The MSM's continuing to report on "cult status" of Obama is proof of what I said.

[joshcryer]

I said that the media would tear Obama down and start reporting bullshit stuff to keep him from surging forward as much as he was before the elections. The media wants and needs a horse race at this point, it can't keep Obama surging forward, otherwise it'll be over in a week and they lose all the money they could've got reporting on a long lasting horse race.

This won't be over for awhile guys, better prepare yourselves.

[AndyA]

1. Yep.

Eventually the media WILL take down one of the candidates, but they will do it when it's advantageous to themselves, and not before. It's all about swaying the public perception to get what they want.

[joshcryer]

2. And this is the sort of thing Al Gore talked about in Assault on Reason.

Elections have become consumer events, not issues events.

[Diane R]

3. And now the Clintons get to play their victims card again.

[joshcryer]

4. Please don't go off topic.

I don't go into other peoples' threads and post OT bullshit.

[DJ13]

6. "the Clintons get to play their victims card again."

Straight out of the Karl Rove playbook.

Are we sure Hillary isnt Bush in a pantsuit?

[joshcryer]

7. I'm kindly asking you to not go off topic.

There have been hundreds of news websites about the "Obama cult of personality." It's out there, and it's getting coverage.

[AtomicKitten]

5. So, since Hillary is neck-and-neck with Barack, is her support cultlike as well?

[joshcryer]

9. I made no argument about whether or not she was neck and neck, I'm saying how the MSM is playing it.

They want her to be, of course, but we won't know that for some time. They're bound to report on Obama winning tomorrow, and then talking about how Hillary has Texas and Ohio and so on.

[AtomicKitten]

13. The MSM behave as if they are in junior high school.

The MSM are entirely FOS and have rendered themselves unwatchable, but it is fun to watch them embarrass themselves with their crap coverage masquerading as news.

"Cult" could be applied to both sides of this argument and is really just inflammatory language to incite faux outrage, something people here at DU require very little provocation to jump aboard.

[Xipe Totec]

8. I haven't seen this outside DU - link?

Although I would not be surprised.

I can't decide whether it's a good thing or a bad thing to refer to Obama support as a cult.

One might think it's a sign of grudging admiration, but I suspect that's not the universal view.

[joshcryer]

10. Check out Google News for "obama cult."

http://news.google.com/news?q=obama+cult&btnG=Search+News

[Mr.Fitzgibbons]

12. Wow, they are really jumping on this "cult" thing. Scary how fast a narrative like this grows n/t

[joshcryer]

17. Yeah, one day it became pretty big, it'll probably die down a bit after the next primaries.

We'll have to see how the MSM is really playing it out.

[Xipe Totec]

19. What I am seeing is references to a Cult of Personality

Or hero worship, not a religious cult, which is the feel I'm getting from the DU threads.

From Wiki:

A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a larger-than-life public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships but can be found in some democracies as well.

A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship except that it is specifically built around political leaders. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of non-political leaders.

[joshcryer]

22. Yeah, DU tends to be on the extreme side of these memes.

The media never called Bill Clinton racist, for instance, but DU went insane with the extroplation.

[Xipe Totec]

35. All I can say is that I do not approve or participate in those threads

Hillary is my first choice, but Barack a close second.

Either one will make a great president as far as I'm concerned.

[Dogmudgeon]

11. I posted similarly -- and even got flamed.

As soon as Obama got even or a little ahead, the boom would be lowered.

What we do here at DU is play, is practice, is sparring. Out there, it is serious.

They want weeks of highly public fighting. It's not a bad idea to field-test the shit here so HRC and BHO know what they are about to have hurled at them.

--p!

[joshcryer]

14. I've been talking about the "horse race" angle for a few weeks now.

My threads usually just fall into obscurity and my comments are ignored, though.

Guess I'm not controversial and mindless enough to keep a thread alive. :)

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. I just counted 7 different threads on the front page of this forum with Cult in the OP

that were started by posters who are upset about the word cult getting thrown around in regards to Obama supporters.

