How much of the "Dems don't want Dean" schtick is being

[janx]

pushed/manufactured by

1. The media, because they live to create sensation; and/or
2. Republicans, because they want Dean gone and want to create doubt?

Think of the sources of this information. Edwards was cornered by a reporter who gave him an out-of-context quote. Obama's comment came from a right-wing news source (Moonie Times?). Biden's comments were there for all to see. Pelosi's comments were chopped and edited.

So far, the sources with the greatest emphasis on portraying congressional Dems as being unhappy with Dean have been the American Spectator, Rush Limbaugh, the Moonie Times, Faux News, and the vice president.

These "news" sources all blend together, journalists don't check facts, sources, and complete quotes, and the whole thing begins to run together. Take, for instance, this recent piece from CNN/Time.com that uses as a premise the fact that "Practically every nationally known Democrat from House minority leader Nancy Pelosi to 2004 vice-presidential nominee John Edwards seemed to be distancing themselves from Dean and his incendiary comments -- asserting that many Republicans 'never made an honest living in their lives' and that the G.O.P. is 'pretty much a white, Christian party.'"

Practically every nationally known Democrat?

My favorite recent "news" source on this topic is something called Chron Watch, a right-wing propaganda tool that asserts a conspiracy on the part of the Democratic Party, and which, predictably, eliminates any reference to sources. It is written by a self-described satirist--but who is going to check? And how is it more satirical than the CNN/Time article's assertion that "practically all nationally known Democrats" have distanced themselves from Howard Dean?

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=15112

WASHINGTON, DC --- An official Democratic memo released anonymously to the media today showed that the recent Howard Dean crazy attacks on the GOP were purposely staged. The outbursts allowed other Democrats to attack him as being too radical and to show some kind of victory for a Democrat over an opponent. Any opponent.

The Memo:

"It has become quite frustrating to continually lose elections and support. We believe that the American public views us as too liberal and radical. This might be true, but we desperately need to change the perception. Howard Dean has agreed to be our fall guy on this. He will take the usual Democrat stand on issues, and other major Democrats will attack him publicly as being too mean and radical. This will give the impression that some of our Democrats are to the right of Dean and allow them to compare favorable in the eyes of the public. It also has the added benefit of allowing a Democrat to beat up on someone and appear to win. Even if this win is against another Democrat, the perception of us winning is a HUGE improvement.

PS - Please don't tell Senator Patrick Leahy about this memo. He will leak it to the press, even if by accident."

Democrats were embarrassed by the leak. "I think Ted Kennedy might have accidentally forwarded this memo to Senator Leahy in a drunken stupor," said a Democrat insider. "This doesn't look good for us. I really think the ruse was working before the memo was leaked."

We should start keeping track of this stuff. The media crave sensation. The Republicans want Dean gone. So before we start parsing the words of our fellow Democrats, maybe we ought to pay more attention to what the media are saying and where they get their "facts," eh?

[Trajan]

1. Obvious Lie ....

This cite:

"Democrats were embarrassed by the leak. "I think Ted Kennedy might have accidentally forwarded this memo to Senator Leahy in a drunken stupor," said a Democrat insider. "This doesn't look good for us. I really think the ruse was working before the memo was leaked.""

Um .. Teddy doesnt drink anymore ... He hasnt in a decade ....

[janx]

4. Right. It's very bad satire. But it's amazing how many people

will read it and believe it in some sense, even if they know it's supposed to be satire.

[rwenos]

2. It's the Pubs

He's a lightning rod. He's popular with the young -- who Georgie thinks he can convert to his SS plan (pun intended).

He's tough. They fear that above all else.

When Pubs are laughing and ridiculing, they're scared.

Dean is scaring them now. He's got backbone, and people sense it.

[theboss]

3. Dean is his own worst enemy

I just don't think he's a very good politician who can't get his message out without clarifying it later.

[Guaranteed]

6. Hello? That memo is a FRAUD.

It's not real.

:applause:

[theboss]

7. What memo?

I am just speaking generally.

Dean - in general - is not a good politician and is his own worst enemy.

[Guaranteed]

11. Good politics is going with the flow.

I understand.

[theboss]

14. No, it's being able to speak without clarifying yourself

If Dean could get through one public appearance without having to say, "what i meant...." later, it would be a glorious day.

[Guaranteed]

16. That can be done to any politician.

Such is the English language.

The media WANTS to misconstrue what he says. They split what he says into four-word sentences and the like.

"the white Christian party"- short enough for ya? Do you realize that there were about 100 other words surrounding those four? How in the hell do you expect him to say anything if any of his four words at a time get turned into suddenly OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENTS!!! WHOOHOHHOHOOOHOHOOOHOOO!! THAT HOWARD DEAN!!! YEAAAAHHH!

[DemInDistress]

10. boss I disagree.

Should Tom DeLay go to prison, of course..are their crooks and liars in the Whitehouse,most definitely..so I ask what's the beef with Howard Dean??

