Is anybody else upset that the Media is controlling our Primary?

[MessiahRp]

I don't know about anyone else, but I am getting really sick and tired of the Media thinking they control our Democratic Primary. They have all but nominated Dean for the General Election and there hasn't been a single vote cast! People seriously thought Bush was going to win the Republican Candidacy hands down before the 2000 election but they didn't know John McCain would whoop on him until Bush's boys pulled racist stunts in South Carolina and turn the election around.

Point being, there are a ton of states Dean could honestly lose and there's quite a few candidates that could snap up a couple of states and be right back in this race.

Don't get me wrong, the Gore endorsement is a big thing, but it's not the end all-be all of the political process. The Clintons haven't endorsed anyone officially yet and say they both came out for a candidate... would that candidate get the same type of "It's over, let's just go to the General Election" coverage? Not a chance and I think it's safe to say both Clintons carry more weight in the party than Gore does at this point.

I just think that by letting the media control who we vote for we're doing a disservice to the American people by not giving them a choice, and to the candidates who spending tons of money and time trying to get the support of voters out there.

And besides this plays right into Republican hands when they do it because the media wants to play Gore and Dean off as these mega leftists, have no connection to the real world people and are pushing them as hard as they can thinking they can use the Bush "lying about being centrist" theme again against someone who comes off very far left when all the Media plays are anti-war clips.

We need more time for this all to pan out so people can get to know the best of the candidates.

I agree we need to cut down on the candidates, but cutting everyone but Dean out of the race before a vote is cast is ludicrious and we should be outraged that the right wing media is trying to force our hand.

Rp

[tom_paine]

1. Agreed.

[wtmusic]

2. I agree

and I'm a Dean supporter.

The momentum the national press throws behind a candidate these days is nearly overwhelming. Part of it can be blamed on the public allowing themselves to be led around by the nose. But mass media has changed the rules forever.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

3. Yep - and they will control the General Election too

n/t

[HFishbine]

4. The media

has no more control than you allow them. Dean's campaign has proven that the media can be subverted. It wasn't that long ago, afterall, that the media had Kerry pegged as the favorite. How did that change? Through the efforts of Dean's grassroots supporters. By effectively utlizing the Internet, by writing hundreds of thousands of personal letters to voters in New Hamshire and Iowa, we bypassed the expert opinion of the media and made a difference.

There is only one way the Kerry campaign has a chance of changing the media perceptions -- the same way Howard Dean supporters did it. Through personal efforts by supporters.

[quinnox]

5. Yea, it is disgusting

Dean gets the lions share of the coverage, 24/7.

And now Gore has determined Dean should be the nominee, which feeds the media even more.

Watch for 4 more years of Bush, if Dean is forced down the Dems throats.

Dean will get stomped vs. Bush, and the Repubs know it.

[CWebster]

7. Well, they seemed to have convinced you thoroughly

Maybe they are hiring.

[quinnox]

11. As usual, Dean-colored glasses on so tight,

it makes you blind.

[TLM]

21. Dean gets the lions share of the coverage, 24/7.

Because Dean is doing the loin's share of the work... getting the loin's share of campaign donations... wining the loin's share of dem supporters... etc.

You people are amazing... because Dean is winning, it must be some evil Rove conspiracy. It couldn't be that your guy voted for the IWR or that he refused to say he was a dem until the last minute... no it has to be a media conspiracy.

It is exactly this type of whiny petty shit that helps repuke win elections.

The fact is Dean is wining because we've busted our asses to get him there. THere's no conspriacy or plot and Dean is going to stomp Bush.

No thanks to people like you.

[CWebster]

6. What would satisfy you

that the media ignore the Gore endorsement? Then you could crow that the media is ignoring us. The Gore endorsement is quite a score for Dean, but it isn't as if he hasn't worked hard for it. Dean is tireless - and he really seems to be enjoying the process.

