Media Matters: A Study In Contrasts (Time's Election 1994 vs. 2006 Covers)

[Hissyspit]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200611130001

A tale of two covers: Time's '94 postelection cover touted "G.O.P. Stampede," '06 cover asserts "the center is the new place to be"




The November 21, 1994, edition of Time magazine -- published following that year's congressional elections, in which Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate -- featured the headline "G.O.P. Stampede: A Special Report" on the cover, and featured a graphic of an elephant trampling a donkey.




The November 20 edition of Time -- published following the 2006 congressional elections, in which Democrats gained control of the House of Representatives and the Senate -- features the headline "Special Report: The Midterms," and features as the cover story "Why the center is the new place to be," by columnist Joe Klein, with a graphic of a Venn diagram.

[kwolf68]

1. Wow...

I knew the media was Liberal...is there any better evidence?

[electropop]

5. After a massive and sudden shift to the left,

now we are supposed to shift our party to the right? Dems are already way too far to the right. Sheesh.

Time, you must take us for fools. Nope, sorry, no way. Your party stampeded over us, the Constitution, and the whole world for 12 years. Shut up and sit down.

[RobertSeattle]

2. Any biologists out there? Do Donkies stampede?

:evilgrin:

[xxqqqzme]

14. Not a biologist but I don't think so.

I do know they can kick ass! :kick:

[valerief]

3. Gurl durn librual medya. If this ain't proof of it. Oh, wait, I think I'm

gittin' an achul thought. Oh, no, m'world is crashin' down upon me. The medya is achully conservative!

[ThomCat]

4. Anything to take the spotlight off of the Dem victory.

It's not about the Dems. It's sure as hell not about the liberals. No, it's about the center.
x(

[bryant69]

6. it's a stark contrast

But a good part of that contrast also reflects the way the 1994 Republicans and the 2006 Republicans ran their campaigns. Republicans in 1994 ran on their belligerence to Demcorats; Democrats in 2006 ran against President Bush, to a certain extent, but they also presented themselves as a realistic contrast and oversight to Republican insanity.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[NRaleighLiberal]

7. Never forget - media =$$$$ = happiest with GOP in charge

[WI_DEM]

8. I think it was bigger news due to the scope of the victory

for instance they won over 50 seats and we won 29 in the House. Plus it was the first time they controlled all of congress in forty years.

[The Deacon]

9. "By Joe Klein"

Is the only thing you need to know about Time's bias. The little shit wrote "Primary Colors," lied about it, was allowed to keep his job as an "objective" journalist. If I had a bird & got Time for free I still wouldn't consider it fit to line a bird's cage.

[high density]

19. hah!

I was thinking the same thing as I saw that cover and read "By Joe Klein." That guy is utterly clueless. He really needs to get out of DC every once and a while to get a dose of reality. A lot of these 'journalists' in DC don't have any idea what is going on in this country.

[Senator]

23. Anyone else hear that as -- Joke Lyin'

Maybe it's just me.

--

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. tell me again the media is liberal

[Marnieworld]

11. Of course a Democratic landslide means the country wants more conservatives.

Why would you doubt this flawless logic?
:sarcasm:

[JHB]

12. More appropriate cover art:

[Zensea]

13. Actually, I think Time is correct

1994 was a stampede to the right from the center.
2006 really is more of a move to the center than a stampede to the left.
So I don't think it's really an inaccurate assessment, or at the very least it is an assessment that has quite a bit of evidence.

I don't see any particularly "leftist" people in the Senate or the House except for exceptions like Sanders.

There's plenty of media bias, I just don't see this as being that good of an illustration of it.

[AllieB]

18. Check out this interesting thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2693354

It was hardly a move to the center-right.

· Bernie Sanders: First Socialist in the Senate.
· Sherrod Brown: Unapologetic liberal beats incumbent DeWine by 12 points.
· Jon Tester: Populist wins Senate seat after destroying DCCC favorite, center-right John Morrison, in the primary.
· Amy Klobuchar: Democratic-Farm-Labor senatorial candidate wins by 20-point margin.
· Sheldon Whitehouse: Liberal Democrat beats centrist Republican Lincoln Chafee.
· Jim Webb: Beats George "Macaca" Allen with a strong anti-war, pro-economic justice message.
· Jerry McNerny: Beats Richard Pombo after a primary win over DCCC-backed Steve Filson.
· Keith Ellison: Anti-war Muslim wins multi-candidate primary, goes on to take MN 5th district seat.
· John Hall: Musician and environmental activist wins Sue Kelly's house seat after taking 48% of the vote in a 4-way primary.
· Carol Shea-Porter: Wins NH house seat after beating centrist and party favorite Jim Craig in the primary 54%-34%.
· David Loebsack: Strong anti-war, pro-universal healthcare Dem beats centrist Jim Leach in Iowa's 2nd.
· John Yarmuth: Progressive, independent newspaper publisher beats three moderates in the KY 3rd district primary, then beats Anne Northup with zero financial support from the DCCC.
· Larry Kissell: Former Social Studies teacher wins a 4-way primary despite DCCC opposition. General against Robin Hayes still too close to call.
· Zack Space: Wins Bob Ney's seat after beating three primary opponents including (wait for it...) DCCC-backed centrist Joe Sulzer.
· Deval Patrick: Far-left Lefty McLefterman wins MA gubernatorial race after taking 50% in the primary against two center-right opponents.
· Tammy Duckworth: DCCC-supported, ambiguously centrist candidate loses IL house seat to Pete Roskam.
· Harold Ford, Jr.: Pro-life, anti-gay, pro-war Dem loses TN Senate race to Bob Corker.
· Missouri Stem Cell Bill: Passed.
· South Dakota Abortion Ban: Crushed.
· Minimum Wage Increases: Passed by six states.
· Parental Notification Laws: Defeated in two states.
· Dallas, TX: 41 of 42 judgeships switch from GOP to Dems. Judgeships. In Texas.
· Congressional Progressive Caucus: Gains at least seven new members, becoming the largest ideological caucus in Congress.

