The American Media Will 'Elect' The Next President...

[Q]

...and unless there's a miracle, it won't be a Democrat. Certainly you're not shocked at this prospect? The American Media has been a subsidiary of the Republican party for at least two decades. While Lefties were busy bemoaning the loss of the Fairness Doctrine and the monopolization of mass communications in America...the Righties were busying ignoring fairness and buying up the media. The bought and paid for American media has two duties: 1) promote Republicans in a positive way. 2) promote Democrats in a negative way.

- Let's get to the crux of the matter: The American media doesn't want a Democrat in the oval office. That's why they worked so hard to get Clinton impeached and Gore smeared. It's nothing personal...or even political...against Democrats. Now that the media is just another corporation looking for the most profit...they'll promote the politician that can help them with the bottom line or legislation that will help their businesses thrive.

- It's a given that traditional Democrats will devote a large chunk of the budget to social programs and services for the people. Those who own the media have billions of dollars invested in the very industries that depend on what a CEO Republican president has to offer.

- The Energy Industry can make billions instead of millions with a CEO president willing to sign on to environmental deregulation. Defense contractors can make trillions by helping to promote international instability and war. Other industries and groups friendly to the Bush Family can increase profits by supporting the privatization of government services, school vouchers or 'faith-based' social services.

- American politics has become all about money and power: the selling of legislation and the highest office to the highest bidder. Democrats can't compete monetarily because they supposedly represent the poor and disenfranchised. Even worse...the corporate media is working against Democrats to ensure a corporate friendly neocon stays in the White House. (Or a reasonable facsimile such as Lieberman).

- These are difficult times for Democracy in the absence of a free press and the blatant buying and selling of politicians, legislation and votes.

- It's up to you to help turn it around. A good start would be to demand investigations, hearings and indictments against the most corrupt executive branch in this nation's history. The corporate media will do their best to distract, distort and deflect...but they'll eventually relent and tell the truth once they know we won't give up until justice is served.

[poskonig]

1. The entire world is a conspiracy.

The media has inbuilt corporate biases, but supposing they do all of the grassroots work, fundraising, stump speeches etc. that make a campaign a success is ridiculous.

[Q]

7. Let's just call it what it is: conflict of interest

- Corporate Media A owns Company B that does business with the government. The business with the government might be a huge 'starwars' contract. Given that Corporate Media A has a lot invested in Company B...what are the chances that you'll see reports critical of starwars on their networks?

- Same goes for Bush's* corporate presidency. As long as CEO Bush* stays in office...the corporate media and their subsidiaries will enjoy record profits.

[Jacobin]

2. One word: IragNam.

No way to spin the chaos and body bags.

Bush is going DOWN.

Remember: The mediawhores were ecstatic about Clinton's impeachment, cheerlead it like there was no tomorrow, pushed it, encouragedit, reported on it non-stop, declared it a good and holy thing to do and:

Clinton's polls were never higher.

Don't give up hope.

[Q]

9. Bush* doesn't 'go down' unless the Media says so...

...and there's no indication of any loss of blind support by a majority of the networks.

- A quagmire in Iraq won't hurt Bush* unless the media makes a direct connnection to him instead of his 'fall on your sword for the Gipper' staff and administration.

[Jacobin]

25. I heard them talking about a Perfect Storm in the last couple of days

I don't think they were discussing the movie.

Some days, I would agree with you. Today (must be manic Sunday) I'm feeling hopeful and think the bodybags (as ghastly a way that is to get rid of an idiot pretending to be president) will do the trick.

They were practically begging the Murcan people to support the impeachment of Clinton. It backfired on them

Think of all the people connected to the 150,000 trapped in Iraq as soldiers and how they are openly being pissed on by this administration. This won't go down well,...they have mothers, fathers, aunts uncles, brothers sisters. and they are not happy campers

[nannygoat]

21. And despite the mediawhores 24/7 smearing of Al Gore

he still won!

[Bushknew]

26. It really is disgusting how the media treated Gore and Clinton

And how they look the other way on *

[Skwmom]

3. I've always felt campaign finance reform was a nonissue.

If you control the press, campaign finance reform becomes a moot issue. The repubs have been busy buying up local stations in contested statesto add to the chorus of Bush cheerleaders while the Dems have been busy doing I don't know what.

[poskonig]

6. CFR actually hurts us.

The Republican media is one point, and not allowing our grassroots interest groups to help out in several ways is another, given the sheer amount of dollars the GOP can take down.

While the ACLU opposed CFR on principled grounds, pragmatic reasons exist why it is bad for the left.

[barbaraann]

4. Q, check the Top 25 Bestsellers in Nonfiction on amazon.com.

It's amazing--12 of the 25 are "left" political books. People are waking up!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/new-for-you/top-sellers/-/books/53/ref=pd_ts_b_nav/104-2836335-6100722

[Q]

10. It's a good bet that MOST Americans won't read those books...

- Most Americans...busy with work and paying the mortgage...get their pre-digested news from the boob tube and radio...markets almost entirely owned and operated by neocons like Scaife and Murdoch.

