Don't Blow It, Netroots Bloggers

Great piece Al,

Can you PLEASE posted this at daily kos and huffington post....Palin is all they are talking about...................

 the bloggers and media have set expectations so low, that she could get more out of this speech than she should.......

PLEASE post this at Kos and everywhere and anywhere you can!  People are freaking out.

It is embarassing.  Look what we've let Karl Rove turn us in to.

I was also going to chime it that your perspective on the risk of creating a netroots-media backlash is worth getting on other sites.

Nicely said Al and worth a look for many of us - even those of us who think they are objective already (grin!). A good check or check up for all of us.

Excellent excellent article Al.  Please get it posted on Huffington Post and Kos, and email it to Kos also.  It is absolutely beyond time to back off this story - the whole thing is most certainly bait for the media, the  Obama campaign (which has so far resisted the bait), and Obama supporters (who have not).

KD

Al,

Kudos to you for naming the strategy. I agree with everything you said here. The more this conversation becomes about wedge issues like abortion, school prayer, gay marriage, and Bristol's dilemna, the greater likelihood of a Republican win. Older male independents that were leaning for Obama can be switched to McCain out of a chivalrous attitude, "they are protecting Sarah".

The focus needs to be on McCain's judgement and character in harping on Obama's inexperience and then selecting someone with even less.

We don't need to attack Palin, we can already win by going after McCain and Bush.

thanks for the great blog

Ken in California

by complaining about the media, did she?

I understand the Democratic primary electorate isn't the same as the general electorate, but still...

Al, I never thought I'd say this, but I think you're chicken littling. People won't vote for McCain simply because they pity Palin for the vicious media coverage. McCain will not win on November 4 by telling voters: "Remember how mean the media were to us back in Septemer?"

I think Palinmania will have blown over in a week or so, simply because there aren't any more scandals left to cover. The scandals (especially the abuse of power ones) will have settled in the back of voters' heads though and have caused lingering doubts about her. McCain-Palin, and not Obama-Biden, will have emerged as the risky choice.

Al, do you think this is a GOP strategy to "protect" Sarah Palin from having to do hard-hitting interviews with ____?  It seems to me as if the McCain campaign is ramping up the anti-media talk in order to have a reason to decline interviews from Meet the Press or Joe Klein or whomever.  It's been a week, and the only folks she spoke to worked for People, I think.

Al,

While I agree that the bloggers need to tone down the ad hominem attacks and the overreaching, I disagree that McCain can win by running against the media.  There is a large swath of low info voters in this country who trust outlets like CNN and the big 3 networks for news.  Just look at how quickly public opinion polls change when the media runs with a new narrative.  The MSM is is still very influential.

At this point, most voters have made up their minds as to who they will vote for.  Most of those that remain "undecided" at this late stage are voters who haven't been paying attention i.e. low info voters.  If McCain takes on the media, he runs the risk of sullying his chances of winning over the remaining undecideds.

I guess its part of the weakness of being human that allow us to justify in ourselves that which we condemn in others.  I know Kos has an 'everything goes' policy when it comes to diaries, but this is one time when he could at least post a front page article saying that anything to do with Palin's family is a no-go zone.  I'd rather they just deleted diaries on the topic, but that ain't going to happen.  I'll echo the call to post this as a diary over at Kos, though-maybe it'll wake a few people up.

Personally, I don't think running against the media is a long-duration tactic-at some point it becomes whining, and as Exhibit Z in Obama's case that McCain wants to talk about anything but the real issues. As long as the Obama/Biden of the last week are with us the next two months, its a W for the Dems in November.

Everything they said...as usual, Al, you are SO right...

PLEASE cross-post this on every relevant blog on your blog roll...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

Al, you're absolutely right. There needs to be a ground-swell against this kind of nonsense, and the candidate has led the way.  Hopefully, his less strategically-minded followers will head your advice.

All this nonsense is distraction.  This is a big election about big issues, and as the candidate himself said so eloquently, they can only win if it's about the small stuff.

Sarah Palin is unqualified for the office she seeks and extreme in her positions on the issues of substance (those positions that we know of at least; as far as I know she still has yet to really answer a question about the war in Iraq).  Everything else is tabloid blather that only serves McCain.

I agree with arelle_dee, the liberal netroots must read this.

Well finally, an adult has appeared in the blogosphere.Thank you Al.

Last Friday when the announcement was made you warned us to just ignore Palin and keep the focus on McCain.  You were right, but the media feeding frenzy totally washed your wisdom out to sea, where it bobs all alone and virtually unnoticed.

I do have one question -- how come the media victim angle works for them but never for us?  Ever ever ever?

And you have a consensus that this needs to be cross-posted at Kos.  All of us will follow you over there to rec it up and add our comments.

