,
and that many of the 8 million jobs lost were lost via the Bush Administration's policies,
and that Obama didn't cause the deficit to be where it is.

So no, personally, I don't place the major part of the blame on the Obama Administration,
although many have, would, and will, and not bat an eye.....
You see, I don't think this congress/administration could have passed much more than they did,
and even if they had, folks still would have rationalized why
it was still either not progressive enough, or too liberal still.

This Congress has passed some 400+ bills that are still laying around dying in the Senate
(the only thing that may allow them to see the light of day will
be an active senate lame duck session where everyone understands what's up)...

Personally, I believe that Americans (but those White Americans in particular)
will get what they in the majority deserve...what too many bought into and helped grow,
and yes, personally, I am afraid of the American media,
and how they decided an entire year prior to the election who was going to win, and why.....
and very few Democrats in any great number had boo to say about it loudly enough...
cause of course, that was Obama's job too....to demonize the media by himself,
so that he could get just that much more of their treatment.....

A media that will gleefully suggest in so many ways that you are better off staying at home
and not voting...while accepting Citizen United money for negative ads that further
polarizes our country, while calling themselves "Concerned" as to what is happening
to this country.

and no, I don't believe that it would have mattered what this administration
would or would not have done. I don't believe that the President has as much
power as the media that shapes his message does......and as long as enough Americans
allow the media to snooker them into agreeing with their take on what "what" is....
we will continue to be truly fucked, and it won't matter who the President is,
because if that President isn't doing corporate bidding, he will have as little power
as the media, as a whole, generally decides.


I didn't ever suggest that any folk should STFU about what the President wasn't doing
(as that was their right), although I did many times urge for folks to stop (for a nano second),
look and listen to how their united cries of disatisfaction would come back to bite all of us in the ass.....

I know that some have judged me to be overly "protective" of this President all along,
a real cheerleader of giant proportion, and an apologist going way back....
but I'll tell you now that I saw the handwriting on the wall in March of 2009....
in the same way that I predicted that McCain would be the GOP nominee in November of 2007,
that Obama would win the Nomination after Super Tuesday (although I started supporting him
the previous year), that the Teahaddist were never a laughing matter, and that the media
has been corrupt and in collusion for a long, long time, and nothing could stop them
but millions of us.

I still think we can pull this off, but we must work hard at it.....
because articulated skepticism or hesitation about doing something ain't gonna do shit for us.

I'll be getting out the vote this upcoming weekend (both days),
and Tuesday is what I'm doing.....cause at this point, it is all that I can do.

**end of rant**

[Junkdrawer]

1. Or maybe, just maybe, in an era where 80% of votes are counted by a single private company....

we no longer have free and fair elections but rather well scripted election events.

Just a thought.

[azmouse]

2. Excellent info!

I'm bookmarking this thread to read all those links this weekend. Thank you.

[FrenchieCat]

24. 9 months! They gave him 9 months.

Guess they thought he was pregnant? :shrug:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

31. LOL!

[proud2BlibKansan]

90. And Rev Wright was the father!

:rofl:

[suston96]

3. Thanks for all the research and hard work......

I agree 1000 %. All you have to do is watch CNN and the rest for how they pick which polls to broadcast and how often.

They want a spectacular election and a divided government to increase the frequency of spectacular debate in the media.

How much longer are the people going to remain so dumb as to be so easily misled.

[FrenchieCat]

25. Yep! Anyone paying attention easily could see exactly what was going on.....

but of course, the media is so insulting, they simply don't care how obvious they are.

[robcon]

4. I disagree. The OP has picked some polls and left out others.

There has been tremendous balance in the media. The polls are what they are, and they disagree somewhat from each other. But I fully expect we'll lose a lot of House races, and a few Senate races, this Tuesday.

[FrenchieCat]

6. You disagree with what?

That I believe that the media shaped the political climate
we now operate under? Why don't you think they had nothing to
do with it? Because you believe them to be Balanced? Because if so,
yes, we very much disagree on this.

[Whisp]

17. tremendous balance in the media you say?

when exactly did this media change? you know, the same one that pushed the Chimp's illegal war and schmooze with the devils?

good fricken gawd!!!!

:rofl:

[BootinUp]

19. Can't be serious. nt

[FrenchieCat]

21. I hope not....but I don't see the sarcasm tag that should be there.

[suzie]

61. +1,000

[JNelson6563]

22. "tremendous balance in the media"

Cause if there's one thing we know, the corporate media always plays if "fair and balanced". :rofl:

[FrenchieCat]

23. That's their motto, right........

so why not believe that too? :rofl:

[Enthusiast]

52. I have never seen this tremendous balance

in the media that you speak of. The media has been pure bullshit since the start of the HCR debate.

