A direct threat to democracy
Well. This is a rather Putin-esque approach:
No Questions, Please. We’ll Tell You What You Need To Know.
Posted by Jay Carney
According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don’t care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace — in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough’s show — the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin’s scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads. Here’s the exchange:
Do watch that clip, because Carney is not exaggerating. Wallace just made the case that the only way people in this country should get to know Sarah Palin is through propaganda. We’re talking about someone who could become the single most powerful person in the world, and we can only learn about her through the lens of the GOP’s public relations department.
This is very, very, very dangerous. What Wallace is doing isn’t merely criticizing the behavior of the media — which everyone justifiably does — but rather attacking the idea that the media should exist at all. She wants to run a campaign where the American public only sees propaganda and never gets the contrary view. Ye gods, this is a dangerous and authoritarian mindset. If the media allow themselves to be bullied and if they stop asking questions because they fear that they’ll be tarred as “liberals,” then our democracy is truly dead.
Sorry. Never thought I’d go there:
I can haz barricades and tear gas yet?
mikey
You’re right on all points, Brad.
I don’t see any other case the Pubbies can make for keeping her the hell away from reporters, because any other I can think of makes them look like WATBs. Which is the case, but they have to go for the macho / authoritarian angle because, well, that’s what they do.
“Names that can’t be repeated”?!? WTF is that line doing in a promo video? Oh boy, here he goes….
It’s barely breathin as it is.
He’s got the green screen behind him again! OMFG!!!!
american democray has been dead for about 8 years now…it is currently decomposing
you have been documenting it for a few years now
Another GREEN Background!!!!
The vets seem strangely underwhelmed.
9/11!
Beat LA! Beat LA!
Fuck, he’s got more kids than Palin.
God, I hate it when we paranoiacs turn out to have been right about everything all along.
Yes, this is commie atheist, drunkblogging the convention. Is anyone home?
He looks like cottage cheese on a bed of green jello again!!!!
The Talibangelicals have, for the first time, a direct line to the White House. George Bush Jr was one of their friends, but she is one of them.
The fundies want Dick Cheney’s unaccountable “Fourth Branch of Government” office so bad they can taste it. It isn’t just about being a “heartbeat away”. And John McCain wants Palin to have that position — his comments about the unimportance of VP office are obvious falsehoods intended to deny the past 7.5 years.
The Talibangelicals are not about to let Satan’s media to dethrone their Apostle.
Children of the corn!!!!
No country… for old men.
Eh, who gives a shit. McCain is a joke, Palin is a fucking asshole, Republicans are sheep. Same bullshit we’ve always known. Hopefully voters will throw these jackoffs to the curb come November. Just gotta hope.
Times are not tough.
MWhahahahahah!!!!!!
NO WE’RE NOT STRUGGLING! EVERYTHING’S GREAT!
I’m not watching, and barely listening, and every time he tries to talk, the crowd loses their mind and starts chanting USA. What the fuck?
I don’t want anyone standing on my side. That would hurt!
LOL!!! The VP got a hardier applause.
Palin’s a better speaker than he is.
You know, I strongly dislike these assholes, and sometimes that colors my opinions, but I gotta say, in all honesty, with all objectivity:
This old fucktard is a CRAPPY public speaker…
mikey
I can haz barricades and tear gas yet?
Mikey, hop on a plane to St. Paul. I’ve been listening to choppers and sirens all week and they haven’t stopped yet.
When McSame says that Palin has run a business, do you think he means the one that never got off the ground, or the car wash that had it’s license to do business yanked for failing to pay taxes and fees?
Change is coming. I will dodder over and attend to it after my nap.
I’ll say this about Sarah Barracuda.
She’s got GREAT teeth…
mikey
I fought corruption…and corruption won.
Brad, McCain is again using green and blue screens behind him. Can you have your buddy put in some more porn?
CUNT tree First!!!!
Thank god we’re safe from the Eye-RAkees!!!!
We valued our power over our principles??? Who the fuck is he talking about exactly?
All god’s children. Except for the darkies.
I’m sorry, but this speech is really dispiriting, and I can’t believe anyone from his base is really excited by him. It’s like he hardly even cares. Where’s the fucking fire in the belly? he’s pathetic.
