The Democrats and The Media (or, Two Ways to Win)

[alcibiades_mystery]

I've always been suspicious of the "media is picking our candidates" argument. It always seemed to me very passive and sulky. But one thing rang true about it: the media is an impediment to Democratic victory in elections. That much is true. The media is a constraint on Democrats. It is an OBSTACLE. The passive version sulks that it is an impossible obstacle, and that's why I don't like it. A ,more active version would say, "Yes, it is an obstacle, but it can be overcome." Democrats are at a disadvantage because they have to overcome it, but that doesn't mean it can't be overcome. It CAN be gamed.

Bill Clinton gamed it.
Al Gore gamed it, despite the most horrendous onslaught (this is why media people HATE him)
Kerry was beat by it.

So, now we have 08. And the most important thing about Hillary Clinton and Obama is that they've both figured out ways to beat the media, to overcome the obstacle.

Sen. Clinton beats the media by plowing right through it, even ignoring it. Sen Obama beats the media by co-opting its forms. In either case, it is very good news for Democrats that we have two candidates capable of overcoming the media obstacle, who have clearly devoted long study to this problem, and who have developed sound methods for overcoming it.

The media is an obstacle. It runs its own interests while claiming impartiality. But it i9s NOT "Corporate Master's" picking our candidates. It is an obstacle to be actively overcome. And we're lucky they're out there doing that.