One of the best things you've written,Al. I've completely stopped even reading one of the leading netroots blogs because I felt like I was screaming into the wind for people to Just. Stop. I can't believe how badly they have screwed things up this week. I will not patronize a site that is actively hurting my candidate. I have to say, my blood pressure and anxiety level have dropped considerably. No drama is the way to go.

I certainly hope that Obama does deliver a smackdown of the netroots on O'Reillly, and like you I will be cheering, not offended.

He's certainly near the heart of the Palin media storm.

I am in full agreement with this entire article and with everyone here hoping you will/have cross-posted it. Thank you, Al.

I was disgusted when I saw Huffington Post's headline about Palin's daughter's "baby daddy." It was so completely hypocritical and distasteful (how angry did everyone get when FOX did that to Michelle Obama?), and the comment I got back when I posted something about it was, "If you recall, FOX did that to the Obamas. All's fair! And it is factually true." ...Right.

I'm going to be sending this to everyone I know.

Me, too..Allan!

And I certainly do not mind a smackdown from either Al or Barack...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

why shouldn't a focus be made on Palin's so-called experience?

What if Senator Obama had chosen Govenor Sebalius to be his running mate? Do you think for one second that the first words out of McSame's/right wing surrogates mouth wouldn't be that she has no foreign policy experience? If Sebalius had also had some family problems on top of that, how many weeks would it be before we got to hear about policy differences between Obama and McCain? I agree with Jeanne above-- why oh why are Democratic candidates never seen as smear victims?

Again, I agree with Al that the victim card is useful to the GOP at present. Will it swing the election? Ask HRC -- she tried (sometimes successfully) to play the card repeatedly, but it can only be played a few times over 9 weeks. After this week's storm, I predict it will come down to McSame and Gov. Palin's own campaign statements biting them in the butt. Playing Poor Mrs. Palin will only last so long.

Having said this, I won't be posting about Palin again. I'm already bored with her and the Repubs. I'm more excited to get out and register new voters and call folks on the weekends. Who's with me?

I have a slight disagreement with this.  Sorry.  My sense is that most of the attacks have been against McCain and not about the baby or anything much like that, though when those have occurred they have been virulent.

But how do you say that Palin is the one who "exposed" her daughter to this without saying that she was "exposed" to the nation as a whole and to the press.   Why hasn't she protected the privacy of her daughter?    Yet we are supposed to keep hands off?  It's not the daughter who we question.  It's the mother!  And I think that's fair game.  Not that Palin should be disqualified because she has a pregnant daughter, or small kids so how can she do the job, but rather that she put her daughter in this public position and now is blaming everyone else for noticing and questioning.

I'll also point out that the forces on whatever the other side is aren't so quiet either.  You ever hear anyone tell the right blogosphere or bloviators to keep quiet about Michelle Obama or Rev. Wright or any of that?   Nope!  But the left should be meek.

In general, Al, I agree that strategically it would be better to let this just play out without so much hysteria.  However, I'm not sure that no matter what anyone would have said in any negative light wouldn't have been spun as "the left media that favors Obama and the crazy netroots" attacking this poor, helpless small-town regular just-like-you-and-me woman.   They were looking for a bogeyman, even if they had to invent one.

Very trenchant analysis, Al.  You should propagate this post far and wide throughout the progressive blogosphere.  Let's remember that we should conduct ourselves better than the wingnuts, and let's not lose sight of the prize!

My hope for this emerging medium is that it can exceed the abysmal standards of a dying corporate media assemblage by merely having a higher quality product.

But I have seen many of the usual suspect blog sites turn into some cyber version of the raucous pamphleteering of the nations earliest days.

Without trying to sound like a tin foil hat wearer, I have seen lots of false flag posts and troll overruns in many of the ineptly moderated venues. Some are so sloppy that there were whole runs of diaries that were plainly phony usually pretend PUMA's or some such thing.

Al's added dilligence is what adds value to The Field and the absence of this effort at so many wanna be shops is why they are descending to low value crap.

for misspelling her name: Governor Sebelius.

A very important piece, Al, and not a moment too soon. Those less involved who have been drawn to the blogs by the enormity of McCain's audacity in picking this unqualified, unvetted right-wing trojan horse have jumped too enthusiastically on the bandwagon. The blogosphere has a very clear role here, which is to root out facts, then contextualize them and help move them into the mainstream media. Anything not based on documentable fact alone, including comments from dissident Alaskans themselves (unfortunately, because these are fascinating to read), should be treated with skepticism until they can be proven. Period. McCain and his henchmen have screwed this up royally, don't give them a lifeline!

Brace yourselves, according to Plouffe:

"In the next 36 hours, the McCain campaign will be pouring millions of dollars -- if not tens of millions -- into negative attack ads against Barack Obama.

Before John McCain accepts the Republican nomination on Thursday, his campaign has to spend every last dollar of primary funds they've raked in from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs."

