Kucinich blasts yet another belligerent journalist

Dennis Kucinich (http://www.kucinich.us) has had plenty of positive media coverage, no wait...that's some other guy. As Dennis becomes lucky enough to gain a little press coverage over the major media outlets (NPR), he is increasingly running into journalists who try to spin his message, marginalize his campaign, and dismiss him as utterly unviable. They often try to talk over him, often interrupt him, and they use manipulative language like his "wavering" stance on abortion (Talk of the Nation interview) or the host will have his microphone too loud (On Point). However, Kucinich has shown that he is very good at dealing with these conditions, he often puts journalists in their 'place', and always speaks intelligently. This is one of the reasons why he will make a wonderful president. Okay, enough preamble, Dennis spoke with the host of NPR's On Point yesterday. The link is here:

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2003/11/20031112_a_main.asp

Notice how rude the host is, and how well Kucinich handles him.

since he has a degree in public speaking.

tells the host that he has taught politics at the collegiate level, and knows all too well the function of the media in a democracy. It's really good you should listen to it.

is how he manages to say what he wants to say in the alloted time. He is the best candidate at staying on message, and getting his particular points across.

Its that vision that makes me support the guy. :hi: have you got my PM?

he had to get his points accross in a timely and clear manner....
too bad they all can't do that. .....instead of playing the ego game of trying to get as much face time as possible.

I like the fact that for Dennis, getting the message out is the most important thing. He treats the audience and people as though they (we ) actually have a brain! How nice! He is NEVER condescending or patronizing....he is an honest man who cares about the good of the people....

Peace
DR

the moderators don't dare step on her toes, but yes, Dennis is very self-disciplined in the debates. However, at least listening to his latest media interviews, he's beginning to take a different tone with journalists who pretend to be unable to comprehend his message. Kucinich is obviously a very, very intelligent and articulate person. He thinks everything through. And I think he's got a plan folks, I really do. Those debates the day before Iowa are going to be very important. It could be the dawning of a new day.

All of the other Dems are doing it, and getting good exposure. Even if Kucinich had been treated unfairly on the show, he would have gotten a free hour to appeal to a LOT of people. Face it, the only chance Kucinich has is to GAIN new voters who haven't heard of him. He's not going to lose supporters, as most of his supporters are seriously hard-core progressives.

My 2 cents, no offense to Kucinich people.

Hardball really isn't that popular in the entire scheme of things-- most of the American electorate doesn't watch it. Even a lot of die-hard political junkies like myself deliberately avoid it the same way we avoid Fox News. Besides, what kind of Nielsen shares does Tweety get, anyway? They can't be too high.

Kucinich's campaign is growing exponentially, contrary to what the media (even the LEFT-WING media, like The Nation) like to present to us. As I've said before, Iowa will be a wake-up call to a lot of campaigns.

which is all the more reason DK should've gone back and put him in his place. Especially at Harvard where he probably would have had a very friendly reception. I listened to this whole show and Dennis has no trouble holding his own.

Those people at Hardball who run hardball are a mouthpiece of the propoganda machine, right? I mean, those guys are THUGS. They really don't have any ethics, and are very EVIL, right?

Kucinich was very intelligent (as always) in his denying them the opportunity to marginalize him...I could just imagine the host phasing his microphone out and completely ignoring him: THAT would be a blow to his public image. He did the right thing. Kucinich doesn't need as much media coverage as the others, his platform sells itself, and Kucinich the man is impeccable in his Democratic principles. He is da man. He is the cure for what ails U.S.

the security personnel that Hardball could call on Kucinich to crash his campaign. Eh? It could happen, very intelligent to turn it down. Imagine the papers.

how exactly did Matthews treat Kucinich unfairly? By asking him a tough question?

I hear Matthews speak at a conference years ago and was impressed. Yes, he's brash. But he's on point most of the time. He worked for Tip O'Neill, and Jimmy Carter I believe, and now DU'ers are saying he's evil?!?! Have some people lost all perspective!?!?

Much too loud. And he'd make these little noises when callers would suggest fallacy in the Kucinich policy, like "Uh-HUH!" with his mic up too loud.

Not to mention he implied that the ends justified the mean in the invasion, that though the war was launched on lies "we got a job to do." I mean, that's no analysis of the situation, and that's no answer. That propoganda.

Listen to it again, just pretend you're an annoyed Kucinich supporter who is tired of hearing your candidate being marginalized by the media. Just pretend. Then his little gestures, his assertion, and his mic volume will be more obvious.

And GOD that show is so right wing Democrat...it's garbage, all of the women reporters on that show sound 19! Listen to it on some other day.

