Here it comes: Get Ready for a Stop-Bernie Onslaught Like You've Never Seen

[James48]

Beware. Because disparaging and minimizing Bernie in 2019 didn't work, the next step in 2020 will be to trash him with a vast array of full-bore attacks.
by Norman Solomon

A central premise of conventional media wisdom has collapsed. On Thursday, both the New York Times and Politico published major articles reporting that Bernie Sanders really could win the Democratic presidential nomination. Such acknowledgments will add to the momentum of the Bernie 2020 campaign as the new year begins—but they foreshadow a massive escalation of anti-Sanders misinformation and invective.

Throughout 2019, corporate media routinely asserted that the Sanders campaign had little chance of winning the nomination. As is so often the case, journalists were echoing each other more than paying attention to grassroots realities. But now, polling numbers and other indicators on the ground are finally sparking very different headlines from the media establishment.

"When the Bernie campaign wasn't being ignored by corporate media during 2019, innuendos and mud often flew in his direction. But we ain't seen nothing yet."
From the Times: “Why Bernie Sanders Is Tough to Beat.” From Politico: “Democratic Insiders: Bernie Could Win the Nomination.”

Those stories, and others likely to follow in copycat news outlets, will heighten the energies of Sanders supporters and draw in many wavering voters. But the shift in media narratives about the Bernie campaign’s chances will surely boost the decibels of alarm bells in elite circles where dousing the fires of progressive populism is a top priority.

For corporate Democrats and their profuse media allies, the approach of disparaging and minimizing Bernie Sanders in 2019 didn’t work. In 2020, the next step will be to trash him with a vast array of full-bore attacks.

More:

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/12/27/here-it-comes-get-ready-stop-bernie-onslaught-youve-never-seen

[Me.]

1. There's Been An Onslaught All Right

[msongs]

2. well his friends say he is being blacklisted so is this attention an improvement lol nt

[George II]

3. Is this the end of the "Bernie Blackout"?

[Squinch]

4. .

[sheshe2]

27. Hey!

Squinch.

[Squinch]

63. Hey, sheshe! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

[sheshe2]

68. Same to you

😀

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. What, exactly, is "corporate media"?

Would that be any media outlet that is organized as a corporation? -Which all of them are, down to the lowliest little weekly shopper's newspaper or low-wattage AM radio station. Almost all businesses are corporations or similar organizations (LLCs or LLPs). If you own a business of any kind and don't organize it as separate entity from your personal finances you're just stupid. So, how big does your media corporation have to be before it automatically becomes evil? You know, by oppressing the proletariat and not giving due deference to Bernie?

[msongs]

6. well being a multi millionaire is just getting harder and harder nt

[vsrazdem]

7. I think this would be what is referred to as Corporate media.

By 2000, six corporations had ownership of most media, and today five dominate the industry: Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom.


Who Owns the Media?
With the country’s widest disseminators of news, commentary and ideas firmly entrenched among a small number of the world’s wealthiest corporations, it may not be surprising that their news and commentary is limited to an unrepresentative narrow spectrum of politics.
––Ben Bagdikian, former dean of the Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley


Like all reliable watchdogs, the media are expected to bark, but when its many-faceted voice is owned by a small number of corporate masters, concerns about its willingness to keep barking arise.

The trend of media conglomeration has been steady. In 1983, 50 corporations controlled most of the American media, including magazines, books, music, news feeds, newspapers, movies, radio and television. By 1992 that number had dropped by half. By 2000, six corporations had ownership of most media, and today five dominate the industry: Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany and Viacom. With markets branching rapidly into international territories, these few companies are increasingly responsible for deciding what information is shared around the world.

There are also major news organizations not owned by the “big five.” The New York Times is owned by the publicly-held New York Times Corporation, The Washington Post is owned by the publicly-held Washington Post Company and The Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times are both owned by the Tribune Company. Hearst Publications owns 12 newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as magazines, television stations and cable and interactive media.

But even those publications are subject to the conglomerate machine, and many see the “corporatizing” of media as an alarming trend. Ben Bagdikian, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, former Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley and author of The New Media Monopoly, describes the five media giants as a “cartel” that wields enough influence to change U.S. politics and define social values.

Internet Ownership

Originally, the Internet was the champion of free thinkers, embraced as a liberating force from corporate owned media. But over time even online news sites joined radio, television, newspapers and magazines as properties of the small handful of media conglomerates.

In raw numbers, 80 percent of the top 20 online news sites are owned by the 100 largest media companies. Time Warner owns two of the most visited sites: CNN.com and AOL News, while Gannett, which is the twelfth largest media company, owns USAToday.com along with many local online newspapers.

What we should be most concerned about, Bagdikian says, is the narrowing of choices, because that removes from voters the full spectrum of views and information with which to choose its government—a dangerous trend that threatens democracy itself.

[PatrickforO]

12. vsrazdem has it. That's it.

