|
Edited on Sat Sep-16-06 02:45 PM by David Zephyr
Karl Rove has taken a page from old Dick Morris' "triangulation" politics and orchestrated a "spat" between the White House and its Rubber Stamp Congress all timed for the mid-term elections some six weeks away. And the media has fallen for it...hook, line and sinker.
Give Rove his credit. He plays the national, corporate press like a violin. He has the "issues" that they will be showcasing scheduled as tightly as any Madison Avenue marketing group's best milestone flow chart. And by the time Maestro Rove pulls out his violin and bow, his orchestra players, from John McCain and John Warner, are already "warmed up" and ready to play from the same page, in tune, in time and on cue.
This entire made-for-media, phony GOP "quarrel" is just as pre-packaged as the last minute so-called "immigration bill" rushed out by Republicans in the House of Representatives just prior to the election to make them look "tougher" at the border than the President...the unpopular President.
The GOP had prepared the ground for stealing the 2000 election in Florida over one full year before they did so. Thousands of naive Democrats had long been "purged" from the voting rolls by Florida Governor Bush's office and the confusing ballots had been prototyped, test marketed and printed long before November of that year. In Ohio in 2004, the Diebold machines had long been pre-programmed and that state's Secretary of State had rehearsed his illegal electioneering tricks prior to voting day.
So while there may not really be a Santa Claus at Christmas or an Easter Bunny in Spring, Americans can always count on the Saudis and the Petroleum Execs to deliver extra low oil and gasoline prices a month or two prior to any national election to keep their slavish pimps (the GOP lawmakers) in power. In fact, it's almost a national tradition now.
And what is just as predictable? The GOP and its echo chamber in the corporate media will have "controversial issues" and spicy "political intrigue" all scripted, dress-rehearsed and ready for prime-time come election time so that advertising dollars can be made, the Republicans can control the subject matter that is "discussed", and equally important, so that the public can feel like they witnessed, and had even been a part of a real debate about what matters in our society. And of course, so that those who own our country can continue to run it.
Forget the thousands dying in Iraq every week. Forget the fact that gasoline will return to peak pricing once the election is over. Forget outsourcing of U.S. jobs. Forget Bush's intentions to still "reform" Social Security and raise the retirement age. Forget health care. Forget it all! Why?
Because John McCain is sparring with George Bush about torture and secret prisons, and Hastert's GOP lawmakers are acting like mavericks against the White House over immigration. That's what is "news worthy".
It's show biz. And I'm afraid that the audience doesn't have a clue.
|