Why the HELL didn't they just wait?

There was an event about a month ago that went largely under reported. The Democratic leadership, along with a few notables, held a staged press event at Washington, DC's Union Station, just a few blocks from the Capitol.

The Bostom Globe picked it up. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/03/30/democrats_seize_on_national_security/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+National+News as did the Washingotn Post http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/03/real_security.html and likely other media outlets, too.

So they can all claim "we covered it."

But here's the back story.

As the entirety of the Democratic Leadership dragged their asses up the street from their offices and went to all the trouble to paint some banners as backdrop and beg a few teevee camera guys to show up, they went at it pretty flat footed. You see, when Il Dunce's junk yard dog media guys got wind of the Democratic event set to happen mere blocks away, they rescheduled Bubble Boy's day and stood him in front of the assembled media lapdogs ensconced comfortably and conveneiently right there at the ol' White House and gave him some inane, uterly forgettable bullshit to spew. His event started 10 minutes before the set start of the Dem event.

So, of course, the media all covered Bubble Boy.

Meanwhile, back at Dem Central (now encamped at Union Station and talking hits of mouth moistener, while wiping their sweaty palms) our guys (you'll recognize them by the white hats and white flags) do ....... what?

They START THEIR EVENT ON TIME.

Thereby ensuring that the cameras and media time would be ...... where? Why, with Bubble Boy, of course.

Why the HELL didn't they just wait?

Would that have been so fucking hard to figure out???????

Had the Dems waited to start theirs, the media would have been all about how they ran late, and people would be carping that they let the Republicans set their agenda yet again.

Yup.

But we need a few pit bulls and Luca Brazza types, too.

They could have covered bush's* little speech live and played the Dems' announcement later if they wanted. They just didn't want to. The Dem event was news that was not covered even though there was plenty of notice and preparation. No other "event" should have kept the news corporations away or prevented them from airing footage either live or later in the day.

Classic example of a lonely tree falling. Did you hear something?

get it.

Instead .... they layed down. I hear what you're saying.

I disagree.

They gave the media no reason to cover them. Imagine, instead, the coverage if they waited and also changed their script and made it an angry rebuke of the media. And **then** go on with the scheduled event.

edit to add: as I said elsewhere, we need some pit bulls.

And hardly a single outlet even mentioned it. As the event was televised and the room was filled with nothing but members of the corporate news media, there was no legitimate reason not to cover it, but they didn't.

Also, remember Dean was the front runner in the 2004 primaries until he suggested breaking up the corporate media monopolies. All of a sudden there were a lot of articles asking "Can Dean Win Against Bush?"

I understand your desire for pit bulls. I'd love to see a few more, myself. But I don't think the Dems can be blamed for this one. It was a foregone conclusion that it wouldn't be covered before it even took place.

..... (isn't intelligent discourse a wonderous thing? :) )

You're correct. We can't blame the Dems for the lack of coverage. Not directly, at least. And, in the context of this thread, my reference to pit bull was not for a particular spokesperson or rhetorical tone. It was to the party strategists. We need someone who will see the strategy of the OTHER SIDE and formulate a counter strategy. I think, overall, that THAT is what we lack.

And for that, I do hold our side accountable. We need to develop a **strategy** to overcome to media gap we all know exists.

about media bias.

Step one to exposing media bias: SAY it exists. SAY it to their faces on TV show appearances, and list examples. Demand, to their faces, on TV to defend false statements they made or stories they ommitted on their programs.

Democrats have yet to take step one, at least in any meaningful way.

We cant exploit as an excuse or correct the situation until we make it common knowledge that it exists- step one is SAYING it exists.

.... with what you said.

Sadly, it seems the only people who are saying anything are down here in the vast wasteland of the cybertrenches ...... and a few exceptions from the "teevee-appearancers'.

If they can work up the Colberts to do so.

They could.

If they could.

General Clark explained this on Maher the other night. True, it's not the MSM, but he's done it. He called it a "game." He also includes it in his Q & A when he's on the road. At Soros' house in NYC, the General included a great imitation of bush rambling at the podium.

n/t

He told the story and after Maher had his little joke, Clark finished the story. Clark also listed point by point the Dem. strategy. He said that Dems want responsible redeployment out of Iraq starting this year.

Personally, I think that everyone is on the same page with a few exceptions who buy into the "long war." I'll even risk getting flamed by saying this: Wes used the word "we" the entire time he spoke. There are others who are thinking primarily about '08, who think that team has an "I" in it. They may be essentially on the same page, but they present a differently worded version and claim it as their own. Those candidates need to get their heads screwed on straight. This is about '06. But more importantly this is about the future of the country. There are lives in the balance, and that trumps politics.

Every time a Democrat gets airtime they should be on message and spreading the word.

I think that was a function of the number of Democrats included in the original announcement, and the short lead time given by rove. What I didn't understand about that day was the lack of Dems lined up for follow up on the evening news. I watched and there was nada.

The media has been a GOP-ally in the past and will continue to be so in the upcoming elections; nothing new about that. The Dems need to brainstorm their away around that dilemma to get their message out.

When the media/GOp expresses outrage- they respond, honestly:

"Well- this is the only way we can get you guys to cover us- whenever we lay out our agenda, you refuse to cover it, and then you lie (and use that word) and say we have no plan..."

But DEMS will never do anything that creative or agressive. Makes us look weak on defense or appear too radical or (insert excuse here.)

all they needed was an excuse to begin with......

The Fox truck's tires would have been heard screetching away.......as would the GE NBC, MSBC trucks...and not far behind...CNN and cousin ABC.



Guess C-Span would have stayed :shrug: ......and we know how much good that does for us in the end.