Bill Maher got it wrong. on CNN now.

[Whisp]

He is saying that Obama and congress did some great things but they were really bad at communicating those great things to the people.

he's talking to Blitzer.

Bill, are you that stupid or what? Look at that freak in front of you - that freak is partly responsible for the word not being out enough on the many good things congress has done. It's not Obama's and the Dems fault, they can crow and pat themselves on the back all they want but the fuckers like Blitzer don't report it and the othr fuckers like FOX totally skew it.

dumbass.

[madmax]

1. Bill is good but,

he's no JS, KO, and can't even touch 'The' Rachel.

[styersc]

2. R-a-a-a-a-chel

(Written to mimic the reverence with which Homer Simpson says "D-o-o-o-nuts")

[madmax]

3. Yes!!! Love that woman!

She's like oxygen.

[Scuba]

66. +1

[alsame]

4. Eugene Robinson just said the same thing to Tweety. But I think

Eugene is very much aware of how the media spins everything.

[Supersedeas]

45. and Tweety shallow superficial coverage does a disservice to civics

[Bitwit1234]

5. Look...I live where practically ever single household

is DFL (Democrat-Farm-Labor) and I can tell you this. The newspapers and the media do not tell you any of the things about this administration that people should know. I get my news from the net. Now if a most Democratic area doesn't really tell the public what the republicans are, how in the world do you think the message got out about all this congress has done. IT DIDN'T. I think if the Democrats in congress had made it their business to get on TV and tell about republican blocking, denying and all the crap the republicans have pulled they would have least have know. And this was even when Obama and congress deleted some of the things they wanted deleted from the bills they wouldn't vote for them. No I blame the Democrats for not getting the message out.

[monmouth]

7. When Dr. Dean had the job things were much different. He was on

the tv making it clear what was accomplished. I hope if POTUS does decide to run again that Dean is one of his close advisers.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

15. Yes Rahmbo is gone so he can appoint Dean now. n/t

[Whisp]

8. you may have a point but I still think

there is a concerted effort out there to shut the democrats up. Some just shut up for other reasons, like pundit Paul Begala, who isn't going to disturb his masters too much because his paycheck is signed by them.

but as far as invited guests - they get cut off, talked over. commercial break.
any and all excuses. compared to how the repuglicans and now the new darling teabaggers who get such disgusting respect and airtime from the Blitzer and Co.

the media does not let them speak freely.

[scheming daemons]

6. Bill spent a year criticizing Obama... he's part of the reason!

...

[vaberella]

28. Thank you. n/t

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

55. +1

[kstewart33]

9. He's right.

You can't blame it all on the media. There was no consistent message from Obama on the reasons for healthcare reform, for example.

I'm an Obama supporter, but he's not the communicator we or at least I expected him to be.

If you disagree, answer this: what is Obama's agenda for the country in the next 2 years? Specifically, what does he want to accomplish?

If you know, let us all in on it.

[Whisp]

11. the economy is first and foremost on his plate

he has said many times he wants to undo some of the harm that has been done to the american family for the last 30 years. He also wants to spend more time and money on climate change and green technology.

and about a thousand other things he has mentioned about a hundred times or more.

was that supposed to be a trick question?

[kstewart33]

16. You've just supported my point.

A thousand things said a hundred times?

No wonder no one is listening to him. How in the hey can anyone make sense or remember a long list of bullet points much less five?

Anyone who's passed a Communications 101 college course knows that to communicate effectively, you identify the key points you want people to remember (ideally five or less) and repeat them time and time again.

When or where in the last two years has Obama done that?

And what in the heck does the average American care about climate change and green tech when he's out of work or is scared to death of losing his/her job when there are kids to feed?

In this time of great economic hardship, where is the leadership? Where the hey is today's equivalent of FDR?

[Whisp]

19. I only count them because I follow what Obama has to say.

I think its just as much my job to be informed as it is his to provide the information. I know where to look.

