Katie Couric shows her true colors on Today Show this morning

[NYC Liberal]

Katie and Tim Russert were talking about DeLay's indictment and Russert was saying that it was a blow to the Republicans and how it could help Dems.

So what does Katie say? "But Tim, we've seen in the past how Democrats have been ineffective spreading their message..."

I turned it off right there. I don't know why I watch it.

[Kire]

1. she's right

dems are ineffective at spreading their message

she's just the messenger

[still_one]

3. but perhaps it is the medium that won't RELAY THE MESSAGE

[NYC Liberal]

12. Exactly. While Dems share some blame, the "media" has

been shilling for this admin. from day 1. It's kind of hard to let your message be heard if nobody's covering it.

[Montauk6]

59. While true,that's a partial crutch though...

Dems have to refrain from ever being defensive again, and not only get tougher with the right but with the media that plays along.

Remember how Bush Sr. jumped down Dan Rather's throat when he was interviewed on CBS News during the '88 Campaign? Like it or not, it was brilliant politics albeit cutthroat.

Why not be "obnoxious" when dealing with the MSM, especially at this point? Next time any Dem goes on with Aaron Brown or Chris Matthews or Wolf Blitzer, just, as protocol, start with something like, "I'll get to that question in a moment but, first, I really think you need to explain to your audience why you're such a cheerleader for these scoundrels. Mind telling us what that's all about?"

Of course, that'll NEVER happen but we all have to dream sometimes.

[Uncle Joe]

25. I agree, this is the same corpwhorate owned MSM

that averages almost fifteen minutes of commercials in a thirty minute "news" broadcast and then seven minutes of the remaining fifteen telling about runaway brides, missing pretty white women, some celebrities troubled marriage or Kate Moss's drug story all while Iraq, Bush on vacation while the Gulf Coast is turned in to a wasteland, the corruption of Frist and indictment of Delay are taking place and they then have the nerve to say this is all the American People care about. Whoever came out with that old saying about "don't kill the messenger" obviously did not know our corpwhorate owned MSM that poses as American Journalism.

[UnityDem]

27. ding, ding, ding

we have a winner!

[still_one]

42. Hello Randi

[Justice]

53. Bingo - That is The Real Truth

notice they never actually talk about the message just whether or not the Dems can get the message out.

[Sparkman]

62. Pre Iraq 2003, 300+ pro-war pundit/military interviews, !! 3 !! anti-war.

The CORORATE media is indeed prostituting our democracy that requires TIMELY AND ACCURATE information & news, which leaves the U.S.A. as another non-democracy fraud. The Repukes say we don't want a democracy, but a republican government in which our "elected" aparatchiks take the reins and do as they f*ing please and with MSM cooperation are unaccountable until it's too late. imo

[blm]

7. She's right because she's one of those who makes certain the Dems

and their issues get short shrift from the broadcast media, and she should know. Along with her buddies Russert and Matthews.

[swimmernsecretsea]

19. Much as I hate the 'pubs, I can't overlook the flaws in the Dems.

I've gotta be honest here. My party has just dropped the ball over and over. It's why I was so happy that Howard Dean grew a pair, took over leadership, and has let fly with a few honest but hard remarks.

[okieinpain]

55. Yep, have to agree. if the shoe was on the other foot. the repugs

would be pounding this shit into the ground. remember repeating it over and over informs the sheeple. has anyone seen anything like that from dems.

[formernaderite]

61. she put it plainly

why are some of us so offended by the truth? Considering who Katies sister was, may she rest in peace, there's no doubt that Katies's one of the good people.

[Connie_Corleone]

2. Unfortunately, she's right.

[goodhue]

4. and what colors are those?

sounds like a democrat to me

[NYC Liberal]

11. Red. Did you see her on inaguration day?

Donned head to toe with Bush paraphernalia and had little stuffed elephants in front of her.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[win_in_06]

39. I would like to see a picture of that.

[dkofos]

69. Me too

Sounds like one for the dart board!!!