[MadMaddie]

97. Way before that my friend! The MSM started by not

taking President Obama then candidate Obama seriously. They have been in collusion ever since then....some of us are so not surprised by what has happened and what is happened.

[BlueMTexpat]

56. We must not be in the same media universe. nt

[SemperEadem]

62. balance in the media of what country?

not the USA.

[treestar]

65. Tremendous balance in the media?

I live on Earth - which planet do you live on? I think I might like it there.

[enough already 2]

72. "Tremendous balance?"

You must have one leg shorter than the other to have seen "tremendous balance". The media has been all-in on bashing Obama and lifting up the pukes this cycle. It's criminal what has gone on, and now the country is going to pay a huge price.

[Cha]

81. No, there is never "balance" in the corporatemedia.."tremendous"

or otherwise..this is the same "media" that gave us 8 years of bushcheney and the war on Iraq and made sure the 2002 midterms went to bush..and then in 2006 it was so bad even they couldn't cover up bushcheney and the People spoke in 2008 in spite of the mediawhores.

Oh, please provide us with these "polls" you are so sure of the "OP has left out."

[politicasista]

5. Kick!

:kick: :patriot:

[playstation]

7. Do you have some polling from that timeline that shows

the electorate differently?

[FrenchieCat]

9. It is the first link in the op.

[Top Cat]

8. KICK

[butterfly77]

10. Ain't that the truth!

KICKIN!!!:kick:

[FrenchieCat]

26. Wish the media was more into the "truth"!

That's why we are where we are in a long run; that's where the media wants us.

[craigmatic]

11. Personally I don't see how we lose the house. We've been winning house seat since 08 and

the only losses we've had came becuase of wierd circumstances like 2 dems in the race. It just doesn't make sense.

[FrenchieCat]

12. Today, before the "Terrorist" reporting, the news was all about

Speaker of the House Boehner!

That discussion while we vote, and before election day.

I found that cute.....or telling.

[treestar]

66. Yeah, and I'd like to know which districts in which states

are affected and why. My district - a Democrat is likely to win, for a seat that has been Republican for a long time.

[Whisp]

13. Best Rant Ever in the History of DU!

Frenchie you are wonderful.

[FrenchieCat]

15. Thanks Whisp.......

but anyone watching though knows. :(

[underpants]

14. The same media that told us about WMD?

[FrenchieCat]

16. Yep. Them.

Promoted a war that we still have to pay for.....
now they rant about the deficit.
Ironic or just interesting how that works, hey?

[ejpoeta]

60. look at all the people they show who do the same..... bitch about the

deficit after they cheerleaded into these wars. oh, war spending is ok... national defense. but what about the billions that simply disappeared. no bid contracts to a company once headed by the vice president? no conflict of interest there. and boy do i feel safer knowing that if anyone attacks us we can't do shit about it since we have our troops so overstretched and we have squandered the good will we had with countries around the world after 911 and so if we really needed them to help us i doubt they would believe us at this point.

[Supersedeas]

113. The same Media that showed the OBL tape over and over and over again before the Presidential

election in '04

[Supersedeas]

120. drum beats to War and hailing the downfall of liberalism--they can do that

[Bluenorthwest]

18. The predicted apathy, Oregon update

Today Oregon Sec of State, the most excellent Democrat Kate Brown, said she is expecting the highest voter turnout in any non Presidential elecction in Oregon since 1990. She predicts 72% turnout.
So that apathy is not showing up as promised, not here in Oregon. And California is proving that Meg never had the lead they claimed, that Boxer is going to remain in the Senate, and that California Democrats are getting their old fire back.
They promised apathy. You don't seem apathetic, nor do I. We often disagree. We are both voting (actually did today) for Democrats, and I bet you are pretty happy about yours, as I am about mine. Gleeful, non nose holding votes. My family in CA has been pounding the pavement like never before, I have been so proud of them. Again, they are just not delivering that apathy.
Tuesday is not going to be as predicted either. Thanks for working hard in CA. It is going to pay off.

[FrenchieCat]

20. I like your post!

and yes.....we may not always agree, but we both bleed blue!

Go Dems! :bounce:

[Bluenorthwest]

111. And that is what makes the world go round...

I know you are in the bay area kicking Republibutt. And Meg is going down, and you get gold stars when she does!

[jaxx]

27. 9 months

Thanks Frenchie!

K&R

[FrenchieCat]

28. Yeah....9 months to fix the economy and everything else that has gone wrong

after 8 years of Bush!

9 freaking months!

Talk about a selfish impatient ass Media.
Guess we are supposed to be used to the 30 minute sitcom solution
by now.