The corporate media in this discussion are the six major corporations that own virtually all of our national (and most local) media.

We cannot forget Sinclair Group, though. They own a boatload of local stations and they are right wing-nuts.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. Then they should be identified specifically - the Big Six or something like that.

All media organizations are corporate, including the independent ones; using the term "corporate" as a pejorative when it's nothing more than a description of the business' mode of organization is lazy, tendentious and meaningless.

[stopdiggin]

51. lazy, tendentious and meaningless.

EVERY ... SINGLE ... WORD ..

thank you!

[RGinNJ]

8. Why is it that Bernie is the only candidate with all these problems?

I never see these types of threads about anyone else.

[elleng]

18. It's a passtime for many around here.

'Welcome'

[cstanleytech]

26. Thats because he actually has no more problems than other candidates or in other words

people will post both pro stories of people they support and con ones for those they do not.
To me though all that matters is making sure Trump does not get a 2nd chance at continuing doing Putins bidding to weaken the US and that means I will fully and completely support whoever wins the Democratic nomination.

[rwsanders]

40. Because no one else is saying they will stand up to the billionaire class, except maybe Warren.

Now how much can be turned into policy, who knows?

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/bernie-sanders-has-all-the-right-enemies/

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/corporate-media-wants-anybody-but-warren-or-sanders/

[Paka]

44. Because Bernie is the candidate the Corporate overlords most fear.

He is the one candidate that they cannot control. He is not bribable. He has been pushing the same agenda for over forty years has has not caved.

[stopdiggin]

52. wait! two weeks ago it was Warren, right? (nt)

[Paka]

53. They do fear her, but less than Bernie.

They feel in a pinch, they can work with her, but not with Bernie. She is pliable. Bernie doesn't abandon what he believes in.

[betsuni]

57. They're afraid of the same stump speech he's been giving for years?

[Paka]

61. Because it's not a stump speech.

It's who he is. It's what he believes in. It's what the values of our Democracy stand for and he has a moral compass that won't let him give in to corporate forces that want to push him off goal. He is not fighting for himself, he is fighting for "We the People!"

[treestar]

66. Bernie is entitled not to be vetted

or opposed, while it is OK for Bernie to vet Biden and oppose him.

[boomer_wv]

9. lol

Last weeks complaint: "THE MEDIA WON'T TALK ABOUT BERNIE!!!!"

Todays complaint: "THE MEDIA IS TALKING ABOUT BERNIE!!!!!"

[sheshe2]

28. Bazinga!

[Thekaspervote]

33. Nailed it!!

[PhoenixDem]

10. commondreams -- out to defeat the Democratic party n/t

[ChubbyStar]

19. Norman Solomon is out to defeat the Democratic party?

Do you know anything about the man?

[NurseJackie]

11. Ha!

[TomCADem]

13. A Barrage of "Gasp" Facts About Bernie Such As Sanders' Conflicts of Interest?

We understand Bernie Sanders's strategy of preemptively attacking the media as biased the way Trump has routinely attacked the media has worked in enabling him to get a free pass. While Republicans happily pursue conspiracy theories against Biden, and wine cave fundraiser are the focus of a debates, and Elizabeth Warren gets pressed about financing Medicare for All, Bernie is able to avoid such scrutiny even as his campaign complains about media bias.

For example, we have yet to hear a substantive response form Bernie or his campaign about conflicts of interest arising from contracts negotiated between Burlington and a school headed by Bernie's step daughter Carina Driscoll. Carina Driscoll, of course, has followed her step father into politics, and was funded and endorsed by Bernie's SuperPAC, Our Revolution, notwithstanding Bernie's statement that, “In our family, however, we do not believe in dynastic politics."

These are facts and statements that Bernie's campaign has been able to avoid addressing.

I understand that you are trying to inoculate the faithful, but lets have some actual factual discussion, rather than complaining about bias as a means of avoiding inconvenient facts.

https://vtdigger.org/2017/06/13/one-family-two-schools-questions-swirl-around-another-sanders-deal/

While one deal struck by Jane O’Meara Sanders during her time as Burlington College’s president has triggered a federal investigation, another arrangement she engineered is breeding claims of nepotism and allegations of veiled threats against her husband’s presidential campaign. The bad blood centers on the relationship the college forged with the Vermont Woodworking School, co-founded and run by Sanders’ daughter, Carina Driscoll.

* * *

Moore is equally critical of a deal Jane Sanders brokered between the college and Driscoll’s Vermont Woodworking School, a facility in Franklin County where Burlington College students took courses. In interviews with VTDigger, Moore said the college got the short end of the stick.

“This was a sweetheart deal for Carina Driscoll, Jane Sanders’ daughter,” said Moore. Driscoll is the stepdaughter of Bernie Sanders.

Moore served as the college’s president from 2014 until May 2016, when the school abruptly shut down.

