Dem_Strategist was right ! It's not George Bush - it's the media !

[kentuck]

Think about it. The media knows about all the official Navy documents. They know what the facts are, yet they continue to give time to the lies. Some of the people making the charges have already been proven liars. Yet, they continue to besmirch the reputation of a Silver Star winner in the Viet Nam War for the benefit of the AWOL National Guardsman. It is not George Bush's fault. It is the media's fault. Let's place the blame squarely where it belongs.

George Bush and the Swift Boat vets could not assassinate the character of a true hero if they did not have the assistance of the media. Even though all the facts and documents back up the Navy and the records of John Kerry, they continue to dig in the dirt. What else do they need to know? They are a disgrace to journalism and a threat to our freedom of speech as we have known it. They have permitted themselves to be used by the Republicans and they have voluntarily assisted in the mudslinging and yellow journalism.

[childslibrarian]

1. You are right

But what can we do about it?

[Xipe Totec]

40. Go After The Advertisers

If you don't like the bias in the media, make a note of the companies who's products fund the show, then blast them. Tell them you won't buy their stinking products because they are destroying democracy in America. Then follow through.

It's always about the money. You don't pay the media, so they don't care about your opinion. But they do care about the opinion of their sponsors.



:think:

[Cha]

2. I've known that for four years...If it

weren't for the media..bush would be Less than Zero.

But I believe that bush is Still going to come in Second..f*cking Second Banana..

[Stew225]

11. Come in second for the

SECOND time in a row!

[Cha]

16. Ouch! That's gotta Hurt!

}(

Since he's doesn't like "second" so much that he's willing to CHEAT!

[dennis4868]

18. I feel that if it wasn't for the media.....

Bush would have been inpeached.....there is so much he could be seriously impeached on.

[David Zephyr]

3. Well, I Agree With You And Dem_Strategist.

The media's echo chamber slew Howard Dean over a pep rally.

The media really tried to burn Kerry with the Swiftboat story with CNN and Wolf Blitzer giving it credibility.

Fortunately, that story backfired, but ONLY because of the Kerry Campaign's brilliant reaction and the work of the New York Times.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. But I think that Kerry has done a GREAT job playing the media

back on themselves...he let the story play,...then forced even BLITZER to have to admit these people were liars...it will be interesting to see how he then goes forward with turning this on them further...but given the NEW poll showing the majority of Americans think that Bush IS behind the Swift Liars, he has a UNIQUE opportunity right now to make even the most unthinking person THINK about what they say they trust.

[kentuck]

24. I think he has done as well as anyone could possibly do.....

If they want to continue to pursue "lies", counter to all documentation, Kerry has to be able to make lemonade out of it...

[David Zephyr]

42. Considering that the Corporate Media Dedicated 3 Wks to This Fabrication

I agree, NSMA, that Kerry and his campaign have done a lot better than I would have imagined. Bush stinks.

[HootieMcBoob]

44. I'm not sure it has backfired

From what I saw all over the news yesterday Kerry has lost a significant amount of ground. I attribute that to the swift boat fuckers. Of course the media gave them the platform but the Kerry campaign has got to get off of its collective ass and destroy these people by using the media they same way that the other side does.

[Joylaughter]

4. Not voluntarily.

Greed. Pay offs. Scandals. Seems like Bushco owns the media.

[Cheswick2.0]

5. Yes, but everyone knows that

If people here can't even bothered to send an email when something happens...what's the point?

We have a tool, the e-mail blaster. If people would come up with an action, include the link to the blaster and include a letter template we could start mass blasting the media.
If every complaint about something someone saw on TV or read in the paper included a suggested action we might be able to fight back.

[David Zephyr]

7. You Really Said It, Cheswick.

Folks, don't just get mad, e-mail the living hell back at the Media when you are upset.

It works.

[faithnotgreed]

9. absolutely. and email the heck out of them when they do right too

[David Zephyr]

10. Yes.

Very important. I should do that more, too. :)

[NightOwwl]

36. I send up to 3 emails a day to various media outlets.

If I didn't have to work for a living I'd send even more.

[quaoar]

6. You just don't get it

Think of the media as a bunch of hyenas. They hunt and travel in a pack, ruthlessly ripping prey to shreds. Once the pack has prey in sight and is moving as one it will pursue it relentlessly and tear it apart. The pack will not pursue, however, until one brave hyena steps out and takes the lead. Only then will the rest of the pack follow.

If you wish to divert the pack, you have to offer it new and better prey.

