How will the media spin Dean's Non-First Place finish?

[stopbush]

First off, congrats to both Kerry and Edwards for their impressive showing. Frankly, I'm surprised at Kerry, not so much with Edwards. And, if the results hold up, I'm surprised at Dean's relatively poor showing. I really thought his money and organization would have had him in at least second place behind Edwards.

That said, I would resist the media's attempts to paint this as an "it's all over for Dean (Lieberman, Clark)" scenario. I've been voting Dem since 1972, and I've seen a lot happen during primaries in my day.

Anyway, to my topic:

The media built up the expectations for Dean, and they will now get busy tearing down what his campaign "stood for." Here's a few things I fully expect the media/WH/talk radio junta to float quite soon:

1. Anger doesn't work - and Dean was most angry at bush. Message to other Dems - don't be mad at bush, it doesn't work.

2. Grassroots doesn't work: Dean's campaign was based on the Internet and grassroots. It didn't work...just like the tech bubble burst (Russet...er..Russert will be all over this one), the Internet political bubble is meaningless.

3. New/young voters don't matter: Dean trumpeted all the young people he was involving, yet he finished third. What's that tell the young people?

4. Money matters...but it's better if it's your own money - despite Dean's impressive $80-at-a-time fund-raising and a $20-million war chest, you're still better off if you're sitting on a fortune that you can utilize to your advantage (Kerry).

5. Big-name Dem endorsements don't matter and may hurt - neither Carter, Gore, the Hollywood types and all the other politicos could deliver Iowa to Dean. Message from the media will be - endorsements from famous Dems hurts Dem pres candidates.

6. The Dem "establishment" won - they didn't want Dean, and Dean didn't win Iowa. Message from media will be - forget any idea of a "new kind of Dem candidate," it's all inside politics.

7. Anti-war message is a loser - anti-war guys didn't do so hot, IWR supporters did OK.

Any thoughts?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

1. now that they got the insider vote at the caucus against him

they'll spin it as hard as possible to try to kill his chances with the people in new hampshire

[Jackson Smith]

2. Um, Kerry and Edwards BOTH beat Dean with 1st time voters.

[stopbush]

3. That's encouraging, and I hope it's true, but

that won't stop the media from bashing Dean per my point above. The media works for the RNC, and they need to depress voter turnout in November in any way possible. Just because they'll tear down Dean on a point doesn't mean that they'll concede the point to a different candidate.

BTW, IMHO, Edwards has a chance of capturing that young vote along the lines of Dean's organization.

[patricia92243]

4. Item 6 is correct - establishment wins - bah, humbug

[KoKo]

5. No, I think you hit the nail on that one. I might ad that Dems are "worn

out" and maybe they feel they won't have to work so hard with Kerry as the nominee. Folks in Iowa instinctively smelled that Dean was being hit with the same garbage that Gore was, and they shyed away. Kerry and Theresa are powerfully connected with the "Establishment." They look as strong and powerful as Bush. They don't care about the War, they care about jobs and getting keeping their lives together. Dean may have just looked like he couldn't promise that.

To those of us who violently opposed the "Iraq Invasion," know that Eleciton 2000 was stolen, dislike the DLC and blame it and the media for the hell we here on DU have been living through, it's tough. But, that's the breaks. We will have to see what happens with Kerry and Edwards. It may not be so rosy as it looks tonight. And, we shouldn't give up fighting for what we believe either.

[polpilot]

6. Dem establishment won. Kucinich goes 'pro-war' Edwards to stop Dean.

Kucinich supporters need to watch and re-watch Edwards pro-war speech and the reaction to it of democrats at the California democratic meeting last spring. Watch and re-watch and ask yourself what the hell is going on.

Dean '04...

[Paragon]

7. Plenty of ideas in GDprimary

...if they can't come up with their own (which is terrificly unlikely).

[shoopnyc123]

8. Yes...

the spin will be ugly...but keep the baby faith baby! The media will not cow us into anything else...

[stopbush]

9. Point #5 NOW being floated on CNN by Judy, wolfie and Greenbucks

less than an hour after my post.

[edzontar]

10. All of the above

Anything they and their pals in the Dem-Lite establishemnt can do to stop him, and us, they will do.

We have met the enemy in the snows of Iowa.

And they are the corporate media whores.