Yeah, he worked for Jimmy Carter back in the seventies. Did you happen to see him during the impeachment debacle? If he is what some people call a democrat, maybe i need to rethink my lifelong commitment to the Democratic party.

Brash my ass, he's a tool for the establishment. When is he on point? Could you tell me that? I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts it's the EXCEPTION, not the RULE. That is why both Kucinich AND Kennedy won't go on his ridiculous excuse for a show.

Some examples of Tweety's whoring:

for Arnold

and for Bush

was not the question but the way Mathews reacted to the answer.

the statement Kucinich made, period. It was dishonest in the extreme and no responsible journalist would have pulled such an underhanded stunt.

Kucinich's mistake was in answering the question at all. Unfortunately in his mind he thought they'd be able to move on if he did. He underestimated Tweety's dishonesty. He isn't going to repeat that mistake.

n/t

by outright lying about what he said. Here's the relevent portion of the transcript. Kucinich NEVER ONCE mentioned "sending women to jail for having an abortion", that was Tweety's construct.

KUCINICH: OK. Thanks, Chris. I think criminalization of abortion would set this country back.

MATTHEWS: Who is proposing criminalization of abortion?

KUCINICH: Actually, Congress has been increasingly moving in the direction.

MATTHEWS: Who supports criminal punishments for abortion.

KUCINICH: Congress has been increasingly moving in the direction towards criminalization.

MATTHEWS: Name a U.S. congressperson.

KUCINICH: It’s a fact.

MATTHEWS: Name a Congressperson who supports putting people in jail for having an abortion. Name one.

KUCINICH: Trent Lott, at the beginning of this Congress, stated that it was the number one agenda for his, the legislative agenda to move forward to make abortion illegal.

MATTHEWS: No, you said to put them in jail, to criminalize abortion.except Kucinich NEVER mentioned jail, so Mattthews is a twit who thinks all crime results in a jail sentence. Name a member of Congress who wants to-name any member of Congress in either party who says put a person in jail for having an abortion. Name one.

KUCINICH: I campaigned for Congress in 1996 against an opponent who was backing a constitutional amendment to make abortion illegal. And what I’m saying that it’s important in this country-

MATTHEWS: You didn’t say that. You said criminalize it. You said put a person in jail for having an abortion. Do you believe any member of Congress wants to do that?And Matthews repeats the lie he initiated with "You said put a person in jail for having an abortion."

KUCINICH: Well, I think there are members of Congress who want to do that. That’s absolutely right.

MATTHEWS: Name one.

KUCINICH: This isn’t about naming one.

MATTHEWS: Name one. Name one.

KUCINICH: I think Chris Smith would support it. I do...

MATTHEWS: He would. Well, that’s a nice subjective move, but you don’t have his testimony supporting it. We’ll check with him on that. I think it’s a rotten thing to say. Let’s go on...

KUCINICH: What’s a rotten thing to say?

MATTHEWS: To say that somebody in Congress wants to put a woman in jail for having an abortion when you don’t even know their name.

KUCINICH: Well, you asked me to...

MATTHEWS: Name one.

KUCINICH: You asked me to who would be responsible and take that kind of a position. And I think Chris has had a strong position all of his life on it, and I think he’s probably be..

MATTHEWS: You’re desperate. Let’s move on here. Congressman Hunter, let me ask you a serious question because you’re a serious man. This was not a serious conversation.

Comments in italics mine. Matthews flat out LIED to misrepresent the statements Kucinich made, then screamed over Kucinich to force him to respond to Matthews' own lies instead of what he actually said. Tweety is a worthless POS masquerading as a journalist and not worthy of any acknowledgement from Kucinich or anyone else. It's a pity the rest of the crew doesn't have the integrity of Kucinich in denying the little liar the attention he craves.

I still like John Kerry, he's in my top three, but his revelation on Leno that he carpools with Tweety really creeped me out. Tweety is a clown, as the Daily Howler says. What the hell is Kerry doing hanging out with him.

And after the exposure of CNN's fake question -- as if anyone doubted this happens all the time -- Gephardt's skipping that Rock the Vote debate looks like he was the winner of that one.

He is the best debater of the candidates.

done more to wreck the lives of working people than the Republicans!

It's been so long since we've had a gentleman of his calibre in the Oval Office, *sigh*

He gave it inadvertently, of course.

He remarked that while Dennis's healthcare proposal is a great IDEA, Gephardt's plan, which involves offering 'massive' tax incentives to any business owner who provides healthcare to employees, is 'practical' because of the way it activates lobbying.

To him, a healthcare plan isn't 'practical' unless it involves paying the wealthy elites to let us have it!