Let the race for 2012 begin...

[ryanm]

Agreed. Large sections of the media profit by sowing fear and misinformation.

You mean the media reveal to the public the facts of the perversions, injustices, corruption and abuses in society that the political class would prefer the public to not find out about?

It's a vicious cycle of the media reporting only stories they can portray in a cynical light, which drives down turnout and participation and then they report on that as evidence that people are cynical and disengaged.

Yeah, it's difficult NOT to portray Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown's contempt towards one of his own party's longtime working class supporters in anything other than a cynical light.  If that's an example of Labour's electioneering on the doorstep, is it any wonder people are cynical towards career politicians and don't feel the urge to legitimise their power by turning out to vote.

I'm reading a lot of complaining, but not any solutions from you TD.  I know we don't agree on much, but finding ideas we both think can solve problems should be the goal.  So, how do you want to you fix your political system?  How do you want to change the way politicians serve and how they're elected?  What do want to see changed in the system to minimize corruption?  What do you want to see changed with media reporting on politics, if anything?

[Tumbling Dice]

Agreed. Large sections of the media profit by sowing fear and misinformation.

You mean the media reveal to the public the facts of the perversions, injustices, corruption and abuses in society that the political class would prefer the public to not find out about?

It's a vicious cycle of the media reporting only stories they can portray in a cynical light, which drives down turnout and participation and then they report on that as evidence that people are cynical and disengaged.

Yeah, it's difficult NOT to portray Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown's contempt towards one of his own party's longtime working class supporters in anything other than a cynical light.  If that's an example of Labour's electioneering on the doorstep, is it any wonder people are cynical towards career politicians and don't feel the urge to legitimise their power by turning out to vote.

I'm reading a lot of complaining, but not any solutions from you TD.  I know we don't agree on much, but finding ideas we both think can solve problems should be the goal.  So, how do you want to you fix your political system?  How do you want to change the way politicians serve and how they're elected?  What do want to see changed in the system to minimize corruption?  What do you want to see changed with media reporting on politics, if anything?

Well, for starters I want to see FAR less career politicians dominating national politics and FAR more ordinary people with experience of the real world from various walks of life being elected.  How to do this?  It's extremely difficult because the socio-economic and educational elites will do all they can to preserve power and the most most prestigious positions for themselves.  Politics in Britain is too often like a cosy family business where we have husband and wife cabinet ministers, brothers and sisters serving in the same cabinet, and father and son passing down entitlement - all in the Labour Party I might add.  70% of the UK cabinet attended Oxbridge universities and in the last Labour cabinet the figure was 45%.

[The Unknown Caller]

Again, TD entirely ignores the MASSIVE role of the media in all of this- not only in encouraging and driving up cynicism, but also acting as an independent agent with its own series of agendas which are not at all necessarily related to the public interest or reporting the truth. Hence none of what he said, other than railing against the usual targets of- surprise, surprise- large elements of that media- managed to address any of its fundamental problems.

Which is no surprise, because TD clearly buys and repeats a lot of what he reads in elements of the media which are exactly as corrupt, biased, self-serving and dishonest as he believes the worst elements of 'career politicians' to be. But he sees it as fact.

[Tumbling Dice]

TD recognises the role the media play as the swords of truth in society while recognising elements of the media have political, economic and social values which tend to reflect those of its readership.  TD believes it is always in the public interest to report the truth and to have perversions, injustices, corruption and abuses exposed for what they are, and is not surprised that followers of media that seek to do this are cynical towards the career politicians and others in power who are responsible for much of it. 

TD reads The Sun newspaper daily - along with other media sources - and considers it a fine newspaper, which is probably why it is the most read newspaper in the UK by far.

TUC is clearly learning his craft as a career politician and from what I have observed from his posts, he already has his patter down cold.

[The Unknown Caller]

  So basically TD, hard-bitten, hard-nosed, realistic, tough-minded, 'very serious' TD, is staggeringly idealistic and naive about the media. 

An awful lot makes sense now.

[Tumbling Dice]

TD is not idealistic or naive about much after his lifetime of experience, and TD is worldly-wise enough to see the extent that career politicians have been whoring themselves to private sector press barons for decades in exchange for receiving favourable coverage in their publications.  Indeed, TD wouldn't be surprised if former Labour PM Tony Blair charged a fee to become Godfather to one of Rupert Murdoch's children.  Former Labour PM Gordon Brown fell out with Murdoch when The Sun could not in all conscience continue to support his sick government anymore.

TUC might be "hard-bitten" too if he knocked on my door while out on the knocker and I had a Doberman Pinscher.