Just trust the businesses. If we cut their taxes, they pinkie swear they won’t take the jobs overseas.
Failed program #1: Iraq war.
I think PAlin would actually make a better candidate for Presidnet. Epic fail.
Depends™
Change McLame can believe in.
I got tired of it, and have been switching between McLame and a TiVo’ed copy of Obama’s acceptance. Now there’s a contrast!
I hope someone is screen-capping some of the numbnuts in the RNC crowd… Gavin would have loads of fun in Photoshoppe.
TB
Someone just held up a sign that said “The Mavrick”
Ha Ha Ha…
POW! POW! POW!
What, you want to talk to the person who will be one stray doughnut sprinkle away from ruling the country?
POW!
“She wants to run a campaign where the American public only sees propaganda and never gets the contrary view. Ye gods, this is a dangerous and authoritarian mindset.”
What?! Republicans are dangerous and authoritarian? The hell you say!
Since the press is showing some small signs that they may be coming out of the stupor of the last nearly 8 years, they must be shut out. The Republicans’ job is to dictate; the press’ job is to transcribe. Any other behavior will be met with severe consequences.
“OK, coffe break’s over, everyone back on your heads!”
coffee*
O GOD THE VOICE IT HURTS
So bad it’s almost as bad as what she said.
Brad — To speak to your point, which everyone here seems to be missing:
PR is the new media. (I’ve worked in both). Corporate ownership of mainstream media was just the beginning of the end of the public’s “right to know” as it once existed. As someone in the McCain camp recently said, with regard to the current political campaign: it’s not about the issues, it’s about the public’s perception of personalities. That’s why we’re not hearing about war, health care, the collapse of the US economy, environmental crisis, and all those boring depressing things. That’s why we’re hearing about Obama’s “murky” past, Cindy McCain’s drug use, Palin’s kids, et cetera.
Here we are now; entertain us.
I feel stupid, and contagious . . .
so right, MzNicky.
She’s got GREAT teeth…
mikey
The better to eat you with, my dear.
You’re not wrong, MzN, but in this case I think you’re overthinking it.
If you’re the republicans, trying to get the people to elect you after eight years of bush/cheney, issues are losers for you. You have GOT to get the people focused on something else other than the economy, the occupation, education, health care, terrorism, it doesn’t matter. You can’t talk about them, ’cause Obama will hand you your ass.
So they go for the personal, the “narrative”, the story, the history, the lies and the videotape. Because to confront Obama on real, solid, measurable issues is to lose.
Every time..
mikey
Speaking to Brad’s point on such blatant controlling of the message – It’s their only hope, their only chance.
And it’s a pretty thin reed IF enough of the folks in the corporate media do their fucking jobs (that is, if any still know how, or ever did).
‘Cuz that’s still how most folks get their news, if they pay attention at all. We obsessive few, hunched over our keyboards, are still just that – a few.
I think that there are enough corporate media folks, and some talented indies, who’ll do the legwork and get the stories out there.
And bloggers’ll keep doing what they/we do, and that will help.
But I guess, ultimately, it’s gonna come down to the person-to-person contact and GOTV.
Damn fuck shit, that’s something that I’m absolutely no good at – I hate having to explain the obvious to people, and that dislike seeps through too easily.
So, I’m giving money – more than the missus wants me to (or knows about) – but I could probably give more, and probably will.
And maybe if I get a brain transplant, I might drive across the line to the nearby swingstate of New Hamster (‘Live Free, or go to Nova Scotia’) to knock on doors.
Or maybe I can just hang back in the office to make coffee, sweep up, and shit like that.
Because these war porn fucktards will be the end of us.
One more thought – I think Miss Alaska is gonna have a short shelf life.
Maybe it’s wishful thinking, or just a fervent hope, but when Mad Jack goes down like a five dollar hooker this November, the wingnut fundies are going down with them. She is indeed one of them, but a serious beating in the fall will reduce her to a 20-year career on the rubber chicken circuit.
Either that, or the many, many skeletons in her closet will bring her down.