I'm upset about it also, but please be aware that what most helps a meme go viral is endless commentary on it. If any media people check into DU today the odds will rise that they will do a piece on cults in politics tomorrow, simply because of the number of threads this board is buzzing over with "cult" in the title.

[joshcryer]

18. I am trying to have an actual discussion about it, how the media operates.

I'm not "against it" any more than I am "for it." I see it as one of these vague dynamics that the media runs on for profit. And I've been warning that Obama "had it coming" eventually. I can change the topic if you want, but the word they're using is "cult" unfortunately.

[K Gardner]

21. What is unfortunate is that people who push it HERE claim no responsibility for its

spread to the MSM, not the other way around. So thanks for helping with the destruction.

[joshcryer]

24. I'm not helping with anything. This is the first actual discussion we've had about it.

Really, it is. Count the other threads and look for a sane discussion about this particular topic. Most are just flame bait and trolls.

In fact, the vast majority of these types of posts here are "ironic" or something, where Obama supporters will post something like "I am in the cult and proud of it!." This of course perpetuates the memes more than a mere discussion of it. In fact, I would think if more people participated here then we can discover how the MSM manipulates these sorts of things and collectively stop allowing it to be perpetuated.

[Tom Rinaldo]

23. I was making an observation perhaps not most appropriate to your thread

but maybe it fits in here anyway because I am pointing out how this type of thing grows longer media "legs".

[joshcryer]

25. Oh I agree that simply perpetuating the word will perpetuate the coverage.

But I think in reality the behaviors that do the most perpetuation of this meme are the ironic posts trying to be funny. Really, if you want to call yourself a cult member, be careful where it goes. :)

[Omega3]

16. I agree with the OP,

when we were about 2 weeks from Super Tuesday and Clinton was ahead in many of the states by relatively large margins (she was, no flaming here) the poll-happy M$M did little to
1. talk about the polls
2. show the polls
3. put Clinton in a good light

I really felt they were completely 100% pro-Obama with almost nothing to say about Clinton, in fact it reminded me of when first Kucinich and then Edwards were shown little air time.

I don't really know if they'd prefer one canidate or the other but I know they want ratings and it's no suprise to me that they might start saying some negative things about Obama to ensure more ratings.

After all, why are we having at least 20 debates? they know they'll get the ratings b/c this has turned into some American Idol contest.

[joshcryer]

20. This is exactly it, they played the Bill Clinton meme and all the controversies related to that...

...and then they played up the SC win which was undeniably going in his favor regardless of media coverage.

It is a fucking American Idol contest. And it diminshes the historical context of what is actually happening here. A black man and a woman running for President. It's become a joke.

I really recommend Assualt on Reason.

[Omega3]

26. you're right

they kept calling his South Carolina win "historic" with all these platitudes when he was always ahead in the polls, he was *supposed* to win there from day 1, (i'm not bashing BO but the media) in a state with the largest AA vote and an open primary but they spun it the way they wanted.

a black man and wonman, yeah they made sure everyone knew that by announcing that before the debate at the Kodak like we all didn't know that by then, TV history for CNN!!!! yeah!!!! they got what they wanted, a highly rated debate with their history making woman and AA and that white guy gone from the stage.

[joshcryer]

27. Yep, it was the most watched debate in this primary season, iirc.

They got shitloads of money on that debate, that much is sure. And the questions were such bullshit, too.

[Omega3]

29. exactly, I can't remember other primary seasons but I don't remember this many debates but it's all

about the ratings and stretching this out, even before ST, before 45 states had voted, we were down from 8 to 2 canidates but in a way it doesnt' matter b/c even when there were 8 all the M$M would talk about were Clinton/Obama.

and I don't believe Bill Clinton is a racist, sorry I just don't, his long record says otherwise. And the media saying he blew up and then showing him talking the the media after a speech expressing his opinion, without raising his voice even, saying that the media is just digging stuff up and looking for a reaction was 100% right on the money and I'm not a Clinton supporter.

[joshcryer]

31. Yeah, the whole "Clinton angrily yells at reporters," thing was hilarious.

It was so blantant, the manipulation that they were trying to get across. I think even the most ardent Obama supporters here would agree he wasn't "angry" with his reply in that instance.

