Kerry should attack the media

[Armstead]

We all know what's going on. The media whores are playing the Gore Game with Kerry. They're endlessly repeating their "conventional wisdom" about Bush and Kerry, and ignoring the real issues -- AND THE REAL MEANING OF THIS ELECTION.

Alas, Kerry is playing into their hands by not conveying the fire and the passion on our side. he also is trying to be "above it all" and not telling the truth about the media's smug complicity with Bush.

IMO Kerry has to do whast the conservatives and GOP did about the "liberal media." He's got to take on the media directly and call them out and demand that they stop acting like a high-school clique and start treating this election like it is serious.

[Pepperbelly]

1. Nixon did that ... remember when he sent Agnew on the hustings with ...

the "nattering nabobs of negativity"?

[Shopaholic]

2. No, that's not a good idea. Then they really will go after him.

They already don't like him so why give them any more ammo then they've already got? We've got to work within the system until we're in a position of power and can change the system and get the fairness doctrine revived and limit the ownership of these corporate giants in our country who currently control the media.

[liberal_in_GA]

6. What can we do?

would a full week of nonstop emailing and calling to all of the whores--in a really organized effort--make any difference? How can we at least let them know that audiences are recognizing the bias?

[Armstead]

21. We should be e-mailing them

It's a little step individually, but every bit helps. If enough people keep hammering at them, it does eventually sink in that we are out here in significant numbers.

[malatesta1137]

7. until we're in a position of power?

that's NEVER going to happen until we to confront Bush and his media heads on.

[roseBudd]

11. WE ARE THE MEDIA people we have desktop publishing!

Only newspaper junkies know about the Army War College's assessment of the war on terror. We can get this info out using single sheets of 8x10 paper and grassroots guerilla marketing techniques to distribute it.

Go here:
http://somnamblst.tripod.com/index.html

to download the 300 DPI TIF file for printing and distributing EVERYWHERE you go.

[malatesta1137]

35. noble intention

but this sheet won't make to the evening news, sorry, and that's what 55% of Americans consider their Bible, the idiots.

[Shopaholic]

34. What I meant was until Kerry is in the White House. . .

until then, I'm afraid, we've got to deal with them the best way we can. We can fight them, e-mail them, phone them, boycott them and try to expose them the best way we can via the internet and other outlets. But it would be very unwise for Kerry, personally to come out and attack them.

[redstateblues]

28. You Don't think They're Really After Him Now?

I suppose it could be worse, but not much. It would probably be better if it was more overt, then people might react.

[malatesta1137]

3. I agree

but time is running out. He has Air America Radio on his side, he should go on on a daily basis.

[roseBudd]

12. AIR AMERICA does not reach enough people, AAR listeners

are already voting for Kerry

[malatesta1137]

39. AAR is still better than nothing

and all of AAR listeners are NOT voting for Kerry, did you forget undecided voters?

[JI7]

4. why ? some of the media is fair to him

such as local media.

[JI7]

5. and he has criticized the media at times

he said how during the convention it was mostly talking heads who weren't covering the speeches so people could not see. he criticized them for not covering the issues and focusing on polls and other crap which have nothing to do with the issues.

[jpgray]

8. The coverage is really appalling

The only glimpse of the issues you will see is if it somehow plays into a pundit's lame characterization of a candidate's 'personality', or if a poll shows it hurts or helps a candidate in some 'swing state'.

Mostly it is horse-race blather. Kerry is ahead, Kerry is behind, Kerry is shaking up his campaign, Kerry needs to articulate his position on X (but they won't say what his stated position is!), so Bush and co. can say 'we have the same position on Iraq' when nothing of the sort is true.

Compare their stances on the environment? Not a chance. What sort of justices will they appoint? No way.

But I'm seeing a disturbing trend of our side trying to slavishly emulate the Right Wing success story--it's not going to work the same for us unless we wholly abandon our principles. The Right Wing success had to do with using bigotry and an 'independent joe six-pack' facade for their elite and corporate welfare projects. Tort reform, Medicare reform, deregulation and tax cuts for the rich? All this helps the elite and no one else. The argument has been successfully implanted, however, that rich people when given more money use it to help poor people.

Business Weekly did a study of average CEO pay to worker pay. In 1980 it was 41 to 1. In 1990 it was 80 to 1. In 2001 it was 541 to 1. When you give the elite more money, they simply pocket it. There is no stage of 'okay, I have enough, time to give some back.'

