Dems need smart, sarcastic sons of bitches to speak for them in MSM

[Opusnone]

Dr. Dean is a fine man who clearly is doing his best to assemble the majority of the US into the Democratic party.

But instead of same old hired, tired milquetoasts speaking for Dems and progressives in the mainstream media, we need a dynamic truth-teller unafraid to speak truth to power in every arena of public opinion. A spokesperson who tells it like it is. Not a politician, but a real personality.

The country is starving for it.

[NYCGirl]

1. So you think Dr. Dean is a "hired, tired milquetoast"? NT

[blm]

4. I think he means the DNC spokespeople aren't conveying as well as Dean is.

That has been my complaint for many years. Dem spokespeople and the pundit lineup were all schooled in defending Clinton for all those years, but never advanced their game to cover current issue needs or intelligently discuss the records of any other Democrat.

[NYCGirl]

13. And who are the DNC spokespeople? Certainly not Biden, From, etc, as

the poster below points out. The DNC has little power over many of the "Democratic spokespeople."

[blm]

15. Steve McMahon is one that Dean still uses, but many like Lanny

Davis, Paul Begala, and James Carville that most media book are from the days of Clinton and McAuliffe.

[babylonsister]

36. Add Brazille; she's real tired. nt

[Opusnone]

7. Not at all

He needs to find and train legions of Democrats and Progressives to spread out into the nation to win hearts and minds.

My point is that in the media we need strong, informed spokepersons and strategists to debate the right and speak truth to power.

[Warpy]

2. We need firebrands who will stand up to the bullies

and laugh in their stupid, piggy faces.

What we get are Biden, Lieberman, and worst of all, Al From.

No wonder people think there is no difference between the parties, that the Democrats don't stand for anything, and that nobody out there gives a shit about what most of us are going through.

[melissinha]

3. We've got some smart, sarcastic sons of bitches who are conservatives tho

Jack Cafferty is no liberal he's jsut sick of the BS and he is doing a good job.

Sometimes we have Lou Dobbs, though he isn't a sarcastic.

I really think that Jon Stewarts approach is a really good choice to difuse retarded nationalist BS the conservatives have out there and then there's Colbert the word twister that confuses them.....

[DURHAM D]

5. I agree - I am tired of playing by the Marquess of Queensberry

rules with an enemy fighting by Ultimate Wrestling rules.

I am tired of fighting with one hand tied behind our back - and we made the knot.

This is a war - a war for democracy - a war for our children and our children's children, a war for the people not the corporations.

[European Socialist]

6. K&R

[Captain Hilts]

8. Dean speaks well, but Barney Frank would be good too.

Frank is smart and funny.

[Opusnone]

9. Thom Hartmann?

Or Randi Rhodes?
Mike Malloy?

We get Donna Brazille and Al Sharpton.

[notadmblnd]

20. I think Al does a good job. Donna Brazille is totally worthless though

I don't see the two in the same league. but the OP is absolutely right, it's time to stop playing Mr. nice guy and get down and roll in the mud with these pigs.

[Captain Hilts]

31. Brazille is TERRIBLE. nt

[Avalux]

10. Can you come up with someone?

I happen to love David Sirota. Accidentally caught a segment featuring him vs. Ann Coulter on CNBC a few weeks ago - did extremely well. He's direct and well-spoken; also nice to look at, which doesn't hurt.

And please don't lump Dean in with the milquetoast crowd; he's not.

[Opusnone]

14. David Sirota is a fine choice

And i din't speak illof Dr. Dean. He is the head of the DNC, he's got his hands full. This is our job to demand representation.
I'll bet most of us here on DU could debate Charles Krauthammer or Bill O'Lielly.

[Avalux]

16. Thanks.

Appreciate the clarification on Dr. Dean. How about a campaign to get Sirota out there more? I'd be all for it. I got a kick out of watching him laugh in Coulter's face. :D

[Opusnone]

18. Throw enough money at someone and see

Though many will gladly debate for free.

We also need to answer the lies, reframe the debates and de emphasize groups with un American messages like Focus on the Family, The Heritage Foundation, right wing PACS and militant neocons.

[chill_wind]

38. He is awesome. A street fighter. We need a hundred of his breed out there

every night. I've said it repeatedly here at DU before and I'll keep saying it.

[Fridays Child]

11. We need to get Kirsten Powers out there way more often. eom

[rudy23]

12. I agree, I was saying this on another board

We can't be bullies like the Republicans, it's just not in our nature.

For years Dems have been advised to play down their smarts, but that's an oversimplification. We need to play down the "ivory-tower" kind of smarts, but play UP the sarcastic, bullshit detector smarts like Stewart and Colbert.

