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| let us tell you again what we tried to say yesterday |
| 2004-02-12 |
| EFL The first version published of yesterday’s 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 Kerry’s transient upper hand over President Bush doesn’t 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 nation’s problems; that more taxes on corporations and the wealthy are good ways to cut the deficit and raise money for social spending and don’t 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 Bush’s 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 Bush’s 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 press’s 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 President’s communications advisers have a choice: Try to change the storyline and the press’ attitude, or try to win this election without changing them. So we ask again: What’s it going to be, Ken, Karen, Mary, Terry, Nicole, and Dan? That’s 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 today’s twin primaries on a roll. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #5 #3. Are you accusing NMM of Bogarting? I'm surprised a nice girl like you even knows about such things. |
| Posted by: GK 2004-2-12 9:29:05 AM |
| #4 First law of the wannabe totalitarian -- when the mass of people disagree with you, they're "sheeple". |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-2-12 7:06:31 AM |
| #3 Hey, NMM, pass the bong! That must be some primo sh*t. |
| Posted by: Jennie Taliaferro 2004-2-12 3:41:45 AM |
| #2 HAHA sounds like the American sheeple have finally figured out the Republican bait and switch program |
| Posted by: NotMike Moore 2004-2-12 2:30:19 AM |
| #1 Sounds like the "News on the half hour" doesn't it. ABC news and others in lock step are yellow. Smells of piss, cat mess, rental cleanup. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-2-12 2:02:13 AM |