KD

This line of thinking gives McCain way too much credit...if there's one thing he's not, it's calculating and careful.  Yes, he's an opportunist, and the campaign staff is desparately trying to spin this as positively as they can, but this is not a trap for Dems.

Really, this is about damage control.  Keeping the focus on Palin's family is much easier to defend than her record.  This is what the spin is about.  Obama sat down with Fox some time ago, and the timing speaks for itself - Thursday night as McCain is ready to speak.

Norm W. - If the blogger firestorm had been only about her experience, then I would agree with you. But there has been some of the most scurrilous, conspiracy theory, wack job stuff posted about her son, Trig and her daughter, Bristol. It made ME feel sorry for her, and I find her deeply terrifying.

Salicious stuff has it's own appeal... and the connected netroots were ripe for this kind of onslaught. Each time I find myself getting caught up in the drama, I become angry, upset and discouraged... then I come to the Field for a shot of grown-up (you'd all laugh--I've got grandchildren!!), and remember that anger, upset and discouragement only makes a willing victim.

Glad there's a community like the Field... "smart dissent" ... My daily tour of the blogesphere is getting shorter, as I can't bear the hysteria; and how very sad if we allow this potential antidote to the corporate media to follow it it's same deadly path...

Great observations!!!  I've been watching (some) bloggers tear themselves up over this!!!  Thanks, Al--and the Obama campaign--for being the adults here!

Now that you've laid it out the McCain strategy is clear and we need to BACK OFF the Palin distractions ASAP.  WE MUST leave the Bristol/Levi soap opera to the like of the NE.

Lets focus on substance, judgement and vetting (or lack thereof) as it pertains to McCain and leave Gov. Palin to give what I'm sure will be a well received and well delivered speech tonight.

Again, great call, Al.

Republicans know how to do, its appeal to the worst/most counterproductive aspects of human nature. At least after she gets her teflon coating Biden will be able to deal with her like a more conventional politician.

The blogs have been crazy the last few days with hubris filled attacks because of the poll bounce. I think they believe they caused it. Even worse some are saying that forcing a statement out of Gov. Palin is a vindication of the tactics. Maybe its time for a diary showing the effects of the Palin bounce now that its importance has been hyped and viewing figures will likely exceed obamas official figures. Its a shame the AIP thing wasn't true or she could have called her speech "a more perfect secession"

Maybe Biden can say something stupid to deflect attention and invite comparisons between McCain and Biden.

Al's is a strong argument for keeping the focus where it needs to be--on the big issues central to this big election. The Republicans didn't plan this drama out six months ago, but they have demonstrated that they know how to tactically work this political landscape to their short-term advantage.  They are demonstrating that they are still good at the kind of retail discipline that wins enough skirmishes to have the war called in their favor. They may have a lackluster convention and their Presidential candidate may be temperamentally ill-equipped for the Presidency, but they can take "problems" and make them "assets." 

While the Republicans' have failed at both governing and real party-building or institution-building especially over the Bush years, this being symptomatic of the party's intellectual and creative exhaustion after 35 years of dominance of American political life and culture (recall Obama's "respect" for what Reagan achieved politically), they are not going to implode as an electoral force over the next 60 days. They are certainly not playing with a strong hand, but their cunning and viciousness when cornered are very very dangerous. Even as I believe the current media storm is more flash than conflagration yielding little benefit or harm to either side, with each passing day, the stakes are raised so that now is the time to quit the political voyeurism/faux-death watch and recommit to the ground game that is this campaign.  

Point taken, Kat. I haven't spent any time looking at posts with those nasty subject lines,  so as to keep my mind clean!  I'll take your and Al's word for it.

But the second point of my post was that similar news on Sebelius would have had an even more virulent reception by the right. The difference is that the manure would not be spread by multiposters on a few websites, but would have already been spread on MSM by O'Reilly and Hannity. The lone voice in the MSM crying foul would have been Olbermann.

Interesting post, Al, but I pretty fundamentally disagree.

I'll keep this short.  My disagreements are two-fold.

First, this seems awfully chicken-littlish to me.

Secondly, given how removed the McCain campaign's accusations about the blogosphere and the media are from the actual behavior of the blogosphere and the media, blaming the "netroots" for the McCain campaign's behavior seems seriously off-base to me. The McCain campaign is pretty clearly keeping to a run-against-the-media script that has nothing to do with what's actually happening at dKos. Will it work? I hope not...and I think it won't. But blaming dKos and other websites for this non-reality-based series of moves by the McCain campaign is part of the same "logic" that led the Democrats to nominate a war hero in 2004 in the vain hope that doing so would insulate them from Republican attacks on their patriotism.

And to go back to an earlier interesting, but off-base, post: sorry, Al, for better or for worse the Palin pick has changed this campaign.

And then I don't.

This woman is dangerous. She's incompetent. She's a Trojan Horse. She is a tool of the right wing evangelicals, and not since I was a child, have my rights as woman, been so at risk.