[ClintonTyree]

5. Is she wrong?

:shrug: Pray tell, what is the Democratic message? Do we have a message that's coherent and united or is it splintered and rambling? I've been looking for it for quite some time now. Let me know when you find it and send me a PM, I'd be interested in seeing what it is.

[daydreamer]

14. Justice and Common Sense

That's the Democratic message.

[MsUnderstood]

24. Those values are just as vague as

the "Democracy and Moral values" of the republlicans.

We need words that stand for more than "insert sound bite here"

[daydreamer]

66. That's why they won

They have better propaganda techniques. Vague is good in politics.

[Cha]

30. I find when I hear Dean

speaking or read the transcripts I get the Democratic message Loud and Clear..

This is a transcript of ted koppel and Dean last night..

Snip~
"Dean: Well, I don’t think it helps the country at all—that’s the big issue. I mean, in times like these you kind of wince. This is not good for America. We’ve had some terrible blows: we’ve had the President’s blunders in Iraq, we’ve had the disaster Katrina which embarrassed us in front of the whole world, and now the whole world again gets to see the leadership in both the White House and the House and the Senate be indicted or investigated or arrested for corruption. It’s not a great time for America. I think Americans are sick of this. And I can tell you one thing; when we get back in power, which I believe is going to be in 2006 in the congressional, we’re going to have some ethics reform in Washington. We’re going to get tough, and we’re going to get tough on everybody, not just Republicans. Enough of this in Washington! We ought to have substantial ethics reforms in Congress and to get serious about this."



More..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2123180

I agree that the Dems in the beltway are splintered like wood scrap.

Especially with this roberts vote..that's because we have more than a few dinos. Like a DUer said.."The dems take turns being dinos.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Katie is true blue.

She's only echoing the frustration that's felt by many of us. She's probably frustrated herself. Alot of the right-wing sheep-wives watch her show and get angry if she gets political. They just want Katie to be representations of themselves.

[earth mom]

31. You must mean "true red".

Katie is a rethug-no doubt about that.

[The Backlash Cometh]

41. Katie is Democratic.

You know that right-wing kind of mother that lives around her church for just about everything? Well that kind of person watches Katie Couric and some of those people are my friends. And they always bitch that Katie is too liberal and shouldn't voice her opinions.

[earth mom]

56. She isn't liberal enough for me, I guess then.

She was nasty to MIchael Moore last time she interviewed him and has said several smarmy comments that didn't sit well with me. :shrug:

[The Backlash Cometh]

60. I feel for Katie on this one.

Katie does have appeal to the right-wing church goers because they think she looks as wholesome as they do. They'll listen to Katie because of it, but they won't listen to people like Moore.

People like Michael Moore make it very difficult for liberals or centrist who are trying to keep open channels with the right. Michael Moore is blatantly partisan and he doesn't try to hide it. You have to understand that in some circles, all you have to do is call yourself a Democrat and it shuts people off because they assume everything that comes out of your mouth is propaganda. Michael Moore has taken this to a belligerent level. I've even had non-political minded people tell me that they don't take Moore seriously because he admits to be completely partisan. So his movies are make-believe to them.

I bet Katie understand this nuance. Moore's making a loot (that was originally a misspelling for a lot, but I decided to keep it in) of money, but his audience is definitely left wing. He isn't really trying to convert anyone. And if he thinks he is, well, then he isn't as bright as he thinks he is.

I did buy his book when I was sure the Republicans were the wrong answer - but knew something was wrong about the Democrats, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Reading Moore, I came away understanding his anger and his point of view. I figure that's because my POV is more similar to those of Democrats than it is to Republicans. However, I never finished Moore's book because it lacked the one thing that I require when I'm reading a book which is written to persuade people. Good footnotes, good research.

Moore had obtained some juicy bits of information and was the first one out there to write about it, but then he shot himelf in the foot by allowing his partisanship to be part of the story as well.

