There's a necessary truth behind it all...

[kentuck]

That truth is that it is impossible to beat an organized media with their propaganda. Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican, no matter how serious the sin or the crime. Thou shalt ridicule or tear down the Democratic message, no matter how truthful or needed at the moment.

We cannot get a fair shake in the media unless some changes are made. We must have the right to respond when we are attacked. We must have the right to respond when lies are told or our positions distorted. It is impossible to fight the propagandists that are presently bought and paid for by the corporate Republican interests. That is the truth we must face.

[teryang]

1. The media are campaigning 24/7

...for the corporate selectees to office. It is almost an impossible barrier to overcome.

[Speck Tater]

2. The truth is...

... the media reports on anything that is interesting, but Dems have been in hiding for years, not sticking up for anything and not saying anything interesting.

Isn't it time for Dems to start exercising their atrophied backbones?

Here's a thought experiment: Quick, without giving it any deep thought, what does Karl Rove stand for?

Now, quick, without giving it any thought, what does Terry McAulife stand for?

If you're like me you had a lot of ready answers to the first question and drew a blank to the second one.

Dems today don't seem to stand for anything. We have to make it clear that we DO stand for something, and make it clear what it is we stand for. Dems lack backbone. That's why we lose elections and that's why the media gives us short shrift. The public doesn't flock to the Dem candidates because they have no clear picture of what the Dems stand for.

What's more, whatever stand a politician takes must be engineered for public consumption and transmission. Policy statements must be short, clear, concise, and fit into a sound bite or on a bumper sticker. Sure, REAL issues are more complex and nuanced than that, but most voters don't give a damn about REAL issues. They need a catchy slogan that will stick like peanut butter to the roof of their mind.

So go ahead, develop a well thought out, nuanced policy position, but you'd better be able to express the core of that position in a forceful sound bite or the public will not understand that you even HAVE a position on the subject.

[RichM]

3. Let's be clear: the Dems had NO message whatever in this election.

I live here, I pay attention, and even I didn't hear any "message." I heard pathetic feeble confused whimpering.

It sounded like "Please, please don't throw us out of office. Please."

That's ALL I heard, & I doubt many people who pay less attention than I do to politics, heard more than that.

[kentuck]

4. It's not just California...

The media is a problem all over for Democrats. I don't entirely buy the argument that Democrats aren't fighting back....because it doesn't matter, if they do, they are simply "George McGovern liberals". Perhaps the only way Democrats can get in power in this nation is if we go into a serious crisis, Great Depression, Watergate, etc, then they let the Democrats win. Otherwise, the cards are stacked, it seems...