Problem With Obama's 'Rope a Dope' Strategy? Too Many Media Dopes

Here's the problem if President Obama is indeed using, as some have suggested, a "rope-a-dope" strategy on his loudmouthed political and health-care opponents in Congress and especially, in the media:

There are at least four dopes punching him. Muhammad Ali only had one.

On top of right wing-dominated talk radio and Fox News-sance, add two more cable networks that are now haranguing the President about badly needed health care and financial reform:

Fox Business, Prince Rupert Murdoch's low-rated but ascendant answer to CNBC, which has been sounding more and more like Roger "Rove's Brain" Ailes' venomous, disreputable Fox News every day.

And now add formerly apolitical CNBC, on which free-market loudmouth Larry Kudlow has been constantly attacking business regulation. He's been joined by CNBC principal news anchor Maria "Money Honey" Bartiromo, who didn't exactly cover herself with glory last week, asking 45-year-old Democrat/public-option backer Rep. Anthony Weiner why he didn't take Medicare if he liked government-run programs so much.

So, there are plenty of media dopes for Obama to deal with, to say nothing of their audiences. All these media outlets feature loudmouths with big megaphones, and a lack of decency or any allegiance to facts.

It's mostly a one-sided battle. On the progressive side, there are some (mostly low-power) liberal AM talk stations and MSNBC (except for "Morning Joe" and all MSNBC's unseemly crime and prison shows).

"We're fighting an uphill battle against a large, entrenched right-wing media machine, and it's going to take years to reverse the trend. So progressives have to work a lot harder,"

said thoughtful Air America radio Thom Hartmann recently. He's right, and he's not overstating the problem.

I've been watching this accretion of extreme right-wing media power for years as I've covered TV and radio for several major newspapers. Not much has been said of the big picture, how an increasingly one-sided message has shaped policy and caused major problems for liberal Democrats. (An aside to righty readers: While there may be as many liberals as conservatives working in the media, it's not libs who OWN the media)

Tuesday's speech to school kids by the President provides a perfect example. A few years ago, radio and TV stations would have aired it without thinking twice. The crackpots -- and that's what they are (racists is such a nasty word) -- would never have gotten their ridiculous message out, that this was a "political indoctrination" speech.

But the media has changed, big-time. It's now a powerful megaphone clearly dominated -- and often owned by -- right-wing political extremists, bigots and outright loonies.

So what does this leave our media-besieged President? The powerful bully pulpit, one he's hardly used so far, unlike FDR Pres. Obama badly needs to start using his considerable media and oratorical skills to cut through the right-wing noise and nuttiness. This week would be a good time to start. To go on the attack against the extremists who clearly dominate so much of the media debate.

Now, it's all too easy for Huffington Post readers, especially younger adults, to downplay the importance of TV and radio.

"Who listens to radio anymore?" is something I hear often. Lots of people, I tell them. Especially those in their cars commuting.

"Who watches TV any more?" I hear from heavy net consumers who now get their limited TV doses from Hulu and YouTube.

My answer to this: Try driving or walking around a couple of nearby neighborhoods some night. Notice the glow coming from 80 percent of homes? Those aren't computer screens.

To fight the persistent problem of right-wing extremists -- that's exactly what they are -- using their considerable leverage in cable-TV and radio to dominate the political debate, one must first acknowledge it exists.

And to counter it, the President needs to use TV to punch back -- forcefully. Time to go after all those dopes.

Follow Bill Mann on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newsmann

Comments

[blood1]

As noted above, FOX will not broadcast the President's address....but I am willing to bet that they will play "bits and pieces" so that the right wing rant machine can respond. For this, they will give all the time and coverage all the right wing minority groups can serve up.

It has been well documented that there is no POLICY debate going on...this is all political. The only way to win is too keep fighting against the minority talking machine and it's enablers. And, assuming that the Supreme Court rules against Citizens United...the citizens still have a voice...if the Supreme Court rules for Citizens United, I will fear greatly for the rights of the generic citizen as we will be overrun by the Media Owners who hire and enable all the fear mongering talking heads....and then this country will no longer be a Democratic Republic.

[robbyJ]

1984 and a Brave New World are on their way.

Partisan news is disgusting. Any news source willing to change what their viewer sees, in an effort to change what they believe, is putting this nation's future at risk.

There are only 2 paths this country can go down, and it's not Democrat or Republican, it's enlightened or controlled.

[forbitten]

Well, it’s more than tough being this President, who’s only trying to help this nation rebound from the mess GWB and the Republicans left.

And, he has to continually fight the Republicans in Congress and the Senate to get ANYTHING done, no matter how good it is for the country.

And, he has to continually fight lies and conspiracy theories that are broadcasted 24/7, where racists and loud-mouths show their distain and lies for the President. And, no one dare tell them shut-up because they belong to the Republicans voting base.

And, he has to fight Blue Dogs who wants to satisfy their own loony right wing voters in their districts, no matter if it’s against their own interest.