[sandnsea]

29. Thanks for that

And store in the memory bank - now the media is pushing Hillary again, she will either primary Obama or be the VP. We probably need to see how and where that unfolds too. But there's no question that the media does exactly what it's told.

[FrenchieCat]

30. And then we more or less do what the media tells us.....

That means a few overlords are orchestrating the whole thing....
and using our media as their mouthpiece.

[treestar]

67. Even though it's not even true

Hillary has not said a thing about it, Obama has said Biden will stay put - yet the media still insists on putting this out there.

[sandnsea]

80. Which is why we need to watch that propaganda

And see where it leads. They've got something up their sleeve.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

32. The corporate stranglehold of America - period

[FrenchieCat]

34. And many of us, on our side, put lotion on our necks prior to presenting the media

with our throats.

Some don't mind getting choked,
as long as there are no red marks left behind.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

35. the media are the first to fall

during the revolution

as happened in eastern Europe

[madamesilverspurs]

33. Spectacular. Just spectacular.

One could almost believe that the MSM were the main recipients of all those millions spent on campaign ads. Oh. Wait...

Not to suggest that they would gin stuff up to help make that happen.

Yeah.


K & R, by the way.

[FrenchieCat]

47. Yup! Follow the money!

[SeattleGirl]

36. Frenchie, great OP!

I have long noticed how the media is more concerned with making the news rather than reporting it, but your details are much appreciated!

It really pisses me off what they are doing, and I know it started big time when the news divisions were folded into the entertainment divisions, at least in the television sector. And now that just a few corporations own the news outlets, well, they own the news too, and it's so obvious that they take great pleasure in trying to lead us around by the noses.

Thanks for posting this. I really appreciate it.

[FrenchieCat]

40. Unfortunately SeattleGirl,

We are not pissed off enough...
or at least not enough of us are. :(

[SeattleGirl]

42. I know I am plenty pissed off, but I agree with you.

Not enough of us are. It's like Idiocracy is the state we're living in, not just a movie that can be watched.

It just gobsmacks me how so many people just swallow whole whatever they see on the television, hear on the radio, or read in the paper, without giving it any thought.

[FrenchieCat]

44. All the media has to do is getting enough fools to believe the same thing

at the same time. Considering their giant mouthpieces like CNN, AP, Reuters, MSNBC, ABC, Fox, WSJ,
etc, etc, etc.....they have a pretty easy job, since they have no responsibility to the truth,
as far as they are concerned, and a pile on will do fine, since no one gives a shit about the issues,
in reality.

Some protest that we have weak Democratic politicians...
but I say it is the American populace who is the weakest,
since they are more than willing to believe a bunch of shit,
no matter that there isn't any evidence presented for any of it,
just blaring bullshit headlines.

Those companies holding down all that money and not hiring till after the election?
Not a word on them from the Corporate asswipe news media.

[KeyserSoze87]

37. I blame the media!

Alright, I'm going to get one thing clear right now: I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THE REPUBLICANS TAKING OVER CONGRESS ! I can't go anywhere without hearing endless bullshit about the supposed apocalypse for Democrats. If I see one more article about the Democrats losing the house, I'm going to scream. I don't remember the "liberal" media creating so much commotion when the Democrats were going to win back in 2006. Seriously, enough is enough.

[FrenchieCat]

38. That's a problem, isn't it?

The repetition till it's all that can be believed.

I think that kind of propaganda was used on our march to war....
we were told over and over again that we were going.
So in the end, folks supported what should have been unthinkable
just a short while before.


Oh....(edited to say)....and welcome to DU! :hi:

[KeyserSoze87]

39. Yeah...

I just joined.

[FrenchieCat]

41. And I'm honored that my OP would be the first one that you post in!

One day, I hope we realize that we are the only ones that can
get the media to be reformed.....cause the politicians
ain't gonna touch that issue with a 10 foot pole; too dangerous.

Obama tries (constantly talks about the pundits and the chattering,
and even went after Fox).....but because he's been practically alone in this,
other than Jon Stewart, it is only getting worse... for him, and of course, in actuality,
for all of us!

[KeyserSoze87]

43. I have a solution.

People need to see the interview Jon Stewart had with Obama. That completely won me over. I thought Obama did an absolutely phenomenal explaining what he has done so far during his presidency.

[FrenchieCat]

45. I think if we could cut out the middle man mass manipulating media,

folks would have a chance to possibly understand exactly what's being done....
to them.

[KeyserSoze87]

46. Couldn't have said it better myself.

[BlueMTexpat]

59. Interestingly, they have at least some of the local press here

(I am a Dem Abroad) buying that message. The local paper had a huge election section this past week, saying how Repubs were poised to win literally everything. There was at least one little glitch - on the maps showing where Rs currently are Governors, they had Dem colors. I loved that (TX, CA & FL all showing as blue), but was not so happy to see the Dem governorships represented as Rs! They did run a retraction the next day.

