Is the media about to have a conniption fit over Bernie Sanders?

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

Now, Donald Trump is an incumbent president and the economy is strong, and therefore Sanders definitely could lose. But that is also true of any other candidate — there are simply no guarantees here. Electability is a vague and nearly unknowable concept, and trusting that centrists are a safer bet has repeatedly blown up in the party's face. As Ryan Grim writes in his book We've Got People, the party elite pulled this same trick in 1988 against Jesse Jackson when he ran a Sanders-style campaign attempting to assemble a "Rainbow Coalition" of working-class people of all races. When Jackson pulled out a surprise victory in the Michigan primary, elites scrambled to boost up Michael Dukakis, arguing that he was the best chance to best then-Vice President George Bush. Dukakis, of course, went on to lose badly.

(snip)

As Ryan Grim, Aída Chávez, and Akela Lacy write at The Intercept, other questions had equally slanted presuppositions. Wolf Blitzer started a question about Sanders' plan to halt America's endless wars by implying he is in league with the Iranian head of state: "Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei has again called for all U.S. troops to be pulled out of the Middle East, something you've called for as well."

(snip)

At any rate, this is surely only the start of an all-out assault on the Sanders campaign and the ideas he represents from centrist Democrats and their allies in the mainstream press. He threatens to gum up the revolving door that keeps Rahm Emanuel in expensive suits, and to render irrelevant deficit scaremongering shops like Third Way. Mainstream reporters pretend to have no ideological perspective, but as Noam Chomsky wrote long ago (and we see today), they actually respond with scandalized outrage to any leftist who proposes to overhaul the status quo. Sanders' proposed tax hikes also threaten wealthy media executives like CNN's Jeff Zucker, who have done very well from Trump' tax cuts for the rich — a fact that doesn't require a direct conspiracy to strongly influence coverage.

It will be an uphill battle from the Sanders campaign, but not one without benefits. The campaign recorded its best fundraising hour during any debate on Tuesday, with 15,000 donations — likely due to outrage at CNN's awful questions. And political reporters have not exactly covered themselves in glory of late. It may be that this kind of overt dogpile will only redound to Sanders' benefit. We'll find out soon enough.

https://theweek.com/articles/889088/media-about-have-conniption-fit-over-bernie-sanders

[George II]

1. Ryan Grim was 10 years old when Dukakis ran for president.

[MineralMan]

3. I remember that election well.

I doubt that Ryan Grim remembers it at all.

[Uncle Joe]

4. Are you suggesting that journalists or historians have to be living adults

in order to research, write about or understand history?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. Nobody knows anything about The Civil War!

[Uncle Joe]

9. Did you know that Carl Sandburg wasn't even born until approximately 13 years after

Lincoln was assassinated?

Why did anyone ever take him seriously?

Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg was widely regarded as "a major figure in contemporary literature", especially for volumes of his collected verse, including Chicago Poems (1916), Cornhuskers (1918), and Smoke and Steel (1920).[2] He enjoyed "unrivaled appeal as a poet in his day, perhaps because the breadth of his experiences connected him with so many strands of American life",[3] and at his death in 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson observed that "Carl Sandburg was more than the voice of America, more than the poet of its strength and genius. He was America."[4]

(snip)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sandburg

Actually I'm not sure if I can trust the information in the above wiki article because wikipedia didn't even exist while Sandburg was alive!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. .

[CentralMass]

2. I donated again last evening

[brooklynite]

5. Is Sanders going to have another conniption fit about the media?

Despite his public awareness (esp. after 2016), he's only got half the support he did then, and it always seems to be the media's fault, either not reporting about him or.....reporting about him.

[Uncle Joe]

6. Against a 1700-2000+% increase of competitors,

I believe Bernie is doing just fine.

The corporate media conglomerates of 2016 are still the corporate media conglomerates of 2020, why should they be different today?

[brooklynite]

11. IOW - if voters have a progressive alternative, they won't support Sanders.

If that lets you sleep at night.....

[PDittie]

8. "About to"?

[Uncle Joe]

10. ....