This is another Clarence Thomas.

The Democrats, afraid of being accused of racism, CAVED, and we see where that got us.

She must be called out.

She must.

She is dangerous, incompetent, and is supported by folks that would do domestically what the neo-cons have been able to do to foreign policy.

Under all circumstances, she must be stopped.

And Senator Country Last too.

It's not sexist to point out that she's a religious extremist, who has already abused her authority, and wanted to ban books, and is against the environment.

I agree that folks just need to repeat over and over her ISSUES.

Get her EXTREME religious views out to those suburban women. Make them understand that she's NOT tolerant, under any circumstances.

Make it plain to states like New Hampshire that McCain's choosing her means A COMPLETE SELLOUT TO THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT.

We gotta strip him of that Maverick bullshit, when it's clear that he's a complete tool and pawn of the religious nuts even moreso than Dubya, and even I didn't think that was possible.

If we don't push that, who will?

On the one hand, it is precisely because she seemingly wasn't vetted and was seemingly chosen so quickly that it speaks to McCain's judgment and temperment, and Obama spoke on those in The Speech. On the other hand, all of this talk about "experience", when Obama speaks of "judgment" goes two ways.Then of course, there is the human "need" for gossip and juicy tidbits...

But on the other hand, this election isn't about her, it's about Obama vs McCain; and the issues, not the personalities.

Hillary tried to make it about personalities because they were so close on most of the issues, anyway.  Even then, many said why doesn't Obama "hit her" with this or that?  Even then, he still took the high road and stuck to his strategic game plan.  We should have learned by now that all of the distractions meant nothing...besides, we saw how well that "experience" meme worked for her...

Obama has already jumped on the statement of the McShame's campaign that "the issues don't matter"...it IS about the issues...

I think we need to re-visit The Speech and realize that Obama called the Repubs out on every single issue and drew the "line in the sand" on each and every one...again fueling the speculation that *she* was picked as soon as they saw the transcript of the speech, and especially after they saw that the Dems didn't implode as they had hoped...

For a lot of women, including me, it's not the fact that her daughter is pregnant (as Obama said, his mother was 18; and quiet as it's kept, I was 19), it is the fact that *she* would put her daughter "out there" for her own political gain...but that is my opinion, best discussed in another venue. It is also the hypocrisy--and our anger that they all of a sudden cry sexism when they use racism as often as possible--of the Repubs that has our dander up...but again, those are secondary issues.

There is also the fact that after being so disappointed and royally screwed so many times, we are sensing victory and literally tasting blood.  But the game ain't over yet; and we CAN lose it with our own hubris.

Just as we know that there are only about 60 or so real PUMAs, the numbers of the extreme right are drastically reduced from past elections.  So...while there is lots to "talk about"...what we should really be doing is WORKING...it's GOTV, GOTV, GOTV.  Period.

As a matter of fact, maybe it's time again for the Jay-Z song...

OK, that was more that one point...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

The danger is of any nonsense drama about her family overshadowing the very real stories that have emerged. Palin has been the pick for five days and literally every day since has brought new revelations about how corrupt and incompetent she is, from the Bridge to Nowhere to her $27 million in earmarks to leaving Wasilla $22 million in debt to her undisclosed ownership of that car wash to her repeated firings of officials to her desire to ban books to etc. Nobody should care about her daughter, but everybody should care about these issues.

When the McCain campaign overreacts to a CNN reporter asking for evidence of Palin's much-vaunted executive experience, they're not running against the media, they're running against the truth. They didn't do their homework and are left with a running mate with a load of baggage. Maybe she can rise above it and none of this will matter in the end, but that doesn't mean plenty of legitimate issues haven't been raised in the past few days.

I told my Republican friends last week that their party was making a big mistake by sowing Democratic disunity between Clinton-Obama.  By making so much of the split and running an ad asking why Obama didn't pick HRC as his VP, they were essentially made something that was a foregone conclusion into a seemingly big accomplishment.

Now, the tables are turned. And the media attacks (the Obama campaign has handled it well but that is lost) on meaningless aspects of Palin's life has given her the opportunity to say "I love my daughter and stand by her and her unborn baby unconditionally" and make it seem like a home run.

http://www.jedreport.com/2008/09/tell-us-what-you-really-think.html#disq...

Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy caught by an open Mic while on with Chuck Todd (MSNBC) today. 

It's priceless.

I agree with Al on the ethical side of this; it's a cyber lynch mob and I think they're taking revenge for all the swiftboating and Lewinsky and what have you in the past.

But in my opinion it's also the inevitable result of a political and media culture where everything private is used to further agendas and its getting worse every election. I don't think any Edwards affair is really an issue, and it shouldn't be covered anywhere but maybe in the yellow press. I also don't care if the father of some Palin baby comes to Minnesota or not.

