This is not a pro-Clinton or Anti-Obama entry. This is a let's not let the Media fool us and the American people diary.
I watched Meet the Press yesterday at the health club with closed captions while doing elliptical trainer and listening to good music (Once More With Feeling). The lack of sound allows you to look at what they are saying and not be affected by the emotion. After fellating McCain for what seemed like hours, (Yes, Senator but aren't you teh awesome?), they had two guys and MoDo to discuss Clinton. This was a concentrated attack where they never gave specific statements that Clinton had said except the "shame on you" attack on the media. It was just all out attack on Clintons (I think they may have left off Chelsea).
Now the point is not Clinton vs Obama. The point is we don't want this kind of content free media firestorm determining our candidate choice. We need to recognize the elements they use because if Obama gets the nomination, they are going to do it to him.
Specifics after the fold.
Tweety was fair and balanced between attacking Bill and Hillary. They spent most of the time attacking Bill with quotes from at least 6 Obama supporting Democrats. In each case it was a "I'm shocked at his actions" without saying specifically what actions it was. It could have been quotes from the Impeachment when all the Democrats and pre-Liberdems were being so shocked at getting a blowjob in DC. Tweety and the two guys were nice enough to leave it up to MoDo to start in on the Bitch, who was took almost three sentences to use the word "trash" and to say that during the Impeachment the Clinton's trashed the founding fathers, (apparently someone pointed out that Hamilton had had an affair or a baby and hadn't been driven from office.) For those of you who missed it, the subtext was "trailer trash"
I didn't hear a word about an Obama victory, it was the Clintons defeat and they loved it.
This is all apparently (I can't tell because they didn't give any specifics) based on what Bill Clinton said to an ABC reportabaiter (read talkleft http://www.theleftcoaster.com/... to get the context of what Bill Clinton said. It represents a balanced description of what is happening. No chance of that part being shown.) They play the last part about the media and shame on you but not the whole thing, like it was Monica in the ropeline.
You might also look at http://www.talkleft.com/... to get the current media rules of the game.
Now apparently Gary Wills wrote an op ed talking about two presidents. Obviously Bill will be running the show etc. Of course the same argument was somehow never used that W would be too influenced by his obviously more qualified and respected father. Of course no one would expect a man to be influenced by his (Nancy) wife.
I go on the paranoid theory that the Republicans control the narrative (or it just happens that no one criticized Bush for 6 1/2 years and Gore was a liar). I think that the Republicans want to run against Obama and that is why they are giving him such good press. If he gets the nomination it will spin on a dime to "Southern Strategy Part Deux - The commie community agitator african muslim wants to rape your sister." Of course I could be jaded by 30 years of this crap.
They will attack Hillary with whatever they can. You didn't hear misogyny when Mrs. Dole, Mrs. Snowe, Mrs. Hutchinson, Mrs. Collins or Frank Murkowski's daughter were running. You don't hear it applied to that nice Secretary of State lesbian.
It's easy and they will use it but they will use whatever they can. Right now they are using Bill. The pants suit jokes will come out later. (e.g. Boy after South Carolina, there sure were some soiled pants suits)
Bottom line: How do you recognize this kind of Bullshit (in preparation for when they start on your candidate.)
- Emotion
- Hyperbole
- Referring to statements without showing the statement ("Boy, that remark,interjecting race into the discussion,is really going to cause backlash", when the statement is: "I am thrilled that the Democratic Party has an African American as a leading candidate. That is something the Republicans would never be able to do."
- Bringing in people without attribution as in Democrat when he is a political enemy of the subject, or Analyst when he is a right wing think tanker.
5)Be True to Your School. Hate is a conservative value. If someone is attacking a candidate rather than supporting the other candidate, if the attack is personal and generic (he lies, as opposed to this statement is untrue), they are acting like a conservative. We should be the good guys.
- The enemy of my enemy is not my friend.
Watch and listen.