How's the intensive anti-Clark media offensive influencing you?

[AP]

I have to admit, I don't watch the cable news stations, so I'm just going on posts like these:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=554065 (Faux distorting Clark quote)

and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=63306 (CNN Capital Gang putting Clark on their pay-no-mind list).

However, I did hear the shitty spin on NPR, discussed here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=547800

and I did take a look at the David Brooks article, discussed here

www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=63258.

Although Clark is not at the top of my list, I am highly offended by the media's effort to bury this guy before Democratic voters get a chance to hear him and decide for themsleves whether he's a good candidate.

I was just wondering, am I alone here? What do you think of the media coverage of Clark in the last few days? Do think the reporting is trying to tear him down and remove him as a threat to Bush?

[joeybee12]

1. I take everything with a grain of salt

Clark isn't my top choice, but I'm smart enough not to read much about him right now--the knives are out, and the media are lapping it up.

[ShaneGR]

2. Uhhh, how about, "I think I don't give a crap, I like Clark"

Insert Dem candidate of your choice.

[Tinoire]

3. Where is the option the media is just reporting, you decide?

Until then, your poll is skewed.

[AP]

4. It would be an insult to the idea of reporting to call any of this

reporting.

The Broder article, CNN, are clearly opinion journalism.


The Faux and the NPR piece were opinion journalism disguised as reporting.

[quaker bill]

5. I like Clark

The media will do what it will do, specifically pander for ratings.

[AP]

The fact that MSNBC dropped liberal Phil Donahue for a person

whose ratings were a fraction of Phil's, but was about the most rabid RW'er on TV proves that they dont do things for ratings.

[AP]

8. Explain to me how having Clark on your pay-no-mind list or

giving that asshole PNAC'er Shelton free reign to defame him on NPR unrebutted helps ratings?

[Old and In the Way]

6. Doesn't change my opinion one iota.

The one's posting here who think this is terriffic ought to remember that this same media can and will turn on their candidate at the appropriate time. Any candidate will have snippets and out-of-context statements used against him.

I think Clark is a good man and I will happily support him if he becomes our party's candidate. He will easily kick Dimson's ass.

[tsipple]

7. None of the Poll Choices Quite Work for Me

The Corporate Media will be shitty to any eventual Democratic nominee, so Clark (and all others) will just have to figure out a way to deal with it. If he (or anyone else) can't deal with it, we need to find another nominee.

In other words, life is not fair. :-(

[Donna Zen]

9. Dealing with it?

The greatest problem with "dealing with it" is that "they" will not give you any outlet.

Tonight on "Capitol Gang" the "deal with it's" suggested that Dimson will take 47 states. It's enlightening to learn what their goals are.

[jumptheshadow]

14. They were talking about California there

Some of the folks in the Capital Gang were saying that if Bush wins California it would only be in a 47-state landslide.

I didn't get the impression that they were expecting that landslide.

Ha, and California and 47 states will go for Bush when the Cubs win the Series.

[AP]

10. I'm dealing with it by talking about it here. Hopefully

people who read this will spread the word, and maybe we can pull out another brick or two of credibility from whatever wall they have left.

[union_maid]

11. It's not influencing me at all

I'm just waiting for it to ease up a bit. Same thing happened to Dean initially, if I recall correctly. At least it seemed that way. I wasn't paying quite as close attention, but it seemed that everywhere you looked there was someone saying something bad about him and making some kind of big deal over something he said, or didn't say. Didn't stop him at all.

This stuff shouldn't phase Clark either and I don't think it will. The media seems to me to be more reactive than proactive these days, except for real idealogically based outlets like Fox. Attacks and smears are their idea of hard hitting investigative reporting, but they'll keep one finger held to the wind even when they're hitting their hardest. Also, we always knew that whoever our nominee is, he's going to get smeared with some of the worst possible excrement that Rove can conjure up in the general, so, might as well start regarding it as business as usual.

[unfrigginreal]

12. Anti-Clark Media...LOL

They've been so busy propping him up that I haven't noticed much Anti-Clark Media.

[Skwmom]

13. I'm stunned by this statement.

Obviously we haven't been reading the same articles or listening to the same cable shows.

[jumptheshadow]

15. They've been very hard on Clark

And in ways that they haven't been hard on any other candidate, including Dean.

[AP]

16. evidence?

If there is a single media source that isn't doing Rove's bidding re Clark, I'd like to know.

I will definitely buy a subscription, or watch or listen.

[unfrigginreal]

19. Why don't you post the evidence of the Anti-Clark Media?

Please don't point to right-wing rags.

[AP]

20. NYT, CNN, NPR...right wing rags? These are the people

who form public opinion.

My evidence is above.

Where's yours?

[unfrigginreal]

21. Links? n/t

[AP]

22. here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=554377&mesg_id=554377

[unfrigginreal]

25. Huh?

Link #1 Faux News
Link #2 CNN Capital Gang

No mention was made of Wesley Clark by the reporters.

