Enough! Here's Why The Polls Are So Damn Close

Today's edition of Morning Joe on MSNBC was especially ridiculous. And Pat Buchanan wasn't even there, which meant that everyone else had to overcompensate to make up for the conspicuous absence of awful.

Back story: Senator Obama released a two-minute commercial about the economic crisis -- also known as "the worst financial crisis in a century," according Alan Greenspan and Mort Zuckerman. It's a smart, effective ad that serves two purposes: it outlines what Obama plans to do about the crisis, and it continues to hammer home Senator Obama as a tough yet presidential would-be chief executive and steward of the economy.

Yet despite the seriousness of this crisis, Joe Scarborough (along with Wee Willie Geist and Salon's Joan Walsh, oddly enough) mocked the ad for its lack of soundbytes and its abundance of specifics.

Lack. Of soundbytes.

Now there's an argument to be made in favor of short, pithy framing in politics, but this isn't a short, pithy crisis. It's a crisis that's nailing ordinary Americans quite literally in their own back yards. It's entirely symptomatic of 30 years of Republican deregulation and Reaganomics. 30 years of free market wingnut crapola culminating in something close to the Great Depression, with Senator McCain quoting Herbert Hoover dozens of times this year alone -- and, what? A two minute commercial is too long, Joe? Are you so basted in savory McCain barbecue sauce, Joe, that your candidate's cluelessness has, by some form of dry rub osmosis, infected your already shovel-shaped view of this global disaster?

Soundbytes and nonspecifics. Yessir. That's just what (and I repeat) the worst financial crisis in a century deserves. Soundbytes and nonspecifics like, "The fundamentals of the economy are strong." Heckuva job. Your candidate is a total doof when it comes to the economy, Joe. Admit it.

So then, with the addition of Newsweek's very serious Jon Meacham, the very serious conversation evolved into concern-trolling about the polls. Why, Scarborough wondered, is Senator Obama not way ahead of McCain in the polls? Why is the race so tight?

Hmm. I can't imagine why that is. It's not like Senator Obama's patriotism and character is being assassinated for three hours every morning on cable news -- six hours if we include the spasmodic howler monkeys on FOX & Friends. I can't imagine why the polls are so close when Joe Scarborough is helping his Republican allies to once again turn this critical national debate into another blind recitation of Lee Greenwood lyrics.

Why are the polls so close? Not only do around 25 percent of Americans watch FOX News Channel on a regular basis, but, from coast to coast, there are more than a thousand far-right talk radio stations occupied by shows that make Morning Joe sound like an Olbermann Special Comment. And 17 percent of Americans are glued to it at work and in their cars. Talkers like Hugh Hewitt, Sean Hannity, John Gibson, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Medved, Bill Bennett and Glenn Beck broadcast on your public air around the clock. Non-stop. Unrelenting. Only interrupted by Accu-weather and traffic. Free to anyone with an AM radio.

I don't know if you've dared to listen to far-right talk radio lately, but I can assure you that they're not ignoring Senator Obama -- or his family. Put it this way: if you only got your news and opinions from talk radio, you'd probably believe that Senator Obama is some kind of foreign-born baby-killing Manchurian Candidate terrorist -- if not a sexist uppity black man who, if he loses in November, will incite race riots in every city.

Last night, Keith Olbermann reported that convicted Watergate burglar and radio talk show host G. Gordon Liddy continues to insist that Senator Obama was born in Kenya and that his birth certificate is a forgery. Lies. Debunked months ago by numerous nonpartisan experts.

Sean Hannity continues to beat the Reverend Wright and William Ayers drums every chance he gets while making wild claims that Senator Obama is an anti-white bigot.

Alleged sex-tourist Rush Limbaugh, whose show is carried in almost every American city, is routinely accusing Senator Obama of infanticide and referring to him as a "little black man-child," clearly stopping short of blurting out the name "Sambo," thus indicating that the drugs seem to have left intact a shred of discretion in Limbaugh's otherwise melty cheese brain.

And that's just three of the more popular hosts out of hundreds more. There's Mike Gallagher, Lars Larson, Laura Ingraham, Monica Crowley, Mike Savage, Dennis Prager, Neil Boortz, Bill Hussein Cunningham -- the list goes on and on. Nothing is out of bounds. Devoid of shame and accountability. Inventing its own stories and spreading lies in soundbyte chunks easily passed along via listeners to non-listener friends and family.