If you want try whitehouse.gov. You will get lots and lots of information there. Surely you don't expect Obama to repeat his website to you each day? There is a lot happening and as it is people complaint that he repeats himself too often.

So instead of laying back and expecting someone to bring leadership to you like a peeled grape, get up and look around and open the eyes a bit. He wants your help. He said that in 2008, he can't do it alone.

But yet so many expect him to. So many with am-fuckin-nesia.

[kstewart33]

20. I have to go looking for it?

Whisp, if every American has to go looking for a leader and leadership, then the guy or gal we're supposed to find is no leader.

If every seeker has to go check out whitehouse.gov to figure out what Obama is all about and what the content of his leadership is about, he is for dang straight no leader.

Geez, if FDR had defined leadership that way, this country would have walked off a cliff during the Great Depression.

Let's agree to disagree.

[Whisp]

24. I was talking to you as a fellow DUer.

and you should be willing to do a little bit of work to inform yourself better against the onslaught of lies we hear on the media. You should know better.

Most people don't have the interest we do. Most just rely on the Blitzers and the Fuckers to let them know whats going on. And most are trusting fools of our great free press. But you should know better. And spread the word to others that don't know things you do. Thats your job. But you want leadership while you sit back and complain.

Well different strokes I suppose

[treestar]

53. Oh another FDR worshipper

Are you really that lazy? "I have to go and look" my god! You can't even do that?

Why defend laziness among voters? We have to quit just settling for that and urge them to participate in self government or they will be governed by those who do participate.

[ProSense]

14. "what is Obama's agenda for the country in the next 2 years?"

here

It has nothing to do with messaging. The Republicans have no message.

Why do some Americans believe that HCR is government-run? The media distorts the message.

As for Republicans, they're simply running on inciting fear.

Democrats have been touting the benefits of the stimulus for nearly two years, and the media and others have been engaged in counter-messaging. The administration and some left blogs have been pushing the Democratic achievenments for nearly two years, and some people have written these off as BS.

Those same people can't claim that Democrats have no message.

[kstewart33]

17. See my above response. Stop blaming the media.

Yes, Virginia, life is unfair. And the media is a huge part of the problem. But blaming them does nothing to solve the problem.

Obama is failing as a leader. And he dang better get his act together before 2012.

[ProSense]

21. Hmmmm?

"Stop blaming the media."

Why? Seriously, why?

"Obama is failing as a leader."

And you actually think this is a messaging problem created by Democrats?

[Whisp]

22. and I think he is leading magnificently well considering all.

or else what, kstewart, he better get his act together or what? you won't vote for him?

you are free not to, but I am free to point and laugh at you for that.

[kstewart33]

38. Geez, chill out will ya?

Who said anything about not voting for Obama?

Let's agree to disagree and leave it at that.

[Ikonoklast]

32. You completely disregard the power of the media in this country

to stifle political discourse and the free flow of information.

Why do you think that in any modern revolution, the first things seized are the radio and TV stations? It used to be the newspapers and the post offices. Let me control all information and the flow of it to the masses and I will control who gets elected.

Yet, you blame Obama for not disseminating his message correctly when he is making a major policy speech, for instance, and the 'news' poutlets in the media cut away after the first three minutes.


And you fall right into the Republican spin on the lack of a consistent message. I guess you listened to what they were telling you, instead of what the man was actually saying. You have disproved your own point.

[LibDemAlways]

36. About the message on health insurance reform -

It was so muddled that the Repukes started calling it "Obamacare" and a government takeover of healthcare, and the Dems never adequately fought back.

Obama is the President. He has a great bully pulpit. All he has to do is step in front of the cameras and the media will be there. I don't recall that he ever set foot in front of a microphone and straightened out the lies. There was no government takeover of healthcare. If anything, the bill that was ultimately passed threw a few bones to the public, but ultimately will force people to do business with the hated insurance companies. Perhaps that's why he didn't communicate the specifics of the bill better. He knew it would mollify some while pissing off others.