But I'm also totally uninterested in learning that Palin is a happy mother of five or how she gave birth in an airplane or whatever, and neither do I care how Obama bought icecream for Michelle way back when or what he tells his daughters when he tucks them in. I hope Obama will smack this hurricane down while descending to the gates of hell to meet that poisonous snake monster tomorrow, but I can't help thinking that I saw his kids two out of four evenings on stage as well during the convention. And I don't think it's cute at all. It's child labor. It has nothing to do with any issues, and all this fuzzy family talk and parading on stage - on both sides - and in video portraits are providing exactly those warm waters and calm winds in which hurricanes like the ones we're seeing now develop.

This is also why I don't think I agree with Al on attacking the media being a succesful strategy for McCain, because they are themselves as guilty of nurturing this monster as the rest of them. Rove is practically the personification of dirty media campaign tactics. I think the only way out is for both campaigns to take the high road from here, in other words, McCain should follow Obama's example or maybe even strive to issue some sort of joint statement. And quit substituting political substance with fuzzy private crap.

1. A lot of people have told me to post this on other sites or send it to other bloggers. Why are you waiting for me to do it for you? You have the power of email (and you obviously know how to comment on a blog!). Do. It. Yourself.

2. Other arguments have been made that "well, if we don't do it, who will?" or "This woman is dangerous! We must expose her!" or "This would have happened to Sebelius" (the implication being that because the other side does it, we should too). You who are making those arguments don't have your eye on the ball. If you think that who gets elected to the most powerful position on earth (newly infused with far-reaching unprecedented executive powers) is important, you MUST ignore all other aspects of the campaign other than those messages that get you to victory. To do anything else is terribly selfish and self-indulgent, and sabotaging of that goal. Something about "that woman" (a phrase that in and of itself, even when said by a woman, carries centuries of misogyny on its shoulders) upsets you? Tough fucking luck. You're being too self-obsessed with what matters to you rather than what matters to winning. I'm not going to tip-toe around that crap any more!

3. Someone named Marc came on here and said basically "I'll do what I want on my blog." Fine. Be stupid over there, then, not here, Marc. Your comment has been deleted.

A couple other comments got through that, getting back from lunch, I found had been approved by the staff here. I deleted them. Yes, Al is on the warpath. The filter is being tightened here.

And to whomever called this post "chicken littling" here's the difference. People play chicken little over the things they cannot change. This is something in our abilities to change, from the bottom up. It is therefore a pragmatic call to arms, not a railing against gravity or natural law!

I figure, if Gov. Palin really is as bad of a choice for VP as she appears, to me,  then that will become apparent to reasonable people as the campaign progresses into its next stages. To be slingshot onto the national stage the way she has been is almost a guarantee of gaffes, or mistakes, because absolutely no one could withstand the amount of scrutiny that a presidential campaign brings, without years of training. 

Liberals, progressives, the media, Obama supporters, citizens....all of us have absolutely nothing to lose by letting her, as my grandmother would say, show her ass. That is to say, let's let her make whatever mistakes she will or won't make. Let's let her do the heavy lifting here - she has a great burden of proof to carry these next weeks.   The campaign to uncover all the dirt about her family and her record, her church, all of it, and sensationalize it only succeeds in allowing all of the aforementioned to project our own fears, prejudices, and yes, elitism into the discussion, where it can only muddy the water of the discourse.

I don't think we have anything to lose by treating Gov. Palin as a worthy opponent, albeit one with whom we emphatically disagree on many (most?) issues, and working hard and smart to win. Anything less is disrespectful. 

or, y'know, what Al said. 

It's all well and good to say that people should not spread mere innuendo, but I don't agree with the suggestion that restraint here will prevent - or even deter - the right wing from making the media (and bloggers) a target.  The fact is they will do this NO MATTER what happens on these blogs.

Further, I believe that the blogging world really should be governed by a different standard.  I don't have a blog myself, but I can easily see how difficult it would be to police one.  Moreover, spreading information or speculation on a blog, in my view, is fundamentally different from spreading information on network or cable news, simply because there are so many damn blogs and an infinite amount of information on the web.

To put it differently, I don't think that restraint from liberal bloggers will really affect the right-wing talking points, and I doubt that restraint is really much of a practical option.

On the other hand, I certainly don't argue with the premise that each of us, individually, should pause before giving voice to unsubstantiated rumors. That's simply a matter of fairness and courtesy.

I think most people -- whether Republicans or Democrats -- have to see the big picture.

Both Obama and McCain have made important decisions that reflect on how well they would govern. And both had the same time to do it -- about three months or so.

Obama went through a long list of people, along with his appointed vetting group. He chose Joe Biden, a Senate veteran (as Obama wasn't), an expert on foreign affairs (balancing an area that Obama was seen as weak on), a man of pretty good character, intellect, and wisdom. He's not the perfect choice (if he was, he would have, or should have run for president himself), but Obama made a wise and calculated decision after some reflection.