Lastly, he has to fight Economists like Klugman, who means well, I guess, but he has something negative to say every other day about President Obama’s policies.

Who would believe it’s only been 7 months, and to believe how much this President has been attacked mainly from the right wing extremists, but also some low-blow punches from the left.

I pray that he survive all these ugly attacks.

[SewaneeLeftist]

Very good article, Mr. Mann.

[robbyJ]

I liked it too.

[rf-hawaii]

The President needs to use TV to fight back?

What happens when they stop carrying his speeches?

[Steven Duke]

The media in this country is a joke, a travesty. If the President wanted to make a point all he would have to do is separate d's and r's. At the non state of the union state of the union in Feb it wasn't clear but the D's so outnumber the R's in the legislature the Democrats were seated in and among Republicans. I would force all the D's to one side, even if they have to stand and force R's to inhabit the cold dark corner which they represent. first thing he should tell the cameramen to do is pan the hall and show just how minuscule Republican represntation is upon making that clear he should look straight at the American people and say "this is the representation according to how the American people voted, nothing has changed. All of those trying to sell this tea bagger fraud and failed conventional wisdom are idiots so cought up in their own hype as to be deluded." after which he can turn to the overwhelming majority in his own party and excoriate them and tell them that if they intend to use the political cover being provided by a bunch of thugs and not stand with those who advocate for the best interest of the people they can join the Republicans right now and then make a long pause to give them every opportunity.

[milliband]

Let's not forget Stuart, Colbert, and Maher. The average educational level of Republican voters is
heading south at every election. We just need to be aware of self important bloviators like the
"neutral" David Gergen who claims the fringe tea baggers who acted out at the Town Halls were actually indicative of public opinion, Like the Maine guys at Gettysburg, we can stand still and get cut to pieces or charge the opponents for victory.

[newsmann]

This country has always had more than its share of stupid, ignorant people. The difference is, now they're put on national TV (think Fox) and passed off as "Vox Populi." It's more like "Pox Populi."

[tantrictim]

i think one person who has been overlooked in this controversy is phil kerpen, and his unabashed race baiting critique of van jones on fox, including the "watermelon" hypothesis" which he uses to describe cap-and-trade legislation, talk about ugly racial stereotyping with a biracial prez and a black former green jobs czar, van jones

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2009/09/06/phil-kerpen-van-jones-resign/

[68-lukeburlington]

I wish Glen Beck would pick on someone his own size......ME!

The liberal website suburban empire .com wants to challenge FOX to a fight (with the result being alot more hits to our site, compliments of Fox) to see who can serve up opinion with more thoughtfulness and nuanced commentary.

http://www.suburbanempire.com

left wing sass, served up fresh daily, by folks in Vermont..... so you KNOW it's liberal!

[morefromLA]

Not an intellectual George Forman among all those right-wing dopes. He has them where he wants them and now the knockouts begin.

[lovable]

great article and commets. obama had better get smarter or this will go on for 3 more years. then its too late to fight back. its already in the mind of the robots and cultest of fox then.

[Eykis]

POTUS needs to stop the BS coming from the Fright-Wing Extreme Terrorists and he can do this on Wednesday.

They cannot scream any louder. Just tell them healthcare/public option is going to happen.

[Piatt]

Other problem is that too many of the ropes don't understand that they've been roped.

[Eykis]

They WANT to be roped. It is the racism they cannot handle. The know they are racists.

[YunekFlava]

This is an awesomely written article, and it is so totally right on!

[folkie51]

Has ANYONE thought about what Rupert Murdoch's agenda might be (besides money)?

[radiclib]

.
.
Well, sure. He wants world domination by the right wing.
It's time for liberals and their media outlets to stop treating right-wing media and the Republican Party as if they are clowns. They may be fools, but they are not harmless fools and it is a mistake to treat them as if they were a joke. The right wing, even though it has lost power, still frames the debate. The health care propaganda war has shown this. We need to fight back with tough tactics and not let them play us for chumps. Otherwise, this administration is going to get rolled and not even know who did the rolling or how.
.
.

[rf-hawaii]

What he said.

[DoctorH]

Also, the Divide and Conquer strategy has worked from time imemorial. So Special Interest Groups such as health care corporations can easily organize in order to locate people who are already frightened and angry, and to frighten and anger them more. And then they can put these folks on the Right Wing media outlets in order to frighten and anger more and more people-- making them turn against one another and not listen to one another.

In such an environment, health care reformers, or other people with a constructive change agenda, are in grave danger of losing their focus on the benefits of their agenda to America. They are in danger of just becoming a part of a big vicious fight orchestrated by someone else. On the other hand, one can not just totally ignore what these Town Hall Shouters are saying. Because in that case they will just continue repeating it until many people believe it, as the Swift Boaters did when John Kerry mistakenly thought that the best thing to do would be to ignore them.