Hillary criticized for press strategy

Hillary criticized for press strategy

By Christina Bellantoni
November 23, 2007


When Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton wants to get a message out, her presidential campaign handpicks news outlets. Or, in some cases, bypasses the media entirely.

The New York Democrat's third-quarter fundraising blowout was leaked to the Drudge Report. She made sure an Iowa newspaper printed her comments that she found Sen. Barack Obama's answer to a foreign-policy question "irresponsible" and "naive." She also uses her "Hillary Hub" campaign creation to break news.

The strategy allows Mrs. Clinton — who rarely holds press availabilities — to avoid taking questions from reporters who cover her campaign and who might have detailed follow-up queries to her carefully planned policy announcements.

Mrs. Clinton's rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination have been painting her as someone who dodges tough questions or parses answers to difficult issues. Her opponents stepped up the pressure after it was revealed her campaign staff planted two questions with supporters at a campaign event.

Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina regularly accuses Mrs. Clinton of "double-talk," and his campaign created a "Plants for Hillary" spoof Web site to highlight the issue.

"Not answering questions because we're afraid our answers won't be popular just won't do," Mr. Obama of Illinois recently added to his stump speech.

more...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071123/NATION/111230084/1001

Lest anyone wonder, originally found here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/23/how-hillary-controls-her-_n_73888.html

It's not kibitzing about her but talking about her campaign methods, or lack thereof. Sorry if you don't like to read how she's manipulating the press.
And ya know, I get tired of people criticizing if one anti-Hil word is whispered. She deserves some of those words whether you agree or not.

Now I have to go wash my computer.

how droll. no other candidate receives a fraction of the criticism of Clinton here at DU. And you've been particularly avid about posting right wing criticism of her.

As I wrote, I went to alternet and found the article there via the HuffPo. But is this more agreeable to you? L/W enough?

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=6e01fdce-ad97-4dab-a07d-bf98dc52f681

people start whinging about how Clinton supporters don't tolerate criticism of her well, it is pretty funny. It is worth noting that never a day goes by when you personally don't post 2 or 3 articles critical of Clinton. And you have published articles straight from some very odd right wing sources.

that.

right about now..that I for one of many(no doubt) immensely appreciate your posts about the sheltered one and all those other links you come up with, too!

You know we do!

So that's the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Boston Herald, New York Times, Daily News and Post, the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Rocky Mnt News, Houston Cronicle, Detroit Free Press - shoot, maybe a list of the Newspapers that don't hate her would be shorter...

Sounds to me like the others are all jealous of her being so ingenious, especially Edwards. Let's face it, the Goddess of Peace knows how to win!

Snake, is this your way of saying you've found my privet weed stash?

You've got to be kidding.

But your Acid stash!"Goddess of Peace"? :rofl:

But I stay away from that now. But seriously, how in the hell do you call Hillary, the "Goddess of Peace?"

In Kazakstahn we think California weed is very good. Is nice, is a good, but I have a bigger weed.

you ol' Snake!

pissing off Iowans. That doesn't sound like a winning strategy to me.

"We went all the way from June to September without asking her a single question. She had a lot of these town-hall formats, where they just didn't take questions at all," said Peggy Huppert, the group's executive director.

The Washington Times asked the campaign to provide a list of press availabilities Mrs. Clinton has held, but did not receive one.

Democrats say Mrs. Clinton can avoid reporters because she is the strong national front-runner. But some Iowans have been complaining she isn't answering their questions.

Corn subsidies alone totaled $9.9 billion from 1995-2005.

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/progdetail.php?fips=19000&progcode=corn

$14.8 billion in subsidies 1995-2005.
• Iowa ranking: 2 of 50

http://farm.ewg.org/farm/region.php?fips=19000

those bastards :grr:

Oh...wait...:yoiks:

:rofl:

Hiya Iowa :patriot:

And woe unto any state that makes Her Majesty feel the sting of rejection!

First they're supposed to be pissed off at Edwards for going after Hillary and now they're pissed at her because they don't approve of her press stategy. Are those hicks ever happy about anything out there? :shrug:

:shrug:

:eyes:

My room mate is from Iowa, his family is still there. I'll have to check with him on the "corn question."

A boy and his father were at the table eating Chex cereal for breakfast:

Child: Dad, which is better, Corn Chex or Wheat Chex?

Father: Corn Chex, son.

Child: But why, dad?

Father: 'Cause we're from Iowa, son!

I know this is true because I read it in the Washington Times.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071123/NATION/111230084/1001&template=nextpage

<edit>

Mr. Obama speaks more frequently to reporters, but faced some irritated scribes earlier this month in Iowa. During a brief availability, his staff at first only allowed local reporters to ask questions, few of which were tough. After Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times complained that she had unanswered questions and that "it's been awhile" since she was able to ask them, Mr. Obama called on her.

Another reporter called out: "Hang on a second."

"If transparency is such a big part of the campaign, why are the availabilities so few and far between and so short? Surely you can answer some questions," the reporter complained.

Caucus for Priorities, a group focused on wasteful Pentagon spending, which trailed the candidates in Iowa, recently endorsed Mr. Edwards in part because he takes more questions from voters than Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton.

more...

Good for Obama.

Say, who's the only candidate to leak to Drudge and plant questions?

Hmmm.... lemme see...

nt

Try again.