John McCain had one five-minute meeting, and a 15-minute phone call, and selected a refugee from the Jerry Springer Show.

Who would you rather have making decisions that would impact your life and the security of the nation?

This needs to be posted at Kos ASAP. A huge mistake was made.  There was absolutely NO REASON to jump on the babygate, Buchanan, AIC bandwagen when Palin's record as mayor and governor provide such a rich line of substantive attack.  Obama made this clear early on, but the blogosphere refused to listen to him.  Now the Repubs have refocused the conversation on abortion, teenage pregnancy and crazy pastors.  Not quite God, guns and gays - but close.  After all the work that Obama has done to move the conversation to more important issues, here we are back again.  

I absolutely expect him to come down hard on this kind of "reporting" when he goes on Fox.  I hope people at Kos are prepared. 

It almost seems like they are baiting the press and the bloggers by bringing Levi into all of this. It's like they want to catch someone saying something snobby about him so that they can say "see. you don't care about regular people. You are a bunch of snobs."

When I first read this post I started chicken litteling a bit. Could we really blow this thing? I sure hope not.

Now I think that because of the short attention span of the public and the media that once the newness of Palin blows over, we will get back to the same old stuff we have been doing all along.

I didn't know people could cross-post another person's post without their permission...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

Finally, someone who actually thinks. dKos and HuffPost seem to have a lot of hate in their diaries/articles since Palin was announces as VP candidate.

I mean, surely she's inexperienced but this can prove to be a double-edged sword:

• GOP will run against "everyone" (media, polls and Dems);
• Palin will have such low expectations that she may actually do well on the debates;

Cheers,

Sérgio

Al, I didn't cross-post the whole thing, but I did add to what you've been saying:

At Election Inspection

And a copy cross-posted at Daily Kos

I do think that the repubs are overplaying it , even more than usual. I think how it all plays out depends on the "important" talking repub heads. I am sure you saw the clip of La Noonan and M. Murphy on hot-mike  saying it is over. The spinners have lost 2 of their best surrogates now, so in my book, they have lost 2nd round......tonight is round 2 1/2  let's see how it goes down!

Rikyrah, it goes without saying that her policies and ideology are a nightmare. But remember that what the blogutards have been doing has been to go after those aspects of her character that are in fact attractive to much of the electorate because many voters (including, gasp, me) can see ourselves reflected in them: Her less-than-perfect and perhaps dysfunctional family life, her imperfect attempts to balance work and family, her real (or perceived) ability to behave in a so-called "maverick" way, her history of taking unpopular stances. Questioning her public policy is one thing, but attacking her character is something the Republican stategists knew would happen precisely for the reasons that Al articulates so well, and her selection as running mate was designed in large measure for the media to grab the bait. THAT is the Trojan horse, more so than Palin's entry into the white house. 


Moral indignancy gets us nowhere; strategy will get us everywhere.    

Maybe Obama could talk up some of the diaries/comments on dkos doing the right thing as well as smacking down the other ones. Obama is all about the compromise. It may depend on the reaction to the speech how he handles it on O'Reilly

I agree with Al on this. Good journalists confirm their facts before they lay their credibility on the line. Early on several people emailed to ask why I hadn't commented on the allegations that Palin was pretending her daughter's child was actually her own child. I saw nothing that proved this so I left it alone. I also leave children out of things until they are adults and actively get involved on their own volition. My father had terrible politics, what was I supposed to do about it?

In any case check out this footage of Murphy and Noonan caught chatting into live microphones.

From my site

http://barrycrimmins.com/index.php?page=news&display=1334

or YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrG8w4bb3kg

They sure aren't excited about Palin.

Barry

Al, I know I could write a diary at DKos telling everyone you have written a great post and linking to this. But knowing how respected you are there, and how quickly new diaries are pushing old ones off the front page lately, I feel it would get more recs and be seen by more people if it was posted under your name by you instead.  Just my two cents.

Al's right. The blogs have taken every nugget of possible Oppo and run with it, often with no proof. Some of the strongest information is systematically being dismantled by the Rovian machine. Just saw Bill Bennett dominate James Carville over the AIP stuff by saying, "sure let's talk about it, but it's not as if Todd Palin were hanging out with a Radical who bombed buildings and killed people. Let's talk about that."

The media, is waking up. And will do their job while Obama can sit tight and take the high road. At least as long as his poll numbers are climbing.

By the way, Palin has lost Dr. Laura. http://www.drlaurablog.com/2008/09/02/sarah-palin-and-motherhood/

Hope that someone here posts Al's entire diary at kos.  I have already used my diary so can't do it.  Any other kossacks here?  Please post it in it's entirety - I'll be sure to recommend it.