Link #3 NPR

Critics Debate Clark's Military Record

Presidential candidate Wesley Clark releases his impressive military resume Thursday. Clark was first in his class at the U.S. Military Academy, a decorated Vietnam veteran, and commanded the 1999 NATO bombing of Kosovo and peacekeeping operations afterward. However, his critics from his military days see him as an opportunist. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

Link #4 David Brooks - Repuke

Yeah, Clark sure is getting a lot of bad press.

[AP]

26. Who's your candidate? You think they won't do this to your candidate next?

CNN - EXACTLY! They didn't mention him. Justify NOT mentioning the guy who has a good chance of winning SC. They didn't say anything about him at all.

NPR - That piece was no different from the NH push polling -- PNAC'ers saying they don't like him. No rebuttal. They even used as evidence of dislike a letter writing campaign by soldiers. Can you believe they had the balls to use that line this week? Who wrote those letters? They guy who wrote the letters to all the newspapers?

Brooks - NYT!NYT!NYT! This guy is an opinion former. He goes around to all the TV and radio shows and repeats this bullshit. He has an audience of millions. And a lot of them are going to regurgitate his lies consciously or unconsciously.

It's amazing how some DU'ers are so intellectualy dishonest that they're able to see media whoring under every stone when it comes to Bush, but then when the whoring helps some scenario you'd like to come to pass, suddenly the whoring is no where to be seen.

So, were we lying about the pro-Bush or are we lying to ourselves now?

I'm just glad that this only seems to be a problem with 1/4 of us (but it's a disturbingly vocal 1/4!)

[unfrigginreal]

28. My candidate is Dean...

and if anyone should have the right to talk about shitty press coverage, it's Howard Dean...you know that angry, left-wing McGovernite that hates Jews.

[AP]

30. Well, at least you have David Brooks and perhaps Karl Rove on you side.

Right?

I mean, presuming it was Rove push polling for Dean in NH.

And if you think Dean's getting bad press now (what with all the money raising, and escalating meetup numbers, covers of time and newsweek) wait till the day comes when he's a threat to Bush rather than just a threat to other Dems.

[WesWinger]

35. Media

AP,

You hit the nail on the head. Lest we forget that a few months ago, the "rules" changed regarding the media (FCC ruling) and the consolidation of said media. This adds up to Rupert Murdoch+Karl Rove = Bush reelection campaign.
The media is so completely consolidated at this point that it is a wonder that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act isn't abolished. Oh, for those of you who don't know about the Sherman Anti-Trust Act...it was designed to dismantle monoplies. No, not the game...the BUSINESS. In real life- honest. But then again who cares what happened in the 1880s? WE SHOULD CARE!
When General Clark says we should take back the White House, what he really means is we should take back our democracy. Btw, has anyone noticed that our democracy is missing?

The BUSH REICH MUST GO DOWN NOW!

[NashVegas]

37. And Don't Forget - Tom Delay sitting on rollback legislation

The measure to negate the proposed FCC rules was passed in the Senate, an improved version of what went through the House. Now it's gone back to the House and apparently stopped dead in its tracks.

At the same time, the FTC or FCC has announced they need to take another look at NewsCorp's proposed buyout of DirecTV.

Sit boy sit! Rollover boy. Yeeeeeeessss, dashagooddoggie ...

[AntiCoup2K4]

23. You know, when you think about it....

...Since the media is so Pro - Bush Fraudministration, and Clark's comments were Pro - Bush Fraudministration, they probably think they were giving him good coverage. :evilgrin:

[Clark Can WIN]

17. You need another catagory

One for, everytime I read one of these bullshute excuses for "journalism" it just makes me work harder to get Clark in the Whitehouse.


Yes they are trying to take him out before the primaries because once he gets the nomination there will BE NO STOPPING HIM.

GO BABY!

[AP]

18. No matter who you support, this is a very important issue.

Just because it's Clark today that they're doing this too, doesn't it mean it won't be your candidate next week.

There is ONE candidate they won't do this to for a while, but that will come to an end on the afternoon of the last relevant primary.

And then they'll take down that candidate.

If people don't do what they can to address this now with Clark, it might be too late to stop it when they get around to your candidate.

Does anyone really think their Democrat is going to get a free ride from the press for the next 12 months and two weeks?

[Bread and Circus]

24. AP, I am really respecting you....

what you are saying is so true. Right now,
the spin against Clark may help the other
candidates. If another candidate wins, heaven
help us because it will be 10 times worse against
the eventual nominee. You are astutely pointing out
that this is one of the most serious threats to
our democracy.

Your balance and attention to this issue is very
impressive.

I just want to throw out there again that whoever
wins the dem nod gets my vote and $500 bucks from
me. WE gotta get Bush outta there.

[AP]

27. Amazingly, this is the only really positive comment I've received...

...and I've been trying to talk about this for three or four days now.

