Sen. Obama is copying the media's "attack, attack, attack" script that they used against Gore

[wyldwolf]

From The Left Coaster's multipart "A Short History of Recent U.S. Presidential Politics."

Sen. Obama is... copying the traditional media's "attack, attack, attack" script that they used against Gore - not only did the media paint Gore falsely as a liar over their own fabrications and over (Bill) Bradley's false attacks on Gore's character, the media also painted Gore even more negatively as an "attacker" when he tried to rebut the false claims against him by Bradley (and subsequently by George Bush).

In response to Sen. Clinton's justifiable charge this weekend against Sen. Obama that he has not been truthful about his own positions, Sen. Obama's campaign published the following on their website...

THE HILLARY ATTACKS TIMELINE
December 03, 2007

ATTACK:
Clinton Campaign Manager Patti Solis Doyle Attacked Obama TV Ad Discussing Health Struggle of Obama's Mother. "I am writing concerning a false advertisement you are currently airing..."

ATTACK:
New York Times: "Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, which is now attacking Senator Barack Obama on a daily basis."

ATTACK:
Boston Globe: "Clinton yesterday launched one of her most pointed attacks yet against chief rival Barack Obama"

(...followed by 18 more mentions of the word "ATTACK" and corresponding links/comments!)

Well, well, well. Let's just say a few of us do remember history, thanks to Bob Somerby (post from 2004, emphasis in original):

All the stoolpigeons knew what to say when Bush announced his vague, pleasing “principles.” Bush was showing bold leadership, they said, and Gore was being disturbingly negative. How goon-like was the corps’ script-reading? Here are excerpts from three cable discussions. The script about Gore? He was being too negative. It was all just “attack, attack, attack:”

Hardball, MSNBC, May 5, 2000:
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Norah, let’s start in talking about this amazing campaign. Who would have believed that George W. Bush would have looked so clean and so good right now after that bruising fight with John McCain? He’s up five points in a number of polls this week, and yet you see Al Gore picking away at him with these left jabs of his…It’s the same thing he did to Bill Bradley — attack, attack, attack.

Russert, CNBC, May 6, 2000:
JOE KLEIN: The concern I have about the Gore campaign is that he has learned one lesson and he’s kind of becoming a one-trick pony.
TIM RUSSERT: Attack. Attack. Attack.
KLEIN: Attack. Attack.
RUSSERT: Governor Bush put forward a Social Security plan calling for a partial privatizing, and he attacks, saying that is risky…Why—why—why does Gore just, almost knee-jerk, attack, attack, attack?

Inside Politics, CNN, May 17, 2000:
CHARLES COOK: For Governor Bush, it’s a chance to show sort of bold leadership…But at the same time, getting into that area is certainly a risky thing and it’s going to test all of George Bush’s abilities of persuasion to sell this, because Al Gore is very good at the attack, just look at what he did to Bill Bradley on health care…
BERNARD SHAW: What comes to mind, Stu?
STUART ROTHENBERG: Well, in general, he has been attacking for months now and there’s been a lot of criticism that he’s been overly negative. Once again, here, attack, attack.

“Almost knee-jerk,” Russert said, describing his own reaction.


Rothenberg was right about one thing, of course; there had been “a lot of criticism” of Gore’s disturbing behavior. Indeed, The Storeboughts all knew they should criticize Gore for his troubling criticism of Bush. For a four-part critique of the clownish way your “press corps” “covered” Soc Sec during Campaign 2000, see THE DAILY HOWLER, 5/15/02, along with the three HOWLERS which follow it.

LOOK WHO’S ATTACK-ATTACK-ATTACKING: Mort and Fred were pimping the script even before Bush announced his high principles. Here they are on The Beltway Boys on April 30, 2000:

KONDRACKE (4/30/00): Look, the dynamic here is perfectly obvious. Gore is behind in all the polls, so he's doing what worked with Bill Bradley, attack attack attack, and, you know, and he's hoping that it'll work on George W. Bush. The difference is that George W. Bush is not going to take it forever. I mean, George W. knows how to counterpunch, and I predict soon that he'll start doing it.

BARNES: Yes, he's not going to be the guy on the ropes just getting punched. No rope-a-dope for him. But look, Gore was attack attack attacking, and he's—in the beginning, and now he's been going down as a result of that attack attack attacking. He doesn't—I don't think he knows how to deal with Bush, who doesn't want to really get—engage him in a back-and-forth, wisely.

Amazing, isn’t it, to see the way these goons all agree to recite the same points? As Mort said, the dynamic was perfectly obvious all through the spring of this year.

On this program, the “boys” were disturbed because Gore had “attacked” Bush’s tax cut proposal. So they attack-attack-attacked him, and, within a matter of weeks, do did the stooges excerpted above. With the exception of two brief periods, this is the way your “press corps” behaved from March 1999 through November 2000. After that, they began to ponder: How had Gore lost the election?

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/011441.php

[Evergreen Emerald]

1. scary stuff--and I know I keep repeating myself--but it is the media

repeating the right-wing talking points. But, it is our fault if we continue to buy their load of crap hook-line-sinker.

Why isn't Matthews or Morning Joe pointing out that Clinton is responding to attacks rather than being negative?

And of course we are so divided, so us-versus-them, that we refuse to see facts. Many here are gleeful about the media lies and distortions, because if currently favors their candidate, knowing full well that they are lies.