As for his legislative agenda, probably more half measures like what we've been experiencing. Definitlely not the change people voted for.

[kwolf68]

37. He is right

Some don't think the Dems can do anything wrong. That party has been an abject failure at SOMETHING for the last 2 years, which is why we'll get trounced today.

Some of us think the dems don't communicate enough, some think we don't fight hard enough...whatever the case, a battle plan should have been put into place to get our message out knowing the media is what it is. The Dems failed that.

Instead, they allowed their issues and their leaders to be ground into mincemeat by the Republicans. Watching Boner and Cantor run congress the next 2 years blocking EVERYTHING we worked for will be a stark reminder that the buck does indeed stop at Democratic leadership.

[Raine1967]

10. Maher is not a friend or an enemy.

He has many good points -- but keep in mind: He is an entertainer first and foremost.

[Whisp]

12. yes, but I thought he would see this communication thing

for what it is.

guess he doesn't want to upset the masters either. or embarrass the media people that are interviewing him.

[jenmito]

13. O/T-but he's also Islamophobic which is obvious by his MANY comments about

Muslims ans Islam.

[Whisp]

23. yes, that part of him is quite repugnant.

he sounds like a raging teabagger when he gets into the muslim thing. very disappointing.

he's not a dumb guy altho I do accuse him of that. He's pretty sharp and informed.

but this bigotry he has is a real eye popper. I wish someone would ream his ass out for that out loud and in public.

[jenmito]

25. Yup...

I agree. What makes it worse is that he's an Atheist yet he is always talking about how Islam is the most dangerous religion and just last Friday he said it worried him that "Muhammad" was the most popular baby name in England this year.

[Whisp]

26. He may be overcompensating or something for his comments about 911.

I think he was the only person ever to get fired over 911 - when he said it takes no hero to push a button from a ship up 30,000 feet. something like that. Got fired and crapped on for that.

Now he is wants to make it known he's as good a 'patriot' as anyone. bleh, who knows what roams around his walnut shell.

[jenmito]

29. I don't think he's over-compensating.

I think he believes what he said-that the suicide bombers were brave for killing themselves on 9/11, AND he believes that Muslims are dangerous.

[Jennicut]

18. And he is a bit sexist and more of a libertarian.

[vaberella]

27. Maher said that?! A few months back people were talking about how he teared into the Obama admin.

nt

[zulchzulu]

30. The pushback and explanations about what Obama has done are on CSPAN

The news being reported by Barbie and Ken dolls is about drugged out Hollywood stars, screaming Teatards and White House Soups of the Day.

The mainstream media puppets are too busy looking in the mirror to do their actual job.

[Martin Eden]

31. The fact is the WORD did not get sufficiently OUT

Were the Wolf Blitzers in the corporate media a major obstacle?

Damn straight they were.

But ... nevertheless, the White House efforts came up short.

Maybe they could have had a better strategy and put more effort into changing the public perception.

One thing is for sure:
If the Dems lose seats it will be because public perception has ignored the accomplishments and misplaced blame for the current economic situation.

[Whisp]

33. how does word get out if not by way of mass media?

most people are not like DUers - searching for info, watching for repug lies, noting the twisted and inaccurate reports on the tv. They rely on the liar media.

Sure Obama can and has made a lot of appearances, speeches, explanations but 'they' take clips out of context and avoid talking about the positve. No sooner his speech is cut off and the hyenas are ripping at him with made up 'what ifs' and "I think that he is too nuanced, I think he is in over his head, I think blah blah. All without any substantiation, just some clown dreaming shit up. And people believe them.

What specifically would you have recommended for Obama to get the word out if our main news sources are not interested?

[donheld]

34. Obama can't get his message our because the MSM

refuses to put out his message.