Thanks for giving me a little faith.

[Donna Zen]

32. AP

I'm following every post you have been making and want you to know how much I appreciate your observations. When I said "deal with it" I meant, that since all--and I mean all--of the media are effectively co-opted, dealing with it is going to be a bitch.

The "Capitol Gang" was glaring. Not only because as a son of the South, Clark is a player, but his name was sitting in second place and was totally ignored. Hunt of the WSJ and married to Woodruff, was understandable, but Shields was a surprise even for the weak ally he has become.

Moreover, I think there are much more dangerous things taking place. I sense a "demonization" of the Democrats that is taking shape as the ultimate meme. Once that takes root, there will be no stopping the resulting ugliness that can reign down on all of us.

The only possibility is to go around them. Battering our troops agaist the wall is not a smart maneuver. Attacking them from the rear would seem the smartest action. So how does that take shape? The internet reaches but a few when we need the many. There are 281 million people in this country...how do we do this?

[Justice]

33. Make That Two Agrees

because I also agree and appreciate your post and the response. Thanks.

[Padraig18]

42. WELL SAID!

I've never been anti-Clark, like many of my fellow Dean supporters here, and if anything, the media assault on Gen. Clark makes me more sympathetic to him and his candidacy. If the RW media are attacking him, I find myself thinking "They must be very afraid of him", which then leads me to think that that means he must have some very positive qualities.

No candidate is safe from the RW media, and I truly dislike our *helping them* do their 'hits' by smearing and bashing the candidates we don't favor here on DU.

My $.02...

[Terwilliger]

29. Clark who!

Kent?

[zeemike]

31. No vote there for me

Because this sounds like a push poll to me.
I am a news media junky and I have not seen negative press about Clark that amounts to anything. And he surly gets more press than many of the other candidates that have experience in politics.
It is like asking the question of whether the left wing media is influencing you. ( the not so subtle statement that the media is liberal)

[AP]

34. Did you read Joe Conason's article in your extensive persusings of news?

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2003/10/17/clark_attack/index.html

[zeemike]

36. Yes I read it

But that is not mainstream media.
I am talking about the media that most people watch on TV, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, FOX and so forth. They have paid an inordinate amount of attention to him to raise his name recognition. And it is way out of proportion to that of all the others.
But the negative press will come after they get him the nomination I can assure you.

[AP]

43. Quite a non-sequitur there. Perhaps you didn't read it.

Joe Conason agrees with me. He was commenting on how "the media most people watch" has been right wing spinning against Clark.

[aquart]

38. I didn't like the guy to begin with.

I do NOT want a pretty boy general as president at this time in our history. I just don't.

[revcarol]

41. Ditto. Plus he is a lot more for NATO, same-o----same-o, big powers ruling

the world, along with the big corporations pulling the strings behind the big powers, than he is FOR the U. N.

[AP]

45. Then let's have that debate. But you KNOW that's not Eric Westerrvelt's

or David Brooks's or Robert Novak's problem with him, don't you?

[rman]

39. How's the intensive pro-Clark media offensive influencing you?

4-star general, lots of medals, war hero, he'll save America.

doesn't sound very anti Clark to me.

[AP]

44. You can chose to ignore the truth. It will be your candidate next (last?).

[poskonig]

40. It is all a "conspiracy."

Rrrrrrrrright. Given Clark continues to get free airtime at the expense of candidates like Edwards and Dean, I don't see why his supporters would be angry.

[AP]

46. It's all business.

"intellectual dishonesty" is the phrase that pops into mind when I read your post."

[poskonig]

48. Subjectivity

comes to mind when people read yours.

Everybody thinks 'the media' is out to get their candidate, including Republicans.

[Hep]

47. I know better

than to be swayed. Everything I need to know is on Clark's issues pages.

As a Dean supporter, I'm used to this stuff.

[sendero]

49. I'm a Dean supporter....

... but I am warming up to Clark.

I could not believe my ears when I heard that NPR piece. It was nothing more than a collection of vague "concerns" spouted by what sounded like people he passed up on the promotion trail, and carefully crafted phrases to compare Clark to Clinton, as if everyone from Arkansas with a Rhodes scholarship is the same.

Truth be known, the more of these hatchet jobs I hear the more I like Clark. It tells me he is who the right wing is scared of. Personally, I think Dean will forever deserve the credit for setting the tone, but untimately I have to consider "who can beat Bush" as a huge percentage of my decision.

So keep it up media whores. You are tipping the RW hand with every slander, half-truth and smear job you broadcast.

[eileen_d]

50. Whoopie! I didn't hear any of it!

CNN + Faux News - I don't get these channels since I waved bye-bye to cable. NPR - since the war started in Iraq, I don't listen to it. That one article by that one guy - haven't read it.

I won't go as far as saying ignorance is bliss, because ignorance is also very dangerous. However, I am glad I took a few days "off" from the media!