I rely on two very busy Confluentians, MABlue and ghost2, to point me to the current media narratives. Today, these two have a goldmine of linky goodness. From the comments, MABlue gives us:
Even with the likes of Pumpkin head polluting the media landscape, there is still some glimmer of hope.
Don’t give up on the US press… Yet:
Here Howard Kurtz exposes the fraudulent narrative about VILE Hillary going negative against poor choir boy Barack:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030701158.htmlDon’t give up on the US press… Yet:
Here Jon Last from the Philadelphia Enquirer explains in clear terms what every sober person should know by now: Hillary Clinton is by far the strongest GE candidate due to the quality of her coalition and her primary victories:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080309_One_Last_Thing_.htmlDon’t give up on the US press… Yet
Here Bill Maxwell from St Pete Time add his 2c to the outrageous coverage against Hillary Clinton:
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/09/Opinion/Media_tainted_by_anti.shtml
And ghost2 adds:
Check out this issue of Newsweek. It’s good. Lots of Hillary.
Tina Brown: http://www.newsweek.com/id/120064
Press and Hillary: http://www.newsweek.com/id/120068
and Anna Quindlen:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/120049
Thanks, guys, I hear your pleas for an Open Thread. Would either or both of you like to be contributors in charge of that? Please let me know in the comments and I’ll send an invite if you haven’t already received one.
Now, I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade and I’m certainly no authority on the subject, but I would urge a note of caution with regard to any attempts by the press to actually, um, do their jobs and report the truth. Remember, the media is not our friend. It has an interest in keeping the horserace nice and tight and in generating revenue. We suspect that the Villagers, and Kurtz and Quindlen fall into that category, have an interest in keeping their Republican friends and neighbors employed in office. So, please treat these articles with a grain of salt. We might be able to exploit them for our own purposes but we must never rely on them to be our friends. Nah, Gah, hap
Now, here’s my ownlink du jour. Anglachel nails it again in Unpopular Votes and Obama’s Legitimacy Crisis
One more thing: I’d like to give a shout out to the Democratic faithful at Corrente, some of whom are former Edward’s supporters and kindred spirits. One of my favorite pieces from Lambert at Corrente just before primary season got underway, Obama Stump Speech Strategy of Conciliation Considered Harmful, should be read far and wide. Give them some hits if you’re bored with the “same old, same old”. You won’t regret it.
This is an open thread
Filed under: General | Tagged: Anna Quindlen, ghost2, Howard Kurtz, MABlue, Open thread |
The Confluence 
Hi:
For what is worth, my wife and I have reached the conclusion that Hillary is going to be, most likely, our nominee. Perhaps it is wishful thinking, but it would seem that the whole narrative and expectations game is starting to change in her favour.
We realize however, that it is not going to be easy and as I said before, we’re doing our share to help (donations, volunteering, etc) and are not taking anything for granted.
I have also noticed a change in tone in some of the blogs I visit. People are excited, and seem started to become ‘immunized’ against all the sh*t that comes our way.
I myself used to take ‘ofense’ when dismissed by the O camp as not-quite-as-goog-as-them (creative class crap first, A Bunker more recently). These days…I do not care too much and take pride in being able to see beyond all the glitz and in having kept supporting my senator.
So, anyway…no deep thought, but I am feeling optimistic and wanted to share.
In unrelated news: today is election day in Spain. Polls seem to indicate that the Socialist Party may win a solid majority. Polls….who can trust them, right 😉
Have a good one.
Anna Quindlen is not part of the village. I have read her stuff for years, and there is hardly a column in which she has bought village mentality. That’s why I keep looking for her columns. She and George Will have a column in Newsweek, and it alternates between them. For some reason, even George Will is more sane when he writes here (maybe he gets compared with Anna?).
Howard Kurtz, on the other hand, is part of the village, and usually his columns reflect that. Occasionally, you’d be pleasantly surprised.
His latest column was really good. He demonstrated exactly the stupidity of press narrative. Everytime, Hillary talks about healthcare, press puts “Clinton attacks Obama” in the headline. On the other hand, he can do “D-punjab”, and they put it on page 24, and then it goes down the memory hole.
Now notice Howard says the Press is mad at Hillary, b/c by prolonging this race, she has runied their vacation plans!! Lovely!!
In other news, I nominate MABlue to be in charge of open thread. (insert devious look here).
Thanks very much for the link. I like to think that we are all kindred spirits, though contentious ones. And — lambert blushes modestly — the strategy of conciliation piece is the one where Krugman says that I “channeled” him. Not to blogwhore too egregiously, but to point out that the post has analytical tools we can use.