We too-often overlook the influence of far-right talk radio given the overproduced, groomed-monkeys on far-right cable news shows. So radio talkers too often operate with impunity and a dangerous lack of watchdogging despite their market saturation -- their menacing ubiquity. Consequently, concern-trolls like Joe Scarborough and Jon Meacham can go on television and thump their chests -- questioning why-God-why have the Democrats only won three of the last ten presidential elections?! What's wrong with these foreign-sounding, smarty-pants Democrats who, as Meacham mentioned today, are incapable of "speaking American."

Could it be -- I don't know, just a hunch -- that the opinions of perhaps a third of all Americans are shaped by FOX News Channel, cable news shows like Morning Joe and, especially, far-right talk radio? Could it be that the lies and blind-patriotism of these far-right propagandists are painting an historic, brilliant, accomplished, patriotic presidential candidate as some kind of Bin Laden meets Farrakhan chimera? 24 hours a day? In every town in the Union? Distracting Americans from this economic crisis and skewing their priorities -- making pocketbook issues seem less important than bullshit lies. And political hacks still wonder why half of Americans vote against their financial interests every two years. Joe Scarborough still wonders out loud why Senator Obama isn't 20 points ahead in the polls.

Riddle me this, Joe. Given the ideological landscape of cable news, talk radio and the nefarious lie-based caricature therein of Obama as a black-power, fetus-crushing Muslim terrorist, why isn't John McCain 20 points ahead in polls?

Bob Cesca's Goddamn Awesome Blog! Go!

Comments

[skaterdon66]

thanks again, Joe...

great rope line video from Joe Biden's recent Ohio swing, where he was asked by an anti-pollution campaigner about clean coal -- a controversial approach in Democratic circles for which Obama has voiced support, particularly during the Kentucky primary.

Biden's apparent answer: He supports clean coal for China, but not for the United States.

"No coal plants here in America," he said. "Build them, if they're going to build them, over there. Make them clean."

"We’re not supporting clean coal," he said of himself and Obama. They do, on paper, support clean coal.

The answer seems to play into John McCain's case that Obama has been saying "no" to new sources of energy.

In the primary, Biden opposed Obama's push for clean coal, which is seen as a way of maintaining or expanding America's coal-burning power plants -- many of which are in rust belt swing states.

[northcan]

Right On!!!! I've thought this a milion times, knowone says that, why?

[typedesk]

The race is close for several reasons. Racism is one of course, but also there are Republicans that would vote for a syphalytic dog if it was republican, there are religious wingnuts that like Palin, and women that want a female in office so bad that they are willing to vote against their best interests. add them up, and our country may well sink into the McCain/Bush morass. It just don't look good.

[ConcernedGuy]

Hey Typedesk - are you accusing Democrats of being racist? Because it can't be Republicans. They're not voting for Obama because he's a liberal, not because he's black

[twofish]

I was heartened to hear that, out of the indictments for war crimes in Rwanda, three were for some radio broadcasters who propagandized the populace to prepare them for murder, then coordinated the killing over the airwaves. Heartened to think that someone does take "just talk" seriously and are prepared to punish it when it leads to murder.

[kjg25171]

I think the race is close because we have many racists in this country. Look at the disheartening AP poll about race. I am sick. Does anyone really think if Barack were all white the race would be close?

[primetime08]

Here is another reason: Democrats forget.
THIS COUNTRY NEEDS TO RUN THIS VIDEO OVER AND OVER UNTIL ALL OF US FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON!
The most despicable acts of deceit ongoing in this country... are the lies and hypocrisy... perpetrated by the people seen in this short video. The next time you hear the expression 'Bush's war' remember this video !!! And note that there is no 'opinion,' just direct video.
http://www.bercasio.com/movies/dems-wmd-before-iraq.wmv

[Bushwillresign]

That was a great video of how Bu$h lied to get America into a war with Iraq. He knew there was no threat from Saddam Hussein, however he kept telling tall tales. Evidently no one in your family died for Bu$hes lies or you wouldn't be so gleeful. What about the people that did die for Bu$hes lies? What do you have to say to them?

