Listen Up Folks! Corporate Media makes Race and Gender Entertainment! Could Split Dem Party!

Will Race and Gender Issues split the Dem Party for the Election? Why Is Our Party Doing this?

With seven years of Bush/Cheney Crimes,shredding of the Constitution,the coming Economic Recession,Job Losses, miserable Health Care and all the rest, why would the party of INCLUSION allow itself to get bogged down in re-fighting race and gender issues which will distract us from what we need to accomplish The Democratic Partyfor decades has cared about and accomplished more on race and gender issues than the Republicans have even thought of...yet we have our Media making an issue of Hillary's Tears, Bill's Meltdown talking about "Fairy Tales," and Andrew Cuomo talking about "Shucking and Jiving."

McCorporate Media is making gender, race and age THE issues of this coming Election! They screech on about how "Older women" came out and smacked Obama down in New Hampsire, or it was a Brady Factor that voters will "lie to pollsters" rather than admit they are voting for a black candidate." We've all heard Matthews and Scarborough and the rest of the pundit entertainers crawling all over the "race, gender" issues since Iowa. But what is very troubling is that...the Obama and Hillary Campaigns seem to be helping the McCorporate media distracting us from the REAL ISSUES that we Democrats should be focusing on. WHY ARE THEY NOT DISCUSSING "INEQUALITY" and how ALL AMERICANS have been HURT BY Bush/Reagan Policies? Only John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich seem to be trying to focus on this rather than the "name calling" and theatrics.

Who in the Dem Party is behind this strategy of pitting Blacks against Blacks and Women against Women, and Youth Vote against "Old Folks?" The McCorporate Media loves this kind of Super Bowl Entertainment and will work hard to make us all participants in the Gaming. I'm sad to see Obama and Hillary participating in this and wonder why our Party would go this direction unless we are looking to snatch another "defeat out of the jaws of victory."

Josh Marshall has a cautionary and interesting read that I've snipped here.

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Taking a Deep Breath Josh Marshall


It is remarkable, or perhaps it's not so remarkable, how rapidly this punching match over race has escalated between the Clinton and Obama camps. Even calling it that is perhaps controversial in itself.

I'm discussing this with you because it's quickly become a complicated editorial issue for us to deal with.

It's genuinely unclear to me how much one side or the other is consciously pushing this, how much it's escalated based in part on misunderstandings, or whether, in a somewhat related fashion, hyping journalistic accounts has given the engagement a life of its own.

Some of the statements recently attributed to the Clintons have seemed at best awkward in how they're discussing race and the civil rights movement, others have struck me as unobjectionable statements interpreted in a tendentious fashion.

You can see in our news section we've picked up the story just out from The Guardian which quotes some unidentified "Clinton advisor" saying: "If you have a social need, you're with Hillary. If you want Obama to be your imaginary hip black friend and you're young and you have no social needs, then he's cool."

-snip-

Race is an inherently compromising issue in American culture and politics. And some of what I think is happening here is that it is ricocheting in all sorts of directions in this campaign which is about the heart of the Democratic party.

I don't have any global answer here. This has spiraled pretty far in the last 48 hours. And I'm just now taking stock of it again. Like I said, it's not completely clear to me the mix of intention, inertia and accident involved. But this is explosive. So we're going to do the best we can to tell you what's happening, not to hold anything back but also to be conscious of each step we take as we report on and thus in a real sense relay these increasingly inflammatory statements and reports.

more...
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/063477.php


Edited: For Clarity in how Media is Manipulating Race & Gender and that Hillary & Obama Operatives seem to be helping them.

K/R

These reporters undoubtedly keep at it until they have a "controversial" comment from some "adviser". :eyes:

Personal attacks have always been wrong, and the debate MUST be about issues and leadership.

We have GOT to keep our eyes on the goal: the WH. Tearing the other candidates down now doesn't do anything. And I have to say, it reflects badly on the one doing it, because it means they value their nomination over the success of the party, and therefore the health and safety of the country.

For decades now, it has been the height of forensic art on the left to impeach one's opponent in debate as a practioner of some 'ism' or other; racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, speciesism, whatever the case might be. Whatever is said is searched for hints of these taints, which if detected are cried up as the only possible, and sum total, meaning of a statement, as this is, by the rules of the game, sufficient to discredit an opponent, and anythng he or she might say or be.

The media made a big point about finding something Jewish in most of our candidates' heritage. It was just left hanging out there. Obama has no division likely in the black voter base but Hillary has issues with potential female unity. Reactionary lurking minuses will be dredged up by the GOP in every case. These are the functional matters at play before we get into larger fears. Those larger fears unfortunately are watered down because the media will focus on ANYTHING except what helps Democrats and shines a light on their complicity in crimes. The "ism" factors ARE real but would Al Smith have beaten the GOP if he was Protestant? No. By less? Possibly.