[soleft]

8. I wonder if her sister was ineffective?

[GCP]

9. Katie was completely correct

The dems are acting as if there's no leadership, no message.
Imagine if a democratic house leader had been indicted - the repukes would be all over it like white on rice. :grr:

[madaboutharry]

10. Election 2000

I remember watching NBC the night the Supreme Court picked Bush as president. She looked very depressed and seemed like she was about to cry. I am not so sure about her true colors.

[NYC Liberal]

16. On inauguration day this year, she was covered in Bush

gear. Pins...stickers...a Bush hat...little stuffed elephants. Really.

[snowbear]

21. Oh bullhockey..... show us some pictures!

Matt Lauer maybe... Katie will ReTHUG Paraphernalia on???!!??? :wow:

I don't believe that for one minute.

[NYC Liberal]

32. Sorry I can't search for the original thread

But I posted it on Jan. 20th (in the Lounge I believe). It's true. Head to toe with Bushista crap.

[onenote]

54. Here's the link you referred to -- but still unpersuasive

And here's the link
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2469236

Unfortunately, there is no photo and no other poster in the thread confirms the description. As a result, assuming that she did put on all that crap (and I'll assume that is the case), there is no context. For example, if she was doing it to illustrate all the bush stuff that was being sold/worn during the inauguration, it would say abolutely nothing about her own political inclinations.

Consider me unpersuaded.

onenote

[Beetwasher]

13. Heh? Or Are The Media Whores Innefective in REPORTING The Dems Mssg?

The Dems can shout from the rooftops, but if whores like Couric only repeat Repub talking points and frames, how is it the Dems fault? I'm not saying Dems don't have their problems, but it's NOT solely the Dems fault. Of course, the Dems being "ineffective" is yet another Repub talking point/frame she's propogating instead of reporting the actual Dem message.

[blm]

43. BINGO.....she's pushing the GOP propaganda every time she attacks the Dems

No media will ever point a finger at themselves for catapulting the propaganda that Rove feeds them.

No...it's always the Dems fault. As if the Dems control the networks' bookings and production offices the way the GOP does.

Does anyone think Jack Welch hired a Democrat to produce Hardball or the NBC news?

[Lorien]

57. Tell me of a Democrat talking point/ frame

oh, that's right-WE DON'T HAVE ANY, and therein lies the problem imho.

Framing the issues and creating talking points may seem contrived and somehow underhanded, but the technique works with modern Americans because we're accustomed to a consumer driven society where advertising (themes and sound bites) play a huge role in our daily lives. Democrats need to organize and take on their own Rove, otherwise little will change. In this case it's as much our fault as the media's.

[Debi]

15. I thought Lauer's intro was even more telling...

"Or are the Democrats just piling it on?"

WTF?

Like we made all their criminal deeds up and are whispering about them in the little girls room.

If they don't want to be accused of breaking the law they shouldn't break the law!

Oh, I forgot, Bill Clinton has a penis. :eyes:

[xchrom]

17. while she is a member of that extremist organization

known as the MSM -- she's right about her observation.

then again -- maybe the dem message is too intelligent to boil down to --

hate government

hate taxes

hate gays

hate women

LOVE guns

LOVE giving tax payer money to corporations

LOVE ripping off native people

LOVE war profits before america's best interests

etc..

[Sparkman]

63. love deregulating+18yr old cannon fodder+hobbling consumer protection...

love corporate funding state initiatives/special elections
love killing living wage protection
love developing wetlands, old growth forests by corporate interests
love death penalty dispite the appauling exonerations on death row
hate U.S. worker's job security for corp. profit
hate immigrants' rights, while protecting illegal hiring
hate public schools
hate affordable college tuitions
hate teacher salary pairity with corporate wages
hate worker salary equity with management (300:1 ratio & climbing)
hate informed electorate (most secrative WH in history)
NEXT anyone?

[Imagevision]

18. Katie's right on the money, It's Lauer thats the repig...!

[snowbear]

20. Good grief...

Who cares if Katie is relaying good advise that our party sorely needs to hear right now?