The next day, they also ran an interview with the Chair of the Repubs Abroad, saying how "tens of" voters had been scrambling to register as Repub when for so many years Repubs Abroad had practically gone underground, they were so ashamed. (The "so ashamed" opining is my own, not his.) Interestingly, with that interview, the paper also printed a photo of someone else, also followed by a retraction the following day. So their sources are apparently as witless as Repubs generally and must thus be Repubs.
At least, Dems Abroad have their facts correct (the paper never has to run retractions on our stories). They are also well-connected to their membership so we are well-informed as a whole.

This is definitely a legacy of the Howard Dean days. He is the one who originally fired up a formerly lethargic group in 2004. When he became DNC Chair, things improved even more - and we're not letting our membership fall back into old habits.

But it is true that Repubs are doing everything possible to discourage Dem voters from voting at all.

[MadMaddie]

98. You nailed it!

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[Scurrilous]

48. K & R

:thumbsup:

[kentuck]

49. Amen Sister!

The Establishment does not like it when people know their game. They've been calling the shots for a long time. They have the money and the leisure time.

STOP! LOOK! WHAT'S THAT SOUND? Everybody look what's going down...

[pnwmom]

50. Thank you, FrenchieCat! n/t

[Radical Activist]

51. Thanks for exposing some of the details about how we're being manipulated.

The corporate for-profit media is for their own profits and not for providing information.

[saracat]

53. I will be GOTVing all this last week . I do not give a damn about the WH this week

but if we should lose, I will hold the WH and it's lack of ability to control the MSM in large part to blame. I pray to God we are able to spin this in our direction.Every GOP ad is a referendum on Obama.So much for bipartisanship.Thomas Jefferson wouldn't even invite the opposition to dinner. I wish we had more of that today. Jefferson knew what we needed and how important clear messaging was. And he controlled the media of his day.

[Hekate]

54. KnRnB. Frenchie.....

:hug:

[BlueMTexpat]

55. Great round-up of information, Frenchie!

And this doesn't even include all the anti-Dem press generated by the Tea Baggers, Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, O'Leilly, Palin and Bachmann!

Our MSM is truly Goebbels reincarnated in the US. And we thought it could never happen here!

[Major Hogwash]

57. Yeah, but some gal at a blog called firedoglake disagrees with the idea that

Democrats should be reelected in the first place.
Because she has a blog.

That's pretty much it.
That sums up her qualifications.
So, I guess we should sell the farm now.
Move to the poor house.
Cancel Thanksgiving.
Forget Christmas.

Of course, then are some of us who don't agree with her.
If I only had a blog!

[Number23]

58. Yes, yes. Frenchie, we know that all of this is just smoke and mirrors

We all know that you only support Obama because he's BLACK!!!!! It has nothing to do with voting your interests and staying informed on the issues. And you only support the Dems because they're black! I mean, because you're black! No, I mean...

((Sorry. I keep hearing from other places on the Internet that the only reason you, I and a couple million other darker-complexioned Americans support this administration is because somebody is black. I just thought this needed to be interjected into the conversation some kind of way.))

[Honeycombe8]

63. They just reported an historical fact.

This always happens. Don't take it so personally.

[Fire1]

64. Sure, just like when a senator told Clinton, Carter, Nixon, Bush

and all the other presidents, "you're a liar!" OR when govenors told Clinton, Carter, Bush, Reagon etc., to take their endorsements and "shove it!" No, we don't take that personally!! That would be unamerican! That would be ludicrous!

I don't think the sarcasm thingy is necessary.

[treestar]

68. As a poster above says, did they have as much fanfare and

repitition for the "historical fact" of the Democrats taking over congress? Really? The main stream media is balanced? Like Fox News? :rofl:

[BumRushDaShow]

69. K&R and it started BEFORE 11/2009

Was more like right after the inauguration when the gasbag leader of the Repuke party - Rash Limpballs, declared that he hoped that the President (and the rest of the county) "fails". This self-aggrandizing culminated in an a parade of media-generated pontificated nonsense from February - April 2009 (and beyond) regarding repuke governors refusing stimulus funds for their bankrupt states and the wholesale exaggeration by the media of the fake outrage by sore losers whose heads had exploded while they continued to walk around as zombies spewing more and more hate and vitriol.

This presaged the tenor of the soon-to-be upcoming health insurance reform debate through the summer. Recall that this is when the corporate shills of CNBC - most notably Rick Santelli, let loose on February 19, 2009, with a fake tirade that trumpeted the foul "birth" of the astroturf teabaggers, funded by the taxpayer $$$ given to corporate America.