[Armstead]

15. The difference

>>>But I'm seeing a disturbing trend of our side trying to slavishly emulate the Right Wing success story--it's not going to work the same for us unless we wholly abandon our principles. The Right Wing success had to do with using bigotry and an 'independent joe six-pack' facade for their elite and corporate welfare projects.<<<<

The difference is that we're not making stuff up. Kerry would be telling the truth.

The media has been AWOL and is ruining politics. You know it. I know it. Kerry knows it. Even the GOP knows it -- except they're using it.

[jpgray]

20. But the truth doesn't matter in our political world

Bush wouldn't have lasted so long if it did. Now, I completely agree that there are serious leadership and organizational problems in the current Democratic Party, but if Kerry starts attacking the media, he will himself be met with a hail of attacks and derision. The Republicans can safely attack the media because their talking point 'liberal media' has been successfully implanted. If Kerry does it, it will be like the schoolyard when one kid calls another a 'jerk', and the kid responds with 'you're a bigger jerk!' However true the latter charge and however false the former, the original attack will carry more weight.

The conservatives were able to get billions of dollars in foundation money and the support of business leaders due to their free-market extremism. Liberal and progressive 'allies' are disorganized and have no immediate connection to the powerful, so we can't emulate that route effectively. Our reemergence may take an ecomonmic or social disaster, or it may not, but it will need the general public because they are the ones who are lifted up by liberal and progressive policies. They are stronger than the elite, but they have a much quieter voice, and they haven't been getting accurate information for some time now.

edit: I am starting to be of the opinion that Kerry and the Dems should just say 'damn the torpedoes' and go in guns blazing, because that crisis of faith in the media and the current administration that would be brought about might be better than this long defeat of moderation. But I don't know.

[Armstead]

31. They're already deriding him

>>>>Now, I completely agree that there are serious leadership and organizational problems in the current Democratic Party, but if Kerry starts attacking the media, he will himself be met with a hail of attacks and derision.<<<<

He is anyway being met with derision by the media. Same as with Gore and most otehr Demcrats. There's nothing to lose, so he might as well fight back with both guns blazing. I honestly think the American people want to see candidates who will do that, and it would do Kerry a lot of good to be seen as a fighter.

[roseBudd]

9. It would come off as whining

[WiseMen]

10. Media is needed for Come-back. Dems have to through sensational stuff

and a real fight. That is what brings ratings and media following.

[Mr_Spock]

13. NOW your talking - this is the theme people here should be hammering home

If Kerry doesn't like the coverage, then HE has to change it. He still has time, but does he have the fortitude to take the critics on? If he doesn't, then he is AFFIRMING the doubts that people are having and the critics are pointing out.

It's so damned simple, why isn't Kerry attacking NOW. Now is the time, NOW! What is he friggin' waiting for? He needs to get the polls moving his way before people lose hope (like so many fools here) and decide not to vote or give up or get depressed.

WAKE UP KERRY!

[Armstead]

18. I agree but poeple who are depressed are not fools

At this point, depression is a logical response to the way things are going. Hopefully those who are depressed will be proven wrong -- but they're not belinbg foolish to be depressed about a depressing situation.

[Mr_Spock]

19. Why, have we lost something? No, oh, well lets fight till the end damn it.

There's 8 long weeks ahead - no time to get weary - the fight has just begun.

[BillZBubb]

14. At this time Kerry has to be very careful about handling the media

He should point out the fact that they are not covering the issues, no doubt. But, he should not attribute motives to that. State the facts. Point out the problem, just don't get into the details.

That said, EVERY other Democrat should be tearing the media a new one for their totally Republican bias. Every Democrat should be boycotting all cable networks and their sponsors. There is too much support for the enemy in our ranks.

When a network, like CBS, actually stands up to the Chimperor, we should applaud them and support them anyway possible.

[Armstead]

17. I agree with that except....

Kerry has to show he's a fighter. That's part of the subtext of this campaign. And the media role IS a legitimnate issue.

He should take on the media and call them on their shit forcefully and clearly. He also needs every Democrat out there backing him up.

[goclark]

22. Well said, but we are running out of time

for our voices to be heard.

Repeat after me folks... I(and say your name) truly believe that the Media will not report our side equally. I have listened carefully and they are consistantly giving Bush the praise and Democrats the ass kick.

When I listened to Rather's story I believed that we were turning the corner to the TRUTH.

I have flipped channels and found NOTHING but rebuttal to his superb findings. If I did not come to DU, I would have to believe the Media.

This is a massive problem.
What is the SWIFT answer from the Democrats?

