Somebody outside of DU has noticed that the media is obsessed with "Democrats in Disarray" stories

[NewJeffCT]

Link to tweet

As a non-Democrat, I'm struck by how much the media seem obsessed by possible rifts among Democrats, narrow lines they'll have to walk, stray utterances of their backbenchers, etc, than by the rather more massive fact that we have a president and administration in total meltdown.

Bill Kristol

[underpants]

1. The press needs a two horse race

They'll grasp at anything to kill Dem/Blue Wave momentum. They're excuse is equal reporting to maintain "access".

[rufus dog]

4. Man am I tired of this - basically 2nd response tonight

The press does not do this for a two horse race. The press does this to keep the advertising dollars flowing. Manufactured outrage with Dems, soft peddle Repuke scandals.

It has absolutely nothing to do with hoping for a two horse race.

[BannonsLiver]

8. Chicken and the egg

One doesn’t happen without the other. Think it through a bit more.

[underpants]

11. Thanks

[rufus dog]

20. enlighten me

Just because we haven't had a Repuke blow out since Reagan doesn't mean that the media is looking for a horse race. The media has no interest in creating a horse race if the Dem is far behind. They would (and have) focus on what is wrong with the Dems. I watched thirty minutes of MSNBC this AM. The first guest was a repuke hack who spouted tRump talking points, the next segment was one repuke hack who got the first and last response, while the other two got about 30% of the time in between. This is the norm.

Studies consistently show a 2/3rds to 3/4th bias towards conservative talking heads. If the media was looking for a horse race we wouldn't see this hold up. What we see is when the Dems are in charge they claim the Repukes need the time to be fair. When the Reps are in charge the media claims the public voted for them and want them given air time.

[Autumn]

38. Right. Their job is to make sure coverage benefits their owners.

And they do it very well.

What we see is when the Dems are in charge they claim the Repukes need the time to be fair. When the Reps are in charge the media claims the public voted for them and want them given air time.

That's the whole unvarnished truth.

[underpants]

43. I don't think we disagree

I think we are both saying the same thing but in different ways.

My post about a "two horse race" was boiled down for brevity. Oddly almost everywhere else there is a 4 to 5 horse race but the American viewer isn't perceived able to handle all that so we have just two horses. Back to my point - you are correct about the bias towards conservative talking heads but that is my point as well. Their has to be a binary choice. My ham sandwich vs their ham sandwich and then it just becomes a wrestling match.

[lunatica]

44. Exactly

Life is a tad more complicated. One dimensional perceptions are simply non existent.

[JI7]

12. the horse race is about ratings . it's why they bring on career pundits instead of boring economic

discussion between 2 professors of economics to discuss the economy. why they bring on the same pundits to discuss foreign policy instead of 2 boring international scholars to discuss the issues.

[ThoughtCriminal]

24. Not about ratings

With few exceptions, it's about promoting pro-corporate propaganda for the extremely rich. Ratings are sustained only to the extent that they are needed to sustain the message.

[underpants]

40. Amy Goodman narrates Norm Chomsky 4:46

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017526731

I didn't that deep into it but your point does.

[underpants]

41. This is a big part of why the RW developed their think tanks and cadre of writers/pundits

You can go back to Lewis Powell's memo - conservatives just got trounced in the 60's. Civil rights and anti-war are the most evident examples. They were losing the college campuses. So the money interests (the "Four Sisters" as well as Rev. Moon) poured money into establishing and nurturing think tanks to create their own spokespeople. Prior to that when a news program needed and expert opinion they generally went to college campuses and the learned measured opinions were aired. This was killing conservatives and they knew it.

The most stark example of this in more recent times is Ann Coulter. She was part of the young group of writers (Drudge/David Brock/etc. ) who came out of the early 90's. Bulk buying of Coulters books was so blatant that the N.Y. Times bestseller list came up with a special notation for her books signifying massive buys (that often never left the distribution center). A Star is born - "Best Selling author...." gives credence in the minds of viewers because THEY'RE RICH! THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL!. They did the same thing to get Falwell on TV. As Lenny said about Mr. Burns on the Simpsons, ""Hey everyone, let's listen to him. He's rich so he must have everyone's best interest in mind"

[elmac]

17. MSM's profits depent on chaos, a dog and pony show

if it isn't happening they will create it.

[AZ8theist]

23. I've NEVER agreed with the Reich wing Kristol...but

at some point, AMERICA has to wake up to the fact that this is TREASON COMMITTED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

NOTHING ELSE.

TRUMP IS A PUTIN CONTROLLED TRAITOR.

PERIOD.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. Somebody must have slapped him awake.

If he did it to himself, well, better late than never. Qualified kudos to him.

[2naSalit]

28. +1

[Cha]

3. Perfectly stated! I don't care who said it.

I'm going to retweet. 43k Like.. 11k retweets!