[faithnotgreed]

8. i have to basically agree with you. the media cant be bothered to

cover kerry unless its a) the latest smear attempt against him
or when he did as he did the other day with max cleland

give these people some political theatre - then theyll follow a little more closely...

[DaveSZ]

12. Check this out:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=69883#70365

[quaoar]

13. The media will cover THE story

whatever the story/theme of the week happens to be, until it is beaten into a bloody pulp and everyone is sick to death of it. Then it moves on to something else.

[LloydLib]

17. Amen, talk about the economy not nam

If kerry would not mention this and talk about the economy. I think he refuses to listen to Clinton on it is the economy stupid.

[NEDem]

30. quaoar, I couldn't have said it better myself!

[annabanana]

14. It's the consolidation, folks!

The instant Kerry is in the WH, he has to move, post haste, to break up the media monopolies. Until their are owners from across the political spectrum, there will be one sided coverage.

Most of the media news outlets are lose money. They are part of the PR departments of HUGE corporations that have purchased plenty of congress critters.

[David Dunham]

22. I bet that you are right.

[liberal N proud]

15. We all can do something about that!

Boycot the media outlets that don't tell the truth or pander to the GOP!
Write letters to them constantly, telling them you are going to boycot them. Ask them why they aren't asking the right questions.

Boycot products that adverstise on or in these media outlets. That hits them where it hurts.
Write letters to these companies telling them that you are boycotting them because they are supporting such outlets.
These things work, IF and only IF many people do this together.

[kentuck]

19. This is criminal....

what the media is doing and failing to do.... There is nothing no one, not John Kerry or anyone else can do, if the media refuses to look at facts and continues to promote rumors and tall tales and lies...when they know they are reporting around the facts..

[TheRovingGourmet]

21. If Kerry makes his own commercials responding to the attacks

and providing the documents to back up what he is saying, it will be newsworthy enough to get coverage. Other than that, there are still the debates.

[Hornito]

20. You're right. The many PNAC'er/Neonazicons running a good

portion of the media, WANT Bush re-elected. But maybe, with tonight's news that one of their cohorts in DOD was busted for spying, maybe they'll start backing off?

[John_H]

25. I don't think anyone thought Dem Strategist was wrong.

I think people were bemused by the astoundingly ham handed way he blew in here. But that's not the point.

The media is not going to change before November 2, no matter how many emails we send them. If we need to change the media to win, we might as well take a nap, because that's it. What we, and the Kerry campaign, ought to be doing is working harder on ways to get around the filter.

What are these ways? Why don't we put our collective neurons to work on that. Fast.

[sub.theory]

28. You're right, we can't do anything about it now

We can't do anything about the media before the election, but it's also clear that we can not allow this situation to continue either. Something has to give.

I wouldn't just throw in the towel on taking back the media - it's going to make future elections infinitly easier if we have allies in the major networks. Your idea of routing around the filter is a great idea, and the internet is a wonderful way to do that. The problem is that most people don't have a proactive enough mindset to seek out information. They accept whatever they are given, and they are only given what is on network newscasts. We really do need to get busy figuring out how we are going to get out of this mess, or the Republicans will always have the high ground.

[kentuck]

29. Who's in the mess???

Don't throw me in that briar patch, Brer Fox? :)

[sub.theory]

31. I'm not sure I understand your reference

I don't understand what you are saying. You don't agree that we are at a clear disadvantage in the mainstream media? Could you please explain?

[kentuck]

33. I was just seeking clarification....thanks....

Yes, I guess it is a mess. How do we get out of it? Tonight, I have a little pent up anger and I would say turn the boat toward the shore and attack.

[sub.theory]

34. I think that's all we can do for now

Ok, I wasn't sure what you were trying to say; actually I'm still not ;)

After the election, taking back the media has got to be our number one priority. I'm really interested in what other DUers can think up in that regards. Anyway, right now we fight!

[kentuck]

35. I was jst doing the "normal" investigation on a new poster....

to make sure you were legit.. :)

[sub.theory]

37. Ah, ok

Thanks for the info. Can't say I blame you. :)

[wurzel]

26. Why don't the Dems get it? " IT IS THE MEDIA STUPID".

Moveon have made as many accusations against Bush as the Swifties have against Kerry. But the Swifties got the attention. And the media will keep on until the Dems start to scream like Howard Dean. Stop blaming Bush or Rove. They are doing what they are supposed to do. And have always done. It is the media that is the enemy. It is the media who has given this, and every other Republican president a free pass since Nixon. It was the media that effectively destroyed Carter, Clinton, and Gore. It goes on and on and on. Yet you still see Dems being polite to these total whores.