[barbaraann]

19. Well, actually, I think some sort of critical mass of informed

voters might have been reached in the past week or so for whatever reason. And when you think about it, it's amazing that even with virtually the entire "free press" propping up the ugly monkey he is still losing popularity.

I sat on the 520 floating bridge on Friday when the Presidential motorcade drove by. NO ONE was honking, waving, or cheering as far as I could tell on the entire bridge; and there were riot troops for his fundraiser at Hunt's Point. The man is loathed. He's going down. The only thing I worry about is that the rightwing profiteering machine won't go down with him.

[imhotep]

5. Something I noticed this morning

When Biden was on Meet the Press...
Russert put up some polls showing the lack of support for the cost of the illegal war and the lack of support for increasing troop levels. He immediately asked Biden, and of course Biden scolded the american public as if they are ignorant children, thereby making the Democrat the bad guy. Very subtle and very evil.

[wryter2000]

8. So sad

I would never have expected that of Joe Biden.

[pretzel4gore]

11. biden helped give america clarence thomas...

the thomas who actually said, when asked if he ever planned to retire, that it would take '43 years' (his age when confirmed on Supreme Court) 'to get even!' with america, i presume....
thomas must be ecstatic at the ruin bush has wrought!
btw russert is my choice as mediawhore who most deserves the needle.

[antineocon1]

12. I think you're right that we need to fight the media...

However, you're forgetting the power of the Internet and grass roots movements. I really dislike to have joy kicked out of my day with posts such as this. The media is rooting for Ahnold. Bustamante is way ahead of Ahnold. The media is rooting for Bush. Nearly 50 percent of Americans want a new president next election. Fox tried to muffle Franken. They ended up giving him the number one spot on Amazon.com and helped put other left books in the top 25 because of their stupidity. Biden is going to get a phone call from me on Monday. What an idiot.

[J B]

13. Q, look at California for a minute.

Despite the media circus, despite Arnold's celebrity status, despite all that's going on, Arnold is trailing by a not insignificant margin. The media blitz wore off fast as people became tired of the circus. Less entertaining than OJ I guess..

There is such a thing as a media blitz without public support. There may be few true backlashes, but there is fatigue.

And people can become tired of a liar and exaggerator, like in Britain... it's not a foregone conclusion, because there's that little thing called reality to hold stupid strategic policymakers to account.

[Q]

15. I guess what I'm getting at here...

...is that it won't be up to the people...just as it wasn't up to the people in 2000.

- Bush* didn't become president* by 'accident'. His druggy, drunken, business failure past was covered up by the same media that character assassinated Gore. His presidency* was planned by the same people who created the PNAC.

[VolcanoJen]

14. The Media is as fickle as the American people, though.

Americans are notoriously short-attention-spanned, and tend to jump out at "new products."

The media pretty much rallied around Clinton and Perot in 1992, as they became "bored" with the Bush I product line. I think it can happen again. I think there's been convincing evidence just this past week that it's already happening, actually...

[Q]

16. Can you show me evidence that the media 'rallied 'round' Clinton?

- I remember them throwing everything at Clinton. He became president only because the neocons hadn't figured out how to rig national elections. Now they know.

[antineocon1]

18. yes, but we'll be better prepared in '04.

There's no way Bush will win in '04

[tlcandie]

20. Maybe Q is talking about the medias' BLACKOUT

on all issues that oppose * and the rethugs? Let's face it, most American's will NOT go to the lengths that we do here to find the truth! Most believe corporate media.

So, the question becomes, how do you fight that, overcome that or whatever?

Cable IS the main source of TV and FSTV and LINK are not a part of the cable system. Most will not tune in to OTHER radio programs via internet.

I can see Q's frustration. So, maybe it has to go back to grass roots Q. Door to door...everyone of us! Asking if you are registered, spreading the news. Having information or a bibliography of sorts for information to find the truth and start leaving them everywhere?

Afterall, IT IS UP TO US.. YOU AND ME!!

[VolcanoJen]

22. I don't have any evidence per se...

... but remember the constant coverage of Bush I marvelling at the miraculous JC Penney sock scanner? Or his failure to identify the price of a gallon of milk?

"It's the Economy, Stupid" wouldn't have worked if the media wasn't complicit in trumpeting it to the people. I guess the word "rally" wasn't the best choice, but they didn't really stick up for Bush I at all.

Considering he was a popular president coming out of a popular war, and his poll numbers plummeted quickly afterward, well, I don't think that could have or would have happened without the help of negative media coverage.

I hold out hope that history will repeat itself, and that "Whistle-Ass" will suffer the fate of his father.