Sometimes the truth is hard to take. :shrug:

Like Katie's late sister, a Democratic politician from Virginia (Emily Couric) Katie is despised by the Republican party.. They hate her with a passion!! :rofl: And why not, she probably hates them too!

We all want our party to kick it up a notch right now! :kick:

Go Katie!

[NYC Liberal]

35. If she was a Dem --

then she'd do well not to go around talking about how the party is weak on national TV. The best way to make that situation worse is to go around talking about it for everyone to hear.

Do you hear Republicans going around saying on TV "Our party is having a lot of problems right now...lots of infighting and our approval ratings are way down"?

No, the only reason to make those kinds of comments is to make the Dems appear weak (whether they are or not).

[holeinthedonut]

22. It ain't the media's fault...

that the libs can't get thier message out as effectively as the Pukes. The media is nothing but a pipeline with only minimal (but notable ie. Fox) control over what goes into the pipe and only a little more over what comes out of the pipe.

If we want the media, we have to take it just like the pukes have done. Stop blaming the media, take the initiative, spin your own messages (if you can figure out a consistant one)and move on.

The pukes are kickin our asses by doing what they do, it isn't the playground's fault if the bully beats you up.

"It's the MSM" is a lame excuse, get aggressive, poke some people in the eye, start a liberal media and support it, call them on thier lies, contact the sponsors, and for god's sake get a message that has some legs.

The pukes out lie, out deceive, out bribe, out cheat, out manipulate, out smart the libs every time, and it is NOT the media's fault.

Thanks for listening

[holeinthedonut]

23. It ain't the media's fault...

that the libs can't get thier message out as effectively as the Pukes. The media is nothing but a pipeline with only minimal (but notable ie. Fox) control over what goes into the pipe and only a little more over what comes out of the pipe.

If we want the media, we have to take it just like the pukes have done. Stop blaming the media, take the initiative, spin your own messages (if you can figure out a consistant one)and move on.

The pukes are kickin our asses by doing what they do. It isn't the playground's fault if the bully beats you up.

"It's the MSM" is a lame excuse, get aggressive, poke some people in the eye, start a liberal media and support it, call them on thier lies, contact the sponsors, and for god's sake get a message that has some legs and spokespeople with the ability to convience the public that what they say is honest and true.

The pukes out lie, out deceive, out bribe, out cheat, out manipulate, out smart the libs every time, and it is NOT the media's fault.

Thanks for listening.

[RagingInMiami]

48. It is the media's fault

They are owned by the republican-owned corporations, making them republican-owned. It kind of makes it hard to "get their message out".

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

51. Not media's fault?

Where was their objective coverage of the stolen 2000,2002,2004 elections, Downing Street Memos, journalists being targeted in Iraq, all the anti-war protests, investigating WMD claims in the lead up to our invasion, millions in cash for reconstruction gone missing in Iraq, careful dissection of Patriot Act, Extraordinary Rendition?...This list goes on and on and when they do bother to make brief mention of one of these topics it's only to dismiss it and deflect any blame from Bushco. Yes, the Dems could stand to do a much better job on their message, but MSM are a bunch of pro Bushco corporate media whores.

[Sparkman]

64. pacifists can't KILL like the war mongers do, the corp class has the $$$

This is a basic dilema, defeating the RW power structure on it's own turf requires shaming the editors into "catch up" with stories that break in the liberal press, often.
I have Pacifica Radio (KPFK/KPFA in Calif.) KPFT?/Texas
Air America Radio, The Nation Mag, The Progressive, Doonsbury, even Opus have opinion, and the cable network must have some liberal shows.

Welcome to DU, btw, donuthole.

[caligirl]

26. You know I have to agree with her. I complained to someone at the DNC

just yesterday about this very thing. Told them the Delay msg was getting too much air time and I wanted to see our dems turn that around and start talking to the press more.