Here’s my take on the Tina Brown Invisible Women. What I don’t know how to do is integrate the analysis in the “Strategy of Conciliation” post with the analysis in the “Invisible Women” post; which is an issue progressives have been having for some years….
UpstateNY,
I don’t think I am pessimistic here, but Pennsylvania is going to be much harder than people realize. (Shout and hello to Riverdaughter’s lovely family, especially her lovely sister, here!)
There is more than a month to make Pennsylvania a close state. Obama will do everything he can, and he has lots of money. Press will do everything it can. Now that Hillary has ruined their vacation plans, they want revenge.
Meanwhile, there are no debates, and Obama has plenty to time to go overseas, give a sham but glitzy hearing in the Senate, and sort of build his case.
Their first goal: an outright Obama win. Alternative goal, a close outcome denying Hillary Clinton any substantial gain of delegates.
Pennsylvania demographics is very favorable to Hillary. I really believe we should aim for a rout. As big of a margin as we can. It’s our best chance to get delegates.
Riverdaughter’s lovely sister: I am from Canada and so I can’t vote or do much. My admiration for HIllary comes from her knowlege, her humility (yes, I believe that), and her work ethic. She is truely inspiring. So, Please ntoe, every single vote counts in Pennsylvania. Every delegate that Hillary gains, helps. So if you know republican women who want to vote for her, encourage them to register to vote in the primary. [very humbly said, and I hope you didn’t take offence here. ]
No debates in PA?! WTF?
OTOH, if PA depends on which candidate can outwork the other, my money’s on Hillary.
No debates in PA?! WTF?
OTOH, if PA depends on which candidate can outwork the other, my money’s on Hillary.
Upstate NY–
I too am convinced that Hillary is going to win the nomination. I just feel it. Things have turned around, and more and more I get the sense that regular voters do no think Obama is qualified to be President–and let’s face it, he isn’t. Hillary is a hard worker, she’s brilliant, and when her back is to the wall, she’s at her best. I really believe in her. A few months ago, I never would have said that.
BB: Yup, she’s proven herself. It puts to bed the notion that she is “just another first lady” that Tom Daschle was spouting off about on MTP this morning. If she gets Florida, she will win it. That’s why Obama’s back is to the wall. He really has no choice in the matter and the prospect of him winning if he gives in is very slim. In order to win the rest of the primaries he’d have to work as hard as …wait for it…
Hillary Clinton!
BBoomer: Let’s hope we are right. I also have come to see her in a different light in the past few months. I always liked her but, to be honest, I was OK with Obama after his victory in Iowa, I even thought it was cool and his message inspiring. Then when his surrogates started accusing the Clintons soon after NH I thought, something here is fishy…. I did my homework and came to the conclusion that Hillary was the best candidate of the two.
ghost2: yes, it is going to be work, and hard work. However, I do not think that a last minute trip abroad and some bull from Barry is going to impress people as much as you think. Yes, it will be good publicity, but I think people have seen behind the curtain and it is going to look too little too late, I think. His speeches sound hollower all the time, his “new” politics do not really exist, the race card has been overused, the poor-me-underdog thing is over…Let’s keep working hard, agreed, but whatever happens in the end, I feel things are turning around…
SNL was at it again. Taylor Marsh has the scoop:
http://taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=27189
I think the 3AM ad was simply brilliant. Just running the ad showed she is a fighter, and has plenty of guts. She served notice to republicans that she can fight it on their territory. It made McCain give a lame response. And now the 3AM ad has entered the cultural lexicon.
[…] Jonathan Last in the Philadelphia Inquirer covers some of the same territory in Who can go the distance? His focus is more on the delegate battle, but he also makes the point that voter demographics are in Hillary’s favor for the general election. (Via riverdaughter.) […]
Absolutely great video from youtube. Watch those two great ladies. The second woman (91 years old) is simply AMAZING.
Here’s a good link:
Newsweek Editor Wouldn’t Want Hillary On That 3 AM Phone Call
check out this google search:
http://news.google.ca/news?hl=en&q=3AM+phone+call&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn
and this article (sort of snarky):
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/ariel_leve/article3511620.ece
and: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/03/mccain-camp-i-a.html (McCain Camp: I Agree With Obama Aide on Both Democrats’ Lack of Preparedness), although, in fairness, I shouldn’t get excited over anything Jake Tapper posts.