Cable News Covering The DNC With Republican Cue Cards

With a few standout exceptions, the television coverage of the Democratic Convention is so grossly disconnected with the reality on the floor that, if I were more conspiratorial, I'd wonder whether the networks hadn't pre-taped their coverage months ago. Sort of like that SNL sketch in which Dana Carvey plays Tom Brokaw -- preemptively taping an on-air obituary for Gerald Ford. "Tragedy today as former president Gerald Ford was eaten by wolves."

While obviously not canned, the DNC coverage this week definitely appears to follow a preordained law: When the Republicans attack, repeat the attack over and over. When the Democrats attack, attack the Democrats. For lack of a better term, let's call it Scarborough's Law, in honor of Joe "The Shovel" Scarborough.

Scarborough's Law explains everything we're observing on cable news this week, and it will become especially evident next week during the Republican convention. Worse, this phenomenon is partly how we ended up in Iraq, and despite all of the mea culpas from old media since 2006 or so, this practically habitual, knee-jerk law remains in play with few exceptions.

When the McCain campaign latched onto this silly "Greek pillars" story, Drudge picked it up and, because he's America's Assignment Editor, it's all we heard about on cable news -- especially MSNBC's Morning Joe. And now, concern trolls are urging the Democrats to backpedal -- to not only rip down the pillars, but to abandon Invesco Field altogether. And if the Democrats were to in fact backpedal, the usual suspects would truck out the "Democrats weak! Republicans strong!" scene as if on cue.

See how that works? Rather than ignoring this desperate attack as nonsense, or debunking it with a wide variety of photos of Senator McCain speaking in front of Greek pillars, cable news is, once again, performing with Republican cue cards.

Tragedy today as the Clintons are feuding with the Obamas. Exaggerated and ultimately debunked. Tragedy today as the Democrats are lacking "red meat." There was red meat served by the truckload from Senator Kerry, Governor Schweitzer, President Clinton, and many others. Just because Pat Buchanan didn't hear it, it apparently never happened. Tragedy today as Senator Obama is a Greek God celebrity who's out of touch with ordinary people. Torn directly from the McCain campaign's own ridiculous blog.

And then we have this week's most obnoxious non-FOX News example of a host repeating Republican talking points verbatim, courtesy of the actual Tom Brokaw who last night responded to President Clinton's speech by shouting:

"When John McCain was sitting in a prison in Hanoi, Bill Clinton was writing letters to his ROTC commander trying to get out of the draft!"

I think Mr. Brokaw pre-taped that one 16 years ago.

So we're not allowed to criticize Senator McCain on foreign policy... because Senator McCain was a POW? I rest my case. This remark was clearly horked almost verbatim from the Rove-McCain campaign playbook of the last two or three weeks. The playbook that suggests everything can be deflected by exploiting Senator McCain's experiences in the war. The all purpose POW card: now with added cred from NBC's anchor emeritus Tom Brokaw.

By the same strained, exploitative cranky logic are we also not allowed to criticize McCain for having a nonexistent health care plan... because of his skin cancer? (I hasten to note: skin cancer that was treated via socialized medicine.) Are we not allowed to criticize McCain on his plan to privatize social security... because he's an old man?

Where were you, Mr. Brokaw, when the Republicans paraded around their convention four years ago wearing purple heart Band-Aids, mocking Senator Kerry's Vietnam heroism? Unless I'm mistaken, I don't recall hearing any similar such indictments from you -- especially when those Band-Aids should have been a thousand times more deserving of a Brokaw spanking than anything President Clinton said last night.

Meanwhile, over on CNN, when they're not desperately hunting for PUMAs to fuel the exaggerated "disunity" frame, they're consulting with known race-baiter Alex Castellanos who, before he began collecting CNN paychecks, collected paychecks from Jesse Helms in exchange for masterminding racist ads like the infamous "White Hands" commercial. Very serious, CNN. Hire a guy who produced the most notoriously racist political ad this side of Willie Horton to cover a convention in which the first African-American is nominated by a major party. And riddle me this: even though they've been compelled to capitulate to the Republican demands for ideological balance, why a known racist? Oh, right. It's hard work to find a Republican strategist who isn't.