[Imagevision]

29. Right Wing= Radical Whacko's --Left Wing= Sissified Wimps

Excluding Conyers-Boxer-Pelosi, Lieberman is a Republican...?

[DuaneBidoux]

33. I agree with Katie (otherwise we would have won the last election)

[Catherine Vincent]

34. We did.

[DuaneBidoux]

68. We won in 00. We didn't win in 04. There is simply no evidence for it.

[1932]

36. "Neoliberalism, YOU ROCK!!!"

[BlueIris]

38. 1932, I love you.

Whenever Katie opens her mouth, I flash back to that moment, then get nausiated.

[1932]

40. That was quite a moment for journalism.

You and I probably get the exact same physical reaction from thinking about that scene.

[LoZoccolo]

37. I gotta add my voice to the "she's right" thing.

The Republicans are much better at this than we are. Like I understand a lot of what Howard Dean says, but he has a habit of occasionally not saying it in a way that can't be diced up and taken out of context by the media. The Republicans seem to be able to get things down to like 14 words or less which can't be construed to mean something else, which we would be effective with if we could learn to do. It may be harder for us, though, because we usually have to critique the system some before we propose a solution, and then the solution might be hard to understand at first too. It's probably an easier task to defend the status quo; you just have to come up with a simple enough excuse.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

44. You know, everybody here hates Imus, but I have to say

that at least he seems to say how he feels about things, even though he wavers at times (like a majority of the american people), but he gives an honest opinion even when most of his lackies tell him he is wrong. And then they all go back and forth with much discussion and disagreement and sarcasm and baloney. And they try to convince each other, but most importantly, they get out information that inspires the listeners to think and come to their own conclusions.

They all hate the Today Show because this type of "news show format" has lost it's honesty and willingless to point out crap. And I have to agree. I now listen to Katie and Matt from time to time, but only for the recipes and the weddings and the make-overs. Once they go to any real heavy news topics, I switch to another channel.

[LittleClarkie]

45. And yet the other side calls her "Katie Communist"

Lucky her.

[ProudDad]

46. Unfortunately

it's true.

The dems have been shooting themselves in the foot ever since ronnie ray-guns got in and then didn't impeach his ass...

Of course, it does show who that nasty "liberal" media truly supports, doesn't it?

[democracy1st]

47. She's totally right on

Not only do they not defend their votes they dont defend liberalism itself from attacks.

[ladylibertee]

49. Thanks for the info.I will not be watching the Today show anymore

well,it's not like I really have been watching it anyways.What with CSpan and all.I much prefer listening to people call in and say all this off the wall crap, than watch someone who's mouth is bigger than her entire face anyway.

[Skittles]

50. say it Katie: the MEDIA has been ineffective in spreading their message

too; stop acting like an innocent, you're part of the f***ing problem

[Binka]

52. Couric Stinks

Vapid guttersnipe. Fuck her and the dildo she rode in on.

[jackbourassa]

58. I agree with her

She's totally on the money.

[zann725]

65. I can NOT watch that show OR Kkkkatie without screaming at the TV

And all the "Humanity Plaza" spin is making me puke!

Like I've said on other threads, the last time they named THAT Plaza was days before the Nov. 2004 election, when they named it "Democracy Plaza"...at which point I thought, oh gawd...there goes the election! And regretfully I was right.

"Today" show is usually on TV at the gym in the morning. Today instead I turned it to CNN, which covered the honorary? "retirement" of Myers...coincidentally just as the Court today ordered the release of the latest Abu G. torture photos/tapes. Everyone at the gym stared puzzled and bored at the Myers retirement. Not one drew the correlation, but quickly changed the channel back to more entertaining "Today" show where perky Katie filled them with apple-pie "Humanity" and un-truths.

[ernstbass]

67. Sorry but I agree with her

We need a simple clear message and we don't have one. Incidentally Katie is a Dem and her deceased sister was a rising star in the Virginia democratic party.

[dkofos]

71. Must be a closet Dem

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

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