Right now some of the diaries are discussing an Enquirer store about Palin's supposedly infidelity

Please make it stop.

I suspect that the Obama campaign is smart enough to see what is happening. If need be, I can imagine him doing what he does best; taking it on directly. Perhaps through a press conference or something and saying.."Enough. Let's stick to legitimate issues." Perhaps his appearance on Billo will do the trick. I still think this may die down. The media is so overreactionary in situations like this. You are right Al. We can't change what the mainstream people do but we can change what we do.

Thanks.

I'll say it again.

We don't have to do a damn thing.

McCain's choice has proven that McCain is not fit to be Commander and Chief. Focus on him, not her or her family.

Let the MSM do the dirty work, we should stay as focused as our candidate.

There's work to be done folks, this ain't work, it's salacious gossip.

In case you missed Obama's "quiet storms" speech from the other day, it's 10 minutes of why we're here.

Take a look, then if you haven't already, sign up to get involved.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=11222

Hmmm.  I'm puzzled by all of this.  Puzzled at my own reaction to Palin.  I think it's a hard story to ignore and for some people to not have all the facts before posting something, my thoughts are that we are readers and diarists not journalists.  Until the NYT and WaPo start quoting me, I don't think we should be considered media. But it's fair to say I might not understand the whole netroots thing well enough to know how it is perceived (and used  against our candidate) by the other campaign.  Since Al does, I'll go with him on this one even though my instincts were to discount some of this for the reasons stated.

I think the Palin pick is good for two reasons: One, it gets the undecideds off the fence; either by her positions alone or by the way McCain chose her.  Secondly, if they were looking for an anti-abortion person or ballsy McCain move and not much else - then they are voting for him because of this alone.  If none of the above, then more than likely they are going to end up with Obama.  So this is why I'm not sure what the netroots say has any influence on those Undecideds.  Beyond that, I can't see anyone who was voting on issues and substance to be swayed by what we do in the blogosphere.

IMO, if there is anything that might get someone to CHANGE their mind, it might be the upcoming debates - an outstanding or horrible performance by either of the four.  I think Biden will do well but I did watch a lot of Palin's Republican recent Governor's primary debate and she is very, very good.  (As good as if not better than Hillary or any of the Republican or Democratic candidates this year.)  She's a natural and I can see her handling any question well - even a foreign policy one.

My final thought is Daily Kos really sucks most of the time.  You read one decent diary out of 20. I just don't understand why it has to be so open.  Most of the people commenting spend 1/2 their time commenting on the poor quality of the diary.  Can those in charge do some type of rating before we read them?  If you want to read trash then go to the D rated Diaries.  I think the format does a huge disservice to the netroots in general by erroneously presenting these diaries as representative of Markos.

Mr. Giordano ... Great piece of analysis and writing.  I tend to agree with Allan B. at 6:40.  What you've written is clearly a manifesto and it's got you written all over it ...That's a good thing!   Perhaps that's why you yourself are being encouraged to disseminate it at the same time that folks are complimenting you so heartily.  It's not just any other piece of  net prose.  Powerful, succinct, and right on target.

I come to your site to see what the real deal is on the ground.  I know there won't be a lot of handwringing and venting for the pleasure of venting.

Some other sites have clearly become places where folks who are both incredibly pissed off and very nervous go to seek shelter and look for support.  And engage in endless snark.  That serves a purpose when one is feeling angry, anxious, and sarcastic but the points you make in this piece are ones that need to be heeded because we simply must do all we can to win this thing.   Falling for the bait ain't going to do it.

And one knows that Schmidt and Co. selected the good Governor for precisely these reasons.  The theatrics have been carefully staged and we mustn't fall into the trap.

Cheers!

Al, as clear from the above comments, if you cross post at dKos, you'll instantly get it on the rec list with hundreds of "Recommends".  I'm looking forward to seeing it there.

Jamie 

If you want to watch the convention w/o yakking tools, you can at this MSNBC site - clean feed with no idiots (except the ones in the hall of course):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22886841#22886841

If *I* post this on another blog, it will look like I am "calling out" the publisher of that blog. That's wouldn't be the case, but it would be interpreted that way.

And particularly, in the case of DKos, because my name has been so prominent atop the front page there with my quote about his book, I think that there's a risk that *I* would become the issue rather than the points I raise.

Kos and his front-pagers aren't the guilty parties and posting it there would be used by some to claim I'm saying that they are: but they're not. And I have a feeling that Kos himself - currently on the road on his book tour - will weigh in soon enough on these matters, since his blog is being singled out unfairly in many ways regarding them. One thing I've learned is there's no use trying to prod Markos into anything: he marches to his own drummer, he doesn't respond to every little issue immediately, but thinks about matters and when he's ready, weighs in, more often than not saying what I would have urged him to say anyway. He's not somebody I would ever accuse of not thinking strategically or focusing on victory!