[primetime08]

Blame, blame! Well, this election will determine the future of the U.S. People need to become more aware that not only Republicans are responsible for the housing, banking, Wall Street meltdown.
The Democrats had the last two years in Congress to prevent this crisis. Instead, they chose to denied, denied a serious problem with Freddie and Fannie. Read what Senator Dodd, D-CT. Chairman of the Banking Committee had to say in July,08.
http://ladybroadoak.blogspot.com/2008/07/fannie-mae-freddie-mac-are-sound-panic.html
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Are Sound; Panic Unwarranted, Dodd Says
By Romaine Bostick
July 11 (Bloomberg) -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are sound, have several options for capital and liquidity, and the ``facts don't warrant'' the negative reaction by investors, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said.
``There is sort of a panic going on, and that is not what ought to be,'' Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut, said at a press conference in Washington today. ``Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were never bottom feeders in the residential mortgage market.''
Dodd said options for the two largest U.S. mortgage-finance companies include using the Federal Reserve's discount window. He said the Fed and the Treasury Department are considering a ``number of options.''

[Thad]

A good start, but you neglected to mention the fundamental problems in the polling process itself. Pollsters still only call landlines -- I'm 25 and don't have one, and maybe this year's youth turnout will remain as low as it's been historically but I don't think that's the case -- and, it bears repeating, national polls don't reflect the electoral map, where Obama has a much larger lead.

That and we're only two weeks past the Republican Convention. Obama got a convention bounce, McCain got a convention bounce, now they've evened back out and Obama's trending up.

[BoardsOfCanada]

I don't understand how you can categorize Morning Joe as a show thats tilted to the right just because Scarborough is a Republican. Anyone who watches that show that would be considered someone who is easily manipulated would actually be persuaded to support Obama from watching that show. The show is intended to be balanced in offering both sides, but actually tilts more to the left. Yes, Joe is obnoxious and speaks condescending to some of his guests, and I can't stand him, but their are definitely more guests on the show that are liberal, with a few exceptions.As for Buchanan, how can you not love him, theirs a good reason Rachel likes him and has him on her his show. Are we this intolerant of others political views, that we have to hear only what we wan't to hear?

[BoardsOfCanada]

Oops. The "her his show" is a typo worth correcting, as I was in no way picking on Rachel's sexuality and happen to really like her so I felt I needed to address that little typo.

[Ellabean]

LIBERAL talk radio is hard to find - so here's some help:

Radio networks you can STREAM ON LINE for LIBERAL talk or look up to see if theres an a.m. station in your area that carries these fine LIBERAL talkers:

Nova M Radio: Randi Rhoades, Mike Malloy
Air America Radio: Thom Martmann, Lionel, Rachel Maddow (now also has her own TV show just after Keith O on MSNBC weeknites 9pm EST), "Ring of Fire",hosted by Robert F Kennedy J & Mike Pappantonio *great 2 hr show weekly), and there's more on this network.

Ed Schultz

[captainigor]

Don't forget Stephanie Miller.

Syndicated by Jones Radio Networks (the same syndicator as Ed Schultz).

[hooboy]

If you want to hear hate speech on radio, an hour of The Hate America Radion Network, will supply more hate than Rush has said in 20 years.

[Playinjured]

:thanks for the article, Bob:
Has anyone inquired about the historical repetitiveness of our nation's presidency? I don't know anything really nor do I profess to, but does anyone else find it peculiar that all of our nation's presidents have been white men? Why not a Puerto Rican woman, once, just once in our country's portfolio? A black man and a woman got very close to the presidency at least, but we had to wait until it was 2008! America's been independent since 1776! I think, in America, there are two groups of people. Not the rich and the poor or the men and the women or even the blacks and the whites. The two groups are the white men and (what I've colorfully dubbed) the others. The others consist of everyone who is not a white male. Pretty simple. Black women to Muslim men, Hispanic sons to white daughters, we are the others group. It might be smart to start acting like it.

[Pollitrix]

Great article and great post.

