The Media Assault on Dean

[JackRiddler]

Anyone honest, no matter their candidate, should see that Dean was dismantled intentionally and viciously during the last two weeks. Even if you dislike him, you can surely see that his candidacy was from the (Internet) grassroots and the media revelled in pretending to build him up for the sudden knock-down, against which no defense was allowed. "The Scream" was a completely innocuous, normal campaign speech, with one snippet used to beat Dean down. No other candidate will be able to withstand "The Scream" treatment, and it will be done to each of the frontrunners and the nominee in turn.

Are you awake to this? It's coming for all of you. Even as some of the elites look to knock Bush down (Plamegate, 9/11, etc.), the corporate media have already decided he's the winner.

My thesis: Only with Dean and the grassroots are you going to get the kind of fight against this necessary to have any chance of winning.

Excellent article from Black Commentator:

http://www.blackcommentator.com/75/75_cover_dean_media.html

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. YES

ABC news showed the clip of how the scream actually happened.

it couldn't even be heard above the crowd noise.



it was a pure assination of dean

Phish lyric: "Sometimes people build you up just so they can knock you down"

[lurk_no_more]

2. It's what the media does, it's what their directed to do

If anyone thought it wouldn't happen they were living under a rock.

At this point all the whining in the world will not stop it, getting the message out and winning in Nov might, but I wouldn't hold my breath.


And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[huckleberry]

3. Excellent analysis on Dean's demise and Kerry's gain!

Thanks for posting this!

more from the article --

...If a mildly progressive, Internet-driven, young white middle class-centered, movement-like campaign such as Dean’s – flush with money derived from unconventional sources, backed by significant sections of labor, reinforced by big name endorsements and surging with upward momentum – can be derailed in a matter of weeks at the whim of corporate media, then all of us are in deep trouble. The Dean beat-down should signal an intense reassessment of media’s role in the American power structure. The African American historical experience has much to offer in that regard, since the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements were born in a wrestling match with an essentially hostile corporate (white) media. However, there can be no meaningful discussion of the options available to progressive forces in the United States unless it is first recognized that the corporate media in the current era is the enemy, and must be treated that way

snip

There is no question that Blacks and progressives must establish alternative media outlets, and not just on the Internet. However, there is no substitute for confronting the corporate media head-on, through direct mass action and other, creative tactics. The rich men’s voices must be de-legitimized in the eyes of the people, who already suspect that they are being systematically lied to and manipulated. African Americans have an advantage in this regard, since we are used to being lied to and about.

[cthrumatrix]

4. agreed...goes back to mid-december ..pre-Iowa..BinLaden/Dean TV ads

that we still have "no idea" who wanted to run those in several states...didn' matter...the media did a fine job...

deomcracy buried....

[vi5]

5. I agree that the Scream was overplayed and overblown...BUT

I can honestly say that I don't think Dean has taken any more of a media beating then Kerry did when he was the frontrunner, or that Clark did when he first announced and was the Belle of the Ball. Or even earlier on when Edwards was intriguing people the whole "trial lawyer" thing was being played out. Did you notice that the whole tort reform thing was getting a ton of press when Edwards was high up early on. And that after Iowa you started hearing rumblings about it along the way.

I think each of them have gotten a bum rap along the way. The scream bum rap just happened to come at a particularly crappy time.

But I would say that in each of these instances as well that the candidates and their supporters (including Dean) made missteps along the way as well. This media and the way they work aren't new to any of us. So to play the victim when what everyone knows will happen actually DOES happen is less than honest.

[killbotfactory]

6. Kerry will just tell us to quit crying in our teacups

And then we'll swoon as he drives off the stage in a Harley.

[sangh0]

7. Like Dean, the media assault on Dean

is over.

Kerry says "Bring it on!!!"

[mopinko]

8. rose like a genie from a bottle to become the overnight presidential

front runner"

they came for dennis kucinich, and i thought his ears were too pointy, and his voice was squeeeky, so i agreed that he was unelectable, so i did not say anything.

they came for cmb. she has such a great smile. and she was an embassador, and had other impressive credentials. but she was black, and a woman, too. so i agreed that she was unelectable. so i did not say anything.

they came for al sharpton, and of course, he was black, and controversial so there was no way he was electable. so i did not say anything.

they came for howard dean. and i thought that he was such a hot head. although i am kinda mad myself, he has no message but anger. well, he does have that 'success by six'. and that little chant about republicans not being able to balance budgets might be true. but i saw him melt down on tv. he is not electable. so i did not say

and then they came for my candidate, and.....
then a genie arose out of a bottle.

[maggrwaggr]

11. that's exactly what's wrong with our party

"I didn't complain when they assassinated the guys I didn't support, but when they came after my guy I got PISSED".

We don't stick together. We should.

[killbotfactory]

12. If a candidate says that, they're accused of whining.

or worse.

[Ugnmoose]

9. Same song different verse

Al Gore knows full well the savagery of the corporate media so it should come as no surprise to him how they have trampled on his boy Dean. It's so nice to see that things haven't changed one bit in 4 years. I guess it gives us all a glimpse of what we can continue to look forward to. Once again, it affirm why we must have a truly independent media outlet to keep these whores honest.

[CWebster]

10. Couple of things

Trippi had organization down but he did not have the party machine that Kerry was in a position to tap in terms of organization and knowledge of the ropes. Dean had a big outsider operation with lots of enthusiam but little experience.

In the weeks before Iowa, the media ramped up the attacks, including cover stories promoting doubt, negative press, a different damning story every night on the evening news(one was so vicious, I wrote ABC, furious that they would stoop to such ugly smears), all suggesting a lack of electibility, too angry. In fact, Dean's anger reflected his constituents, it was the Republicans who originally came up with the 'too angry' charge.
About that time, Kerry met with many of the major media figures from the NYTimes, Newsweek, Time, CNN, Slate, WP, including Howard Fineman, author of one of the more damning articles. Just before Iowa, when Dean's numbers were falling due to the media onslaught, I saw one pundit publically accuse Fineman of responsibility in the destruction of Dean. Following Iowa, the media broadcast Dean's speech, as if he was some kind of crazed mad man and succeeded in whipping up people's fears and emotions. This was around-the clock onslaught, accompanied by scathing commentary and biased reports of voters, everyone of them portrayed as the casual observer, expressing negativity about Dean. This continued up to the NH primary and it wasn't until the day after, while Dean was struggling under the burden of this bombardment, and after Kerry won, that the media made small acknowledgement of their participation in the deception. The damage had been done, the fix was in, mission accomplished.

And what galls me, is that it was essentially a coup of sorts, and there is barely a peep about it, we all just turn away. And now, you expect me to reward Kerry with my vote? Since he couldn't win through his own merit, he called in a hit team. Chances are he will be getting a taste of his own medicine in the days ahead and I am not so sure that he doesn't deserve it.