We are allowing the media to choose our candidate.

And Obama: for shame.

[SaveElmer]

2. Great reply...

Exactly what I was gonna say...you hit the nail on the head...

[Alamom]

5. Exactly. nm

[sufrommich]

3. True indeed. k&r

[cuke]

4. Obama campaigns like a republican

He says that there is a SS crisis. He worries about SS because "most kids today think that SS won't be around when they retire". He associates with a homophobe in order to appeal to homophobic voters. He criticizes mandates (even though his plan has a mandate) because they FORCE people to buy insurance. And finally, he talks like a theocrat

[Rock_Garden]

6. And what about the brunch with Bloomberg? Weird.

http://www.411mania.com/politics/columns/64282/Why-Did-Obama-and-Bloomberg-Meet-For-Breakfast?.htm

[Evergreen Emerald]

7. kick

[Tellurian]

8. Yes, Evergreen Emerald..you laid out the salient points perfectly..

In post #1 as Elmer agreed, we couldn't have said it better..thanks!

[siri2k]

9. K&R! n/t

[Lucinda]

10. Kicking and bookmarking until I come back

Thanks!

[Cameron27]

11. The Left Coaster has some great points

K&R

(did you read the one about Edwards' pledge?}

[ClarkUSA]

12. Hypocritical BS... since The Left Coaster endorsed Hillary, he's become a stenographer for Mark Penn

Thanks for the totally unbiased source. :rofl:

Turnabout is fair play, so....let's see....

Days since Clinton promised she was not interested in attacking Democrats:24
Days that Clinton has spent attacking Democrats since making that promise:20

THE HILLARY ATTACKS TIMELINE since December 03, 2007

ATTACK:
Clinton Campaign Manager Patti Solis Doyle Attacked Obama TV Ad Discussing Health Struggle of Obama's Mother. "I am writing concerning
a false advertisement you are currently airing..." - Letter from Patti Solis Doyle, 11/30/07

ATTACK:
New York Times: "Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, which is now attacking Senator Barack Obama on a daily basis."
- New York Times, 11/30/07

ATTACK:
Boston Globe: "Clinton yesterday launched one of her most pointed attacks yet against chief rival Barack Obama" - Boston Globe, 11/29/07

ATTACK:
NBC's First Read: "Another day, another Clinton campaign knock on Obama." - First Read, 11/29/07

ATTACK:
Chicago Tribune: "Clinton: Obama 'Betrays' Democratic Values" "Intensifying the rhetoric over competing health-care expansion plans,
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton accused rival Barack Obama of 'betraying Democratic principles." - Chicago Tribune, 11/28/07

ATTACK:
Des Moines Register: "Clinton: Obama's Health Plan 'Flunks'" - Des Moines Register, 11/28/07

ATTACK:
Chicago Sun-Times: "Clinton is drawing sharper contrasts with chief rival Barack Obama as the crucial Jan. 3 Iowa vote looms closer."
- Chicago Sun-Times, 11/28/07

ATTACK:
Chicago Tribune: "Clinton defended her increasingly aggressive approach on the campaign trail Tuesday and stepped up her criticism
of Sen. Barack Obama." - Chicago Tribune, 11/28/07

ATTACK:
AP: "Clinton Raps Obama on Health Insurance" - AP, 11/28/07

ATTACK:
Time's The Page: "Arrives hours late due to flat tire, still gives punchy address repeatedly knocking him." - The Page, 11/28/07

ATTACK:
NBC's First Read: "In a speech from Iowa today, Clinton went after Obama." - First Read, 11/28/07

ATTACK:
Chicago Tribune: "Clinton defended her increasingly aggressive approach on the campaign trail." - Chicago Tribune, 11/27/07

ATTACK:
Des Moines Register: "The accusation came as the New York senator has sharpened her critique of Obama."
- Des Moines Register, 11/27/07

ATTACK:
Washington Times: "Clinton, locked in a tight race in Iowa, is increasingly criticizing the Democrats who are hoping to defeat her
in the Jan. 3 caucuses, especially Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois." - Washington Times, 11/26/07

ATTACK:
NBC's First Read: "Clinton took another dig at her main opponent Obama." - First Read, 11/24/07

ATTACK:
New York Times: "Fog may have diverted Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's plane from her campaign stop here on Tuesday, but
that did not prevent her from continuing her attacks on Senator Barack Obama's experience." - New York Times, 11/21/07

ATTACK:
Reuters: "Hillary Clinton sharpened her attacks on rival Barack Obama's experience on Tuesday, a day after a poll showed her
falling slightly behind him in Iowa." -Reuters, 11/21/07

ATTACK:
Politico: "Clinton Unimpressed By Obama's Indonesia Years" - Politico, 11/20/07

ATTACK:
NBC's First Read: "For the second straight day, Clinton has questioned Obama's experience. Yesterday it was on the economy,
today on foreign affairs." - First Read, 11/20/07

ATTACK:
AP: "Under pressure in a feisty debate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton accused her closest rivals Thursday night of slinging mud
'right out of the Republican playbook' and leveled her sharpest criticism of the campaign at their records." - AP, 11/16/07

ATTACK:
NBC's First Read: "Clinton is ready for a fight and seems to want one tonight." - First Read, 11/15/07