There is, however, some hope for sanity. Regarding her forthcoming show on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow told Howard Kurtz this week:

"I'm sorry -- we're going to have a debate about whether or not the Earth is flat? It doesn't make sense to have a debate about whether offshore drilling is going to bring down gas prices. You know what? It's not. The fact that it's false ought to be reported, or you're advancing a lie."

Right. For example, the Republicans can only win this thing by suggesting that the less-wealthy African-American candidate who was raised by a single mother and who only recently paid off his student loans is too "exotic." Scarborough's Law dictates that Senator Obama either defend himself or Republican shills on cable and talk radio will repeat this lie over and over. And when someone from the Obama campaign responds, there's no vindication from the press -- instead, the Obama campaign is inexplicably and incongruously accused of dishonoring Senator McCain's POW experience. As Rachel pointed out, there shouldn't even be a debate about this specious GOP attack in the first place -- rather, it should be reported as false, or not reported at all considering how ass backwards it is.

So it's no wonder that much of the reporting from the convention doesn't seem to match what we're observing either in person or on C-SPAN. Further, it's no wonder why Senator McCain's poll numbers are artificially inflated and the reactions to various Obama campaign events are muted or somehow flipped into negatives. Not unlike the run-up to the Iraq invasion and the previous two presidential campaigns, the reality of this election is being so grossly obfuscated in lieu of a seemingly pre-taped perspective that, once again, old media is enabling an agenda of American self-destruction.

Thankfully, and in the spirit of Senator Obama's acceptance speech tonight, there's hope. Cooler, smarter heads are prevailing. The netroots. Maddow and Olbermann. And, naturally, an energized Obama-Biden Democratic Party that's more disciplined and stronger than any campaign we've seen since, perhaps, 1992. This combination may yet be enough to shred a few cue cards and, more importantly, win the day.

Bob Cesca's Goddamn Awesome Blog! Go!

Comments

[Soothsayer08]

Thanks Bob you nailed just what I think most of the time when I watch the MSM . All they are about is negativity when it come to the Democrats. Most of them are sadly conservative to say the least. What is pathetic that they have to use a platform that is supposed to be fair and balanced to spew their venom. I turned to CSPAN and was happily devoid of commentator opinion and put downs. That why people like Obama. He is positive and people want to be optimistic and positive. American's are tired of the politics of fear to keep people under control. Obama said it himself. The status quo doesn't want to go quietly and it won't be easy. But nothing worth having never is. KO and Rachel Maddow are beacons of light and aren't afraid to tell the truth. We need more like them.

[DaOne]

Great post Bob, you've nailed these scumbags where they live.

[kimest3e]

Excellent post. You summed up (much better than I could) exactly what I've been thinking during this election. I just about broke my television watching CNN and MSNBC earlier in the week. My sixteen year old daughter even noted that they were "just talking nonsense and foolishness". I totally forgot about CSPAN until I read a comment here on HuffPO Wednesday. I can no longer watch MSNBC, other than Olbermann and Maddow. This weeks pundit spectacle was more than I could take. Joe Scarborough is the absolute worst, and that parrot Minka is no better. As for CNN the only people on the whole network I can even remotely watch is Cafferty, (for the few seconds hes on) and AC as long as hes not talking politics.

[Chavez08]

Why does it take sooo long for the establishment to pick-up on these things?

The public has watched with disgust and anger since the 80s as this kind of corporate-­right-wing biased reporting has dominated the airwaves, we've been screaming to deaf ears for DECADES.

Normally, one would say "better late than never" but we're long past our Baptism into slavery, fascism and it's no longer a matter of restoring "balance", it's time for nothing less than radical revolution by any and all means necessary.

The establishment of the Left has has a tendency to "take the high road" and let the Republicans continuously rape America because it plays dirty every time. It's time to counter-attack the corporate machine with everything in the arsenal.

[rock2casbah]

Maybe I'm still a little gullible, but I don't think these smear tactics are going to work this time. Let me tell you why.

The folks who voted for Repubs these past 8 years have to pull up to the gas pump and pay the same thing we do. They still have someone they know who can't afford their medication and their own healthcare premiums may be eating them up. They don't get free heating oil because they voted for Bush and they certainly don't get a 20 percent republican discount at the check out line when buying food.

