Possible postive regarding the "forged docs" controversy

[merh]

Since it was "bloggers" that were given the credit for discrediting the memos, will the mainstream media now give bloggers (like us) more credibility?

Yes, I realize that Rove and his minions set this whole thing up, but that does not negate the fact that bloggers were given the credit for opening up the floodgates of the controversy.

What do ya'll think?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Only if you are a RW blogger

with connetions in DC... with the machine

[merh]

3. Okay, they would have more influence, but

not every member of the media realizes that connection. They have been brainwashed or warned by their producers to not cover the negatives, to not believe the bloggers. However, since bloggers began the "forgery" controversy, it is possible now that blogger information will be give more credence. The RW opened the door, we can now step in and take advantage of it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. If yuo believe that one I have a bridge to sell yuo

Just pay attention to the news media, and if you think they will take OUR word for it, you are dreaming. Now free republic is mined ALL the time for smears

Read the Republican Noise Machine, it will explain to you where FR is in the scheme of things... and it is the level of making news or spin for the RW

We do not have that funtion, (nor woudl I want DU to have it)

[merh]

9. You are looking at it as if "everyone" in the media is involved

in the RW conspiracy. Some are not, they have been duped by the others and they only believe what they read or see reported by the mainstream media. The local media just follow the lead of the mainstream, now that bloggers have been given credit for breaking the story, the local may pay attention to bloggers and not dismiss them so quickly.

[merh]

22. Hate to say I told you so, but looks like my thinking may not be

too far off base. How tiring it is to read all the defeatist on this forum. Instead of seeing an "in" and taking advantage of the RNC tactics, we just whine that no one will listen to us.

Bloggers may now be considered a source of credible information thanks to Rove and we need to take advantage of his unwitting gift to us.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2415351

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. What I think:

A: The internet has been the last bastion of critical thinking left in the U.S.

B: I don't think it's definitive that the documents are forgeries. Until we find the real source of their origins, we can only speculate.

[merh]

5. I agree with you regarding "A", but most media outlets have

always looked at bloggers as nutty conspiracy theorists, so now the bloggers work regarding the memos may alter that perception.

I know that there is no definite determination regarding the memos authenticity, that is why I put "forgeries" in quotes.

[wurzel]

6. W ho gave the information to the bloggers?

I think the docs were a deliberate plant. Then the "bloggers were used to "discredit" them to give cover to the White House.

[progressivebydesign]

8. Check out our 3rd thread in a series on www.rathergate.com

We have uncovered an amazing spider web of connections to the bloggers that promoted the "rathergate" story.. from Buckhead at Freerepublic to the guy that started the "rathergate" email attack on Dan Rather. It's on this GD Forum. Your head will spin.. but it's good reading.

[merh]

10. I have read the threads and that is why I posted this possibility.

I agree that the bloggers were part of the RW manipulation of the story, but the effect of the slant that bloggers "not connected" to the campaign broke the story has boosted the credibility of bloggers. Now local media may start paying attention to bloggers. We need to use it to our advantage, now that they have opened the gates. IMHO

[Cat Atomic]

7. Absolutely not. Look at the things liberal bloggers have

uncovered, and received ZERO media attention.

But a right wing blogger makes an argument that a *few* documents *may* be forgeries, in a story where the actual point is not in question anyway... and the media is all over it.

Liberals will always be marginalized by the corporate media. That goes for movemement leaders, writers, entertainers, and bloggers alike.

[merh]

12. I realize that prior to rathergate, bloggers from both sides

were ignored, but now that bloggers were given credit for "discrediting the memos" it is possible that other bloggers will be given more credibility. It will be interesting to see what effect this will have on all blogs and their research. Will bloggers research be dismissed quickly because it was presented by bloggers or will it be given further consideration now that bloggers broke the story? The before and after effect is worth considering and we need to take advantage of Rove's use of bloggers and use it to our advantage.

[Cat Atomic]

13. It's the *message* they don't like, not the messenger.

There are plenty of good journalists out there who's research will never be referenced in the mainstream media, too. It's not because the mainstream thinks journalists are kooky, it's because they don't like the facts these particular journalists point out.