[goclark]

16. It has to really be dramatic!!!!

There is no way that it will get played in the Media if they are the subject. They will do their full court press and NOTHING will filter through.

It really is important that he gets the words out there...

The only way that I can think of is to take to the streets again in massive numbers.

Our brave patriots in New York took to the streets of New York and even with $500,OOO of them, only CSPAN showed it!


I know this may be crazy but just to get us thinking...

What if we held a march in Washington and Kerry spoke from the steps of the Supreme Court. Let it be like the Civil Rights days. We march to the Supreme Court and shout that they overturned our VOICES and our VOTES in 2000, WE MUST HAVE JUSTICE this time. Let Congressman John Lewis and Coretta Scott King speak.

Let it be a round the clock prayer vigil(they do not have a monopoly on prayer)
We have got to get the word out to the people that the fix is in with the media and with the votes.

What do you think will work? This is probably the most important pt. of the campaign. The Media has left us speechless and the Voting Machines will leave us with a suppressed vote. What could possibly be worse?

Let's Roll out some ideas folks!

[Armstead]

23. He should issue a challenge

I think he should have a dramatic statement and challenge them to start doing their job.

"The media has been distracting the public from the real meaning of this election campaign. I challenge the media to to your jobs. The media's job is to tell the people where the candidates stand on important issues so voters can make an informed decision. But the media has ignored the real actions and positions of both myself and Mr. Bush, and instead have focused on trivia and superficial sound bytes. You owe it to the American people to focus on the subjects that matter in an honest and impartial mnanner."

[goclark]

25. Great idea and it has to be really dramatic!

It can't be long and involved.
It must be said at the right time and the right place.

WILD IDEA:
I am suggesting that he invite Nelson Mandela to visit our country.
When he greets Mandela in his home in Pennsyvania, with all camera present, he needs to talk about the Media and Suppressing our Votes.


Any other brainstormers:

[robbedvoter]

24. It would be counterproductive - this is our job, not his

Only consummers can effectively tackle the media, not any subject of its coverage. Looks bad (even if it were righteous)

[goclark]

26. We have to try new tactics

Rethugs do all kinds of things that look bad.
They get away with it.
Bush put his hand to his heart on his stomach yesterday, was that a big issue on the news? Not on my TV

They silence us and our ideas becsuse we fear they will get mad at us and will keep our message from getting out.


"Hello" our message is already silenced!

[Armstead]

27. It's worked for the GOP all these years

The constant criticisms about the "liberal media" tapped into the average person's unspoken dislike of the messenger. Kerry needs to do the same as the GOP, from the flip side.

The scuzziness of the media IS a real issue, even if this were not an election year. There's a lot of anger and frustration among ordinary people that the truth is never told on the media, and that they are a bunch of smug elitists.

If Kerry and other Democrats had not laid down and rolled over to Big Media in the past, the media would be less consolidated and corporate and all-powerful today. This election is a clear example of how the media is destroying democracy. Kerry needs to take that on.

[Carolinian]

29. Kerry can't, but WE CAN. I would love to participate in an

organized resistance to FOX. I just hope that something takes shape soon in this regard.

[liberal_in_GA]

32. Can we start talking about the "conservative media?"

We can avoid looking reactionary--and like we actually have a case--if we point out the phenominal ratings of Faux news and argue that the rest of the cable channels have been forced to emulate their formula to some degree.

We've been sending the individual emails; we need to make a singular, DRAMATIC statement. We need to do something that will be newsworthy itself.

[goclark]

37. Like that approach "conservative media"

[Toucano]

30. 100% wrong.

That's the last thing Kerry needs to do.

[kentuck]

33. What media ?

No, he shouldn't attack them. He should just tell the truth about them. Their job is to question authority - not to kiss their asses. CNN, FOX, MSNBC have done a miserable job of holding this WH responsible. They spent 3 weeks destroying a war hero with medals from battle with absolutely no proof, and in fact, in the face of documentation to the contrary. Now they have documentation to prove George Bush did not complete his commitment to the military and was AWOL and they ignore it and go off on some rabbit trail about the fonts on a typewriter?? They have lost me forever. I will never trust anything they say and will be skepticaleven when they give the weather report. They suck.

[Dr Fate]

36. Some Democrats should identify & attack media bias-but not Kerry...

...it would have to be real subtle if Kerry himself were to do it...

[Cocoa]

38. Holbrooke and Albright have done it

Holbrooke this morning, saying media holds Kerry to a different standard on Iraq, why do they parse every word Kerry says, and ignore glaring inconsistencies in Bush's position.