Bush & Rove Are Masters of Media Manipulation

[Yavin4]

If there's one thing that these two idiots can do right, then it's manipulating the media so that they over-react to news. There's no question in my mind that Rove got Leopold to bite on that false story that he was about to be indicted. Rove deliberately planted that story in the hopes that the MSM would pick it up and run with it. Thus, he could sit back and wag his finger saying that the media cannot be trusted. Today, he's got Bush over in Iraq in the hopes that a one-day media show will make up for pre-war lying, Bush's complete mis-management of the war, and no effective exit strategy.

The irony here is that their ability to manipulate the media undercuts their ability to actually govern. Bush and Rove believe that governing IS about manipulating the media. Once they get their positive coverage, they believe that their work is done. They don't have to rebuild New Orleans, they just have to do a photo opp. They don't have to restore Iraq and exit. They just have to have sound bites from Baghdad.

Even if Rove walks from the CIA case, there's still the residue of ill-will between the Bush White House and the intelligence community that will not go away with positive media coverage. Rove and the White House did reveal Plame's identity, indictment or not, and that will resonate within Washington for years to come.

[Virginia Dare]

1. You don't need to manipulate much if they're complicit...n/t

[tsuki]

8. You read my mind. nt

[ramapo]

2. That is how you control a country

You are 100% correct. They've done it many, many times since 2000. The media loves it too. And the people? Short memories, little thought.

[MrModerate]

3. They're laboring mightily, to bring forth . . .

A mouse!

Regular 'Murricans didn't know or care that Rove had been indicted by Jason Leopold. The fact that he wasn't doesn't mean diddly to them. The MSM didn't run hog-wild with the indictment story, so no substantial finger-wagging from the 'Licans (the demand for an apology will last about as long as fart in a large room). Bush's grandstanding in Baghdad plus the Al-Zarqawi take-out might give him a boost in the polls, but not much or for very long, IMO.

So Bushie gets to play president for a few days, gets a few points out of the polls -- but there's no upward slope for him here. The same dire problems in Iraq and elsewhere from last week are still here. And will be next week, and the week thereafter.

And they'll screw it up, because that's what they do.

So why are they working so hard for an eyeblink's benefit?

[Yavin4]

4. "So why are they working so hard for an eyeblink's benefit?"

Because that's all that they know how to do. That's all that they can do. They don't have a strategy for Iraq, just photo opps.

[Virginia Dare]

6. Because that's all they've got....

It becomes more clear by the day that Bush is an incompetent boob, psychologically unstable, and has most probably fallen off the wagon. He's clearly unfit to be President, so the White House has to work overtime staging these photo-op sound-bite events to make him look like he's actually doing something.

I have to say, it must be phsycially and mentally exhausting to keep up this charade.

[KittyWampus]

5. Your Theory Fails To Address Rove Cooperating Against His Superiors

And Fitz's MO is to squeeze underlings til they cooperate.

Now why would Rove cooperate unless he faced certain indictment?

Answer, he wouldn't.

So your theory is pretty weak.

[ladjf]

7. Whoever owns control of the media doesn't have to be a

master. It's easy. Disseminate only the items that will convince the consumer that your position is the correct one.

[Orsino]

9. Nope. Not masters.

They are owned by the same rich old white men that own the media. The only master is money.

[catmandu57]

10. I'd say that kkkarl is the master

shrub* I'm not so sure of, but rover has had a good month laughing at us, maybe a dig before he faces the music, whatever. If he slips the noose now, eventually the hangman will catchup to him, of that I have no doubt, so he can have his joke now, laugh kkkarl laugh tomorrow we laugh.

[bridgit]

11. they certainly had key components of the so-called left blogosphere...

eating rancid peanuts out of the palms of their hands

[Cha]

12. It doesn't hurt that the

corporatewhores are down on all fours. bush and rove are stupid, evil, greedy shitmeisters.