Palin & GOP Attack Media: A Look at The Playbook

Wednesday night's Republican convention was another page out of the GOP/Karl Rove playbook that has brought them victory for decades. Here's an excerpt:

1) Don't talk about your party's disastrous policies and the results: our failing economy, declining national security and domestic infrastructure. Instead, focus on the "toughness" and "character" of your nominee, and the heartwarming personal story of your VP. Be sure to include lots of visuals of your families, especially cute kids.

2) Present yourself as outsiders who are running to clean up Washington and get rid of corruption. Don't ever mention that the unprecedented level of corruption and corporate profiteering has actually been brought by your own party, whose leaders' policies you are embracing.

3) Attack your opponent for his strengths: his charisma, his community service, and his opposition to the unpopular and failed war.

4) Above all, attack the media for questioning your VP's qualifications, and for pointing out your myriad contradictions, omissions and lies.

The last point is the key. It is hard to say who is receiving more criticism and vitriol from the McCain campaign: Barack Obama or the media. In the absence of a legitimate argument, and in the presence of half-truths and outright lies, McCain operatives are fiercely attacking news outlets that ask tough questions and dig up the truth.

During Wednesday night's speeches, Mike Huckabee blasted the "elite media". Sarah Palin said to thunderous applause, "I've learned quickly, these past few days, that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone."

Here's the problem: by vetting Palin's record and experience, and asking tough questions, the media are finally doing their job. And it has nothing to do with Palin's standing with the "Washington elite" (though the cozy relationship between media, government and corporate elite is a legitimate-but-separate issue).

This week, CNN's Campbell Brown grilled McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds on Palin's clear lack of foreign policy experience. It was exhibit A of the kind of tough journalism that Americans crave, and democracy requires. Team McCain's response? Cancel a planned interview on Larry King, claiming that Brown was unfairly hard on Bounds. This highly effective strategy, in the words of Leonard Downie Jr., the executive editor of The Washington Post, is designed "to put boundaries on the press's pursuit of the Palin story."

The real question is whether the media will step up and defend their right to practice real journalism, and whether the Obama campaign will learn from the failures of Al Gore and John Kerry, and defend itself as ferociously as it is being attacked.

If history is any guide, the media will quietly ignore the GOP's attacks, while softening their critique and questioning of Team McCain. NBC political director Chuck Todd led things off, weighing in shortly after Palin's speech: "Conservatives have found their Obama." As usual, Fox did their part, with Brit Hume opining, "You see tonight that Sarah Palin has served the cause of uniting this convention quite ably." Fortune's Nina Easton called it a "home run," and Weekly Standard Executive Editor Fred Barnes said, "It's a gift. She's a natural. You can't teach this."

The press corps would do well to remind themselves of George Orwell's timeless words: "During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." Fortunately, there are some winning examples of press holding Palin accountable already. Here's a quick list:

AP's Jim Kuhnhenn's superb analysis of Palin's speech.

Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer.

Columbia Journalism Review debunks Palin's environmental record.

Politico's sarcastic and spot-on apology for asking the tough questions.

CNN's Jeff Toobin:

CNN's Roland Martin:

The views expressed in this post are my own. My listed affiliation as Executive Director of Free Press is for identification purposes only and does not reflect any endorsement of these views by the organization.

Comments

[Roberto2201]

Gov. Palin calls the investigation of the attempts to get her ex-brother-in-law state trooper fired as "politically motivated.­" Oh, do you mean like the impeachment of President Clinton? That kind of politically motivated? Oh, yes, that would be bad. Or do you mean like the trumped up, Karl Rove-engineered prosecution of Alabama Democratic Governor Don Siegelman? That kind of politically motivated? Yes, you're right, Governor, those kinds of politically motivated investigations have no place in our country.

[JulianT]

Oh Sarah….
(An Independent Voter’s Ode to Sarah Palin)

GOP spark
and rising star,
poised neophyte
in national light

Great speech!
the media exclaim…
Republicans cheer;
Democrats jeer
with deep disdain

Touted outsider
change a la McCain
conservative’s stalwart
new liberal’s bane

Yet in limelight seen
true colors rendered
DC sidekick
insider’s hitman
Highly skilled, sadly
in old mud tactics

What could’a, should’a
Oh Sarah….
You’re politics as usual
McCain’s barracuda…

[Soothsayer08]

I'm glad some in the Media have the guts to tell the truth.

[graceej]

Let's get past Mrs. America. It's clear that the operative word is America. It has become the "tic" word. If you are not for Sara, you are NOT FOR AMERICA.

So instead, let's leap ahead to Sara Pureheart's acerbic comment on community organizers. DANGEROUS. Perhaps the Governor has never seen a community organizer, or perhaps she doesn't know she has. Let's make a list of some community organizers she may have heard of but not remembered:

GHANDI
MARTIN LUTHER KING
NORMA RAE

oh, and that lovely young man -

JESUS CHRIST

Do any of those names ring a bell Governor Palin?

[doc4600]

You hit the nail on top of her HEAD!!!

[yankee452]

The press just got bullied into backing down from this campaign. There is even talk from the Mccain advisers that "the American people don't necessarily have to see her go through the paces on tv interviews "

And it looks like the press - while they praise the most culturally inciting speech in a generation - will take it in the backside and gag themselves.

