Unwittingly, the media will help Dean if he gets the nomination

[txprog]

Of course if Dean wins the nomination, the lacky corporate press will do everything it can to ensure his defeat - or the defeat of any Dem. But the Dean strategy might actually bait the media into being a positive force for him.

Before the war, as we know, the media was pitiful as it presented the Bush story with little real reporting. After the war, with the SOTU address issue, they did a bit better, but have now virtually abandoned the WMD/lie story. When Dean gets the nomination this must necessariy change.

Here's my thinking. Dean will pound the drum during the campaign, reciting one bullet point after another on Iraq and lies and under funded security priorities in speech after speech, interview after interview. The press will have to report what he says every day, will have to investigate and report on the validity of what he says, a validity which we all know is undeniable. Sure, some will spin it, but others will not be able to. The media will deliver the truth through Dean's words every day because they cannot do other wise.

So the possibility does exist for Dean to turn his anti-war stance and the security issue to his favor with a media, that would want to bring him down, as an unwilling and unwitting ally.

A long shot? Perhaps. But one-by-one people will abandon this horrible administration if they hear the truth often enough. It may happen as I have outlined. Let's hope so....

[SoCalDem]

1. Don't forget......

McCain was the media darling, until the Bush Juggernaut started sliming him in SC... The press got kind of silent then.. Once they see the handwriting on the wall, they will "button their lip".. Bush is the 800 lb gorilla in the room, and the press knows what a vindictive schlub he is.. As much as they liked Mc Cain, they jettisoned him pdq, when they weighed the consequences..

If they did not support him, there would be no press availability.. They had already declared Gore boring, a liar, and not a winner, so how could they change their minds and all of a sudden start reporting on him... The press "knew" months before the rest of us, that * would be "the one"..

Dean is the "interesting" one right now, as far as the press is concerned.. The reportage on him is actually giving cover to Bush.. He's flying under the radar, raking in millions for an uncontested race, and there is very little coverage about THAT fact..

A presidential race that is uncontested...and during TWO wars, should be waged from the white house..The press is even giving him a pass on this one.. You could bet your last dollar that if the president in question was named Clinton, there would be front page headlines, screaming, that he was "too busy" raising money to adequately supervise the wars where our "youngsters" were being killed daily...

So even though it feels nice right now, don't take it too seriously:(

[MissMillie]

2. Dean will have to do more than negative campaigning

He will have to show where Bush's economic policies have failed and articulate his economic plans.

He will have to show that it is a priority for him to keep our homeland safe.

He will have to demonstrate how his administration would protect civil rights (as opposed to Ashcroft's Patriot Act crowd).

Hammering away at the lies of the Bush administration is not enough. There are too many people who feel that despite the lies, we belonged in Iraq. It will be necessary for Dean (or anyone else, for that matter) to move on.

[On the Road]

3. That's Where I Think Dean Has an Advantage as a Governor

He is able to show executive action rather than just supporting legislation. I expect this to be a strength in the general campaign.