Say, who's the candidate who feeds stories to Drudge again?

for weeks now. That Russert--attack--debate showed the media for who they are (as well as the ensuing barrage of attacks on every news sourse. And what is surprising is that, some of us (truly US!) continue to repeat the negative spin and distortion.

I think it is a smart move by Clinton. Screw the right-wing propaganda machine.

They've been doing it to her for over 20 years.

Edwards and Obama would do well to avoid them as much as possible.....


Oh, I guess they can't at this point. Too Bad.

Well I think it would be more concerning if Hill, or any presidential candidte couldn't work the press towards their own purposes. Fact of the matter is the Press is not just a machine of polite dissemination of the facts. They are vultures. Any candidate that can't manage them would lead me to wonder if they could effectively manage our country or the political machine domestically and internationally they are exposed to on a daily basis.

controlled by Corporatists who've trashed every Democrat running for decades but are even more bought and sold since Bush II? What kind of questions would be asked and by who? Do I think that they should make themselves available to the Dem Bloggers? YES...because they are the only ones who know which questions to ask that are important to us. The rest of them misquote, lie and distort everything about Dem candidates so I wouldn't fault any Dem candidate for not giving hours of useless time to the DC Press Corp and the NYT circuit.

But, Hillary's Machine is too reminiscent of Karl Rove and the Bushies to not point it out. Mark Penn and James Carville have perfected the art and follow Rove's footsteps. She's got the money and the machine and the other candidates should keep pointing that out. Didn't Ed Schultz say Kucinich is the only Dem Candidate who took advantage of his invitation to be interviewed on his show? Has anyone else shown up since I heard that?

Got it...:patriot:

We need a more top down authoritarian Democratic Party!
The Machine decides what The People shall know and when they shall know it!!!
The little people can't handle the TRUTH!
The Machine IS The Decider.
MORE POWER TO THE ENTRENCHED POWERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ELITE!!!

Stop asking QUESTIONS you foolish peons!
Vote HILLARY and shut the fuck up!
Trust us....Everything will be just Peachy.

Hillary would rather PLANT questions than answer them!

and I bow to you Mr. Organic Farmer!

We need a more top down authoritarian Democratic Party!
The Machine decides what The People shall know and when they shall know it!!!
The little people can't handle the TRUTH!
The Machine IS The Decider.
MORE POWER TO THE ENTRENCHED POWERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ELITE!!!

Stop asking QUESTIONS you foolish peons!
Vote HILLARY and shut the fuck up!
Trust us....Everything will be just Peachy.

Hillary would rather PLANT questions than answer them!

is the enemy, and should be treated as such.

Republicans use the same kind of excuses (about Bush I's term) for excusing Bush's secrecy/media manipulation over the years.
To hear Democrats excusing the same lack of transparency is disgusting and sad.

just thought I'd take you off "ignore" long enough to let you know....

Said like a true supporter of a Bush/Cheney Democrat.

Hillaryworlders crack me up. Pathetic.

:thumbsup:

It all makes sense to me now.


:rofl:

:crazy:

Fascinating.

He's cutting his losses and is 'for' whomever wins, but just digging throwing barbs at people. Fascinating indeed.

And hi, mtsnake, well named!

Hmm...

Like I said, he's easy. :rofl:

:crazy:

Hillary's preference to avoid engaging with actual Americans has to be one of the top reasons I don't like her.

You mean I am supposed to count on and trust the press to hold our President accountable.... I missed that forth branch of the government. The press IS the representation of actual Americans. Silly me. Does beg the question.... Who holds the press accountable?

candidate since you have lots of distrust for the m$m, as most of us do. Who, if you don't mind, and how did you pick your candidate?

For the welcome... If you wish an answer look at my journal, although off topic you will find some clues. If you are trying to make a point that we are all subjected to only information provided to and by the MSM for the information we get, I fear for your decision process. But my response, I hope was clear, was an objection to the concept that somehow we have appointed the Press, as a fourth branch of government beholden to their self-deemed powers of accountibility. I would trust a President adept at handling the press more than one driven by the whims of the Press and their agenda. (ie a patsy to the press that "lets the media hold them accountable").

"The Press is should be ignored and manipulated" and "The Press is the only way to hold the government accountable."

The Press is one of the greatest tools the American people have had to hold government accountable. It has been often abused by government and industry, but the solution to that problem is not to forward the notion of further weakening of the Fourth Estate.

The press is held responsible by us, in that we can choose which papers to buy. It is held responsible by government, in that it can regulate and prosecute libel. It is held responsible by its peers, as corruption in the press is a salacious target for other members of the media. Again, has the system failed? Yeah, frequently. Further ignoring and handling/manipulating the press, as Bush did, is not going to make it any better.

Especially after the events of the Bush presidency, I would think Clinton deserves criticism for a lack of transparency.

... feeding stories with Drudge, accepting donations from Rupert Murdoch, swift boating opponents...

Oh yeah, I know. The would be Clinton II media modus operandi reminds me of Bush II's approach to
press access control. That's all America needs.

Fortunately Iowans want CHANGE over experience by 55%-33%.

lol

Hillaryworld = Bizarro Bushworld.

and now Elizabeth Kucinich says that Dennis could very well choose Ron Paul as his VP.

Hillary was right: They aren't picking on me because I'm a woman. They are picking on me because I'm in the lead.