[Mimosa]

35. Whisp you are right. (I've always hated Maher)

Maher is no help to us and he looks like Freddy Kruger.

[LawnLover]

39. What are you talking about?

The Dems are TERRIBLE at getting out their message.

[Whisp]

40. what venue should they be using?

because corporate media is pretty well out.

carrier pidgeon? dropping leaflets from airplanes?

[LawnLover]

49. That's no more true than

the myth of the liberal media.

The media is the media. They go where the story is. The Dems made the story in 2008 and the news was all over them. The Repugs created drama for the last couple years, so the media is all over them.

The Dems need to quit being timid assholes and get as loud as the Republicans. Once they start creating drama, they'll get noticed by the media.

[Whisp]

52. the media goes where they can haul water for the owners.

and the owners like wars and the robber baron ways.

face it. There are obstacles in the media democrats have that repuglicans just don't.

I thought we all went through Media 101 here a few years ago.

[LawnLover]

56. MSNBC

slants pretty left for many of its shows, yet its owners are/were GE and now/soon Comcast. Those owners are definitely not left wingers.

They saw where the money was and went for it. It's that simple.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

[Whisp]

57. you got to be shittin' me.

no, I guess you aren't.

I'd have to ask you then how MSNBC treated Bush's appetite for the Iraq war. Were they 'pretty left wing' then?

If so, that would be new news to me! As I recall they all fell in line to boost the chimperor onto his shit encrusted big he-man war president throne.

[LawnLover]

60. No, and that just PROVES my point

They cheered the war on, just like everyone else, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MADE THEM MONEY.

The media goes where the money is. They fuel a conflict that will keep their viewers glued to their TV sets. Doesn't matter whether its left or right.

But then MSNBC started going left long after the Iraq war started, when Bush's popularity was waning and Keith started getting bolder and bolder. They found a formula that works and went with it.

It's a very simple concept.

[Whisp]

61. you are agreeing with me then.

but don't see it yet.

----'''They cheered the war on, just like everyone else, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MADE THEM MONEY.'''-----

Exactly, and who is more likely to go poking around and warmongering (altho I'm not saying Dems are total innocents in this at all, but the balance is far to the Right on warmongering)? Is it the Dems or the Pugs?

And who can MAKE THEM MORE MONEY? (as the media people are heavily invested in those bombs and shit to drop on brown peoples heads. Need to use them up! hmmm, who can we convince more easily to use this inventory up? I wonder....)

the Dems who like to be socialist welfare supporting whining bleeding hearts or the tough talking swaggerin big macho chest beating holstering rePugs?

[LawnLover]

63. Who makes them more money

depends on what the public is screaming about at the point in time. These things swing back and forth.

In other words, it has nothing to do with a right or left wing media. Right now MSNBC swings left, because its what sells cupcakes. Five or ten years from now they may well swing right.

If there is no drama -- as there was none this election season -- then the media starts pumping up the "enthusiasm gap," because it's dramatic.

So, back to my ORIGINAL point, the Democrats need to learn to pump up the drama in order to get their message across. The Repugs are experts at sound bytes and faux outrage and flamebaiting. And THAT'S what gets them TV time. It has nothing to do with the media sympathizing with them and everything to do with the simple fact that they're LOUDER than the Dems.

[Whisp]

64. you make some good arguments, but I just can't budge.

and won't be convinced that the Wolf Blitzers and the lot of them don't have umbilical cords to big business and are there more for propaganda reasons to further their master's agendas.

what is a sound byte in the forest if there is no one there to report it? You want Grayson and the others to run naked down the street screaming truths, ok I see that. The screaming will surely be reported, but the truth won't be.

[Whisp]

68. how do you explain Palin getting more airtime and respect than the PResident does?

they practically fawn over her. they don't appear to see that she is a total dolt.

you think if Obama talked about fishin' and skinin' wolves and wrote notes on his palm then they would respect him more?