[sfam]

28. So is the message your making that the Clinton supporter's smear is taking root?

Hopefully this isn't something they are proud of...smear away Clinton Supporters!

Its funny, Newt Gingrich says of Obama:

"I think he's becoming an unusual phenomena in American politics, almost harkening back to John F. Kennedy," Gingrich continued. "I think he's going to be very formidable for Clinton to stop."

But to Clinton supporters, Obama is just a cultist head looking to generate deification amongst an ever growing cult of clueless lemmings...and now the MSM is picking up on this. Anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

[joshcryer]

30. The "smear" took root day before yesterday, it started overseas as far as I can tell.

We can actually follow the story around the world, really. One of the earliest articles about it was a UK based magazine talking about the "Obama cult."

It had of course been opined many times before, as far back as 2006, and in 2007, but this is the first time it actually *took hold.* You can do a regular Google Search and look:

2006: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2006/01/the_mystery_of_the_obama_cult.html

Jan 7th, 08: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections08/barackobama/story/0,,2236804,00.html

Why yesterday? Why did they chose YESTERDAY to run with it? Why not two months ago? Why not 6 months ago?

Because a fucking primary is coming up, that's why. Obama needs negative news. He's getting it because the blogosphere went with it, internet websites went with it, and it's the next big consumerist "event."

You did it to yourselves just as much as the others did it.

[sfam]

32. So Clinton's campaign had nothing to do with this ey? They just happen to SOAK it up and spew

like a firehose this message, ey? Nope...nothing wrong there. Nope...campaigns NEVER influence the news. Nope, they didn't use this same attack on Dean back in 2004...this is BRAND NEW!!!!

Believe this if you like...but I tend to see most of the MSM not as devious, but more as a bunch of idiotic repeaters...this is why the spin room is so valuable after a debate.

The next step for the Clinton campaign proper is to do what DU Clinton supporters are doing here..."Well gosh, its out in the MSM so it must be true. Here's why we believe its true too!" First they plant the message, then they are "shocked shocked" that it takes hold, and then use the coverage as validation of this. Not the first time they've done this - won't be the last time.

[joshcryer]

33. I suspect they may have had a bit to do with it, but to think that the MSM...

...is only influanced by campaigns is a joke, you, the consumers, are the ones who want to hear about it. So you post on blogs, you post on websites, you go completely batshit insane, and guess what? They fucking report on it.

The 100+ "ironic" "I'm a cultist!" threads perpetuated it no doubt. Campaigns don't have that sort of influance, and in fact, had they actually come out and said it directly, they'd be reporting "Clinton campaign calls Obama cultist."

It's all so very veiled, how the MSM keeps the controversey going. But people like you probably don't mind it when it's positive spin for your candidate.

[sfam]

36. Give the Clinton campaign some credit here...they didn't just...

jump out of a crib. They would never come out and say this directly until the story was fully planted. They "might" have supporters posting this tripe on blogs and so forth similar to how the Clinton supporters here are hyping up this on DU (even though they know its completely false), but they are far better off "planting" the story in various media outlets. So no, they wouldn't be reporting that the "Clinton Campaign calls Obama cultist" unless the Clinton campaign completely ham-handed the plant.

And yeah, the MSM is definitely influenced by other things, but when we know that a world class attack machine in operation against an opponent, and a story like this comes out - one which was used in the last election cycle, its hardly a stretch to figure out they are involved in it.

[joshcryer]

37. So are you saying that the Obama campaign was the primary motivator for the "Bill is racist" stuff?

[Omega3]

34. campaigns can influence news but the whole "his followers are like a cult" has been around for a

very long time, why no reporting of it till now??? They completely built him up b/t SC and ST to close the gap to make it a horse race and now b/c most of the next slew of states are caucuses or places he's polling well they must take him down a few notches, they might not even care who wins (perhaps they do) but one thing is for sure they want this to be dragged out for ratings.

[joshcryer]

38. Exactly. This meme is not new. But it has taken a foothold. It can't be one thing.