Thank Goodness for Social Media 'cause the M$M are very much derelict too many times.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

13. gradually and grudgingly

I have gradually and grudgingly come to admit that twitter has a redeeming value in communication. It does seem to allow a very broad conversation, in spite of considerable noise and nothingness.


Won't catch me saying the same about facebook, though.

[Cha]

15. I always liked the tweets when

they first started appearing on DU.. I can read them better.. I wanted to join but was too daunted for a long time.

It's like anything.. there's good and bad.. trump uses it for propaganda, but thankfully the reality based can use it to pushback with the Facts.

Finally, in July 2018 I took the plunge, and it's really nice being able to reply to those I respect, and if need be to call someone out.

I only use FB to see what my spread out family is up to in New York, Connecticut, North Carolina, Florida, California, and Oregon!

[dalton99a]

5. That's exactly what's happening

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Sad when the media needs to make up a story

[pecosbob]

7. I've gotten in a few spats here recently pointing this out

Every time I see another story from The Hill posted here it makes me want throw up.

[Tech]

10. Agreed, I look for the source, if the hill or politico, I skip it.

[shanny]

31. +1

[Hekate]

9. Bill Kristol's one of the bright ones

Also a never-Trumper. But I repeat myself.

[not_the_one]

19. He is a work in progress....

He was one of the creators of PNAC.

And THAT got us 9-11.

At this point I'll gladly accept anyone critical of turdface.

But Kristol has some history to compensate for....

[2naSalit]

29. lest we forget... nt

[tblue37]

39. He also was a major promoter of Sarah Palin. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Why is this a problem since we are so often in disarray? Remember...

"I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat."

That was Will Rogers speaking before any of us were born.

[Judi Lynn]

27. So enjoyable, that guy. what a treasure he was.nt

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

16. Never thought I'd agree with that fuckhead Bill Krystol... will wonders never cease!

[YOHABLO]

18. And that's Bill Kristol saying this. Bill Kristol.

[Quixote1818]

21. Did he take some kind of common sense pill or something? nt

[malaise]

33. Np - he watched how they destroyed hm when he refused tp

bow to the corrupt, naked, anti-democratic emperor.
Further fiscal responsibility is only demanded when Democrats support the social good.

[NewJeffCT]

36. Kristol has been putting his money where his mouth is at least

He's responsible for the pro Mueller ads running on Fox News and elsewhere.

I'll go back to hating him and his history once Trump is gone, but we need every ally we can get at this time, as Trump is a genuine threat to democracy.

[malaise]

37. I agree n/t

[Mountain Mule]

22. The Cult is getting uneasy

and they've started whistling in the dark. I drop in on another politics forum where both repugs and dems do battle. The repugs were all caught up in the imaginary #WalkAway movement which they claimed was being joined by thousands if not millions of dems every day. WOW! I had a really good laugh over that one. This was before the midterms. Strange how none of the repugs there have posted anything about their delusions in this regard since early November.

[NewJeffCT]

34. The entire #WalkAway movement

was proven to be Russian propaganda with many of the initial "people" that walked away being taken from stock photos found online.

[underpants]

45. Had not heard of #WalkAway. I had heard of the "Red Wave"

That was huge on talk radio. They were just sure of it.

[Mountain Mule]

46. Yep, anything in the attempt to demoralize/spread dissention in the ranks

Twitler's Kult are living in Never-Never Land. They believe all of Twitler's lies and follow him blindly. I believe that the fake #WalkAway thing originated on FB and was part of a disinformation program with Russian roots as mentioned above.

Whatever they hoped to accomplish with this Fairy Tale, it backfired on the repugs badly. Dems who came across it would laugh in disbelief and it gave the repugs a false sense of security. I'm sure that a segment of repug voters stayed home because they believed we Dems were in disarray. We may be in disarray - sometimes more than others - but this is nothing compared to the disarray the trumptifuckation of the GOP has caused.

I'm a "yaller dawg" Democrat to the very end. Whatever I may think about primary results (I was a Bernie supporter), once Hillary won the nomination, she had my complete and loyal support. As always the repugs are so clueless that sometimes all you can do is laugh.

[Scurrilous]

25. K&R

[allgood33]

26. Maybe it's time we take time to call in to radio shows and send texts and e-mails to the outlets and

owners and let them know that we don't like their focus and will be turning off all segments related Democrats in disarray?

[Kaleva]

30. We even have that here at DU.

[scarytomcat]

32. I hate agreeing with Billyboy but

the rethugs are in much more disarray, they have no clue how to run a democratic representative government that follows facts and works for all the people like it was designed
it is hard run something well if you don't really believe in it

[spanone]

35. No Shit billy

[KG]

42. piss on bill kristol anyway

[octoberlib]

47. Bill Kristol used to be a Democrat

pre-Reagan. A lot of the neocons were. I can’t imagine changing parties just because you want more war.