[krkaufman]

41. And not just that. It's not just a matter of Blitzer-types not reporting progress ...

... the problem is that they all jumped on the Tea Party sensationalism, because it was conflict. Substance doesn't sell as much as conflict, so we've had nearly two years straight of have a small slice of the public getting a vast majority of airtime.

[Whisp]

43. they shamelessly drool over Idiot Palin.

It is pretty clear to most of us that the media is certainly not too friendly to democrats.

I'm just surprised that people here think that has somehow changed since Obama got the WH. That it is the fault of democrats that the message is not out, and not the fault of the traitorous media that helped lie and go to an illegal war - that helped make believe a sorry human piece of waste such as George Bush was to be respected and not challenged, just because, hey, he was CoC. Respect the Office, etc.

Where is that respect for Obama? The pundits rip and shed at him at any opportunity given and elevate the scum of the earth Teabaggers. Surely that can't be argued with, it's right there in our faces!

So my question to those here that believe the media has nothing much to do with things, ---- when exactly did they change?

Because I remember quite well how the 2004 yapping went, at least on CNN. I remember the Paul Kahns actually rolling her eyes in disgust when talking about the Dems.

so when did this all change? when did the eyerolling stop to make room for opportunities of fair treatment that the Dems have somehow overlooked, ignored.... didn't take advantage of because they are so stupid and naive?

o please.
its the same story as when Bush was in office. they lie. they lie lie lie distort and lie.

[krkaufman]

44. Can't disagree with ya. nt

[Mimosa]

58. KRKaufman, your sig indicates the motives the media pretend to be liberal but...

All we have to do is notice the commercials to see that the media will not be biting the hands feeding them. Big pharma, insurance, BP, Boeing...all the usual suspects!

[Phx_Dem]

42. Bullshit. They weren't bad at communicating it, the media emphasized

only the complaints from Republicans and progressives.

Obama talks about what he has done everytime he speaks in public. The media only focuses on the negative.

[ejpoeta]

46. he's right. dems are terrible at telling what they have done. they are runing from

their healthcare law. people think their taxes went up even though they went down. now the media has helped with that perception, but the dems don't help themselves.

[Milo_Bloom]

47. Bill is 100% correct.

[Whisp]

48. okay, you tell me where exactly the 'word' should have been put out.

no one is answering me this.

or do you think that the mass media has made some major changes since the bush days and have really become fair and balanced and professional?

which is it?

[Milo_Bloom]

65. It's not WHERE, it's HOW.

The democrats lack the ability (for some reason) to properly condense their message down into meaningful sound bites that the media can report in one line and/or people can understand. There are always so many, buts ands and ifs in their statements that the news meida (which is ultimately only interested in RATINGS) doesn't take the time to parse the statements and instead goes with the much easier to understand republican message, which is generally universal in its description.

For example.. the democrats talk about health care and discuss special cases, "people with pre-existing conditions can't be refused" or "people earning at poverty level will get government assitance to buy insurance", etc.. This is all special cases that don't apply to MOST of the people.. and unfortunately, people without pre-existing conditions don't tend to hear or want to hear what other people are getting. Republican message.. "everyone will be forced to buy health care under punishment of law"... that applies to EVERYONE. It's all encompasing.

With taxes republicans will say they want to eliminate "The marriage penalty".. everyone thinks it applies to them, when it reality it only applies to a small number of people in very specific earning situations (I happen to be one of them, which is why my fiance and I will not get "married" ) They talk about the "death tax"... everyone dies, so it must apply to EVERYONE.

They are unable to explain how any of their legislation applies to people.

The news media only cares about ratings. When Obama was popular and had a simple message of "hope" and "change", the vast majority of the coverage was positive (except 1 paid off network). If the democrats could put together a message that was easy to digest and popular with people, the media would represent it.

[mstinamotorcity]

50. Its hard to communicate

the truth when all you can hear is the noise of lies.