[Zensea]

21. I did not say it was a move to the center-right

You engage in a blatant misrepresentation of what I wrote right off the top. (Given that, I'm not sure why I'm bothering to answer but I will briefly.)

First and foremost, I don't consider the DCCC to be in the center. I consider them to be center-right. Defeating them does not mean that the center is not where people are mostly at.

I don't consider favoring abortion to be a leftist position.
I don't consider stem cell research to be a leftist position.
I don't consider Jim Webb to be a leftist.
I don't consider minimum wage increases to be leftist postions.
I don't consider defeating parental notification laws to be a leftist position.

Center or perhaps center-left, yes. Liberal, yes, but that is not the same thing as being leftist -- except, I will grant in the American frame of reference. Even Sanders would not be considered that much of a leftist in a European sense. I've seen hard-core socialists that consider him to be a social-democrat, which in their terms means he's on the rightist side of socialism, not the leftist side.
Parsing such things as being leftist (which is the word used in the post you quote) just goes to show how far to the right the debate has veered since 1994 when there was a radical shift to the right -- my original point being that 1994 was different than 2006.

But I doubt I'll convince you otherwise.
If you want to think it's a stampede to the left, go ahead, but you'll probably be up for some disappointment in the next few years.
It would be sweet and nice if it was a stampede to the left, but I really doubt it is.

[wyldwolf]

25. Lots of spin and factual inaccuracies in there

On the Tester and Webb races - laughable that anyone is even trying to spin them as anything but centrists and shocking that on a Democratic board anyone would make the case that the DCCC had anything to do with Tester's race.

Centrists who House seats include FL-16 Tim Mahoney, IN-02 Joe Donnelly, IN-08 Brad Ellsworth, IN-09 Baron Hill, NC-11 Heath Shuler, NY-20 Kirsten Gillibrand, NY-24 Michael Arcuri, OH-06 Charlie Wilson, and PA-08 Patrick Murphy.

Don't forget the fact that out of 29 House seats won, 15 had the backing of the DLC and have joined the House New Dem Coalition. 9 will join the Blue Dog Coalition.

Also, don't forget that same-sex marriage amendments passed in 7 states: Virginia,
Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

[jgraz]

26. Since I was the OP on that thread...

I'd appreciate it if you'd point out the factual inaccuracies it contains. Just because you find it laughable that people are calling Tester and Webb leftists? Remember Tester was opposed then abandoned by the DCCC because they thought his opinions on the war, trade policy, economic justice and civil liberties were too far-out wacky left to win an election. And once you stop laughing, listen to Jim Webb's interview on NPR. He sounds like a frickin IWW member.

Jim Webb Focused on Wealth Divide

No spin, just research. Try it sometime.

Oh, and on the gay marriage thing? I left it off, along with the defeat of the TaBORs, mostly because I got tired. Then I got plenty of responses and private messages chiding me for forgetting that in Arizona, a gay marriage ban went down to defeat for the first time ever.

Yes, there are still many centrists in this country and in our government -- there alway will be. But how anyone can cast this election as anything but a strong move to the left is beyond me.

[wyldwolf]

27. I just did point out several factual inaccuracies in it

For one thing, you can't take a pet issue or two, match candidates to them, and declare them "leftists."

It is impossible for the DCCC to have had anything to do with the Tester campaign.

Webb is a Reaganite. He didn't suddenly become a liberal.

And the fact that gay marriage bans passed in seven states, including one that has a Democratic Governor and new Democratic Senator show precisely why this was an election about centrism.

Learn the meaning of centrist.

[jgraz]

29. And you might want to learn the meaning of "fact"

For one thing, you can't take a pet issue or two, match candidates to them, and declare them "leftists."

Your opinion and inaccurate characterization of my OP.

It is impossible for the DCCC to have had anything to do with the Tester campaign.

Here you manage to be wrong and make no sense at the same time. The assertion that the DCCC had nothing to do with Tester's win actually strengthens my point, if it were true. However, the DCCC ran John Morrison in the primary (one of those "facts" you seem confused about) and Morrison got crushed. I think the spread was about 20 points, but I'm too lazy to look it up again.

