Another thing Dean does well in the age of the media ho: self-labeling

[ProfessorPlum]

The presstitutes are very lazy - they need to have everything spelled out for them like they have a program. It goes without saying that they all settled down last campaign when they mutually decided that Bush was an honorable, likeable dullard, and Gore was a smart aleck, stiff liar. Once they had hung those labels around their necks, they could relax and write their little scripts about The Dullard vs. The Liar, and everyone got their paychecks and was happy.

So, make no mistake, Dean will have a label attached to him. It is too much to hope that the press will actually do any research. They'll watch him on TV or whatever and make their judgements about him based on superficial evidence.

However, Dean has shown that he understands that to a great extent he can control his own labeling. He keeps talking about what a plain talker he is, how he is the only one who can beat Bush, how he is a centrist. He is also trying to deflect the labels others put on him ("If balancing a budget is liberal, then I'm liberal" (smile)) I wince a little bit when he talks about himself like that - it's weird in a way, but I understand why he does it.

Self-labeling is very effective. When Gary Hart was running for president in the 80's, he kept saying he was the candidate with "new ideas". When people were interviewed about why they liked him, they often couldn't name anything specific he was promoting, but they could parrot "new ideas" like crazy. Hart had managed his own self-labeling very effectively. (That was, of course, before the media tagged him with another label: "adulterer").

News stories about Ken Starr often mentioned what a moral and upstanding character he had, even in contrast to all of the plain evidence about what kind of a person he really was. The reason? Starr himself kept talking about what a moral and ethical person he was.

Bush (via Rove) is the king of the self-label. He had Americans talking about "compassionate conservatives" (whatever those mythical beasts are) almost as much as "reformer with results". Brawwk! Squaak! Whistle. And in those interviews with "undecided" voters, those words came pouring out of their mouths like they were tape recorders.

It isn't fair, right, or even good that a person can create his own image in this way. In a better world, the media would do their own research and examine you and convey a summary about you themselves, maybe without even using a label.

But Dean understands the game and is taking control of his "media avatar" (the idea-construct that the media will actually write about, which is different than Dean himself) as well as anyone I've seen lately, and certainly much better than most Democrats I've seen in a long time.

[AnnabelLee]

1. I think you are right

that in general, people can self-label themselves. I've noticed this repeatedly in my own life, & I always wonder why others so blithely accept what a person says about him/herself. When I hear a person self-labeling, it makes me suspicious. Having said that, Dean is exactly right to do so--if he doesn't put another meme out, the press will go with what the neocons say about Dean.

[ProfessorPlum]

3. It makes me suspicious, too

that's why I feel uncomfortable when I hear Dean do it. But it really is a smart move overall.

I don't want to disparage my fellow DUers, but I've noticed them repeating his self-labels a lot. People will say "Dean really says what he thinks", etc. I have that same impression, too, but is it because he planted it there in my head, or is it an actual impression based on what I've seen from him, my emotional reaction to his presentation, etc.? We'll never know the whole truth, but I'm glad that a Democrat shows such awareness of how the press works (and works against people).

[Cha]

2. "Presstiutes"! Perfect! And they Are Lazy as all

Hell!

And I've been saying this.. that they label Dean at their own risk.


It's very Important to self Label! Don't leave it up to the corporate media who don't investigate and only know bottom lines and bottom feeding.