Even in their ignorance reality has set in. As much as they do not want to vote for a Democrat or even some are racists, but they probably hate the Repubs so much at this point that they won't vote at all.

[Soothsayer08]

All good points

[BBackSoon]

The problem is that there is still 30% of the country that thinks GWB is doing a fine job. So that is the top 1% and another 29% that think none of this is the Repugs fault. We also have some unknown percentage of people that for a number of reasons that will not vote for Obama, some say it is experience; some simply think he is blowing smoke and many because for whatever reason they just won’t vote for a black man no matter what.

The 640 Billion dollar question is how many people are in this second group.

We have seen over and over that a candidate that is ‘Perceived’ to be Strong albeit stupid will beat a candidate that is ‘Perceived’ to be Weak yet smart. The American people have a history of voting against their own interests based on Moral or Character issues.

So it will remain to be seen will a lying, cheating, super rich, vindictive former POW (Did you know McSame was a POW?) can beat a young, idealistic, hopeful, intelligent, American dream. (Obama is not the second coming, he has moved up the social/economic ladder)

[clearthinker2008]

Never underestimate the stupidity of Americans.

[likeicare]

Great piece!

Yes, the MSM has completed its 8 year brainwashing exercise and is now completely ready to do the Ministry of Propaganda's bidding,

Dick Cheney was right about one thing -- the vaunted fourth estate is really made up of a bunch of lazy-ass prima donnas, who'll report anything that's said or done, as long as they don't have to dirty their well-manicured hands to do it.

[Elkanah]

I totally agree Bob.
Watching CNN 'the most trusted name in news" was a most tortured experience.

The speakers at the convention from Madeline Albright to ordinary Americans blended in with the background noise while the "pundits" Republican and Democratic rattled on and on. Sometimes they interviewed delegates and sometimes they displayed the latest Republican attack ad and discussed it to death.

I longed to hear the speakers in the background but to no avail. I went through all the channels until I came to WNED Buffalo (Educational television). There I was able to listen to the Mayor of Fairbanks, a Republican, give the reaons he supported Obama.

I heard a woman, from North Carolina who after 30 years lost her job and benefits and whose husband also lost his job about the same time.

I heard a veteran of the Iraq war who gave the reasons why he and other vets support Obama. There were others of great interest.

I kept flipping back to CNN to see if they too were showing these Americans but to no avail. There was still the chit chat going on and the speakers were simply background noise.

Since CNN has a much wider viewership than WNED Buffalo I thought that it was truly unfortunate that more American people were hearing interviews and intrepretations of events instead of the real reasons Americans want change.

It may be the job of the media to inform but CNN will have none of it.

[bacaangel]

Cable news channels, other than C-Span, do not want people to be informed about real issues which might make the American people think! and come to a different set of conclusions other than the manufactured obssesive and compulsive controversies assaulted to us on a daily basis. Darkening our souls, programming fear and distrust. They are the agents of disunity and have fallen far from their original goals to be the third wheel of democracy! So true that they failed us after 911 and they are failing us now. So what are we going to do about it?

[readytsf]

What coverage are you watching???? I've never seen such a fawning, slobbering display of media bias in my life......­......Oh, did they point out that his tie didn't match or something?

[cobobs]

Why would one watch these people last night when CSPAN covered the event without interruptions? CSPAN is going to run it again uninterrupted, so anyone who forced himself to enjoy MSM vomit last night can look at the whole thing without their help.

[Soulsurfer]

Faux Newz Rubes need to have it explained to them in a manner that they can understand. " See, it only looks like this is a good speech, Virginia, but what he's actually saying is........­"

Too bad Bob isn't more conspiratorial, he'd realize that in the last 25 years, the consolidation of our media into just a few corporate hands now slants everything they show to the right.....­..at the same time pushing the "Librul Media" schmaltz. First rate Madison Avenue strategy.