[Gothmog]

15. Vetting is part of the process.

It is proper and appropriate for sanders to be vetted

[TexasTowelie]

31. +1

[enid602]

17. Who?

Bernie who?

[ChubbyStar]

20. You have been away for a long time

Explains your confusion.

[brooklynite]

21. I stopped reading when I saw COMMON DREAMS...

[DavidDvorkin]

22. Democratic primary voters will provide the stop-Bernie onslaught.

[ChubbyStar]

24. Writing novels sounds like a perfect gig

Good luck!

[Thekaspervote]

34. Yes... thank goodness the voters are not going to nominate sanders

[ChubbyStar]

36. Magic 8 ball?

My children love those things!

[rwsanders]

41. Goat entrails

Humans have not progressed beyond the need for prognosticators, no matter what form of voodoo is used.
As much as I like and miss Keith Olbermann, I realized one day that 80% of his broadcast was trying to predict the future.

[ChubbyStar]

42. My daughter and her friends cleansed the house one day with sage

My sister came over and we farted the room clean of that nonsense! Bring back the golden calf!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

23. We're ready alright... but, more importantly, BERNIE IS READY!!

And we got your back Bernie!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[SCVDem]

25. Threats?

Vote Bernie or his Bros. will eff up your campaigns?

Where is this going?

[ChubbyStar]

32. Who made a threat?

Off topic but Go Lions!

[Thekaspervote]

35. yawn....

[squirecam]

38. Caucuses

Are un Democratic. Without them he would have lost by even more delegates and votes.

Luckily, Bernie won’t be the nominee this time either. I don’t need to see a nominee who hates democrats being the leader of the Democratic Party.

[ChubbyStar]

39. So glad you are engaged with DU again

Worried. You were away a very long time.

[squirecam]

43. Nobody

Cares about your lame repetitive joke that isn’t funny or accurate.

[ChubbyStar]

45. Sorry no joke

I love seeing OG DU posters. You are mighty defensive.

[Hav]

56. Welcome to DU, newbie!

I hope you like it here!

[TheFarseer]

59. Yes caucuses are unfair

And I’m glad more states are going away from them, but most of the caucus states Sanders did well in were Midwest states you would expect him to do well in. Given that caucuses have much lower turnout than primaries, you could argue that caucuses hurt his vote total relative to Secretary Clinton. Of course it’s speculation either way.

[David__77]

30. I guess it depends.

We shall see!

The important thing in the primary is to build the progressive movement which will include defeating Trump next year.

[mvd]

46. Well, I just try to remain positive here

The attacks on Bernie won’t make me think less of him. So I try to just say his positives without bashing the other candidates overly much. He has the best ideas and with what the rich and big corporations are getting away with, there’s a lot out there to use. And I am fine with some debt if is is put to a great cause.

[ChubbyStar]

47. People here defending the rich are quite distressing

I come from a wealthy family, and it is heartbreaking what they get away with.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

49. Not only does Bernie have the best ideas, BUT HE ACTUALLY WILL KEEP HIS PROMISES & CARRY THEM OUT!!!

All this TALK about how this candidate or that one supports this or that plank in the party platform is nice... but Bernie is the one We The People trust to actually PROMOTE those ideas and lead on pushing for legislation that will actually bring those ideas to fruition.

IN BERNIE WE TRUST, which is why he'll win the Democratic nomination and, as President, he will make us ALL proud!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[Squinch]

64. If elected, Bernie will CALL FOR many things. Justs like he has for 30 years. But he's

an entrenched part of the establishment (see the above referenced 30 years) who is, as far as I can see, much less legislatively effective than most of his Congressional competition. (Note: "CALLING FOR things does not actually do anything.)

Also, his followers are often completely dishonest in their messaging and seem to be taking a page from the trump cult in their messaging methods. In reality, those dishonest followers are probably responsible for a lot of people distrusting the candidate himself, and they do him more harm than good.

He's not my first choice, and as he is not well served by his bros, I doubt he'll be nominated, but I'll vote for him if he is.

I'll vote for a rotting fish head if it is nominated against trump.

[treestar]

67. Not without a democratic congress

equal in numbers to that of 1935.

[OnDoutside]

48. Hang on, a few days ago you were complaining MSM were ignoring BS !!!

[NBachers]

50. I'd relish some Coleslaw with that Onslaught, please.

[Tiggeroshii]

54. I'm ready for it!!

[chillfactor]

55. sorry...

never have been and never will be a Bernie supporter......he is NOT a Democrat but just "became one" to enter the race. He simply disgusts me.

[betsuni]

58. So dramatic!

Horseradish.

[dawg day]

60. "Like you've never seen" is a Trumpism

Can we stop with the bombast?

[Squinch]

65. Many, many trumpisms in the messaging. Bernie is not well served by those doing his messaging.

[Dem4Life1102]

62. The victimization syndrome is really getting tiresome