These guys don't apologize for being liberal, though they do criticize their own. We all do that, we're critical thinkers. They don't apologize for being intelligent either. They disarm the Repubs' bad logic with their brains, and they do it in a way that relates to mainstream America, without belittling them. Their audience is in on the joke. These guys are beloved, national treasures. Even Republicans love these guys.

Because I'll tell you a secret about Republicans. Don't tell anyone. They're insecure. Their worst fear is getting intellectually skewered by a wit like Colbert's or Stewart's.

A rapier's wit has been a prerequisite for success in British politics for centuries. Our spokesmen don't even have to be particularly witty, just calm, self-assured, and armed with the skill to take apart bad logic in simple, laymen's terms.

[DinahMoeHum]

17. Get Paul Hackett. Last week, he ripped a Repuke Congressional

candidate a brand new one:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/08/24/paul-hackett-on-the-young-turks/

:kick:

[Greyhound]

43. Good job, he's going to make a lot more money as a spokesman

than he would as a politician. He made that bushclone look like the insignificant little shit he is.

[gratuitous]

19. gratuitous reporting for duty . . . sah!

Give me a six-figure salary and a make-up artist who knows his or her stuff, and I'll carve 'em up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

[Opusnone]

23. You wouldn't do it for free?

I'd gladly do it.

It would be an honor as an American and a Patriot.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

39. I'd do it for free too!!

I can't tell you how many times I'd call out to the television when a Democratic pundit is on, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY_____________!". ....My kids think I'm nuts. :eyes:

As far as the best voice for the democrats goes, I like Al Sharpton. He's quick, he knows his facts, he knows the law, and best of all HE HOLDS NOTHING BACK!!

[Sugarcoated]

21. How about Joe Conason?

And Sam Seder, Stephanie Miller? Lots of Dem Congress-people should be out there way more often - Feingold should step it up, Louise Slaughter is great. Jame Harmon, while definitely a moderate Democrat, is still a Democrat and does very well. That guy they have on Hardball all the time, some Democratic strategist, he's godawful. And the woman who's related to Mr. Howell? She has questionable debating skills.

[grasswire]

42. Conason married Monica Crowley's sister

I haven't seen him on television since then.

[CollegeDUer]

22. It's almost like they want to lose sometimes

The Dems have fine people who can fight back but they always put up spineless people. Have the last 10-12 years taught them nothing? That DOES NOT work.

[Opusnone]

24. You're right we need street brawlers

Tough guys, smart guys. Half the callers to C-Span are stronger personalities than we have right now.

[gratuitous]

25. Keep in mind who books the guests

These shows are under the thumb of the producers, who decide which guests will appear on the program. The host has some input, but the producers, whose paychecks depend on pleasing the bosses in the corporate suites, are the ones who book the guests.

It seems there is a limited stable of "okay" guests that get on the air to represent all Democrats and Progressives. And folks with names like Chomsky and Cockburn need not apply. If a dissenting voice slips onto the set and makes the Republicans look like complete fools or worse, makes the host look like the uninformed pretty face he or she is, they can pretty much count on not being invited back. Catch these guests when you can, because they don't get asked again.

[blm]

27. Exactly - that's why the DNC needs to have a few on hand who are the ONLY

choices to rep the party as DNC spokespeople.

[thereismore]

26. Paul Hackett. Need more of him on TV. nt

[KurtNYC]

28. No - we need more media outlets

The RW isn't going to start giving airtime to their opposition anytime soon.

[Clark2008]

29. Wes Clark always makes mincemeat out of O'Lielly and Insannity

on Faux News.

Not so much sarcastic, but on his game and wicked smart.

[Sugarcoated]

30. I wish Wes would branch out

I admire his willingness and foresight to try to talk sense into a some of the red staters, but we need him on the other TV outlets as well. Alot of middle of the roaders need to be won over and they watch shows like Hardball, Scarborough and Lou Dobbs.

[Doctor_J]

32. Dems like that are not allowed near microphones

how often do you see Randi, Malloy, Bernie Ward on TV?

[Opusnone]

33. For instance:

Right now our attack dog would make the rounds to all the talking head shows pounding on Ted Stevens for his hypocrisy, missing appropriations committee meetings and then trying to hide valuable PUBLIC information from the public.

Talking points, education, framing arguments. Let's go, Dems!
Where, oh where are you?

[elehhhhna]

34. I'm available.

[Phrogman]

35. Hire George Carlin!

e0m

[babylonsister]

37. I agree with you. We need personality and conviction. nt

[PBass]

40. Mockery and sarcasm can be more effective than statistics and lectures. NT

[Auntie Bush]

41. How about Mike Malloy?

[JudyM]

44. Bill Maher. eom