[unionave]

I became aware of what the media is up to going back to the 80's . The Reagan Dem's (RD) were lapping up the slop they being fed and claiming they were getting the RIGHT POOP . I came to the conclusion then that a RD was a human that could easily be distracted by the OLD SMOKE & MIRRORS TRICKS . With the help of the media and the old master of prestidigitation himself right before the RD's eyes their education , health care , the government coffers , and even their social security funds started to disappear . The RD's are the kind of people that will not test drive a used car before buying it . That is why the GOP and the media continually refer to the RD's as possible GOP voters . These are the easily blinded gullible voters the media and GOP aim their messages at .

[realpolitic]

"When John McCain was sitting in a prison in Hanoi, Bill Clinton was writing letters to his ROTC commander trying to get out of the draft!" The same can be said for war hawk Dick Cheney and for Bush for using political connections to get out of 'Nam.

Joe Scarborough disgraces journalism. No one on MSNBC gave as much coverage to the false Swiftboat allegations as he. His attitude was that "I don't care if none of the swiftboaters served with Kerry but one, I am going to soak these attacks for as much damage to Kerry as I can." He would love to use the same faux-journalism techniques against Obama.

I agree with the article wholeheartedly. Journalists, like Brokaw, always adopt the Republican angle and even conservative language, like "death tax", when they discuss political issues. Every Republican allegation no matter how farfetched is dissected in the press. Democratic allegations are discarded as "dirty tricks". The press has given us lopsided coverage and that is partly why Republicans consistently win the presidency.

[gro]

The talking heads make too much money to be original or actually think. Far safer to take their cues from their masters.
Thank God for Cspan!!!
If the elites want to further divide and destroy America, then maybe we should do more than reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine. How about changing the libel laws so public figures can hold blatant liars financially responsible?
Or do we all have to descend into a maelstrom of unending deceptions?
DO NOT BELIEVE THE MEDIA!

[hiprogloho]

Remember back in the good old days when conventions were aired in full and the speakers weren't cherry picked or limited to the front runners? Why was Kucinich's short but sweet speech left out of cable coverage? Why is it that the talking head airtime dominates the coverage and the speeches are treated as if they are filler? This before the most important election in the history of the planet.

Funny how during the nomination race the 4th estate built up Obama. And now that he is the Dem candidate they are feeding him to GOP spin wolves. Those who would deny the gist of Cesca's observant contentions forget that in this new Orwellian nightmare we call America, he who owns the media owns the message. And he who owns the message owns the pundit bias, the fixed election and US dictatorship, part 2 term 3.

These are dark days in America, folks. And anybody who thinks different either refuses to pay taxes, lives in a gated community, is in aloof denial or works for a Rethug fascist complicit media.

Now censor this post as you will. We've been there, done that...

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

FOR A MOMENT I THINK I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICE HOW FOOLISH Democrats Keep Repeating and Showing Republicans False Attacks OVER and OVER Again! CNN is Guilty, ABC and Msnbc are All Guilty of doing this!!

[CindyM2008]

Excellent analysis.

[ellie13]

Thank you for reaffirming my views! I am so disgusted with the cable news shows that I no longer watch them. With the exception of Coundown and Rachel Maddow's commentary, the shows are completely biased toward McCain. I watched C-span's coverage of the convention and had complete peace. I can tell you that many of my friends did the same.
I suggest that all Obama supporters turn off the cable news shows and watch the Lehrer report on PBS.

[knighthowl]

I started watching CNN. It didn't take long to realize that they were just talking. The convention was going on behind them, but they didn't let us see it. When I was a child, in the 50's, all the major networks (all 3 of them) covered the conventions in full. It was painful for a child, but they showed everything going on at the convention. All the speakers were shown, not just the ones some fool thought were important.

Now, it appears that the programming is directed at children. We don't see the actual speakers unless Wolf thinks we should.

I switched to C-span, and the difference was remarkable. We are being dis-served by cable. There were many remarkable speakers who never made it to the CNN broadcast.

Then I flipped to Fox "news". Absolutely nothing but criticism. I thought propaganda was outlawed in this country.

We need to re-enact the Fairness Doctrine. It is no wonder that our nation has become ill informed. Liars are allowed to pretend to report news.

[jsinclair]

I hope a Democratic congress WILL re-enact the Fairness Doctrine. It's a disgrace that Reagan et al dismantled it.

The public airways are a public trust and standards of broadcasting should be observed to prevent this from continuing as propaganda sources.