Republican negative attacks work, because they own the corporate media

[Zinfandel]

And their negative attacks will continue to work.

As the republicans and the media (one In the same) warn and criticize democrats that going negative doesn't work and will hurt the democrats at the polls.

The stupid, spineless democrats believe this shit, back off and play "nice, nice" then promptly get their ass kicked by the republicans lies, smears and distortions, while the republicans laugh at the stupid, spineless, accommodating democrats.

A front-page story in the Washington Post marveled at how effective the Swift boat smears were against John Kerry for the bargain price of $546,000. Columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. observes that “the sheer negative genius of the Bush campaign is worthy of close study.”

So, even when the Democrats can roughly match the Republicans in election fundraising – as occurred in 2004 with each side spending about $1 billion – the Republicans have a huge, built-in advantage because the conservative media reinforces their messages. This infrastructure also works between elections – day-in-day-out, year-in-year-out – to keep the Republican base engaged and the Democrats on the defensive.

"From Rush Limbaugh and his many imitators on AM talk radio to the scores of right-wing commentators filling TV seats and Op-Ed columns, to Internet bloggers and Fox News, the conservative media has successfully pitched its own narrative of history. That storyline portrays liberals as a shadowy conspiracy of traitors who use their secretive influence, especially over culture, to undermine the United States.

Liberals get blamed for nearly everything that’s wrong in the world; conservatives – despite their dominance of the U.S. government – are the victims. For their part, liberals have done little to build a counter-media that can challenge this portrayal."

http://consortiumnews.com/2004/010505.html

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. ...

[Kolesar]

2. The details

Robert Parry does not describe the details of the gop media conquest. They bought the mainstream media, notably General Electric bought NBC broadcasting. The gop also formed an alternative press which was Rev. Moon's Washington Times and the whole right wing radio endeavor.

[LaPera]

5. The corporations will always have the money and monetary goal

to increase profits, to ensure and blanket all opinion with their media dominance. By investing huge amounts of capital in the media it keeps opposition from getting a foot in the door and assures profit. (With a lot of help from the republican run FCC).

There is no profit in fighting for environmental causes, civil liberties and other social concerns, but there is for the opposition, so it becomes a long term investment for the corporate republicans to control public opinion and to control the silence of anyone pointing out the ruling class exploitation in order to continue to reap those profits.

[Robbien]

3. Which is also the reason for many things

GOPers say they are the majority opinion. No contrary voice in the so called liberal media says otherwise. Thus GOPers statement stands.

GOPers say Bush is a popular and compassionate president. No contrary voice in the so called liberal media says otherwise. Thus GOPers statement stands.

GOPers say ___________(fill in the blanks). Thus GOPers statement stands.

[papau]

4. All very true - but the solution is to buy a media outlet - in addition

to building a network.

IE America - the union network - is gone

I wish they had a flagship radio broadcast station or major media city paper like the Wash Times to get out their view - because now they must kiss ass to the GOP to get a PR release published.

Indeed we all are in that position.

Bias via spin and bias via selection of stories to publish are obvious in the fact that the nationwide media said nothing about the Conyers hearings or what they discovered.

[LaPera]

16. Very difficult to do, when the right-wing will outbid and stiffle attempts

by democrats to get back into the media ballgame.

They know that's their hold on power.

[txaslftist]

6. Too friggin' true...

but liberals are really trying to get heard. At my office I have to travel on the road for several hours across the plains of Texas. All I can get is RW radio on am. I have a co-worker with SIRIUS, and we exchange it so that we can listen to Air America.

[Dr Fate]

7. No they are not trying to get heard.

Kerry & Edwards could have demanded live, unedited interviews every single night, persoanlly refuting the smears and countering them w/ his own questions about Ws lack of service.

You cant tell me that even Fox would not have granted these requests.

[Dr Fate]

8. I'm not buying it. Kerry, Hillary, Kennedy, Edwards could be on TV nightly

...If they demanded live, unedited interviews and dropped "bombshells" in every one- especially true during the election.

Sure, the GOP owns the media, but even FOX would have had to grant live interviews of Kerry & Edwards if they were willing to do them.

And dont give that- "But they would have been unfair in thier questions" excuse. Wes Clark nor Howard Dean seems to have that problem in answering "unfair" questions...

[Robbien]

9. You haven't watched some of the press conferences on CSpan

where Democratic leaders announced very damning evidence. The press showed up and took notes, but nothing was reported in so called mainstream liberal media.

How many of Kerry's stump speeches were aired? I can tell you, one and a few minutes of a couple others. How many Bush stump speeches were aired? It would be easier to count how many were not on the nightly news.

[Dr Fate]

11. Thats b/c they refused to use "hot" words- like "Liar" or "criminal"

...words that the GOP were not afraid to use against Clinton DAILY, true or not- even top name Repubs. If they had used those words, you can bet it would have gotten play.

And who the hell watches CSPAN anyway???? Dont DEM "strategist" know they have to get on "regular" TV????? Hell, even I know that.

Who was stopping top household name DEMS from going on TV everyday and using "hot" words like Repubs did w/ "flip-flopper?" I saw DEMS on TV every night, and they never once used the strong, effective language that Republcians are unafraid to use against us.

And I'm talking about interviews, not CSPAN press conferences or repetitive stump speeches.

Remember when Kerry "accidently" called Bush a liar when he thought the mic was off? The GOP/media FREAKED out and defensivly talked about it for days.

Of course, top Republicans banded together and had a press conference and asked "What lies did we tell?" Of course, Kerry backed down instead of listing them and continuing the talking point, just like the Repubs knew he would.

[sampsonblk]

10. Not. Our responses are too dm WEAK

That's the problem. If our side mounted a real, coordinated counterattack, it would yield immediate results. But we have too damn many people who are afraid to alientate voters by telling them the truth and sticking to it. Hence, invading Iraq was an "intelligence failure" instead of a lie, and Abu Ghraib was a "few bad soldiers" instead of a war crime that goes right back to the White House.

[Kurovski]

12. Everthing on the TEEVEE is true!

It's that damn INTERNET that ya gotta be careful of!

[Zinfandel]

14. That's what MSM tells us...

:smoke:

[depakid]

13. I'm not buying this either

I didn't during the campaign while I watched the Kerry camp cave in to these assholes and their lies without fighting back.

"No bush bashing" was the STUPID mantra enforced at the convention- and play rope a dope was the theme for 3-4 weeks afterwards.

That's why the Republican attacks worked- because Kerry (and loads of other Dems as well) let themselves get put on the defensive.

Over and over- these fools never seem to learn.

[NVMojo]

15. according to Blackwell, they use it to "define" their opponents ...

which means "ala KKKarl Rove".