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let us tell you again what we tried to say yesterday
EFLThe first version published of yesterdayâs Note included what was intended as a SATIRICAL report of a fictional ABC News/Washington Post poll. No such poll was conducted. The questions and results listed were not from a real poll. But on this day when John Kerry has a chance for wins in Tennessee and/or Virginia that just might get the Southern monkey off of his back -- and take an opponent out of the race -- and after two full news cycles in which Kerryâs transient upper hand over President Bush doesnât seem to have been removed by the "Meet" appearance -- on this day, let us tell you again what we tried to say yesterday. Like every other institution, the Washington and political press corps operate with a good number of biases and predilections. They include, but are not limited to, a near-universal shared sense that liberal political positions on social issues like gun control, homosexuality, abortion, and religion are the default, while more conservative positions are "conservative positions." They include a belief that government is a mechanism to solve the nationâs problems; that more taxes on corporations and the wealthy are good ways to cut the deficit and raise money for social spending and donât have a negative affect on economic growth; and that emotional examples of suffering (provided by unions or consumer groups) are good ways to illustrate economic statistic stories. More systematically, the press believes that fluid narratives in coverage are better than static storylines; that new things are more interesting than old things; that close races are preferable to loose ones; and that incumbents are destined for dethroning, somehow. The press, by and large, does not accept President Bushâs justifications for the Iraq war -- in any of its WMD, imminent threat, or evil-doer formulations. It does not understand how educated, sensible people could possibly be wary of multilateral institutions or friendly, sophisticated European allies. It does not accept the proposition that the Bush tax cuts helped the economy by stimulating summer spending. It remains fixated on the unemployment rate. It believes President Bush is "walking a fine line" with regards to the gay marriage issue, choosing between "tolerance" and his "right-wing base." It still has a hard time understanding how, despite the drumbeat of conservative grass-top complaints about overspending and deficits, President Bushâs base remains extremely and loyally devoted to him -- and it looks for every opportunity to find cracks in that base. Of course, the swirling Joe Wilson and National Guard stories play right to the pressâs scandal bias -- not to mention the bias towards process stories (grand juries produce ENDLESS process!). The worldview of the dominant media can be seen in every frame of video and every print word choice that is currently being produced about the presidential race. That means the Presidentâs communications advisers have a choice: Try to change the storyline and the pressâ attitude, or try to win this election without changing them. So we ask again: Whatâs it going to be, Ken, Karen, Mary, Terry, Nicole, and Dan? Thatâs quite a headline in the Los Angeles Times: "Bush Supports Shift of Jobs Overseas." LINK And the Washington Post story filled with quotes from Republican-leaning business people who have politically soured on the President is quite striking. LINK As is the Wall Street Journal piece despoiling the Medicare reform law before it event takes effect. On the strength of all the negative coverage of the President and all his own positive coverage, Sen. Kerry heads into todayâs twin primaries on a roll. Posted by: tipper 2004-02-12 |
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