And during that time, not one week passed without some story of Failin' Caribou Barbie (and her ilk or spawn) and wingnuts in the 10s standing around with teabags hanging from dirty hats. The results of the NJ & VA governor's races (representing 2 out of 50 states where Democratic governors are the majority) sealed their fantasy for deploying a full blown propaganda war, to be fully funded anonymously by foreign corporate terrorists, once the pre-decided SCOTUS decision on Citizen's United hit the airwaves in January of 2010.

[Spazito]

70. Excellent, excellent OP!

Well said!

Recommended.

[Raster]

71. Three words: FUCK the media!

And they elephant they rode in on!

[FrenchieCat]

79. I like that!

:thumbsup:

[cliffordu]

73. Great OP, FrenchieCat.

[firedupdem]

74. K&R

Great Post! Hell, even my 17 yr old pointed out that they don't even call him President. He's just Obama. Fuck the media and most of this stupid ass country at this point. This man has to go out on comedy shows to get his message across due to the media and the professional left that does nothing but bash the administration and then they wonder why we are in this situation? Biting off their noses to spite their faces. Somebody said even if we lose like crazy on 11/2 it's the presidents fault for not "controlling" the media. What a bunch of bullshit. Just goes to show you how the real issue is. Bunch of damn sickos in this country and the money is ruling the roost.

[vduhr]

75. So very, very true...

Does anyone wonder why someone like Rupert Murdoch would purchase newspapers, networks, etc. (Newscorp), and become an American citizen so he could legally own and control a large news company in the most powerful and influential country in the world? Murdoch was a political activist, and knew exactly how he could influence not only the American people, but the the entire world.

[bkozumplik]

76. you are off on this, and avoiding the ugly truth.

Its more head in he sand causality from the No Obama left behind crowd.
"OR did they, the media, steer voters exactly where they wanted voters to be by Nov 2010?"

Thats insulting. The enthusiasm gap is because our party veered right and led ineffectively. Its because of big pharma at the table during health care crafting, steering the laws, where they should not be. Its because of the stupid wars and the stupid military complex. Its because of the joke of a fiscal policy and joke of a fiscal reform.
Its because Glass-Stegal type protections were not reconsidered, and the derivatives market was reinflated.
Lilly Ledbetter (which is a joke if you actually look into it) and expanding national service doesnt count as doing the job. I'll give him a 25% score for those, thats still an "F".

We have been over this. There are reasons behind this besides your theory that we are all rubes being played like puppets by the media.

Its not because he is black.
Its not because the media manipulated people into not liking his work.

Its because he fucked up. Maybe there are also weak willed media puppets, and rascists, but its not the cause of the gap.

We're not effing idiots here.

[FrenchieCat]

78. "We're not effing idiots here", you say?

Well, I say that giving any President nine (9) fucking months
prior to determining that the other party should win is insane

....and anyone who wants to blame the current President for this
country's ills, and somehow believes that they, themselves,
have the answer of how he could have done it all so differently that
everything would now be way more peachy-keen is not an effing idiot....
they are a fucking idiot.

[bkozumplik]

87. missed point, again

let me dodge your straw mans. Nice try tho. Again, you miss the point that its not where the president started that is the cause for the gap, its what he has done with himself and the party since he started. Yes, he started with a huge plate of problems, and "no" he hasnt handled them like the progressive, non corporate, populist, intelligent, savvy adult that he pretended to be during the presidential election.
Did he make progress? yeah, a little. But is it a net fail? oh yeah.

We missed an opportunity with this Nov 2 election to have a real conversation with our party's leadership. After the election, there will be no acknowledgement that what was going on before the election is a bad way to go for a democratic administration dealing with fiscal crisis, a semi continual crisis of pants-pissing fear, and the ending of stupid wars. I think we have a distorted view of how much power we voters have during the non-election times. You think anyone in government cares about blogs, letters to congressional offices, petitions, phone calls, and protests in the next 12 months? The answer is no. They dont. I'm sure they joke about it, in fact. On November 3rd we all get our old seats back, in the back of the bus. I'll see you there. Same seat as 2 months ago!

I dont know whether to believe the AP articles saying that Obama is very concerned about the deficit and will focus on that in his second term, but I sure wouldnt be surprised if it was true, looking at the record so far. And tax breaks for the rich? yeah we wont get rid of those. We couldnt even manage to do progressive taxation when we owned both houses and the presidency. We should've overturned the bush era tax cuts the first day after we won congress and the presidency. We should have ended the wars by now as well. And we should have kicked the banks' arses, not given into their demands that we hand over trillions with no string attached, because they cant work with strings.