What we cannot see is significance. It is a democratic year as Will Pitt rightly notes. Starting from that hopeful premise, how BIG do we want to win? Then we can get picky, but not by doing stupid things like turning OFF our voters and creating issues for the GOP in the process. The math game is determined by Heisenberg theory. The critic creates the problem he criticizes. Fear begets fear, anger anger, but hope makes hope as well. Realism has less to do with things than emotions and attachments. If the real problem is the media or fraud then fight that, not saying my potential victim is better than yours.

Simple, eternal DU answers. Boost the good. Look for the best. Fight the particular evil. Don't turn the enemy's weapons against our own, even disguised in our forms. Keep debates, factual, positive and flexible.

should be the MAJOR issues. They affect America as a whole. To go backwards into divisive Race/Gender issues when we all are suffering (with the exception of Corporate America...hint, hint) is the problem for this Election. Corporate America/Defense Industry/Globalization Cheerleaders...are the ones who will benefit when we all get into throwing mud at each other.

And if we lose our focus and indulge, we hurt ourselves. If we refuse to play that game, we may help the country and the political process for a while to come. A very good thing.

There is NOTHING that would make the GOP happier then to see the DEMS split and fighting on race and gender. Frankly it is their ONLY shot at winning this year.

The fact that so many are falling for it and fanning the flames of division is disturbing. ESPECIALLY here on DU. We should be smarter then this.

:thumbsup:

it`s happened here at du.

Racism and sexism are high crimes against humanity.

Selling out working people is just par for the course. :eyes:

There is a difference in intent and perception. I don't think for a minute that the Clintons are racists but they have been insensitive in their remarks. They fact that they have been insensitive has been a little surprising because if anyone should have been more conscious of this it's them.

I've been saying for months, on this board and elsewhere, that the Clintons are going to have to be careful in their hopes of securing the large percent of black support that they currently have. They would have to be conscious in the way they challenge him because if it is perceived to be attacks on his race that it would diminish some of their black support.

Rep. Clyburn chose to address his concerns publicly because these concerns have been talked about in the black community very vocally.

I watched Morning Joe this week and they were talking about these racial claims made by some blacks including Donna Brazille. The whole crew blew them off as baseless and dangerous. This was unfortunate because it shuts down any chance of communication. They said they saw nothing racist but that really is not the issue. Few people feel the Clintons are racists but many feel they were insensitive as to how their remarks would be perceived.

There have been some remarks made by her supporters that the Clintons can't be blamed for but when you couple them with Hillary and Bill's latest remarks some people could perceive that there is a pattern.

I know Hillary wasn't trying to diminish MLK's contribution to society but she did use a poor analogy to make her point. The biggest dust up in some black circles was not the "fairy tale" statement by Bill but him referring to Obama as a kid.

I know many who's lives haven't been impacted by race don't see an issue with any of these statements but there are some who do take offense with them.

I think it would be much better to expand the conversation and not dismiss it as merely a media manufactured issue.

there are still problems in how the MSM covers the issue. Do they hype and prod and poke the issue and misquote what is being said. I think there's evidence that they do, because the Media wants us divided for entertainment purposes plus their own Corporate Owners agenda.

Did you have time read Josh Marshall's piece that I linked. I think he was trying to get deeper into the issue in his article.

I do believe that there is some sensationalism and entertainment value being associated with this issue. I also feel this was done to Hillary when they unfairly covered her emotional moment in New Hampshire, it was disrespectful and many of them were gloating.

I do agree that the media could do a better job in covering these types of things.

My concern is that this will be blown off as a non-issue.

look beyond the surface. Everything's got to fit into a binary worldview - Dem vs. GOP, woman vs. man, black vs. white... Precious little room for thoughtful or indepth looks at the race.

party...

it'll probably be made up of ex real democrats as opposed to the the DLC.

Who was it who said, I'm the real democrat in the democratic party ?

don't we? :sarcasm:

Spare me the youthful idealism--my country's desperate. :eyes:

We need to come down on the Republicans and the Corporate fatcats like the Red Army did to Berlin. But the "moderates" are afraid of their own shadows and won't fight the republicans, they'd rather fight those they consider "left". That is a much greater problem then these silly little claims of sexism. And that is why I'll never support Clinton. She'd rather make backroom deals with the enemy and I can't forgive that.

The primary calendar can't move fast enough for them. :eyes:

That's the problem dear. . It's not "our" Media, is it?

End the Corporate stranglehold!

Republicans / Corporate America WANT to run against Hillary or Obama, so they have a chance of winning the next election. They CANNOT win against Edwards.

And yet no one in the media suspects, or dares to mention that this report might be taken with a grain of salt.