[HootieMcBoob]

45. I don't know if they'll ever learn

The people who seem to understand are Dean and Clark and they're not being used by the Kerry people to the best advantage. Why do I see Donna freakin' brazille every damn day? Get Clark and Dean out there on tv every day on every show you can think of.

[napi21]

27. It's been this way since Kennedy/Nixon and is just worse...

because of the 24 hour news chanels having to fill time. That's also one way they get viewers. Nobody wants to hear pain old stuff. The only thing that will make this story go away is when it's replaced with a better one.

[LynnTheDem]

32. Yep

All polis lie. That's a given.

Some lie more than others. Also a given.

NO ONE lies more than bush.

But it's the MEDIA who are REQUIRED to keep us informed of the facts. That's why the media has special legal dispensations we "unwashed masses" do not.

The rest of the world heard every word bush said.

The rest of the world said NO. Not a single nation had a pro-war majority. Most nations whose leaders said they supported bush had a 70% - 98% anti-war population.

Why? What caused the difference?

Well...how come school kids in India were laughing at America and making jokes about us when that incredibly gobsmacking poll came out last year saying 70% of the US believe Iraq did 911?

Coz they knew it was total BS; how the hell could the supposedly greatest nation on the planet NOT know.

US State Media.

[Apple Smoothie]

38. I blame both Bush and the media...

Most of the major media sources seem to be sold out to the GOP.

[Kahuna]

39. Duh. I think most of us have known this for several years. Bush is

a media creation. Who doesn't know that? :shrug:

[Bread and Circus]

41. This was my biggest complaint during the primaries.....

The media had Clark on either operation "ignore" or operation "Clark is a Republican mole".

The RNC promoted it. The media sold it. The other Democratic candidates used it. Voters bought it. Clark flunked out....

Those of us on DU that supported Clark were frustrated with "the filter" and henced complained about it on DU. We were told to "get over it".

Interestingly the talking points are the same:

1.) Clark is a flip flopper --- Kerry is a flip flopper
2.) Clark's campaign is sliding --- Kerry's campaign is sliding
3.) Clark's service was suspect --- Kerry's service was suspect

What's even more funny is the talking points pretty much came from the same place, yet in the primaries the fans were flamed by fellow Democrats.

Yes, the media has lost its way as the steward of serious journalism and has become propagandist "infotainment". Yes, it's destroying the quality of our Democracy and dumbing down our national consciousness. It's nearly a Quixotic battle to fight it at this point. If you do, the machine just goes to work to marginalize you and reinforce its power. It's too bad the few "National Voices" aren't really speaking out in an effective way on this.

[CityDem]

43. It was talk radio and Faux

The major networks and print media did not focus on this story in the beginning. Faux, Rush, Hannity, etc. played it 24/7 and when Kerry finally spoke out, the networks and press had to join in. Aside from CNN, most of the print and major media have been balanced.

[jljamison]

46. Kerry isn't connecting

Don't bother posting a "your just bashing kerry" note - I am not. I recall Clinton surving these scurrilous charges (a) because he hit back hard right away which is obvious, and (b) he connected so well with voters.

I don't know if this made the media much more apt to strongly 'defend' him (he had his share of bad media of course), or highlight positives, or whether it meant that the consumers of the bad media were more likely to let it roll off. "He can't be as bad as they say - I heard him talk to me" type thing. That isn't the case with Kerry.

Kerry seems to still talk at or above people and not to them. He made a huge mistake focusing so much attention on the vietnam vet history (not that he should have not made it a point). Just like Clinton, people accept the fact that draft eligible males avoided vietnam service, so contrasting his volunteer service to Bush's avoidance just doesn't go far enough.

Furthermore the people behind Bush seem to have no limit to how low they will go- they have been much more effective. To wit - the worst president in our history with the worst numbers is still very likely to win.

Regarding the vote to authorize Iraq war - he just has to come out and say "I wouldn't hamstring any president in the face of important diplomacy. What if congress had voted NO for Kennedy during the cuban missile crisis!"

Regarding the $87B - "Its my duty to vote down bad law. I wanted troop funding in a good law"

Regarding Taxes and Healthcare - "The republicans are letting healthcare costs become a surrogate tax for those who can least afford it. Lets rollback the healthcare tax! Thats a tax cut we all would like to see."

Regarding Abu Ghraib - "We need to run the neocon rank amateurs out and get control of the reconstruction of Iraq" "We cannot let the vast majority of our friendly Arab brothers see us as devaluing them."

[kentuck]

47. I wish you had been a little more positive with your first post ??

If he doesn't connect with you, who does ??