[ismnotwasm]

12. Sigh.

“Third way”

“Leftist”

‘Centrist Democrats”

“Mainstream”

And my least favorite ‘Status quo”

Well hell. I might as well read the article

Ha! Comparing Bernie Sanders campaign to Jessie Jackson’s oh my. Lolololol. Just...NO. Let’s see, pulling out Howard Dean and John Kerry. I’m not sure that comparison is apt either,

A pot shot a Hillary. Of course

And what’s this?

The engine of the centrist Democratic establishment is a cozy tacit arrangement between politicians, big donors, big corporations, lobbyists, and consulting firms. Right-leaning Blue Dogs or New Democrats vote against higher taxes or more regulations on corporations, and in return they collect big campaign donations from interested parties and cushy, lucrative post-career jobs. Party-connected consulting firms in turn obtain lucrative contracts for helping centrist campaigns, but are then heavily discouraged from assisting progressive challengers — the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has threatened to blacklist any firm that works with such a campaign.

Oooo. Somebody doesn’t like Democrats.

This is interesting. Not in a good way

But perhaps most ludicrous of all is this supposed threat of "bankruptcy." In reality, it is physically impossible for a sovereign country that borrows in a currency it can print at will to go bankrupt. America might suffer inflation if it spends too much, but it can never run out of dollars. Next they'll be asking Sanders if God can make a rock so heavy that He Himself cannot lift it.

End with bitter grapes at the media, and answers their own question. No conniption fits will be forthcoming

[booley]

13. It is all about the money

There are people who make a lot of money off the status quo. On both sides of the aisle. I mean if your goal is to make sure things never change in a way that threatens your money, why would you only focus on the party that is in power only some of the time?

Thing is, everybody else who isn't benefitting from the status quo do figure out this isnt' workign for them.

Yeah, Trump used racism and fear to get elected. But so has every Republican since at least Nixon. Yet Trump also beat all the establishment Republicans because he promised to change things.

Hells, Obama won in 2008 because he promised to change things.

IF we want to win against Trump, we have to commit to change.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Well said booley.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

36. Bring it!!

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

[msongs]

16. you want more media attention for bernie so youre getting it lol. nt

[Uncle Joe]

17. The only thing I want is some modicum of journalistic integrity

in reporting on all the candidates.

I know that may be too much to ask for, not only and most certainly from the corporate media conglomerates but the people that in the long run will damaged by conflict of interest laden journalistic malpractice but for their own self-serving needs don't give a damn in the short run.

[NurseJackie]

18. ...

[Uncle Joe]

19. ...

[sheshe2]

30. IKR

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

29. That's NOT too much to ask Joe!! And if the corporate mainstream media won't do its job...

then Bernie will just have to take matters into his own hands. Bernie's had our back all the years... so, We The People have his back now!!


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

[Demsrule86]

31. I think you want cheerleaders for Sanders in the media...but you will be disappointed.

[Gothmog]

20. Is this fit like the imaginary media boycott of sanders?

I am curious.

[Gothmog]

21. I keep asking about sanders revolution and if there was any proof in the real world of blackout

I want to understand how sanders voter revolution works and the sanders supporters are not willing to answer my simple question. I have asked for proof of the so called Bernie blackout and have not been provided with any proof. I would love to understand if there is proof of this "fit" and how is this "fit" is different from vetting.

[Uncle Joe]

22. "The 'Bernie Blackout' Is Just Getting Ridiculous Now"

After CNN on Monday reportedly twice displayed a six-week-old poll from Iowa showing Bernie Sanders in fourth-place among hopefuls for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination to viewers, ignoring more recent polling showing the Vermont senator climbing to a strong second behind South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, progressives struck back.

CNN, which brands itself as “the most trusted name in news,” used a CNN/Des Moines Register survey from mid-November showing Sanders in fourth place with 15% of Iowans backing his bid. Real Clear Politics shows the senator with support of 22% and 21%, second to Soouth Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in more recent polling.

Sanders rival Julián Castro was among those who took to Twitter to decry the choice, saying that just because it was CNN‘s poll, that didn’t justify presenting the old information to viewers in late December.

“Publish a timely poll instead,” Castro added. “Journalistic integrity shouldn’t be sacrificed for corporate interests.”

