If Kerry says something & CNN doesn't show it,, did no one hear him?

[mbali]

Of course not.

Kerry and Edwards are out every day, reaching voters throughout the country. The fact that we don't see it minute-by-minute on CNN means nothing. The people who really matter - the voters in the swing states - DO see and hear them. We need to stop treating CNN and MSNBC as if they are the only source of information for most Americans and whine that, if CNN doesn't carry it, no one will ever know.

Both candidates have spent an unprecedented amount of time in Ohio this year, where a recent Dispatch Poll shows them tied at 46 percent. Kerry plans to campaign in Akron and Steubenville today and Cleveland on Monday. Bush is to be in Cleveland today and in Portsmouth and Chillicothe on Friday, and back in Ohio the following week. Kerry's running mate, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, is scheduled to be in Chillicothe on Tuesday.

Kerry kicked off the day 3 miles north of downtown Newark in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood with a front-porch discussion. About 75 people -- many of whom have lost jobs, benefits or health care, and most invited by Kerry's campaign -- listened to the Democrat tell them how he can better their lives.

"This (Bush) administration has refused to stand up and fight for the American worker," Kerry said.

Kerry's remarks came as he was standing in the front yard of Mark Bickle, a 49-year-old father helping put two sons through college who was laid off from his shipping and receiving job a week ago. Such gatherings, the Newark man said, make people like him feel they matter to candidates. Although Bickle doesn't think any one man is totally responsible for the world, he believes Kerry could help his corner of it. "I think Kerry wants to help out the working people, because we're not working," Bickle said. "I'm one of millions."

At the discussion's end, an unidentified woman told Kerry she's not a registered Democrat, but that four years of Bush have changed her. "I'm a recovering Republican," she said. Kerry smiled, then joked, "Do you have to go through a program for that?"

Columbus Dispatch, September 4, 2004

[mmonk]

1. Exactly

without press, the campaign is in trouble. Like it or not, the party has got to be bold.

[NMDemDist2]

2. note the byline

the K/E team is getting great press on local stations and papers. Most folks get their news from a local outlet

[democratreformed]

8. That's right. And, local news is much more sane than the cable

networks. At least, our local new is.

[Shopaholic]

3. I disagree.

We need media coverage. We aren't getting it. What we are getting are these 24/7 attacks on Kerry by the Repugs and glowing coverage of the Repugs instead. We've got to get our message out and for all too many people, broadcast and cable news networks are their first source of news. If we don't have that (and we don't), we don't have anything, no matter how good and how powerful the message.

[mbali]

5. We're getting PLENTY of media coverage!

CNN and MSNBC are not the only - or even most of - the media in this country. The vast majority of Americans get their news from their local press. The fact that you don't see something on CNN is irrelevant.

More Ohio voters likely read yesterday's Columbus Dispatch story, as well as the dozens of stories in other papers about Kerry's and Edwards' several appearances throughout the state over the weekend, than watch CNN.

We need to stop obsessing over CNN and MSNBC - they are not the end-all and be-all of news coverage. Just as all politics is local, most news coverage is local, as well. Kerry and Edwards can't do anything about their national press coverage. But they're kicking ass locally, and that's what really matters.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. We're forced to aim our campaign to local media, aren't we?

We get some print press nationally, but the TV media will give us scant, and/or biased, coverage it seems. We can also use ads, especially 527 ads, to reach people.

[Joylaughter]

7. The Web

Young people don't watch the news. They can't be polled because the have no land lines. They don't read the newspapers. They do surf the web. The young people who's brothers, sisters, friends are dying in war. They can be reched via the web.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Right on! The web is increasingly important, especially...

for reaching Gen Y --

[mbali]

11. This is true for some young people, but not all . . .

The internet is still disproportionately the province of middle class and uppser middle class (and mostly white) voters. Low income and minority young people do NOT get most of their news from the net. The digital divide is very real. We have not yet reached the point where we can expect to reach most of the Democratic base via the web.

[blondeatlast]

6. It's possible--they are in third place now, even after mimicing Faux.

Pity, isn't it? :evilgrin:

[shoopnyc123]

9. If * farts, it unfortunately commands a press conference...

...and this doesn't look like it will change anytime soon.

[Zen Democrat]

12. Why don't you watch and see if CBS shows it?

We're getting much fairer treatment in the mainstream media than on the cable shows. All I watch on cable anymore is Olbermann and Matthews on MSNBC and Aaron Brown on CNN. All the others can go squat.

I think that the news via the public airways is a bit fairer than the paid-cable stations that don't even have to pretend to be fair and balanced, although Fox News does pretend.