I Liked The Summit - Only Wish We Had Less Interruptions - Repeat For Other Issues? MSM...

[TomCADem]

I have to say that I really liked the summit. How often do you have members of opposite parties actually engaging each other in a (relatively) civil forum? Yes, there were some talking points, but there was also the opportunity by each party to respond to each other's talking points immediately. It was far more substantive than the usual fare we get on cable news. Even though the Republicans tried to retreat to discussions about process and polls, the President did a great job of bringing the discussion back to the substance of health care reform.

Now, why was the corporate media in full blown attack mode? Because they hate the format. It cuts the corporate media out of the equation, and denies them the opportunity to put their gloss on the proceedings. This is why you had the corporate media repeatedly interrupting or talking over the discussions during the summit. This is why the media would not STFU, and why even MSNBC was putting a parade of Republicans to denounce the whole thing as a stunt. The corporate media wants to control the narrative, and summits like the one today allow the American public to hear the unfiltered message of both parties (for the most part). President Obama knows this, which is why he held the summit. The corporate media knows this, which is why they would not STFU.

I was expecting to be bored, but it was actually far more interesting than I anticipated. I do hope that we have more such summits over the next few years. Not too often, of course. However, it is nice to hear the message and response immediately, rather than through the filter of layer upon layer of pundits.

My only concern is that the media is going to try to do its best to bury the summit in order to protect its bottom line. Can you imagine Fox News? They must be incensed at the idea of a summit that allows their viewers to draw their own conclusions, rather than being told what to think by Fox News pundits.

[FrenchieCat]

1. You are correct.

Losta GOP/Media Trolls out tonight, unreccing at Abandon.

Weird!

They must feel defeated!

[TomCADem]

2. Standard Astro-Turf Tactics - Try To Shut Down Progressive Message Boards...

...by flooding the board with one line OPs that are designed to distort and divide. These OPs often have no actual content. Yet, amazingly, these non-substantive OPs repeatedly get kicked, again with no additional comment. Or, you have responses that promote apathy and disengagement. "So What?" "They are all corporatists..." "What's the use..." "Republican/Democrat, what's the difference?"

Its the internet equivalent of Freedom Works trying to shutdown a townhall by trying to drown out meaningful discourse. Afterall, if someone were truly apathetic and disengaged, would they be wasting their time on a Democratic message board? It makes no sense. A person who is truly apathetic and disengaged from politics would not be wasting their time on a political message board spamming messages of apathy and cynism.

The tactics are the virtual equivalent of what took place at Healthcare townhalls. Frank Lutz would be proud.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Aye! And it only takes a few of them.

That's the bad part.

Reminds me of these Republicans claiming "Americans" are against this reform....
and forgetting that the Public voted in Democrats, not Republicans, and so
the GOP speaks for a minority of Americans....not a Majority.

[OHdem10]

4. I watched it on C-Span---No Pundits chattering. Straight through

cameras rolling on the Summit.

Aterwards I go to other stations to catch the analyis.

[TomCADem]

5. I Think The Corporate Media Is Afraid That Such Events Are Repeated

Seeing Democrats and Republicans go at each other directly deprives them of the ability to spin and filter what the public hears. This is why CNN would just have Republicans offering commentary while the participants were talking. They want the summit to fail, and they want to control what people think.