It is true because it is on TV...

seem to be
might
anonymous sources
could
have been rumored to


it's rumor mongering and gossip taken as gospel. . all of it


And it would be so easy for this crap to be manufacuted by anyone, foreign or domestic, repug or Dem, ABC or CBS, Rove or Carville or Matalin or both or all. .

The problem is that we allow the media to jump on it.. and WE jump on it..

Are we getting some kind of static from fringe "ops" affiliated with Campaigns who are spouting off stuff to reporters? Josh did say that the "Guardian" of London is not the type media NOT to CHECK SOURCES...for an article...unlike Fox or the London Times or the rest of Ruppert Murdoch's rags and his Cable News FAUX news!

So...Josh was questioning why the "Guardian" considered this source as reliable...because they are known as a better News Source. :shrug:

Justify why "...America just wasn't ready to elect a _________, {or a}__________."

Guaranfuckinteed. Count on it...

and yet they think they can win on this triangulation...because it's worked before with different issues...it seems to always work. Let's hope the "Powers that BE" are PROVEN WRONG this time. :shrug:

I may not be fans of either one (my favorite's dropped out), but the MSM are counting on a Dem win and they'll excuse their pushing both of them by saying exactly that.

I like you even though we disagree a bit on politics. You're media savvy--or should I say suspicious, just like I am!

:toast:

JOHN EDWARDS '08

He has a white penis.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x7343041

This has been bugging the spit out of me. The MSM obviously are quite determined to structure this campaign to fit the story they like, and they seem to think they require the drama (and simplicity, and I don't mean that in a good way) of WOMAN vs. BLACK.

It's stupid, it reduces our candidates to one-dimensional archetypes instead of the complex and interesting people they are. Running from that "nuance" thing again?

It's also, as is pointed out, unfair and divisive. We don't need it; we all need to reject it!

The conservative white guy who will smack down either one. What were those crazy Democrats thinking? What a bunch of losers!

Just did some searching back to see who might have started this unproductive divisive crap? Now I'm mad as Hell!!!

And I become much less likely by the minute to ever vote for Obama! This is completely because of statements and actions of Obama himself, beginning over a year ago as he began his candidacy.

I will shortly begin a new thread with a longer version of anger, but here is a short one: Obama began his candidacy calling for a new type of politics, time for the Baby Boomers to get over themselves and give way to a new generation, time to quit fighting the divisive battles of 60's and refought in the Clinton 90's, time to let go of those old fights, and time to move on.

Last January, when I first saw Obama these points, I noted his age and how he disavowed his own membership as a (late) Baby Boomer, but then dismissed it as typical hyperbole of someone young and inexperienced pandering to those much younger unlikely to notice his pandering. I now regret not recognizing that he would use the culture wars of the 1960's against progressive Dems and to gain the support independents, Repubs, and others who have opposed us every step of the wsy.

This is one Baby Boomer who is not ready to get over myself!

I'm a year older than he is, so like him, at the tail end of the boom.

But I didn't take those statements as you did. I took them as a "bury the hatchet, (of past problems) let's all move forward" together statement. Something positive. I didn't at all feel he was disavowing the work and sacrifice of those who had fought for civil rights and against the Vietnam war while he and I were still pretty much kids. I thought, though he was pointing out that new times have their own new problems, and it was time for all of us to work together to deal with those.

Not discounting the boomers, but inviting their younger brothers and sisters to start getting as active, and to focus on today, not yesterday.

Right on target. Thank you.

Nominated.

I have been watching the McLaughlin group for as long as I can remember. I like how when they get right wingers on that show they are at least right wingers with a brain. There was not one second of talk on that show today about an actual issue in this election. It was 100% race and gender, start to finish. It really just makes me want to withdraw from the whole process. If the American people are stupid enough to squabble over race and gender instead of actual issues that need addressing then they deserve the punishment they are going to receive from yet another establishment, MSM approved candidate.

They aren't manufactured. When someone gets stopped for driving while black or can't find help getting away from their abusive husband because it's their fault that they're getting beaten, tell them it's just manufactured and a shiny object to distract them and that they should just shut up and sit down. See what happens.

If we can deal with them...and their allowing the RAPE OF IRAQ where WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAVE DIED IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS...and compare THAT...to what's going on in AMERICA?

If the BUSH POLICIES are allowed to CONTINUE...then ALL OF US are in PERIL!

Don't you see that? :shrug: If you do...then you KNOW that ALL OF US...no MATTER WHO WE ARE on AMERICAN SOIL will be VICTIMS to these FOLKS who want to take us back to the 19th Century and NAZI GERMANY!

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. BUSHIES have LUMPED US TOGETHER! BLACK/WHITE/BROWN/and INBETWEEN!!!!