[MessiahRp]

9. Ignore no, not call the election over, yes...

As I said above, Gore is not the end all-be all of endorsements and this primary election is far from over, so the press pushing Dean as THE nominee, well that's insulting to the rest of us that aren't 100% for Dean right now and know we could make a difference with our votes.

Rp

[Cocoa]

8. I remember feeling that way about Clinton

I felt he was anointed by some dark forces or something. But I found out later that he'd been out campaigning around the country a year before I'd ever heard of him.

Dean has done a lot of work, and he has a lot of supporters that are not the media.

[truthspeaker]

10. this Dean supporter agrees

The press is always looking for a short, dramatic headline. You'll have to turn on PBS to get a reasoned analysis of what Gore's endorsement means, if anything, for the race (if PBS even goes that far, Jim Lehrer has been showing some alarming whoring tendencies for several years). The mainstream press want drama. "Gore endorses Dean! Huge news! Dean the likely winner! right after these messages..." Oversimplification to the point of meaninglessness is what you can expect from the mainstream press. Historical context? Perspective? Those don't get ratings, buddy. Declare Dean the nominee, kiss Bush's ass, and cut to some bikini pictures.

[billbuckhead]

13. I won't support any NRA candidate let alone someone who panders to..

the Confederate flag. I think the Deaniacs will be stunned at the lack of support their little gubernator gets. Look for many Southern and blue dog Democratic politicians to do a Zell and endorse Chimpy.

[KansDem]

12. You bet I am!!!

On NPR from last Friday:

Hoping to defuse a flap over sealed records, Democratic presidential hopeful Howard Dean says he might make some records from his service as Vermont's governor available to the public. Dean had about 145 boxes of correspondence from his two terms in office sealed for 10 years.
http://discover.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.jhtml?prgId=2&prgDate=December/5/2003

The report treated this as some potentially huge scandal!!! The voices of NPR's Michele Norris and Vermont Public Radio reporter Bob Kinzel were very solemn and serious, as if this situation were going to blow up if Dean didn't diffuse it.

F**k YOU, NPR!!! Where were you when scandalous stories arose after Gov. Bush declared HIS candidacy!!! I don't recall YOU reporting ANYTHING about HIS covering up his governor years (remember the new driver's license?), let alone his years of "youthful indiscretions."

NPR=News Prostitutes for Republicans.

[xultar]

14. Agreed!!!! n/t

[salinen]

15. media does whatever

media wants. Media wants * for 4 more years. Campaign contributions and easing FCC restrictions insures all rosy views of pigfucker.

[agingdem]

16. it's like...

Bush 2000 Redux except Dean is the dimpled darling this time.

[redqueen]

19. I get the same impression

Media isn't really delving into the differences between his campaign rhetoric vs. record, either. Wonder if it'll stay the same if he wins the nod.

[catzies]

17. They controlled our California recall...

It was a done deal as soon as the "All Arnold All the Time" coverage began -- which was at the very beginning. :eyes:

[robbedvoter]

18. Robbedvoter to: Karl, the media, Gore &comp.

See my handle? I got robbed once, I won't allow it again. My vote is mine and I'll give it at the appointed time to the most deserving candidate - in my judgement. So stop trying to call the primaries, stop trying to call for unity and "stop attacking my guy - just relax and enjoy while he's attacking you" kind of advice.

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. I sure am!

The media and Al Gore have chosen our candidate for us and I don't like it one bit. All Dean, all the time. It's getting to the point where I have to turn him off just like I do Bush. Same shit, over and over and over. Is there any wonder why he's the front runner? That's the only candidate they talk about for crying out loud. If Clark had the air time Dean has he would be the front runner. It's ridiculous.

Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean,Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean,Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean,Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean,Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean, Dean...........*switch the TV*...*mute the TV*....*turn the TV off*...It's so monotonous.

[mmonk]

22. Unfortunately

I'm getting used to it. Elections in the modern age are media driven to some extent.

[phirili]

23. The sad part is that we cannot do anything about it, except reduce the

field, instead of splitting the votes among 9 candidates.