I dunno. I’m tired. I’m gonna make an online donation and go to bed.
There’s no “if” to it, Brad. They’ve been doing it for years. Ken Auletta diagnosed it a bit late, in 2004. Remember Dubya’s interviews with small-town radio hosts, who peed themselves trying to suck up to him? They called this “getting around the filter.” Jay Rosen correctly nailed Scott McClellan’s job not as someone whose job was to communicate with the press, but as someone whose job was to insult and humiliate the press, and give them no information, ever.
Rethuglican presidents used to whine that the “media” were “biased.” These fucks have been playing a whole new game, and all too successfully: they just look at the media as useless scum — useless unless they can be used like a Tim Russert blowup doll, that is.
That’s the point. They hate democracy and are trying to kill it. But then they have to maintain their Potemkin village. So they lie brazenly. Until they see actual consequences, they’ll just keep doing it.
Were there secret coded messages in the randomness of the Jumbotron? Some random mansion (stately Wayne Manor, maybe?)—blank green screen–some corn. I mean, what the hell? Are the Republicans broke? Can’t they hire decent IT people to keep the screen from blanking out?
The green screen of death?
Fuck me, that video was chilling. I had a nice relax on before I watched that, now I’m all on edge.
Did not care for that at all, not one bit.
How best to counter the ‘personal narrative’ garbage then? What ought we to do, what should we be telling all the ‘medium’ and ‘low’ information voters in our lives to keep them above the propaganda?
The Media has not done there job for years. If they had we might have different people running. I still have not seen any one push Oboma yet, there is no rest for Sarah. Put the blame where it should be. On the media, they are so one sided its not even funny.
And to commie, Sarah fought and won.
Wallace (formerly Nicolle Devilish) is filth: the Mouth of fucking Sauron.
This HAS GOT to be a joke!
Obama sat with O’Reily today, for chrissaeks, but Miss PitBull won’t be talking to ANY media because blogger ArcXIX from DailyKos.com was mean to her???
commie atheist said,
September 5, 2008 at 4:31
I fought corruption…and corruption won.
That’s because corruption takes no prisoners (of war)
When McSame says that Palin has run a business, do you think he means the one that never got off the ground, or the car wash that had it’s license to do business yanked for failing to pay taxes and fees?
As an aside, I fucking hate the trope that success in the business world is some sort of automatic qualification for public office. Government and businesses are two completely different types of organizations – they have wildly different goals, and both require different skill sets for effective management.
[…] folks at Sadly No rightly point out the extreme danger in this approach: What Wallace is doing isn’t merely […]
Vagabond – through your barely literate scratchings, I take it you feel the media has been too hard on Sarah Palin and not tough enough on Obama. Don’t you think it’s a bit too early in the day to be smoking crack?
Isn’t Nicolle Wallace that serial killer nemesis of Det. Goren on Law & Order: Criminal Intent? How did she get a job with the McCain campaign? And why hasn’t Det. Goren arrested her for attempted murder of democracy?
My guess is that they’ve gone too far. The repubs kept the press in line by doling out
propagandainside information and “access” to give the press something to do. First went the Straight Talk Express, now Palin. Cutting them off completely threatens the press’ very existence. It will not end well. The Clintons learned this the hard way.I laugh at danger.
Obama and Biden don’t have to say a single word about Palin. They just go on a lot of interviews. Wherever they go they should stop to do shirtsleeves, in-a-crowd interviews with local codwrapper reporters and 6 o’clock news teams. Look those individuals in the eye and answer their questions. In comparison, Palin would look like a princess who just rides around in her carriage and waves.
It’s not very dangerous. It’s no Talking Point Left Behind, mixed in with a little media bullying. “Who do you think you are, acting like you can ask Fuhrer Palin questions?! Pissant!” The head of communications is frothing at the mouth, daring the media to come within striking distance.
Morning Joe is so lame. They’ve got to get Scarborough back into a decent gig.
Yeah, ronin, I think that’s a really good point. Accessibility is also the prime reason for McCain’s popularity in particular, as numerous media folks have admitted.
His popularity with the media, that is.
[…] just got introduced. Don’t they want to let us know more about her? Sadly, […]