[BOin08]

As an OB supporter from day one, one thing has me concerned. I hear-in my classes- a lot of discussion from minority students about how it will be time "to get paid" once OB takes charge. I think the perception is that huge economic windfalls await them. In fact, many say reparations are owed them. I counter telling them that using words like 'reparations' will scare away the independent white voters, but too many already believe the election is a done deal. And here lies my concerns-If OB doesn't respond with hand outs-funded by huge tax increases- they'll be the first to turn on him. What econmic impact will this have? Anyone?

[MedinaM]

Reparations? For what??? I don't understand why some blacks feel they are owed reparations. They were never slaves. They never endured any of that violence. I'm a black female (my ancestors were not slaves though--my parents came to America from Ethiopia) but I find it so humorous when I hear blacks saying that. It just doesn't make any sense. And if they think Obama is going to give them "reparations" or that he will somehow give them economic stimulation strictly catered to them, they are wrong. I don't think it would be right for us blacks to get special treatment just because we will have a black president. That's like whites getting special treatment with a white president...makes no sense! And I think for the most part, blacks aren't expecting special treatment from Obama honestly. So in regards to turning on him, I highly doubt it will happen.

[eden4barack08]

Whoa! Your statements is so wrong in so many ways, I don't even know which way to grab it. I'll just quote the only educated things you said, the rest, you might want to rethink.

" And I think for the most part, blacks aren't expecting special treatment from Obama honestly. So in regards to turning on him, I highly doubt it will happen."

[eden4barack08]

Just ignore them, serious people, or serious blacks, will never say that and believe it.
You said "in my class", that explains it, just some youth minorities talking hip-hop, I bet their parents don't even feel the same way. By "turning on him", what do you mean? That they won't vote for him the next time? First, that would be their prerogative, second I bet they change their mind when in four years, they see what progress the country will make under a Democratic President. Remind them of that please, Barack will NOT be a black's President, Obama will be the Democratic President leading ALL the people of the USA and working for ALL of their best interests.
Being young doesn't mean "license to be ignorant". The country is counting on the young people, this election more than ever! Get serious, get involved and GET OUT THE VOTE!

[votingthistime]

Mr. Cesna's anlysis is very accurate. Let us attempt to go from a description of the problem to a solution. Why can't Democrats and the left in general mount an effective counter-attack?
What is it that prevents an effective counter-attack from being mounted? After reading Mr. Cesna's article, these are the questions with which I am left.

[syllepsis]

Democrats will destroy the country more slowly than the Fascists will.
They have no counterattack. They are simply a slightly less virulent toxin in the bloodstream of the Government.
Their method of destruction may give us time to work out a remedy.
And even that is a wild hope.

[kpostero]

Thank you, Bob! I have many Republican friends who are so blinded by all the talk-radio bull. In fact, if you consider that every person in America who is a commercial truck driver is a captive audience hours on end, listening to and believing these lies spewd forth by talking radio-heads as gospel. I know one Republican truck driver who thought Obama would be a good President when the race was between him and Hilary. Now, he wouldn't even consider voting for Obama because the RADIO has convinced him that Obama is evil and McCain/Palin is the ticket to believe in. And, even though my friend doesn't say so, his ingrained bigotry that he tries to keep in check with politically correctness is preyed upon by the subliminal offerings he listens to while he is on the road. Talk radio is the Pied Piper to the masses. The truth of any discussed matter is that truth doesn't matter! Shame on these talk-radio weasels for perpetrating such a crime. And shame on the masses, bigoted or otherwise, for not being more discerning in their thinking. They are accessories after-the-fact to this heinous crime!

[Reality30303]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26803840/

The polls are close because he is Black. There is still that group who cannot accept the fact that a Black man can be intelligent. Voting for Barack Obama would be an admittance of the existence of intelligent Blacks. They would rather have two persons of low to no integrity like Palin/McCain.

[InspiredByTruth]

The polls are close because they are being manipulated. This "he is black so Dems won't support him" line is a newly enacted tactic from the republicans, to act as cover for overt election theft. Obama has made even Bush strongholds, with clear white majorities, potential swing states. Lets not forget it was Iowa that destroyed this myth (while simultaneously introducing him as a viable candidate) once the primaries started. Now the republicans and gullible clowns are trying to resurrect it.

The tactic relies on cynicism to be effective. However, past events and present facts to not support it.