It IS Happening Again. Believe you me.

[Rockholm]

I don't care which Democrat you are supporting the the primaries. But here on DU I am seeing a trend that is only helping the MSM put a republican in the White House in 2008.

In 2004 we had Howard Dean. Beloved by many, racing ahead in the polls, using the Internet to inspire and to raise funds and leading the pack of contenders. There was a caucus victory and then....THE SCREAM! We all know what happened. Over and over THE SCREAM was played on every network news program and cable opinion show. Crazy Dean. Wow. His fall from grace was heavy. For me and millions of Democrats.

Now enter Hillary. Here on DU is is loved by many, hated by many, and some, just some, are waiting to pick a candidate to support in 2008. She is ahead in many polls and the MSM can't stand it. They want a race. Remember, a race means viewers. They don't want a coronation (and neither do we) 9 months before the Democratic Convention. Anyway.....THE QUESTION. OMFG. The was a suggestion to an attendee at an event to ASK A QUESTION of the Senator. She did. She told and WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA'AM. This story is on 24/7 and Hillary is a BIG BAD AWFUL LIAR. And the MSM loves it, feeds on it, spins and contorts it and, before you know it....we will have yet another republican in the White House and 4 more years to bitch and moan on DU.

I am a DEMOCRAT who is still making up his mind on whom to support in the Massachusetts primary in 2008. I have moments where I have liked each candidate and moments where I have disliked each candidate. I will be making up my my not only who is best for my party, but who will be the shit out of a despicable republican candidate in 2008. I want my country back, all of my rights back, a strong economy and an end to this fucked up war.

That is my goal. A DEMOCRAT in the White House. That's it. And before we do the job for the MSM again, I would like to respectfully ask that we act just a bit better and ease off or stop the trashing of EACH of the candidates before WE weaken them to the point of not being able to win next year.

Now, I fell better and can go to work. Peace.

[bklyncowgirl]

1. Actually, Dean lost the Iowa caucuses. The scream was during a concession speech.

The candidate was trying to yell over a loud and boisterous crowd. The filtering microphones picked up Dean screaming like a lunatic and not the crowd. It was only weeks later that the unfiltered sound of the speech was played on TV. By then it was too late.

Democratic infighting did help take down Dean. A Democratic 527 ran ads questioning his foreign policy ability complete with pictures of Osama Bin Laden. Another Democratic candidate's campaign found footage of Dean saying exactly what he thought of the Iowa caucuses. Dean himself made many mistakes. He and his campaign weren't able to make the transition to front runner status. He may have earned the emnity of the corporate media by saying he would break up media conglamorates.

I'd like to see the candidates fight hard on the issues but keep the personal crap out of it. Fat chance of that, right.

[brazos121200]

2. I'm constantly amazed at how

the media will take a small event and blow it all out of proportion to damage or destroy a condidate they don't particularly like. A questioner was handed a note to ask a certain question? Big deal. If Bush had been caught doing the same it would be a non event and never mentioned. When Hillary seemed to equivocate on insurance for undocumented aliens the other candidates pounded her with it and then the media picked it up and used it to damage her. I'm not just defending Hillary, this applies to all Democratic candidates, remember the "breck girl" jokes when it cam out Edwards spent a lot on a haircut? What a joke. And the media is always pronouncing Obama's candidacy dead.
When a repub candidate makes a mistake, you barely hear about it. It's covered up and made to seem insignificant. My point is most of these events ARE small and meaningless and are going to happen in any campaign, but the media uses them to damage Democratic candidates.

[peace13]

4. They own the media.

That is the part that makes taking the Whitehouse back so difficult. Notice that I didn't say 'winning the election. From the media to the electronic voting machines we have been robbed outright. As far as candidates misspeaking, I agree some events are small and petty while other things are not so small. Peace, kim

[peace13]

3. I think what you are feeling is a result of several things.

If something is repeated over and over it becomes 'truth'. This has caused fear to set in when an early front runner is proclaimed winner before the race has really begun. Add this to the media appearing to preselect the candidate for the Democratic Party and panic ensues. The urgency people feel for the Dems in DC to stop the war madness is the icing on the cake. Eventually one looks for a good person, a candidate who will stand up and do the right thing, represent the people and protect the Constitution. With so much at stake the character of the candidate becomes as important as his/her party affiliation. I too want my country back. So far I feel that it has been the willingness of our front running candidates to vacillate on important issues that makes them appear weak. Their apparent back room deals with each other about how debate questions should be answered has caused them to look weak. Clinton, Obama and Edwards have set the stage to look weak. The questions of the people do not do that, the answers from the candidates do. Peace, Kim

[Evergreen Emerald]

5. I agree with you and have said this all along--the media is choosing the next candidate

for the democrats. They know Obama cannot win a general election. They know he is weak. And 24/7 they are softballing him. Every story about Clinton is negative. Every story about Obama is positive.

We have bought into the us-versus-them mentality that is so prevalent in our society today--thanks to the neocons and what they started during the Clinton years. We are allowing them to divide and conquer us. We are buying into the media's hype and we will loose again.

We have lost the coup and don't even know it.