(snip)

The CNN poll wasn’t the only instance of perceived bias against the Sanders campaign from the mainstream media, dubbed the “Bernie Blackout” by the senator’s supporters.

As Common Dreams reported over the weekend, Sanders held a 14,000-person-strong rally in Los Angeles Saturday with supporters including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), professor and activist Cornel West, actor Tim Robbins, and others.

But the Los Angeles Times did not do much in the eyes of observers to cover the event, despite the size and Sanders’ top-place polling in California.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-bernie-blackout-is-just-getting-ridiculous-now/

This is just one small sample, but if you want more, let me know.

[Gothmog]

23. I am waiting for proof in the real world of this imaginary blackout

There is a difference between facts and an opinion piece

[Uncle Joe]

24. The opinion piece of which there are many produced facts which you totally disregarded,

so my opinion is you don't truly care.

[Gothmog]

25. The opinion of sanders supporters are not facts in the real world

The so-called medial blackout of sanders was imaginary and did not exist in the real world

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

28. WE WANT MORE JOE!!

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

[sheshe2]

32. As much as I love Warren...

I could not agree with you more, Biden is my second choice. I am thrilled that you want more of Joe.

nAbLuEsTaTe
28. WE WANT MORE JOE!!

Boom! Biden 2020. Excellent endorsement.

[Gothmog]

26. Do you really want a weak and flawed caniddate like sanders to vetted? trump would destroy sanders

Trump had a two foot thick book of oppo research on Sanders http://www.newsweek.com/myths-cost-democrats-presidential-election-521044

They ignored the fact that Sanders had not yet faced a real campaign against him. Clinton was in the delicate position of dealing with a large portion of voters who treated Sanders more like the Messiah than just another candidate. She was playing the long game—attacking Sanders strongly enough to win, but gently enough to avoid alienating his supporters. Given her overwhelming support from communities of color—for example, about 70 percent of African-American voters cast their ballot for her—Clinton had a firewall that would be difficult for Sanders to breach....

So what would have happened when Sanders hit a real opponent, someone who did not care about alienating the young college voters in his base? I have seen the opposition book assembled by Republicans for Sanders, and it was brutal. The Republicans would have torn him apart. And while Sanders supporters might delude themselves into believing that they could have defended him against all of this, there is a name for politicians who play defense all the time: losers....

The Republicans had at least four other damning Sanders videos (I don’t know what they showed), and the opposition research folder was almost 2-feet thick. (The section calling him a communist with connections to Castro alone would have cost him Florida.) In other words, the belief that Sanders would have walked into the White House based on polls taken before anyone really attacked him is a delusion built on a scaffolding of political ignorance.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. LMFAO UNCLE JOE... "ABOUT TO" have a conniption fit over Bernie?!?!?!

That ship sailed YEARS AGO!!




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

[Kurt V.]

33. the media is failing us on many fronts. Mainly with trump.

[NCProgressive]

34. Nice way to bring in "The Intercept" through the back door

btw Ryan Cooper is one of Sirota's network members .. writing another pro-Sanders piece.

Next story - "How Sanders is god" by Holly Otterbein?

[RandiFan1290]

37. I love how much it bothers the right wing scumbags

bothers them so much they have to attack and mock the children of DUers.

[Scurrilous]

35. Rahm Emanuel bashing is still a thing?

Jesse Jackson had never held elective office prior to running for President. Neophyte loses, blame 'party elites.'

1988 is tied with 1992 as the Democratic primary race with the most candidates winning primaries. Rigged!

"When Jackson pulled out a surprise victory in the Michigan primary, elites scrambled to boost up Michael Dukakis..." Michigan was a caucus not a primary. Coming after Michigan, the NY primary, not the 'elites,' boosted Dukakis. Jesse Jackson had referred to NYC in 1984 as "Hymietown." He lost NY badly and never recovered after that.

And Sander's proposed tax hikes threaten no one because they'll never pass Congress. 1990 was the last time a Republican member of Congress voted for an income tax hike. That isn't going to change.

[Gothmog]

38. We now know why Todd is so in bed for sanders

Link to tweet