TPM Viewer & Obama Voter....cuts loose on why it matters MSNBC went after Chelsea..

[KoKo]

Viewpoints
02.08.08 -- 10:32PM
By Josh Marshall

TPM Reader VH checks in ...

I am not a Hillary supporter - I voted for Obama. But, I applaud the response of the Clinton campaign for the insulting remark about Chelsea and Hillary. It is extremely important for both Democratic candidates to make the networks aware right now that treating either of them as Bill Clinton was treated will be done with severe consequences. If that means every single network finds itself on the outside looking in, then so be it.

Bush made sure the networks, and news media in general, knew that any disrespectful treatment of him like Bill Clinton was subjected to was going to bring results they would find very uncomfortable. That worked - of course in part it worked because the networks and media in general supported Bust no matter what he did. But, even if they don't support the next Democratic president we can't allow him or her to be treated with the dripping contempt that Bill Clinton faced. This episode was the first shot in that "war".

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/177715.php


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...and an interesting comment from Atrios about Shuster's comment:


Shuster

While the "pimped out" comment was bad, in and of itself it's the kind of thing I could give a pass on based on the fact that sometimes stupid shit comes out of your mouth on live TV. It wasn't something he should have said, obviously, but there probably wasn't real animosity behind it. Just dumb.


But what I find worse is that it's part of a general pattern of taking perfectly normal political activities - in this case a family member helping out with a campaign - and talking about them as if they're unseemly, or corrupt, or inappropriate, or seedy, or sleazy, etc... The press has a long history of doing this with the Clintons, holding them to a weird standard that no one else is held to.
-Atrios 18:15

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2008_02_03_archive.html#3137480500636945668

[TacticalPeek]

1. TPM Reader VH nails it.

:kick:

[Robbien]

2. If CNN said Bush pimped out his wife on the campaign trail

CNN would be looking at huge FCC fines.

I agree it was questionable that Chelsea was given the task of sweet talking the super delegates, but where does a major media outlet get off calling her a whore?

[aquart]

5. What was questionable about it?

Is there a no communication with delegates rule?

[Kermitt Gribble]

3. K&R

for the perfectly stated opinion on this issue.

[anamandujano]

4. "it's part of a general pattern"

That is why it is so easy for "dumb" stuff to come out of their mouths. The general atmosphere is so vile that it's just a matter of who of the good old boy's club is brave enough to ratchet it up at any time.

No doubt Shuster got many pats on the back from his co-workers, like the Repuke who said "Barney Fag" and then apologized.

I haven't watched that freakfest MSNBC for a long time. I have to wonder how many things the Clintons have let pass just from fatigue. Of course, this gives Tweety and his friends more gumption to keep going until someone stubs a toe.

[KharmaTrain]

6. It About Time To Stand Up To These Characterizations

For those who love David Schuster...let me say I enjoy his reporting work as well...but when he goes off script, he's been a real loose cannon...the old Faux Noise creeps back into him. The corporate media for the last decade have treated the Clintons as cartoon characters...based on right wing slimes. Bill is the womanizing snake oil salesman, Hillary is the manipulative shrew and Chelsea is some kind of freak. With little refutation for years, these memes not only became accepted, the corporate media now made them standard fore in their talk shows. Hell, Jay Leno still has to throw in a Clenis joke every night. It's like a party joke that has gone on for way too long and Schuster "assumed" the street lingo he hears at the parties or at the water coolers were cool to spew on the air. At least MSNBC did something.

But this is far from an isolated incident. On Tuesday, Tweety made an awful reference about Bill "inserting" himself into the campaign...the slam was so blatant even Pitchfork Pat Buchanan had to do a double take. Little was said or made...just Tweety being Tweety I guess. But this shit has to stop!

We all know our biggest enemy this election campaign will not be the Repugnicans, but the corporate media. No matter who is the candidate, they'll play their conventional wisdom games based on nearly two decades of right wing attacks on Democrats that were rarely countered in these circles. Be prepared to be called "traitors" and "defeatists" on defense, tax and spend on the economy and loose on morals...no matter how we know this is a better picture of the GOOP these days...but old habits die hard and in their little bubble world they still haven't gotten the message people are tired of the food fights and hate. It will take more suspensions and lower ratings for this to really kick in.

[KoKo]

7. "This shit has to stop." Agreed...and get it stopped now...

so we don't have to live through more years of it distracting from the serious issues facing us.

[KharmaTrain]

8. Unfortunately We May Need To Start Here First...

You see as many right wing memes being thrown around GD-P these days as you will on any hate radio show. They're so convulsed about McCain, I think they forgot about the Democrats. But you're seeing in these threads those who feel Schuster was wronged...that makes my head spin.

Actually, this IS a big issue...until we can redirect the narratives and memes in the corporate media, we face more divisiveness in the months ahead. The problem is to separate the emotions from the reality...not selecting the person you want to have a beer with but the one who will get our troops out of Iraq ASAP and begin to fix a very broken government.

Cheers...

:hi:

[krkaufman]

9. I'm with Atrios on this, more than any other commentary I've seen.

I think Schuster's comment was less sexist than it was simply derisive of what is a perfectly reasonable activity.