Ok I’m still confused here. Did I watch the same debate as the hacks writing for the likes of the AP, the Washington Post, not to mention this guy ????
Because from what I’ve seen in the above articles, there MUST have been two different debates going on simultaneously the other night. One in our universe and another in a parallel universe that only the hacks writing for the MSM and the press were allowed to watch.
The swift-boating’s begun folks and I don’t care who you’re backing right now, know this... it won’t matter who our nominee is next year - the MSM and the press are gearing up their slime machine and they’ll repeat their attacks on whoever we nominate to go up against the Republicans (just like John Kerry and Max Cleland). We have GOT to be ready to counter their spin, hype and lies about the Dems.
Make the jump...
Seriously - take a look at the transcript for Tuesday night's debate. If you look closely enough you'll note that Hillary handled herself with grace and confidence given the 2 hour grilling she took. I'm not complaining really - she's the front runner, she knew this was coming and she can handle whatever the guys throw at her. But there seems to be a serious disconnect between that transcript and the articles I'm reading on line this morning. What gives here? It's almost as if the press are creating a story out of thin air and once one or two people write this shite, everyone else grabs on to it.
I’m sure you’re all familiar with the tactic of SwiftBoating. One sad group of haters ran an ad and the MSM glommed on to it like it was their last lifeline in a raging river. They did it to Max Cleland. They did it to Al Gore over his film An Inconvenient Truth.
And as many of you will recall, a lot of this started when they did it to John Kerry during the 2004 presidential campaign. One ad being played over and over and over again by CNN – while in between those airings we saw newsreaders and commentators scratching their head in wonder, asking each other HOW this one ad got so much traction. WHY is everyone talking about this group? How has this become THE story? We know why – they ran those segments 15 or 20 times a day – there were something like 900 reports on that group and their baseless attacks on Kerry while the story about Bush and his ditching out on his National Guard duty...
Crickets.
The MSM have an agenda here folks.
As for that debate Tuesday night, I mean yeah, sure – Hillary showed us she was a bit tired when Russert tossed that whole Spitzer thing at her. It’s no wonder really... she’d just spent the last hour + getting hammered with a dozen or three questions attacking her from all sides. But she gave a detailed answer to an incredibly complex problem – one that loads of governors are dealing with all around the country.
Hillary didn’t want to throw Spitzer under the bus and Russert didn’t like that she refused to give him what he was after – another gotcha moment for his video clips file. And now the other media and press outlets are chiming in on this. All it takes is one or two papers with headlines like "she fumbled" and everyone gloms on to the notion. They’re not reporting the news – they’re creating it.
Look Hillary can handle whatever the MSM throw at her. She sees what’s coming at her and can knock it aside. She showed us that Tuesday night. But we’ve got to have her back next year (or whomever our nominee turns out to be). After all, we all thought Kerry was unbeatable with those BS ads and attacks and look what happened once the MSM jumped in to the fray.
I can understand the press & the media’s motivation in attacking Hillary. They’re bored with the story already and they want to keep this race close so beat this drum so they have something to write and talk about. Ratings and advertising sales – that’s what it’s all about for them - screw rest of the world. And they have the big microphone here. They’re the only ones doing the talking.
Or at least they were. Thanks to sites like this we in the Netroots have a voice now. We can rally support around Dodd’s effort to stand up to the giveaways in the FISA bills. We can beat back haters like O’Reilly, Limbaugh & Coulter. We can raise money for good Dems running for office AND we can help each other out if one of us falls on hard times. In the 4 years that I’ve been a part of this online community I’ve learned one thing.
If we pay attention.
If we look down the road at the challenges our candidates will face and prepare ourselves for the battle by serving as a rapid response team we CAN beat back the haters & the goopers.
But we’ve gotta all be on the same page and speak with one voice, and given the support my diary had yesterday in calling BULLSHIT on Russert’s headlong rush through freeperville, I’d say this community is wise to the MSM’s ways by now, and are ready to fight back any attempts to swiftboat our nominee in next year’s general election... whomever they may turn out to be.
We’ve gotta be ready to do that folks. Pay attention – sharpen your pencils and fire up your laptop.
This battle’s just beginning.
U P D A T E
Ok let's get one thing straight about that whole Spitzer thing. If you think that wasn't a total set-up / GOTCHA question think again.
Anyone who answers that might as well venture in to the whole "when did you stop beating your wife" territory. You're damned if yo do and damned if you don't answer it. One way or another Russert was going to do some damage to whoever he aimed it at.
Anyone who says they don't support Spitzer's plan will hurt themselves in the primary races.
Anyone who says the do support it (as Obama did) will hurt themselves in the general. They'll have handed the Repubs. a golden nugget on a platter with that one and you can just imagine the ads they'll run against our nominee.
And think about this folks...
True to form, Russert asked that poinsonous question of Hillary.
It's not the first time he's gone after her either. Think back to the debates when she first ran for the Senate. Google it and you'll understand what I'm sayin' here.