Fight Newsweek's "Wimp" Smear

Here we go again. In this week's Newsweek Michael Hirsch has an article titled The Democrats’ Wimp Factor: As Obama's patriotism is questioned, he's starting to look more and more like John Kerry in '04.

Hirsch then uses the time-honored self-fulfilling prophecy of adopting the right-wing attack as being effective merely because the question is raised.

Between the questions about Obama's meager association with William Ayers, a former Weatherman, and the suspicions raised by his lack of a flag lapel pin, the likely nominee is slowly being turned into John Kerry.

Hirsch seems oblivious to the idiocy of those questions and the backlash against them.  Let this guy know in his comments or his email: [[e-mail]] that this year he's wrong -- We and Obama will not let this crap stand.

It's straight out of Glenn Greenwald's book:

Leave policy and ideology to the side. Just ignore it. What matters is that Democrats and liberals are weak, effete, elitist, nerdy, military-hating, gender-confused losers, whose men are effeminate, whose women are emasculating dykes, and who merit sneering mockery and derision. Republican right-wing male leaders are salt-of-the-earth, wholesome, likable tough guys -- courageous warriors and normal family men who merit personal admiration and affection.

Self-fulfilling prophecy indeed.  Not this year.

•  This was linked to

  on the MSN main page with the link "The Wimp Factor."  It should not go unanswered.

  by Upper West on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 06:57:54 AM PDT

•  Barack is no whimp

  Anyone with eyes and a functioning brain can see there is an ocean of difference between John Kerry and Barack Obama (and not just skin colour).

  There is no way that either Clintonites or Republicans can succesfully Kerryfy Obama.

  Let them try though, because every minute they waste on this strategy is a minute they could have invested into a more succesful strategy.

  by DarkOmnius on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:00:21 AM PDT

•  Hey, Markos works for Newsweek....

  Can't he walk over to Hirsch's cube and smack the back of his head or pee down his back or something?

  by bethrsingleton on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:02:06 AM PDT

•  Call me a cultist but, here is 1 BADASS picture

  of the next pres:

  http://www.democraticunderground.com...

  by forgore on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:02:42 AM PDT

  •  Great picture.

    But note the caption:

    "trying quell a row over elitism dogging his campaign a week before Pennsylvania's crucial Democratic primary."

    It's fucking "dogging" him because you idiots write captions and articles like that.

    by Upper West on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:10:50 AM PDT

•   more like John Kerry in '04

  That is HOW they'd like it to look. Notice how they FRAME an issue and make their statements. This isn't journalism, it's brainwashing. They are ALL doing it.

  REMEMBER, this is our war on the MEDIA. We should focus on these issues and fight back. We also need to send emails to CNN and tell them to stop Lou Dobb's CONSTANT attacks on Obama!
  I am emailing them now, I am fucking sick & tired of being attacked and it goes unpunished. This is ENOUGH!

  by dynamicstand on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:05:56 AM PDT

•  I Saw Hirsch's Column This Morning

  and was also struck by the "self-fulfilling prophesy" process; some media clowns throws up innuendo and meanigless distraction; they repeat it in a highly-visible forum, forcing the candidate to respond; media headlines focus on the tempest in the teapot to the exclusion of substance; another media clown links the candidate's response to others' historical failures as "proof" of weakness. A perfect media circle-jerk!

  We need to understand that we're not just fighting the Republicans themselves; we're also fighting the Corporate Media. Even if they are not absolutely on the side of the Repubs, they are invested in inertia, the status quo, bread and circuses, and have no interest at all in helping to resolve national issues. They are enablers of the worst kind, and they are the Enemy!

  by Uthaclena on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:15:09 AM PDT

•  newsweek is usually

  better than this. Nnethertheless i sent them an email. Thanks for the tip.

  by wren on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:17:46 AM PDT

•  Yes...

  It's a massive agitprop circle jerk by the oligarchic press.  Frankly, I'm not sure how to fight it and I've been thinking about it for years.  Unless and until we are able to mount a sustained boycott of sponsors, a la Dobson, we have to be content to watch MSM lose readership and circulation as the Internet takes over and to keep writing lots of emails.  The corporations that own these media organs have major stakes in ensuring that candidates who are threats to their hegemony and wealth do not get elected.

  by mayan on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:18:54 AM PDT

  •  Right now ....

    the media pimps Hillary . That's the best they can do to seat McCain.

    by ArtfromMI on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:33:45 AM PDT

    •  Yep...they'll pimp her...

      Until they don't.  They hate her.  Never forget that.  This is all about getting the...cough...maverick elected.

      by mayan on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:36:13 AM PDT

  •  Two Strategies

    First, there's a lot of investigative reporting being done on the blogs, but let's face it, most members of John Q. Public do not do in-depth reading, and follow up; they skim the headlines, whether that's the local paper, the soundbyte on evening news, of the little snippets when they log onto their Yahoo or AOL home page. Somehow, we need to develop a... hmmm... "digest" of headlines, like "high-impact diaries" that need to be put out there as an alternative to the Associated Press and other feeds.

    Secondly, we need to more actively ridicule the Corporate Media, along the lines of the bumper sticker "Kill Your Televison." I had this vision after the Stephanopoulis/Gibson travesty on Tuesday of a poster of the two with red rubber noses and orange hair, with a logo "Only Clowns Listen to the Corporate News." Make the traditional media radioactive however we can.

    by Uthaclena on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:39:20 AM PDT

•  They are stirring ....

  like a swarm of bees , rising to defend their dishonorable colleges in time of need . After Obama had taken shots at the shoddy way the debate was conducted , they now say he needs to stop complaining and stay on track . I swear , if the guy woke from bed one morning and they were there they would probably have something to say about the way he yawns . I'll tell you folks right now . This is not just a battle against the Hillary Machine and the Republicans . The corporate force behind the media is our biggest enemy . The Movement that is behind Barack is their biggest fear and they will use any and all means at their disposal to bring US down . As Bush imposed the fear factor on us , we also impose a fear factor on them . A different kind of fear , like wrenching our country out of the hands of the corporate machine and their lackeys , the media . The war is on and if we lose it won't be our fault .

  by ArtfromMI on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 07:30:07 AM PDT

•  Just the normal GOP script

  Candidate = wimpy elitist

  Candidate's wife = loose cannon

  But 2008 isn't 2004. Not this time.

  by Oothoon on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 08:15:16 AM PDT