[Q]

30. But...we have to help hope along...

...with action. Our government is corrupt and the free press is complicit. It would help if the loyal opposition recognized this and pushed for the restoration of the Fairness Doctrine and began hearings into Bush* admin. crimes and malfeasance.

[OneTwentyoNine]

24. C-Span was about it...

Covered Clinton quite a bit,on the bus,speeches tons of it. Meanwhile back at the ranch all I saw for the most part on other outlets was Gennifer Flowers over and over and over....


David

[Cocoa]

17. you're saying two very different things here, I think

One is that there's an overwhelming right-wing media bias. Which is obviously true. Who would argue with that, especially here? People are constantly giving concrete examples of this here at DU.

But the other thing you're saying, which I don't agree with, is that it's a certainty they will prevail. I think they won't, since their influence isn't total control. People still have brains, fortunately, despite the rhetoric about "sheeple."

You have that part at the end of your post about what we can do, but it reads as more of a disclaimer. The message the post as a whole sends out is "there is no hope." Which I respectfully say is b.s.

[Q]

28. If I thought there was 'no hope'...I'd say so...

...but recognizing the problem is half the battle. The bottom line in that the Free Press is lying to you and lying FOR the Bushies. What's in it for them? Money and power.

- Why would ANY corporation want do-gooder, social welfare Dems in power? Why share the wealth with the poor when they can have it all?

[dusty64]

23. They've made a BIG mistake.

Anyone remember economic prosperity and relative peace under a Democratic President. All I see today is recession and endless war today, corporations are hurt by these conditions also (for the most part). A few are doing wonderful, oil companies and Haliburton, but last time I checked media propaganda outlets and the companies that own them were'nt doing too great these days. Wonder if they'll ever get it?

[NJCher]

27. the prognosis is not so simple

Q posits that the media, being large corporations, align themselves with whatever interest is out there that favors those of large corporations, thus shutting out the interests of the average American who is not a large corporation but who does have a vote. The crux is that the vote does not work in the interests of the average American because the media fails to do its job of informing. It is now a propaganda machine.

I am not so sure this is a static situation. I think there may be a level of awareness that evolves from such a situation.

Can a comparison can be drawn from the days in which African Americans were unable to see their reality reflected in television programming, just as Americans now cannot find a representation in the media for their point of view?

For a long time, there were no accurate representations of American blacks in the early programming of television; only stereotypes. (I am not saying there are accurate representations even now but it is much better than it once was.) Consequently, this led to seeing the world in two ways: the way the white society represented it and the way the African-American saw it. There is a quote by W.E.B. Dubois that speaks to this double consciousness:

One ever feels his two-ness- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
-- W.E.B. DuBois

Now that we no longer have a media and are subjected to propaganda 24/7, will a "double existence" begin to evolve in the American mind?

Another point: when media and official sources are no longer trusted, it gives rise to conditions that favor conspiracy theory. The false reality that is pushed on the public is countered with another (possibly equal) false reality. Where will that take us?

Thus my points are that even though such a miserable situation does exist, that does not mean the scenario is effective, even for the purposes of the r-w. I am not so sure this is an effective solution for them. Control of the media leads to some complex scenarios and as a poster above has pointed out, most of them have backfired.



Cher

[Q]

29. In a nutshell: we can no longer depend on Democracy (elections)...

...or a diligent free press to rid us of the type of arrogant, secret, out-of-control power assumed by the Bushies.

- It seems that we as a society have learned little or nothing from the 2000 selection and the tragedy of 9-11. We go on hoping and dreaming that everything will be set right one day by the democratic institutions created over two centuries ago. But what happens when democracy dies and few notice?

[Cocoa]

31. what do you mean "no longer"?

It seems you're harkening back to some period when things were not this way.

When was that? Was it before blacks could vote? Before women could vote? Before you had to have property to vote?

I think people are pretty realistic about the power of elections. Elections are not meant to be revolutions or restorations and they never really were.

It doesn't mean elections aren't important. Our flawed country under anyone but Bush will be infinitely better than with him.

[Ani Yun Wiya]

32. Well said Q.

I agree with what you say in this post.

The last paragraph is especially true!

I think that very soon we will see something like this:

To coincide with the "sporting season" and the return to school and work, fewer casualties will be reported from Iraq.
With the onset of the holidays, there will be GOOD economic news.
After the holidays the campaign news and coverage will ensue in ernest.
We'll start to hear monthly and then weekly polls favoring the current administration.
Then some mudslinging throughout the spring, peppered with even better news from Iraq and the improving economy.
Comes summer time serious attacks will begin on the likely frontrunners.
After the Democratic convention, the one to emerge as nominee will get special treatment and an airing of "dirty laundry".
After the Republican convention, * and crew will have some amazing advertising about their great record.
Then it will be time to go and vote.

And I suspect that if * does "win" again few will doubt it, especially if there is nothing that looks like Florida in 2000.