Our leaders are too cozy with big money in all its forms, and when our once every two years option to make them have a real conversation about it came up, we chose to pass, out of fear of the repubs. And in a few days they wont have to give a crap about what we think, for at least a year. They just have to be a smidgeon better than the batshit crazy republicans. fricking great.

As a group we would really suck at poker.
All that being said, the opportunity is gone, so might as well vote for the the usual straight slate of dems. At least it wont make things any worse.

Oh, and call me insane and an idiot all you want. I couldn't care less. If you even understood what I was saying and looked outside your box now and then, I might care. So have fun with your name calling, at least it'll keep you busy so you dont spend so much time failing to make a point. I call that a win win for you, me, and everyone else.

[FrenchieCat]

99. You sound superior......

but like most of us, you don't really have any real answers, just your own opinions....like we all do. You are obviously one of those who has decided not to acknowledge that politics in 2010 in America will never be about what you want it to be, nor is it Black and White, or can be navigated as the narrative that you have decided would be the right one, only if.....

So since you won't ever have to do anything beyond have an opinion......you can believe that it is up to someone else to bring about the change that you believe should be had, but in reality, it is up to you. And I personally don't believe we as a "group that sucks", cause I don't even believe that we are a group...just people who come together because we want more than what we have....but that doesn't mean that any of us really know how to get it done; just that some think that they do.

[bkozumplik]

102. more straw men

You dont even try to make a point do you. you just try to pigeon hole whoever you are talking to into a category thats easy for you.

Also, your diary is drivel. The media is not the root cause for lack of enthusiasm in our party. Until people want to acknowledge and actually talk about the real causes, then we will get nowhere as a party.

I am going to enjoy your posts in a few months when Obama starts being his old corporatist self again.

Hey I'll even make you a little wager. If he doesnt turn right again after the election, I'll answer one of your posts with an apology and a note that says I was wrong and I suck. And if he does, I just want you to think to yourself that you were wrong and you suck. You dont even need to post it.

I feel like you should have some odds in this bet, so there ya go.

[Name removed]

104. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

105. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

106. Deleted message

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[bkozumplik]

107. complicated things can be worked with, not just endured

look, Obama will be Obama. and Clinton will be Clinton. Its how we deal with them that matters. We should have brought up some issues front and center and asked for real answers this election. Thats my point.

YOu seem to be sad that people arent happy with Obama. I am disappointed that Obama has not done as good a job as he could have, on the things he did address. I am happy he learned to stop reaching out to the repubs. I am happy that he got rid of idiot Rahm. So he can learn. But the costs of his learning are so extreme. We need to be there not just to constantly have his back, but to teach him to do his job.

Think of it this way, we can teach him and give him feedback, or we can just defend him, silently. Which is more valuable to him, and consequently to us?

[Name removed]

108. Deleted message

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[FrenchieCat]

109. You don't know me, and therefore Have no fucking clue what's important to me.

My children are what is important to me....then other people's children.
Obama will be fine, so I'm not so worried about him.

White folks never learn. They will have to be left with nothing like many of us
have been all along before they realize that they fucked themselves up,
not anyone else.

[Name removed]

110. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[FrenchieCat]

112. We have a different history, legacy of inheritance, different treatment by the police,

different assumptions made when we are walking down the halls in college,
and different earning capabilities, even if we are both qualified for the same
job.

We are not the same because of our skin pigmentation......
because we are not treated the same, and never have been......
in any day in history till now.

Remember that.

[BrklynLiberal]

77. Exactly what the paln was...This was practice for 2012. They wanted to know how much $$ it would

take to get the most outrageous, ignorant, fringe candidates elected....once they have the figure, they will start working on 2012.

[ZombieHorde]

82. Fantastic post. Recommended. nt

[DevonRex]

83. FC, that is one awesome OP and the best rant evah.

:toast:

[Capn Sunshine]

84. 94 all over again

The media was all over the narrative how after Clinton's first two years, nothing good had come of it. Remember Time ran a cover with a teeny pic of Clinton on it and the title in huge print "The Incredible Shrinking President" ?

IT's happening again. A concentrate assault on the best President since Roosevlet, and that's WHY. They don't want to spend the next thirty years in the wilderness like what happened then.
Kudos, Frenchie. Excellent, telling post. :hi:

[Pharaoh]

85. I feel the same way Frenchicat

but could never have put it so eloquently! Thank you! K&R

[Proud Liberal Dem]

86. Great rant!

K & R

The narrative for the 2010 midterms has been set up by the corporate media and Republicans for over a year now. Hopefully, we will prove them all wrong!

GOTV!!!!