[The Unknown Caller]

[ryanm]

I think the Koch brothers just got pwnd: http://www.upworthy.com/this-is-how-you-kill-an-attack-ad

[The Unknown Caller]

Thank Christ for the Tea Party.

Apparently having gotten all huffy and puffy that they had so spectacularly failed to do anything in the GOP Presidential nomination race other than drag the Nominee off to the unelectable right, they have now returned to what they do best; helping Democrats in the Senate. In 2010, of course, the Tea Party was probably the single most important factor in Democrats keeping the Senate, nominating unelectable losers in Colorado, Nevada and Delaware- all incredibly winnable seats- as well as a loser in Alaska who didn't succeed in costing Republicans the seat, but probably did push the eventual ran-as-an-independent-then-rejoined-the-Republicans winner, Lisa Murkowski, into helping mass some major liberal legislation in revenge.

And now, in Indiana, they have defeated the multi-term, heavily conservative and CERTAIN to win Dick Lugar.... and replaced him with a Tea Partier who can still win but will definitely run a far tighter race and thus suck up lots and lots of GOP money and turn a safe seat into a contest.

Thanks, Tea Party! 

[The Unknown Caller]

Also, genuinely hilarious attempt by Mitt to claim Obama is far to the left of Bill Clinton. He has two pieces of evidence

The first is the Affordable Care Act which is, of course, an even more centrist version of Bill Clinton's healthcare plan and is functionally identical to Hillary Clinton's healthcare plan.

And the second is his evil scheme to raise taxes.... to the level they were at in the Clinton Administration.

This is just mind-bendingly stupid as a political attack line.

[ryanm]

I'm actually really sad to see our political system has gone this far off the rails that Dick Lugar lost in a primary.  He's one of this country's greatest statesmen.  I sincerely hope President Obama nominates him for Secretary of State next year after he's sworn in for a 2nd term.

[Miami66]

The young lady that I've been going door-to-door for won last night! I can't wait to work for her in the fall

[Tumbling Dice]

The young lady that I've been going door-to-door for won last night! I can't wait to work for her in the fall

Jobs for the boys?

[Big Girls Are Best]

Curious...

-------

From: Daniel Mintz, MoveOn.org Political Action moveon-help@list.moveon.org
Date: Wed, May 16, 2012 at 11:42 AM
Subject: DNC underfunding the Walker recall?

Dear MoveOn member,

BREAKING NEWS FROM WISCONSIN: The Democratic National Committee is refusing requests to fund the massive get out the vote effort planned in Wisconsin to recall Scott Walker.

Wisconsin is ground zero for Democrats this summer—and there are only three weeks before Election Day—which is why this breaking news just doesn’t make sense. Scott Walker and his right-wing allies have spent millions, and they’ll spend millions more in the next few weeks. But Walker’s poll numbers won’t budge and if the Wisconsin Democrats can run the massive field program they have planned, we can win this. Obama for America organizers are hard at work in the state, but the DNC’s lack of support has left a huge hole in the get out the vote budget. So MoveOn members need to step up. Can you help recall Walker?

Chip in $5 to the Wisconsin Democrats on ActBlue to beat Scott Walker.Wisconsin citizens, with the support of activists from all around the country, have accomplished more than anyone thought possible. They’ve inspired all of us, and put fear into the hearts of other governors who wanted to attack the 99%. But if Walker survives the recall, we’ll have wasted a year of effort.

With only a few weeks left, the DNC is feeling the heat and says they may provide more help, but we can’t wait for them. We have to do it ourselves.Can you chip in $5 today via ActBlue to make sure that Scott Walker is finally recalled from office?

Thanks for all you do.

[Big Girls Are Best]

I think the Koch brothers just got pwnd: http://www.upworthy.com/this-is-how-you-kill-an-attack-ad

Nice try, but all of Ms. Cutter's 'facts' are easily debunked.  For example, she claims that Fisker Automotive is creating jobs in the US, but that's not what ABC reported...

Car Company Gets U.S. Loan, Builds Cars In Finland (ABC, October 20, 2011)
With the approval of the Obama administration, an electric car company that received a $529 million federal government loan guarantee is assembling its first line of cars in Finland, saying it could not find a facility in the United States capable of doing the work.

Now if you really want to see someone get PWND for a political ad, check out Ashleigh Banfield's interview with Ben LaBolt of the Obama campaign...

Ashleigh Banfield On Obama Ad: 'We Don't Want This Crap On Television' (Huffington Post, May 16, 2012)

Speaking of attack ads, I predict this one will be rather impactful: Obama's Broken Promises