[treestar]

51. So true that is why I do not agree with the idea we don't get our

message across. The M$M does its best to ignore it.

[Whisp]

54. apparently some here think the media has changed since the Bush days

and now they play fair.

so if a message isn't loud and clear, why it's them dem's fault.

:rofl:

[Whisp]

59. Ffor those who think not trusting the media is just silly conspiracy stuff:

and that they really are fair and balanced, and the most trusted names in news, and all that rot.
doesn't take more than a glance to see their interests are not the same as us peasant's interests.

http://www.corporations.org/media/

In 1983, 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the U.S. At the time, Ben Bagdikian was called "alarmist" for pointing this out in his book, The Media Monopoly. In his 4th edition, published in 1992, he wrote "in the U.S., fewer than two dozen of these extraordinary creatures own and operate 90% of the mass media" -- controlling almost all of America's newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations, books, records, movies, videos, wire services and photo agencies. He predicted then that eventually this number would fall to about half a dozen companies. This was greeted with skepticism at the time. When the 6th edition of The Media Monopoly was published in 2000, the number had fallen to six. Since then, there have been more mergers and the scope has expanded to include new media like the Internet market. More than 1 in 4 Internet users in the U.S. now log in with AOL Time-Warner, the world's largest media corporation.

In 2004, Bagdikian's revised and expanded book, The New Media Monopoly, shows that only 5 huge corporations -- Time Warner, Disney, Murdoch's News Corporation, Bertelsmann of Germany, and Viacom (formerly CBS) -- now control most of the media industry in the U.S. General Electric's NBC is a close sixth.

Who Owns What
http://www.cjr.org/resources/
I picked out GE, the list here is JUST for General Electric. One of the Six. The little brother.

GENERAL ELECTRIC
www.ge.com
HoldingsTimeline
Television
NBC Stations:
WNBC
New York
KNBC
Los Angeles
WMAQ
Chicago
WCAU
Philadelphia
KNTV
San Jose/San Francisco
KXAS
Dallas/Fort Worth
WRC
Washington
WTVJ
Miami
KNSD
San Diego
WVIT
Hartford
WNCN
Raleigh
WCMH
Columbus
WVTM
Birmingham
WJAR
Providence

Telemundo Stations:
KVEA/KWHY
Los Angeles
WNJU
New York
WSCV
Miami
KTMD
Houston
WSNS
Chicago
KXTX
Dallas/Fort Worth
KVDA
San Antonio
KSTS
San Jose/San Francisco
KDRX
Phoenix
KNSO
Fresno
KMAS
Denver
WNEU
Boston/Merrimack
KHRR
Tucson
WKAQ
Puerto Rico
NBC Universal Television Studio
NBC Universal Television Distribution
CNBC
MSNBC
Bravo
Mun2TV
Sci-Fi
USA
Sleuth
Oxygen
Film
Universal Pictures
Parks
Universal Parks & Resorts
Other General Electric Businesses
GE Aircraft Engines
GE Commercial Finance
GE Consumer Products
GE Industrial Systems
GE Insurance
GE Medical Systems
GE Plastics
GE Power Systems
GE Specialty Materials
GE Transportation Systems
last updated 08/13/08

[grahamhgreen]

62. Well, that's it in a nutshell. Let's break them up! nt

[Whisp]

67. here's another CNN dumb as mud report.

about Nevada being hit so hard with unemployment and foreclosures and that this will really hurt Reid - making it sound just this side of actually saying it's all Reids fault.

NO MENTION, that because Nevada relies a lot on amusement and gambling and discretionary money and that source is no longer there as the whole nation is suffering, thanks to the robber barons and the Bush's and their friends.

dumb as mud, or just doing their job of faking news.

[Johnny2X2X]

69. Bill is right

Bush spent endless resources telling about popular things he did. Obama and his team did not do nearly enough. They should have held countless town halls with graphs and pictures illustrating the OBAMA TAX CUTS!!!