[theboss]

15. He's not good at politics

His act may have worked in Vermont; apparently it's the only place he can win. But he took his little show on the road last year and got laughed out of every other state. Now, he's trying again...and he's apparently less on message now than last year.

Rule #1 for a Politician: When you speak, get it right the first time. This "I didn't mean all Republicans" stuff is so small-time.

[Guaranteed]

17. He's a goddamned GENIUS.

He is seemingly the ONLY one who gets that we have to beat the Repukes at their own game- leadership. And he's trying.

Then we get people like you talking shit and undercutting what he's saying. Thanks a lot for undermining everything.

Hope you feel real important!

:yourock:

[Patchuli]

19. That's interesting,

because I knew he referred to Republican leadership in the comment of hating Repubs. I think someone who wanted to start a fight about what Dean meant can twist it around but those of us who are awake, will 'get it.'

[DemInDistress]

21. hey boss..

Dean has the repukes in an uproar..I say good for Dean hope he causes chimp and cheney sleepless nights..as for myself I say Dean should be more critical of the theives and liars inside the Whitehouse.
BUsh last year classified 15,000,000 documents that tops the previous year for classifying records..What's bush afraid of? Hope Dean raises more hell

[bunny planet]

39. Guess that's why the Republicans poured a cool million into ads against

Dean in Iowa during the primaries. They didn't spend that kind of cash smearing anybody else at that stage of the game. Why not. They are scared of Dean. He speaks the truth and calls them on their lies.

When the Republicans stop telling lies about the Democrats, we'll stop telling the truth about them.
Adlai Stevenson


You go Dr. Dean.

[Guaranteed]

5. My God. The extent of their lies is just amazing.

To think that they would actually put forth a memo like that as a Democratic memo....

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. But we have to counter. We have to get down as deep as they do.

[janx]

8. Well, technically they get around it by calling it satire.

But the effect is the same. A month from now some freeper won't even remember that it was supposed to be satire and will spit out the conspiracy theory.

[Guaranteed]

9. Yeah, but Rush was treating it like it was real.

That Dean was saying these things in ORDER to sound crazy, so that Hillary and Biden would sound so sane!

Yes! Because THAT'S what we want.

[janx]

12. And Cheney so slyly stated (on Faux News)

that an unnamed Democrat had candidly told him about frustrations with Dean.

They're all doing it.

[Guaranteed]

18. Seems to me that any Democrat that is telling Cheney these kinds of

secrets isn't much of a Democrat.

Hell...well, nevermind.

[barbaraann]

22. Exactly!

And I just heard Cheney say on a c-span rerun that he knew a couple of Democrats who wished the party had picked someone else to be Chair.

Cheney is lying. The GOP is trying to undermine Dean because they are afraid of him.

[Tesha]

35. Well yeah! They wish the DNC had picked them!

(It's not a lie; it's just a truth told in such a way as to "leave
the wrong impression" among the gullible.)

Tesha

[Clark2008]

28. Even if that's true, it backfired on Biden

Biden, Edwards, Richardson, et al got in hot water with their base for air alleged Democratic dirty laundry with regards to Dean.

[leesa]

13. It's cover for DSM and the disasterous economy and Iraq

[paulk]

20. the "Dems don't want Dean" schtick

is being pushed mostly by overzealous Dean supporters, who are, once again, overreacting.

Maybe it's not a conspiracy. Maybe, just maybe, Dean siad something kinda stupid - and other Democrats responded to it.

It's time to move on.

[janx]

23. It's not a conspiracy.

It's politics.

[JNelson6563]

24. Heh, I'm countering with my sig line

:-)

[bklyncowgirl]

25. GOP and corporate media are down on Dean for good reasons

First of all, it's in the Republicans interest to create a wedge to drive the Democrats apart.

That's not a hard thing to do. Dean got the chairmanship over the objections of DC Democrats who were unable to put aside their differences to unite around a consensus alternative. It's not surprising that some of these politicians are none too thrilled with Dean.

Of course if the DC Democrats had been doing such a great job, Kerry would be in the White House, we'd have a majority at least in the Senate and Dean would probably be getting ready to run for Jefford's senate seat. The fact is that they've screwed up for years and are now suprised that even the usually compliant state party leaders are thumbing thier noses at them.

Secondly, the corporate media has an interest in this too. The last thing they, or the corporations that control them want to see, is the sort of populist resurgence that could be one of the outcomes of a successful Democratic Party revival led by a guy who once talked about breaking up the media empires. I'm not saying Dean's a wild eyed radical--he isn't--but in our watered down political culture a guy like him comes off like Che Guevara compared to his peers in the Democratic Party.

So it's dump on Howard Dean time. Parse and edit every phrase and catch the guy saying something crazy. The only thing is that Dean is onto the game and now with Dick Cheney badmouthing Dean's mother--it's pretty clear who's going over the top now.

[sendero]

29. You got it...

.... and still there are those here who criticize him because "he should have been more careful in what he said".

I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear that nonsense. It's time to break some eggs folks, if not now, when?