[YankeeLeft7x]

88. Big Media CEO's Love Republicans

The Big Media CEO's love the Republicans and hate the Democratic Party.

The same goes for the radio channels we all know about as well.

The Dems get accused of "class warfare" while the Republican Pigs get a free pass when they yack and complain about economic issues.

When have tax cuts ever created jobs? I want some proof to this erroneous GOP claim.

The Republicans only care about deficits to go along with their plans to cut social programs.

The GOP in reality like deficits and borrowing because it complements their desired ends to cut programs like Medicare, Social Security and the continued assault on Education in America.

The Corporate Media want their tax cuts as well so they only attack the Democrats when the Dems talk about economic issues as being "class warfare."

In short, class warfare starts from the top down and not the other way around. It's the wealthy who are always playing this class warfare game and such things as "tax cuts" and "spending is out of control" are terms coined by the Corporate Elites.

[Historic NY]

89. Maybe its time to start a Liberal/Progressive news channel...one

that actually reports the news rather than manufacture the news,papers are going belly up. I'm sure we could attract a following and quality news persons. We may need this if the Citizen United case stands.They want to sell news by keeping the population at polar odds. Perhaps our wealthy Liberal friends would want to become stockholders/

[hulka38]

91. It is not the left's fault for what is about to happen.

The media is not the reason for the left's dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party's leadership.

[FrenchieCat]

100. You have a right to an opinion......however, for those on the Left who have been disatisfied

with the Democratic Party's leadership.....they still were used by the media; and I'm sure some were used willingly.....those that haven't like this Leadership since before day one. There are many here like that. They are the ones who put lotion on their throats prior to allowing the media to stranglehold them. They are the ones who on the one hand care about starving children, but on the other hand, don't want to see the connection between always ragging on the President, and how the media turns that into a GOP advantage, which in turn will hurt those starving children even more.

[rucognizant]

92. My personal experience!

I have been making GOTV calls, for 5 nights now.in my rural northeast corner of the world........... Washington County Maine, EVERYONE over 55, ( most over 70) have been voting FAITHFULLY DEMOCRAT for all their lives & still in their 80's, 90's wheelchair/oxygen, what ever they ARE GOING OUT TO VOTE BY GUM!
I don't EVER WANT TO HEAR another COMPLAINT ON DU ABOUT The conservative oldsters on DU
Hopefully they will keep that dysfunctional teabagger, Le Plaque, from becoming the governor!!

[live love laugh]

93. I have been aware of the propoganda from day one. I just hope other progressivess are. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

94. this is one hell of a post, FrenchieCat! APPLAUSE!

fantastic!!! Thank yYou!!!

:applause:

[Cha]

95. ABC is having breitbart as an analyst on Election Night.. mediawhores..

Yes, that breitbart of the "asshole who edited Shirley Sherrod infamy..how the fuck do they know he won't edit his analysis to fit his agenda?

October 30, 2010

"ABC NEWS IS DOING WHAT?.... About three months ago, in the wake of the Shirley Sherrod fiasco, E.J. Dionne Jr. identified activist Andrew Breitbart as a "right-wing hit man." Dionne added that the incident "ought to be a turning point in American politics," one in which "the mainstream media" starts appreciating the difference between "news and propaganda."

A few days prior, The Atlantic's Josh Green noted, "t's hard for me to see how the media can justify continuing to treat Breitbart as simply a roguish provocateur. He's something much darker."

As it turns out, it wasn't a "turning point," and it's not hard at all for the media to justify taking Breitbart seriously.

Media Matters has confirmed that noted propagandist Andrew Breitbart will provide analysis for ABC News during their election night coverage.

After Breitbart's BigJournalism.com website reported that Breitbart would "be bringing analysis live from Arizona" for ABC, Media Matters confirmed his participation in a town hall meeting anchored by ABC's David Muir and Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg that will be featured in the network's coverage.

Asked about Breitbart's history of unethical behavior and misinformation, ABC News' David Ford told Media Matters: "He will be one of many voices on our air, including Bill Adair of Politifact. If Andrew Breitbart says something that is incorrect, we have other voices to call him on it."

It's hard to overstate how ridiculous this is. For ABC News to invite a professional propagandist -- a man ABC News has exposed on the air as a practiced liar -- to be part of its election-night coverage is an embarrassment to the network.

The point is not that conservative voices should be excluded from broadcasts like these. The point is major news outlets are supposed to have credible journalistic standards. And yet, these same outlets keep undermining the discourse by extending invitations to right-wing activists, who really have no business in pretending to belong in such a setting.