Webb is a Reaganite. He didn't suddenly become a liberal

Again, your opinion. Webb worked for Reagan, but he always said he was uncomfortable with Reaganomics (you can look up the quote, you clearly need the practice). And remember, Reagan used to be a Democrat. By your "logic", that means that he was always a Democrat, therefore Webb worked in a Democratic administration.

And the fact that gay marriage bans passed in seven states, including one that has a Democratic Governor and new Democratic Senator show precisely why this was an election about centrism.

Again, facts wrapped in your spin. You could also view this as a move to the left since never before has a gay marriage ban been defeated at the polls. And even though I do think that the country as a whole remains strongly ambivalent on this issue, it's just one issue among many and does not a centrist make.

Learn the meaning of centrist

Oh please, enlighten us -- because my suspicion is that most of the centrists posting here have no fucking clue what it means.

[wyldwolf]

31. LOL! The DCCC did NOT run John Morrison in the primary

Webb worked for Reagan, but he always said he was uncomfortable with Reaganomics (you can look up the quote, you clearly need the practice). And remember, Reagan used to be a Democrat. By your "logic", that means that he was always a Democrat, therefore Webb worked in a Democratic administration. :rofl:

[jgraz]

32. Allow me to introduce you to a little web site called "Google"

Populist Jon Tester Scores Huge Win Against D.C. Dems & For the Rest of Us

Still waiting for that "centrist"definition. You might want to try this thing called "Wikipedia" for that one.

[wyldwolf]

33. Allow me to shoot that down: Huffington Post can in no way make something...

... be true that is most definitely false. Anything in there about the DCCC running Morrison? Noooo.

And HuffPo is certainly no expert on political ideology. LOL!

[annabanana]

15. In case anyone thinks the right wing slant is recent...

this ought to put that misapprehension to rest. The corpomedia is now and has been the trumpet for corporate interests for a long long time.

[Hissyspit]

16. .

[WilliamPitt]

17. It makes sense to me

only because the '94 election was a real boomer; we lost the House for the first time in 40 years.

[jsamuel]

20. exactly, suddenly everything is about bipartisanship in the media

[MrPrax]

22. Do you have Time covered?

More for general interest and the fact I found it not too long ago...

Time has all it's covers online...you can search by year and find covers from other elections...might be instructive.

I had a lot of fun looking at OLD Time covers -- like this one from 1980:


link

[pat_k]

24. FAIR also has a "must read" on how we are being spun to surrender. . .

. . .They are cranking up the palace gates as fast as they can.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2992&printer_friendly=1">Media Advisory
Morning-After Pundits Take Winners to Task
Victorious Dems lectured by media establishment

. . .

"The voters, tired of Washington's divisive ways, want to see the two parties cooperate," wrote Newsweek's Clift. Oddly, though, those voters had recently told Newsweek (Newsweek.com, http://january6th.org/oct2006-newsweek-poll-impeach.html">10/21/06) that 51 percent of them wanted impeachment to be a priority (either high or low) of a new Democratic majority. It's likely that these people, who wouldn't mind seeing Bush tried for high crimes and misdemeanors, aren't particularly eager to see the representatives they sent to Washington working with him to advance his agenda.

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2992&printer_friendly=1">More. . .

The DC Dems are buying this pig in a poke.

Such self-destructive behavior must be stopped!

If you care about our "old friend," the Democratic Party, join us in http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2964929">a life-saving intervention!

[jgraz]

28. Also check out John Nichols' piece in the Nation

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061127/nichols2">Measuring the Mandate

"George W. Bush and Karl Rove claimed electoral mandates when they did not receive them. With the results in from the November 7 elections, Democrats now have a true mandate. They need to claim it aggressively, and without apology. But the only way this will happen is if Democratic leaders in Washington understand why their party won so many races in so many parts of the country.

The election was a repudiation of the Bush presidency, a revolt powered by voters' opposition to policies they associate with Bush and his allies: open-ended occupation of Iraq, free-trade pacts that favor corporations rather than workers, disdain for the rule of law and ethical standards. The dozens of new Democratic members of Congress--some the conservatives and centrists that pundits so enjoy celebrating but many of them committed progressives--prevailed not because they offered themselves up as kinder and gentler versions of their GOP predecessors but because they understood the public mood. Pennsylvania Senator-elect Bob Casey may be a social conservative, but his campaign highlighted his economic populism and his condemnation of Bush as having "lied to the American people about how we got into Iraq"

That's what I think is the most accurate assessment of the mood of the electorate: yes, anti-war, but also populist. Even Heath Shuler -- the favorite example for people touting the "centrist wave" -- is certainly moderate on social issues, but he also came out strongly against current (DCCC/DLC-supported) trade policies and strongly in favor the environment and alternative energy sources.

[pat_k]

30. Thx! Another from Nichols -- "Be bipartisan: Impeach Bush" in Washington Monthly. . .

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0612.nichols.html

[mhatrw]

34. Kick. n/t