[JNelson6563]

26. Fools and frauds

There are tons of 'em. some are in Washington, doing what harm they can while some (thankfully) are content to sit in their own poop and cry here on DU and other Dem sites--where they do little to no harm.

Julie

[Pepperbelly]

27. satire ...

-snip-

About the Writer: Jeremy Robb is a San Francisco resident and satirist who notes that he is on a "one man's jihad against liberalism." He is the editor of the "Jerhad!com Newsletter".

Stupid, sophomoric satire but satire nonetheless.

[Vickers]

30. Simple...they are scared of Dean. I mean, look at Dick's "momma"

comment, possibly one of the stupidest things ever said by an American politician (well, at least since he told Sen. Leahy "Go fuck yourself" on the Senate floor, but I digress...).

Look, if even the VP is resorting to schoolyard bullshit to denigrate Dean, you KNOW Dean is doing something right. If they REALLY thought he was bad for the party, they would shut their pieholes and let it self-destruct.

[OneTwentyoNine]

31. SCARED out of their WITS about Dean and his ability to raise money....

They saw it first hand with the bat and the ability for the millions to flow in $20.00 at a time.

Outspoken and the ability to raise huge sums of money. Repukes liked Terry,he mainly cared about looking top notch,a good haircut and created very few waves.

[bklyncowgirl]

36. It's not just money

It's money from sources that don't support the corporate agenda.

They're perfectly OK with corporations purchasing politicians. It's when the ordinary people who are dissatisfied with the way things are going get involved that the boat gets rocked and these people get very very nervous.

That's the game that's being played here.

[blm]

32. No kidding. They intentionally misquoted Dean to other Dems for comment.

They CREATED this story. Even Biden wasn't given proper context when he commented.

Any of us would say that Dean shouldn't attack all Republicans as people who never worked, if that was what we were told he said.

[KittyWampus]

33. Janx, 99.9% Is Mediawhores & GOP. That's Why This Past Week Got Me

so pissed off.

DU'ers take the bait too readily.

Any freaking excuse to trash elected Democrats.

Their statements were quoted selectively and manipulated. They weren't even that much of a "rebuke". And yet DU'ers insisted on over reacting.

Even though this Kennedy memo isn't true, I still feel vindicated.

[janx]

37. Exactly!

And I don't say this as one with a Deaniac history; I have a very hard time believing that John Edwards or Barack Obama would intentionally criticize the party chair any more than they would have criticized John Kerry when he was running for president.

I just don't buy it, I see the tactics on the part of reporters, and I see the relentless repetition from the right wing.

We are living in some very bizarre political times.

[Tesha]

34. Umm, all of it?

> How much of the "Dems don't want Dean" schtick is being" pushed/
> manufactured by
>
> 1. The media, because they live to create sensation; and/or
> 2. Republicans, because they want Dean gone and want to create doubt?

Umm, all of it?

Well, except for a teeny bit that's being supported by some DINOs
who think it'll help them get the 2008 Democratic Presidential
nomination.

Tesha

[brentspeak]

38. The GOP actually WANTS Dean to be DNC head:

(from the Freeper website)

To: marblehead17

We need to convince the dems he is exactly what is needed to defeat the right.

3 posted on 06/07/2005 5:54:23 PM PDT by handy old one
............................................................
To: handy old one

So far, Dean has been the best thing for us.

4 posted on 06/07/2005 5:55:24 PM PDT by marblehead17
.............................................................
So glad the libs are blessed with this horse's butt.

5 posted on 06/07/2005 5:09:56 PM PDT by anniegetyourgun
...........................................................
To: anniegetyourgun
Oh, me too. But I wonder... how long before complete knee-biters like Daily Kos, DU, etc. are claiming Dean is actually a Karl Rove plant?
.................................................................
To: anniegetyourgun
So glad the libs are blessed with this horse's butt.

I think it is the GOP who is blessed.

But let's not tell the dims.
8 posted on 06/07/2005 5:14:39 PM PDT by South40
...................................................................
To: infoguy

Let's be nice to Dr.Dean. He's on our side he just doesn't know it.

13 posted on 06/07/2005 5:40:26 PM PDT by rodguy911
To: infoguy
..................................................................
Keep it up, Dean.

14 posted on 06/07/2005 5:41:16 PM PDT by Saundra Duffy
To: worldclass
...............................................................
God bless Howard Dean. He's doing to the Dems what our GOP leadership could only dream of possibly inflicting on them.

7 posted on 06/07/2005 8:15:03 AM PDT by TBarnett34
..................................................................
To: TBarnett34
It is my fervent hope that Howard Dean stays at the DNC helm for as long as possible. We couldn't ASK for a better Republican recruiting tool.

Thanks, Howie!!
13 posted on 06/07/2005 8:24:47 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic

[Beacho]

40. I don't care what some ditto monkeys say

They also believe that Saddam had something to do with 911 and that repubs have their best interests in mind.

I don't take my cues from Freetards