ABC's explanation for this is woefully unpersuasive -- if the right-wing hatchet-man starts lying on the air, "we have other voices to call him on it"? Here's a crazy thought: if ABC News has reason to believe Breitbart might try to deceive the network's audience, then maybe he shouldn't be part of the election-night broadcast.

For that matter, this isn't exactly a recipe for quality journalism -- Breitbart will spew propaganda; others on the broadcast will be there to "call him on it." Viewers will, in other words, hear some falsehoods and some corrections, but won't necessarily know who's right.

I'd be surprised if ABC News reversed course so close to Tuesday, but it's important that the network realize it's making a humiliating mistake."
—Steve Benen 8:35 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (30)
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_10/026388.php#1844962's>http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_10/026388.php#1844962's

ABC NEW YORK NEWSROOM: [phone] [e-mail] Newsroom Fax Machine 212.456.5150

Peter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) Director, Special Events & Sports 212.456.5105 [e-mail]

Cristi Landes, Manager, Programming 212.456.5107 [e-mail]

Wayne Fisk Director, Programming 212.456.5327 [e-mail]

Jeff Fitzgerald Executive Director, Operations 212.456.5554 [e-mail]

Heidi Oringer Executive Director, Entertainment 212.456.5541 [e-mail]

Jon Newman News Coverage 212.456.5100 [e-mail]

Joyce Alcantara Assignment Manager 212.456.5106 [e-mail]

Jim Kane Deputy D.C. Bureau Chief 212.222. 6604 [e-mail]

Andrew Kalb Executive Director, Programming 05.567.2269 [e-mail]

Robert Garcia Executive Director, News & Sports 212.456.5103 [e-mail]

Thanks to you, Frenchie, for these contact numbers from many moons ago~!

[Cha]

96. UPDATE FROM ACTION LIBERALS~

Thanks Steve Benen & MediaMatters and all of us who made our outrage known!

<SNIP>

"This afternoon, following heavy criticism -- including from within ABC's own newsroom -- ABC released a statement from Andrew Morse, executive producer for ABC News Digital. According to Morse, "Breitbart will not be a part of the ABC News broadcast coverage" and will instead be "participating in an online-only discussion and debate to be moderated by David Muir and Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg on ABCNews.com and Facebook":

Since conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart announced on his website that he was going to be a participant in ABC's Town Hall meeting at Arizona State University, there has been considerable consternation and misinformation regarding my decision to ask him to participate in an election night Town Hall event for ABC News Digital. I want to explain what Mr. Breitbart's role has always been as one of our guests at our digital town hall event:

Mr. Breitbart is not an ABC News analyst.

He is not an ABC News consultant.

He is not, in any way, affiliated with ABC News.

He is not being paid by ABC News.

He has not been asked to analyze the results of the election for ABC News."

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201010300014>http://mediamatters.org/blog/201010300014

Stinggggg!!! One for our side! :bounce::patriot::bounce:

[DimplesinMI]

101. I would LOVE for you to include this as a Guest Post on my Blog...

Frenchie Cat. If you would like to do this, please send me a PM. Excellent post!!!

[TheBigotBasher]

103. Absolutely spot on

Too late to R but I am kicking.

[FrenchieCat]

114. It worked!

like a charm!
Yes, it did.

[Cobalt-60]

115. FASCIST MEDIA

We all know "liberal media" is a lie.
When referring to media we need to call a spade a spade.
They're fascist sycophants.
I referred to the fascist media to a FOX watcher the other day
and it knocked him right off balance.
We need to press the Fascist media meme.
The Republicans are NAZIs in all but name.
If we don't take the gloves off dealing with them,
were dead.

[wisteria]

116. No doubt in my mind that the media was trying to create a certain result

and now they are working on 2012.

[FrenchieCat]

117. early and often.

I'm sure most of us will sit there and take it or maybe even bend over.
Some will decide has nothing to do with the media.......as they just report,
and then we *decide*

[JCMach1]

118. AND that was the ONLY message from the MSM

what a joke!

[political_Dem]

119. Brilliant. These are subjects we need to hear.

Too late to Rec, but I will kick the thread because your essay puts it all on the table when trying revamp the party. It sickens me what the media did and how easy it was for some to believe them.

Let's face it. Journalism used to be an honorable profession that allied itself to the people. Now it is like a faded, old whore that constantly tries to woo her last John after he tells he doesn't want to see her anymore. Reportage is shrill and slanted under the beck and call of corporate masters.

That's why the Democratic party must be creative in its approach to win the hearts and minds of the American people.

The sad thing is that because the Teabaggers were media darlings, their message of hate and violence became mainstream--especially when talk of "taking the country back" (i.e. armed insurrection) was never questioned. Instead, the Teabaggers and their beliefs have gone mainstream.

It is simply because of that our party must band together and fight back.