First on MSNBC then on CNN - What is wrong with Democrats?!?

[bermudat]

Brian Williams is saying Democrats are telling him that they are concerned about the messaging of the impeachment process. Then everyone joking how Democrats are all Student body presidents. Then on CNN some woman saying
that Democrats will face a bloodbath if they don't go middle of the road like Beshear in Kentucky. Warren, Bernie are ok for firing up folks in the primary but they better go with Biden if they expect to beat Trump. Has anyone ever
heard any commentator say Repugnantcans should stop being racist rat bastards to win?? Never, always about
how Democrats will fail again. They mention AOC as a cautionary point, why? I adore her but she is a freshman congresswoman. I just wanted to enjoy hearing about all the Democratic wins, but they are ruining my jubilation over
the 'what Democrats are doing wrong' meme.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. welcome to the "liberal" media

[IcyPeas]

2. Talking heads

Guessing and speculating and opining on anything . Thats all cable news is nowadays. Panels of talking heads gabbing away.

[stopdiggin]

18. actually there's been a good bit of commentary

and criticism on the "dead end strategy" of Republicans embracing racism, white identity movements, climate change denial, environmental deregulation, isolationist policy .. and a variety of other positions that are clearly out of step with the general public .. and will only become more so with every passing year.

So, yes .. the Rs DO come in for some knocks here and there. It's not all on us (even if it seems that way). But .. also, yes .. talking heads gotta' be talking heads

[NCLefty]

3. Mirror mirror, on the wall,

Tell me I'm pretty or I'm going to smash you to bits.

:p

[Bettie]

4. Their marching orders are to advocate for someone who won't

change anything.

That way the people who pay them get to keep every penny of their money. That's really what it is about, the media owners getting to keep getting richer and richer. Don't want the peons getting any ideas about the lives of the 99% improving.

[regnaD kciN]

5. Seems like the "messaging" on impeachment is pitch-perfect...

..considering that, since we launched the process, support for dumping 45 has gone from 37% to over 50%.

[greyl]

6. Eyeroll. Your post is a mischaracterization.

To wit, both channels are saying the terms "bribery" or "extortion" should replace "quid pro quo" in mass media.

[tirebiter]

12. What you heard is what I heard

Funny how that is.

[elleng]

7. Strategy is important, and we must not allow the best to be the enemy of the good.

[Poiuyt]

8. The Overton window has shifted too far to the right over the last 40 years

What is acceptable in terms of political ideas is much more conservative than it was back in the 60s. The policies of Warren and Sanders would be considered mainstream Democratic back then—now they're radical. OTOH, mainstream conservatives have moved much farther to the right for even Reagan. I'm not sure how one would shift that window back to the left.

[tirebiter]

14. It's not a matter of left or right

It’s will this work?

[ritapria]

9. These TV millionaires get their big fat paychecks from Billionaires

They're aren't many billionaires who want to shake up the system ... The status quo suits them just dandy……….What about the 60% of American who live paycheck to paycheck ? ….. The TV talking heads and their employers couldn't care less about the peasants - so long as they show up for work on time and do their chores

[Grasswire2]

10. I'm sick of Brian damning Democrats with various kinds of faint praise.

I watch Brian every night and appreciate him but for this tendency. I'm going to start complaining on the show's FB page and on twitter. He could look to the good in the Party instead of joking about its weak spots.

[sop]

17. Shecky Williams never fails to go for the cheap laugh, that's his schtick

[democratisphere]

11. The MSM wants drumpf for another 4 years so their coverage

of drumpf's sh'tshow and destruction of America can continue.

[Skittles]

13. Democrats have to be twice as good to be considered half as good

they are held to a different standard

women are very familiar with this tactic

[vsrazdem]

15. You know what I find interesting. I do not ever recall the MSM discussing that

the republicans are just TOO right wing. That they need to go to the Center. I have never heard any republicans using this talking point about themselves whatsoever. So why is it that the Democrats and the MSM do this on a constant basis.

[Garrett78]

16. The point about using terms like extortion/bribery instead of focusing on "quid pro quo" is valid.

For a long time, the most valid criticism regarding the Democratic Party has had to do with messaging. We're a big tent party, so it's going to be somewhat difficult to get everyone on the same page, but I don't mind saying that when it comes to messaging and controlling the narrative, our party has room for improvement.

Now, the "too far left" shit (while you hear next to nothing about the GOP moving 'too far right') is just nonsense. Over the last 50 years, the Republican Party has shifted far more than the Democratic Party has. But this is actually a perfect example of how Democrats need to get better at messaging. Reality is losing out to unreality on this issue.

"Liberal media" long ago became a household term (with devastating consequences), because the level of pushback was insufficient. Now, we're in an uphill battle to change the narrative about the media. Because the dominant viewpoint is that "conservative media" is David and the "liberal/mainstream media" is Goliath. Democrats need to use the media, as Republicans have been doing for decades, to critique the media (the consolidation, the fluff pieces, the false equivalencies, treating lies as valid opinions, etc.). When they're on TV programs, on the debate stage, on the floor of Congress, etc. Basically, any chance they get to challenge the dominant media narrative, they should do so. Don't defend the media against the "liberal media" attack. Go after the media with a reality-based critique.

Late last week, I was listening to NPR briefly on my way to work. They played a clip of a Democrat and then a clip of a Republican regarding the behind-closed-doors impeachment inquiry proceedings. And then they moved on to cover something else. Never mind that the Republican was flat-out lying. The media does this all the time, where they give the impression that a lie is every bit as valid as a statement of fact. Merely 2 equally valid opinions, the listener is led to believe. This a monstrous problem and one that Democrats need to address by calling out the media.

[stopdiggin]

19. couldn't agree more

Democrats could do better. No everyone is cut out to be a bare knuckles fighter, and not all are great on messaging .. but false equivalencies, "both sides" and "whataboutism" should be routinely called out for the deception, and intellectual dishonesty, that they represent.

The media has recently become better at calling out lies and distortions for what the are on their own. But it wouldn't hurt a bit to have someone from our camp totally blasting Lindsey Graham when he says 4 totally contradictory things over the course of 3 days. "Was he wrong yesterday .. today, or tomorrow?"