This is still a democracy - the press/media is still its last bastion...­.for now.

[Fireslayer]

Palin lied like a rug last night about her Ms. Smith, darling innocent, goes to Washington bit.

When will the media quit being cowed and run the story about her being a chief fundraiser for the disgraced Ted Stevens picking up bushel baskets of cash from corporate lobbyists?

Ohio shifted 2 points into the Obama bracket yesterday and look to the trend to continue in forthcoming polls in Florida. Minnesota shifted 5 for Obama in appreciation of the RNC.

To give Palin a good NRA metaphor, her dog won't hunt.

[radical1]

Completely agree with Fireslayer. I heard journalists admit she had done well with the speech that was written for her. Puppet, attack dog, huh. Learn your lines, wear your lipstick and snarl.

[BinBaldwin]

If she lied why did you not post one of her lies?

[JackieOC]

BinBaldwin Palin in her speech claimed exactly the opposite of what Obama wants to do. Read the text of her speech, and his. Obama will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow, cut taxes - for 95% of all working families - $250,000 would see the following tax breaks: A $500-per-worker tax credit for people who earn less than $150,000 and do not itemize, and a $4,000 credit per child in college. Seniors who earn less than $50,000 would pay no income tax. He said he will close corporate loopholes and tax havens, also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and make the ones we do need work better and cost less. He will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. And will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.

[joshfree]

Here’s the problem: When you run on “family values”, you’d better damn well practice them at home. If you don’t, that’s called hypocrisy. And the voting public doesn’t like it much.

Unfortunately, the only way to determine whether politicians actually practice family values is to evaluate their families. That doesn’t mean having hordes of reporters poking around their trash cans for months or years and destroying their lives and their privacy. But it does mean investigating the realities of politicians’ personal lives and trying to determine whether or not they match up with their rhetoric.

(I wrote more about this on my new blog, if you'd like to read the rest. -- http://joshsez.wordpress.com/)

[ron071]

Last night's performances prove beyond a doubt that the extreme religious right has captured what was left of the Republican Party. No policy from Sarah Palin only the usual right wing nut attacks. Will the voters buy into this agenda one more time or will another electoral theft be the only remaining recourse of the extreme right-wing Repugs.? To err for a third time would be the final judgement on the intelligence of the American voter.

WANT MORE PAIN ???? McSame WILL SURELY PRVIDE IT !!!!

[5150]

She's a cancer.

[CinciDarling]

Since Ms. Hockeymom decided to find her teeth and come out barking, she better be ready; I was listening to the radio this morning and I've been on tons of blogs today and the Dems surrogate dogs are going to be going after her big time! We already know attacking isn't Obama's style, but he better get some real backbone and let his surrogates do their job and attack her!

She was totally out of order last night....t­hat wasn't a "speech" that was a slap fest! The blatant lies and the intentionally dodge of the real issues that matter to the American public was VERY evident! If you think these Karl Rovian tactics are gonna fly this time, you all got another thing comin'!

The only thing Miss Thing proved last night is that she can read a teleprompt­er....she had NO CONTENT, NO SUBSTANCE, NO PLAN, just like the damn party she supports!

[LHoney]

I think she gives pitbulls everywhere a bad name......­......

[Beachrunner]

Works every time, too.

[RevBuck]

So far the media does not appear to be defending their right to do journalism. From what I see they are going belly up and fawning over Palin. Good job, msm

[doc4600]

LOL I couldn't have said it BETTER!!!

[RS]

Well, that is to be expected--after all, the mainstream media today is run by just six corporations--Time Warner, Disney, Viacom, CBS Corporation, News Corporation, and General Electric. Keep in mind: all corporations are INHERENTLY CONSERVATIVE. I wonder how long Campbell Brown will keep her job after her gutsy display of true journalism this week--remember, CNN is owned by Time Warner.

[Star123]

There are enough contradictions to go around. But if they are going to pick at her, how about another look at Sen Obama? The Soetaro name--when did he use it? Is it his legal name? Who is really behind his meteoric rise--we know about Dean, Pelosi and the Kennedys. What's up with Biden? We hear stuff there, too. It was really ludicrous when Chris Matthews earnestly and with a straight face said, "We press people are just doing our job." Yes--do it! Do it on everyone! Why do you think we pay for cable and buy newspapers.

[Erdgeist]

Let's call Palin the Queen of earmarks and pork. Palin made trips to Washington to ask for earmarks from mainly Representative Don Young and Senator Ted Stevens, both Republicans.

As Mayor of Wasilla, Palin directed Wasilla to employ Washington lobbyists to press for U.S. funds for the town. She was hoping to get more than $8 million in earmarks.

Oh, and remember that Bridge to Nowhere, Palin expressed support for it in October 2006.

"I do support the infrastructure projects that are on tap here in the state of Alaska that our congressional delegations worked hard for,'' Palin said.

After that, when asked whether Palin would continue state financing for the Gravina bridge (the Bridge to Nowhere) and another proposed bridge project, she said yes.

Alaska is heavily dependent on earmarks which routinely reaps more money per resident for such projects than almost any other state.