The most enduring image at YearlyKos was Markos arriving for the Teamster-sponsored reception at Chicago's McCormick Place in the passenger seat of a semi with Teamster President Hoffa. It was evidence that the culture wars were spent and that progressive forces and advocates for working people were coming together, particularly in light of organized labor's big push to represent documented and undocumented immigrants. What's the matter with Kansas is nearly over. Now it is is time for all of us - and our media - to engage in reporting on the many genuine challenges facing the nation. We know there is dread in Cableland with the end of a Democratic contest which has brought in lots of easy money. Let's hope our new coalition can convince the media that substance can now replace the horserace - genuine articles and analysis about health care, energy policy, military preparedness, containing and defeating terrorists of every stripe, environmental concerns, infrastructure. So much material to cover before November.
It is too bad that Hillary and her surrogates continue to run the playbook of race and liberal name-calling in trying to marginalize Barack Obama. And despite Obama's success, the numbers show that there have been a few rough dates between white and working people and activists and the apparently-cojones-free egghead community. So there is plenty of work to do to keep this courtship going and to consumate the relationship in the months ahead so that the government brought into office in January 2009 has direction and the support to withstand the money and abuse of the truly-moneyed elite as it moves the country forward.
Kissing up to Senator Clinton and making nice to her does not do the trick. Just because she will not be around to reap the dividends from the seeds of hate, resentment and faux-populism she sowed, does not mean these crops are not pushing up. If left unmanaged, they will provide fuel for McCain and the Republicans.
One way to manage this crop is to disc it and replant the fields with the seeds of change based on reality and analysis. We all have an interest in moving the media focus to the issues and to the challenges facing the nation. How do we help the MSM see the light? How do we convince corporate sponsors to invest in media that promotes fact-based information and analysis?
One way is for the Congress to flex its muscles now and show the MSM that its continued irresponsibility will cost it and its shareholders when the Democrats run two of the three branches of government.
The same goes for the K Street crowd which may be under the impressions that all they need to do to get their way in the future is to dust off Harry and Louise.
We know from the gas tax kerfufle that Americans are demanding more than pander from their leaders and opinion makers. Now is the time for the new coalition of neutered eggheads, bathrobe wearing basement dwellers and macho pipe fitters/hotel house keepers/nurses/teachers/truckers to ask media elites "Where's the beef?". We are tired fo pablum.