Headlines.. WTF???

[Coexist]

"Dems' tax-cut bill fails, setting up possible future deal with GOP" - MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40504582/ns/politics-capitol_hill/


Senate procedural votes on extending Bush tax cuts fail - CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/12/04/senate.tax.vote/index.html?hpt=T1


Senate GOP Reject Obama's Plan to Extend Bush Tax Cuts - Fox
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/04/senate-dems-seeking-weaken-gop-force-doomed-vote-tax-cut-plans/

This is not being portrayed as the Republicans raising taxes on the middle class.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Where's the beat-down that was promised to happen if Repubs

voted against the middle class?

[Parker CA]

2. Unfortunately the Dems never created the frame and the message so the media reports as such.

Until we can form and drive direct and clear messages about our policies, we're screwed.

[Uzybone]

3. you still blame the democrats for "messaging"

Its amazing how so many here do not accept the fact that the Media is an arm of the GOP.

[Parker CA]

7. I do, because we've failed. The media is complicit, but they have an easier time reporting crap when

we don't repeatedly and forcefully give them talking points that hammer home our positions. Our side doesn't have a unified voice in too many instances.

[veganlush]

11. You seem to know that the fault lies with the media

so why don't the Democrats know it and act accordingly? instead, they'll whine that the GOP controlled media didn't spin it their way. Why would they expect it to? Yet apparently they did expect it to and that shows incompetence on the part of the Democrats. When you KNOW you have to find a different way to get the message out, but you do nothing about it. They should have called a press conference, and kept the subject a secret if necessary. In their press conference they could have used charts and visuals to make their point succinctly, showing the failure of the ten year experiment called the bush tax cuts. They could have made their best case to a real audience instead of the handful of people watching C-SPAN. These desperate times and will require more than just relying on the same old tactics that don't work. If you want to drive a nail into wood, and you use a banana, which you know will not do the job, blame yourself, not the banana.

[Parker CA]

14. Yup. Tactics must adapt based on the situation, and they must also change when repeated attempts

to achieve the same goal prove futile.

When this will become clear to the party leaders and the necessary changes be made is the frustrating unknown.

[October]

26. So true! Definition of insanity - doing same thing expecting different results

The Dems are either STUPID, or naive beyond belief. Either way, WE lose.

[qazplm]

5. this isn't about messaging

this is about a lazy media.

[tiny elvis]

23. it is specious to call opposite and openly contentious priorities 'lazy'

everyone in media is always busy
else at this moment auburn's football team is lazily ignoring south carolina's needs
you are right that messaging is not an issue
if there is a message to send, it must be to the owners of media

[October]

28. Not lazy at all - they WORK at their deceit /nt

[treestar]

13. Well we could do away with the First Amendment and put the media

under government control. :sarcasm:

And people on DU always accept the frame and talk in those terms. this happens frequently. The media gets full cooperation from most people on that.

[Doctor_J]

18. No, we can't put the media under the government

although it already is under GOP control.

That's why it's up to us to do something drastic about Big Media, or kiss what's left of our country good-bye

[qazplm]

4. you're surprised??

This is what folks screaming FIGHT need to look at.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. CBS: GOP Senators Reject Tax Cuts for Middle Class

sub-headline: Republicans Pushing Tax Cuts for Rich Shoot Down Cuts for Everyone Else; Dems Criticize GOP Priorities

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/04/politics/main7116715.shtml?tag=stack

That'll do.

[TwilightGardener]

10. That's refreshing.

[doc03]

8. What did you expect? The President pretty much

give up on the tax cuts even before the election. When you come out and say you are going to cave two months ago everyone with an ounce of brains knows the whole thing is just political theater.

[murray hill farm]

9. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I have had it! This country has had it...even if you vote Democratic, you still vote Republican. I had thought that from now on I would only vote locally, but...hey, I live in Arkansas where all Dems are really repugs. I'm old...so my vote doesn't mean a hill of beans anyway...especially where I live. But it doesn't mean anything anyway. I am, as we used to say "dropping out"...living on my little farm and probably if I choose to worry about something, it will be something that I can positively have an effect upon..like planting my garden. I believed this time that my president was truly change we could believe in...what an old fool I am......Ha!

[SoCalDem]

12. Car for Sale: Asking $15K..will take 2 K

:(

[Fla_Democrat]

15. Will have to see a picture

if that mad cat has been driving it... no telling how banged up it is. :evilgrin:








:smoke:

[spanone]

16. 'republicans vote to raise taxes for everyone' fuck the media

[Coexist]

24. thats what I would like to see!

[B Calm]

17. Liberal media my ass! I hope the talking heads can tell the truth and

explain how the republicans raised taxes on the working class because they wanted to give more tax cuts to the rich bastards who sent our manufacturing jobs overseas!

[Imajika]

19. This is because Obama...

...long ago telegraphed that he was going to do a deal with the Republicans on this Bush tax cut issue.

You can't blame the press for calling these procedural votes when the President has already made it clear that these are...well...effectively procedural votes.

Again, this is all theater and everyone who understands the situation already knows that Obama is going to agree to extend the Bush tax cuts for at least 2 years. He will get his own tax cuts and business credits extended and the Republicans will go along with the a UI extension for probably 1 year.

[Capn Sunshine]

21. I KNEW it was somehow Obama's fault!

Thanks for pointing that out, I wasn't sure just what angle to hold the prism to make the fault lie with Obama.

[Imajika]

22. Unlike many people here....

..I am not particularly outraged at Obama at all. I think he is a great President and would gladly vote for him again. Is Obama perfect? No. Then again, I never expected him to be. That doesn't mean I can't point out where I disagree with him.

Saying that, I do think it's fair to say that by telegraphing early on that President Obama was going to do a deal with the Republicans on the Bush tax cuts, it does take away some of the significance of these House and Senate votes.

I mean, the media knows perfectly well that Obama and the Republicans are negotiating the "real deal" which will come sometimes this month. The outlines of the deal are not secret, and everyone plugged in in DC understands how this is going to play out.

Had Obama said the final offer is what the House and Senate have been voting on, then the media would likely have taken the debate and votes far more seriously. As it is, everyone knows these votes are theater meant to satisfy the base and put Republicans on record voting against middle class tax cuts.

[ProSense]

20. It's the media, stop giving them a pass. They can get it right if they choose to. Reuters

Senate Republicans block middle-class tax bill

[Coexist]

25. that is a perfect headline

[tekisui]

27. After all these years, Dems still can't figure out how to message and frame.