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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRachel's "Weird Wonder"
Last night Rachel Maddow reported on the inconsistencies in what Mitt has said versus what he did regarding serving in the military during Vietnam. She called it a "weird wonder" that the media is not reporting on this, particularly since they jumped all over the swiftboating lies against Kerry.
She also pointed to the reporting over W's national guard service and Dan Rather's losing his job over it.
Here's the thing, Rachel. While you are quite brilliant at pointing out inconsistencies and outright lies by Mitt, the problem is that the vast majority of the media totally ignores the fact that Mitt is lying on a daily basis on a wide range of subjects. And the right wing voters certainly don't care. Mitt will get their vote. Period.
Rachel's reporting these things is quite valuable to folks like those who follow Democratic Underground, liberals and progressives. But is it doing any good otherwise? Are people listening or are she, Ed, and the other shows on MSNBC merely preaching to the choir?
DLevine
(1,788 posts)Could you imagine if it was Obama doing these things? That's all the news media would be talking about, 24/7.
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)Birther fools get plenty of coverage.
Boggles the mind.
LuvNewcastle
(16,856 posts)A lot of people, even when confronted with the truth about Republican lies and hypocrisy, refuse to acknowledge the truth. People like my dad and my brother start yelling "propaganda!" They watch Fox News and listen to Rush Limbaugh and they think Rachel Maddow is a propagandist. You can lead a horse to water.....
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)Combined with Citizens United.
It is sad, depressing, and maddening.
tonybgood
(218 posts)It should be "Fox News and Entertainment" since that is what their disclaimer says at the end of every hour. They are not a credible news organization and should not be referred to as such.
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)But the poster above me did, so I did in my response.
We know it is not news. It is propaganda that is taken as news by those who don't take the time to check the facts.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)Which network was it that said WMDs were a lie?
A: None of them.
The MSM are cheerleaders and we need to stop asking them to be, and treating them like they are, the scoreboard.
cantbeserious
(13,039 posts)Maybe that will get a rise out of them that causes a pause to reflect and reconsider.
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)trusty elf
(7,401 posts)and then, after letting the wingers and baggers foam at the mouth for a while, have it pointed out to them that in fact it was actually a story about their guy. Maybe then it might dawn on them-but then again maybe not.
liberal N proud
(60,344 posts)When it comes to politics there is a very distinct hypocrisy as far as the media deals with the two parties. It is evident in lies like this as well as voting records and sex scandals.
geckosfeet
(9,644 posts)of the MSNBC audience. The RW teabagging contingent will never even hear what they have to say because they are so tuned into rusH and faux.
[div class="excerpt" style="width:600px;"]But is it doing any good otherwise? Are people listening or are she, Ed, and the other shows on MSNBC merely preaching to the choir?
Yes of course it is doing good - the MSNBC crew should report on and champion news for the progressive world. Why should the right own all of the media?
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)They are telling the truth and exposing lies.
But what impact does it have? I fear very little because the brainwashed are never going to pay attention.
I need to look at the ratings of both MSNBC and Faux.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)Because what she is doing is informing her viewers in a way that's very educational. What would you have her do?
Tennessee Gal
(6,160 posts)I love her reporting.
I just wondering what impact it might be having.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)Yet she manages to inform me much more thoroughly. She has a way of connecting dots and giving issues a historical background. She proves daily that actions have consequences and that sound bites cover a litany of lies and misinformation.
chervilant
(8,267 posts)for damned sure.
(My roomie has no idea who is Rachel Maddow, and she tends to vote for Democrats. I've done a non-scientific poll of individuals living in rural Arkansas: not one could tell me who is Maddow--or Olbermann, or Chomsky, or any of a number of relevant left-leaning individuals.)
TahitiNut
(71,611 posts)There is no liberal "choir" ... liberals are annoyingly mute in family gatherings, office lunch rooms, and other daily venues where shit-for-brains reich-wingers spew their dittoheaded vitriol and falsehoods. Lest they be deemed "impolite," liberals (and their weasel-worded "progressive" kin) have, for DECADES, been silent in the various ad hoc forums of the daily grind. God forbid anyone's digestion of a Thanksgiving dinner be disturbed with the simple presentation of truth in response to the family member spewing shit between mouthfuls of stuffing.
It's time "liberals" stopped waiting for Godot ... awaiting some Lone Ranger rescuer. I'm tired beyond tolerance of hearing the constant carping about how "disappointed" they are that Obama didn't SAVE THEM "like he promised." What utter bullshit.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)Please realize you're speaking for yourself. In my case I've intimidated my family members into silence just by talking with facts. I'm not a nasty person nor do I speak down to them. They just realize that to hold onto the lies they have to not repeat them around me.
TahitiNut
(71,611 posts)Yet even on DU, I've read MORE than a few posts where folks rationalize their silence in the face of reich-wing, even teabagger vitriol. The rationalizations range from "it's no use" to "I don't want to be rude" ... where the FACTS are clearly evident on the side of liberalism.
So, "gently" or not, there cannot be much question, especially over the timeframe I mentioned ("decades" , that the "choir" has been virtually mute. It can easily be seen as a meta-reaction to the backlash from "the 60s" and the lurch to the right we've experienced since the beginning of the Reagan/Bush era. To quibble with such a self-evident observation is beyond nit-picking.
The mindset can be very easily seen in the childish 'Christmas morning' disappointment that Obama didn't leap tall buildings with a single bound. It's beyond strange that so few seemed to hear Obama clearly point the finger at 'ALL of us' together shouldering the responsibility for the 'Change We Can Believe In.' He NEVER said he could do it himself. Never.
We seem to continue to suffer under a "Let George Do It" mentality ... from military service to virtually every facet of citizenship in a democracy. The "activists" are the exception ... even those with the minimal moral fortitude sufficient to speak up within their own families.
Indeed, I might note, that the very tone of your reply indicates your own acceptance that you're exceptional, not to mention a recognition that you do battle with your own tendency to "talk down" to others.. It's the exceptions that prove the rule.
More often than not, any response that begins with "Sorry but" is condescending.
GeorgeGist
(25,323 posts)syberlion
(136 posts)Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Remember, 9 of the hijackers for 9/11 were Saudi. What better way to destroy a country than by backing the propaganda to divide the citizens of that country.
Here is an Article from Think Progress in 2010 about a meeting he had with Fox Executives link:http://thinkprogress.org/media/2010/08/24/115285/fox-stewart-alwaleed/?mobile=nc
So, Fox is assisting in destroying this country from within, period.
rustydog
(9,186 posts)there is a chance they will swing fence sitters opinion in their reporting. But yes, they are generally preaching to the choir.
WI_DEM
(33,497 posts)CK_John
(10,005 posts)became an art form and early coke dealers.
Gregorian
(23,867 posts)Damn she's good!
just1voice
(1,362 posts)If they were rational, they would never even bring up repukes because all repukes do is lie. It's nonsensical to discuss anything a repuke does as if it has some validity, it doesn't. TV sells a left/right argument even though the right has no legitimate side of any issue -- it's complete BS, the paradigm is wrong.
A friend of mine said it very well "those people are so serious and so wrong".
Blue Owl
(50,494 posts)n/t