Sirota: Forget Media Conflictinator's Manufactured Narrative: 2010 = Turning Point vs Conservatism

[marmar]

from OpenLeft:



Forget Media Conflictinator's Manufactured Narrative: 2010 Was Turning Point Against Conservatism
by: David Sirota

Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 16:05


There is no shortage of disturbing/depressing meta-messages from last night's election results.

There was the "What's the Matter With Kansas" message of populism being channeled into the cause of elitism and aristocracy: For example, we saw an anti-Establishment/anti-corporate/anti-NAFTA/anti-government Tea Party electing to the Senate a Congressman's son (Rand Paul), a senator-turned-Washington-drug-lobbyist (Dan Coats) and George W. Bush's Trade Representative (Rob Portman).

There was the "The Privileged Finish First" while "Good People Finish Last" message: For instance, principled Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, who has taken many a principled progressive stand, loses while appointed Sen. Thurston Bennet the III of Colorado, who has sold out on key issues, wins.*

And, of course, there was the "Celebrity Trumps Everything" message of our Sarah Palin-inspired idiocracy: As just one example, low-key-but-uber-serious Rep. David Obey (D) retires and is replaced by a Republican known only for being an MTV Real World star.

All of that said, though, there is one very positive meta-message that - arguably - trumps all of the negative ones - a meta-message that will be inevitably ignored by what Jon Stewart so aptly called the national media's D.C.-obsessed "conflictinator." You can see this deeper, far more important story in the ballot measures. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.openleft.com/diary/20740/forget-media-conflictinators-manufactured-narrative-2010-was-turning-point-against-conservatism

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Hmm interesting

and an older electorate.

This is fascinating.

[canoeist52]

3. very interesting -about referendum questions being a better gage

of voters views.

[HawkerHurricane]

4. I'm sorry, I've heard this song before.

The 2000 election was supposed to be conservatives last g(r)asp at power.
Then 2004.
2008.
2010.

No, sorry, the Robber Barons who own and operate the Mainstream Media and GOP and the Tea Party are not going away, not now, not ever. And to assume any election is thier 'last' is to underestimate the power of money allied with the power of fear, hate, and discontent.

I'll believe it after I see it.
And after I see it, I'll wonder what the Robber Barons are up to, because they aren't going to give up merely because they lost a election.

[chill_wind]

5. Yes.

It's an interesting picture about the ballot measure outcomes, but I'm skeptical about the ultimate conclusion here as well.