If bloggers become more accepted sources in the mainstream, they'll use right wing bloggers exclusively. That's just the way our corporate media system is.

[wurzel]

14. The media can pick and choose which bloggers they give credit to..

The only way we can take advantage of it is through a media controlled by Rove. How far did all those bloggers about Bush's AWOL really get us?

[merh]

15. Those were before the "forgery" bloggers.

I am curious about the before and after effect. Local media is the susceptable entity.

[wurzel]

16. Then why haven't those bloggers help CBS so far?

We all know that what those memos said was factual. But I have yet to see that explored by the media.

[merh]

17. Who knows what CBS is doing? The only certainty I would

venture to predict about their actions is that they are double checking their sources and are being much more cautious about their stories. Rather than rush to report, they are structuring and reviewing and preparing. They are dotting all their i's and crossing all of their t's, but they are reviewing all that is provided to them. They are not just sitting back, they want to save face and regain their reputation, but they will not do it in a hurry, this time it will be checked and double checked and will be timed to have the optimal effect. IMHO

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. You've got that right

and I can speak from experience.

Last month, I got involved in investigating the Gainesville Swift Boat Vet Rally.

I went to the Alachua Co Repug Headquarters and took pictures of the flyer hanging up inside their office. See my sig line below. I went to the rally and took pictures of people from the ACREC and SBV on stage. Then the following Monday, I obtained the documents for the Use Agreements for the rally. The ACREC was totally involved to the point that one of the agreements was in their own name, and the person who signed all the agreements was their own Secretary.

I posted all of this on DU at the time, and other blogs like DailyKos picked it up.

I spoke directly with my local mullet wrapper the Gainesville Sun and even the NY Times called me about my info. Both rags wrote about what I had found, with no mention of me and/or DU. They both took credit themselves for finding the documents. Nice folks, especially since they didn't have a clue about the docs when I had called them.

That's when I realized that the corporate media will do everything they can to ignore us as much as possible, even when they take our findings and then call them their own.

[progressivebydesign]

11. I can see why you would think that.. in a NORMAL world...

BUT.. having just spent 3 or 4 days researching the bloggers that are getting attention in the Rathergate story (I'm LOATHE to use that term!), I have to tell you...

..it's NOT the media's sudden interest in accepting bloggers as credible. The bloggers that are involved in that scandal are RIGHT WING FUNDED PLANTS.. the media is part of it. The guy "BUCKHEAD" who started the thread on Freerepublic is a HIGH POWER attorney who has worked with Ken Starr, and a variety of people on issues such as fighting campaign finance reform, etc. He's a multi-millionaire, not a blogging dude sitting in his sweats in Fresno. The site: www.rathergate.com?? Which is spearheading the attacks on Rather, and was registered as a site on 9/9? Owned by an employee of American Target Media, whose principal, Richard Vigueries was a Palm Beach Rioter.. personally called by James Baker to Florida to participate. The guy who supposedly runs that site on his own time? Trained by Morton Blackwell, Rove's former mentor and the man that handed out Purple Heart Bandaids at the GOP convention....

The media, owned in the majority by right wing interests, is only giving these guys credence on that story.. because THEY are part of the effort to discredit the people that told the TRUTH about Bush's service (which is lost in the memo flap), AND to oust Dan Rather, who has had the audacity to speak out against Bush, the Iraq war, and the rolling over by the other media allowing us to go to war without questioning Bush.. as the media should have.

Please check out the voluminous threads on "rathergate" here on the GD forum.. you'll understand that the blogger thing is only valid for the rightwingers... because they are financed by the rightwingers.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

19. I see very little positive in it. Just a big distraction from Iraq.

[merh]

20. The trick to survival in life is to take the negative and find the

positive. The trick to survival in politics is to take the negative and put a positive twist to it and use it to your advantage.

Why shouldn't we do that instead of wallow in the negative?

Of course it takes away form the truth about Iraq, everything *'s campaign is geared to take away from the truth about Iraq. Accept the purpose and use their resources to our advantage.

Learn to play the game, learn from their tactics and take advantage of each and every opening they give us.

[merh]

21. kick