I thought Elliot handled it fine: doing his own diary on the same subject and quoting liberally from mine.

(Finally, the idea that my diaries over there get on the "rec list" is vastly overstated. Less than ten percent of them ever have.)

I guess I am not part of anything including netroots. I do not have comments enabled on my blog. I see my blog as my own judgment of what barriers I want and don't want. My response to Palin was to create one page and add to it but in that way to quarantine it. I have an email link on every page. I do not believe in hiding identities. Life is inherently a risk.

I see this blog as close to being a community as could be hoped for and I respect that. Will you be successful in imposing journalistic standards in an envoronment where the distinction between the professional mainstream press and the Web melange is blurring daily?

When there is a rumor of any sort it wil be chased down. The pregnancy rumor including the the mom was not pregnant rumor were inevitably going to be played out. I did not make anything of it but I certainly chased it down. So did blogs I respect like Digby and Alternet and TPM. The problem is when it becomes made the basis of vitriolic screeds and the transport of rumor into whatever the Web calls urban legend. The only way to respond is pushing back as Barack does with Fight The Smears and some of his ads.

I am not sure anything has changed except the techology. With a decade most owf what we call trhe MSM will be here on the Web ... period. Maybe there wil emerge some way of quarantining what is repsonsible. I am not holding my breath.

Best, S

I suppose Obama has been saving his Big Interview With O'Reilly for something like this where he needs maximum exposure. I hope he's not annoyed about having to play this card so early.

Well, it's going to be quite a battle to get the MSM to change the subject. These are the very same people who spent a couple of weeks obsessing about Anna Nicole Smith a couple of years ago. Juicy = ratings.

But we all need to be ready tomorrow for the shitstorm from the right. Palin's speech - regardless of its actual merits - will be heralded as the Sermon on the Mount by the blowhards. And she will have thrown down the gaunlet to the media (what else is she going to do? Withdrawal is simply not an option for the Maverick), but there's no value in taking the bait. Hillary played the blame-the-media card, too, and it helped her. Once she was positioned as the victim of a sexist media she began to actually win some primaries.

Over the past week, we took someone who was completely unknown and marginal and through our constant and uninterrupted attention turned her into one of the biggest and most sympathetic political figures in the country. Bummer.

Can we start over?

Not only have the personal aspects of Palin and her family distracted everyone from the policies she believes in and her history in the office as mayor and governor, but have also distracted us from promoting some incredible moments in the Obama campaign.

The other day Obama gave an amazing speech about the importance of the labor movement, of the quiet storms that hit people all over the country, and of the importance of helping people up when they are knocked down.

And Biden in Century Village in Florida spoke movingly about his ties to the Jewish community and the importance of remembering the Holocaust, about his feelings about seeing the Obama children and his grandchildren playing together, and about the realities of national security issues.

These are amazing, quality people. They are our candidates. And we should spend our time spreading the word near and far about who they are and what they stand for.

You wrote what I was planning on typing.  Thanks.

Al, you said that the "national media" doesn't understand that they are hated.  I've always felt they (the head honchos at least that call the shots) know damn well what's going on, and they are willing participants in the charade.  This is why real Democrats are always damned if they do, damned if they don't.

Consider that there was an AP headline the other day, and thus several other reports from Conglomerate outlets saying the same, that said, "McCain: Obama Spreading Palin Smears."  Now, could Obama and his campaign be anymore vocal and clear that they're not involved in any of this?  Same thing happened against Clinton where many have branded him a sexist for his treatment of Hillary.  Wha?!?  Barack bent over backwards not to offend, probably too much IMO.  Yet, here he is being tagged with this stuff by the complicit BigMedia.  Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

These Repub games only work if BigMedia plays along.  It's been this way for decades.  We've had entire generations grow up within this dynamic.  An actual "press" would would point out the contradictions in McCain's claims and give equal rebuttal time from Obama's side, but we almost never get that.

I often have to venture into hyper-Red areas of the country for work, and often have this experience - get to know fine upstanding people who are genuinely making positive contributions to the world, and then they surprise me with some statement like, "Obama seems OK, but I can't vote for someone who hates America so much, let alone his wife."  Always floors me.  After calm consultation, I can usually get them to at least say they'll check into those claims more and might be more open-minded toward Obama, but as they go back into their environment where everyone spreads the lies, not really sure if it'll change their vote.

We didn't ask for things to be like this.  Glad Obama takes the high road, but I personally don't mind people out there trying to fight fire with fire.  Just like the "Obama is a Muslim" lies and similar ones stick with these people no matter what, I think these Palin stories have already sunk in with a lot of voters.  Obama's numbers have really jumped in the last two days.  Sure, they'll counter with the victim game...they always do and the complicit BigMedia will help with this...but a lot of damage has been done to McCain.

Regardless, Obama has understood all this from the outset.  It's not rocket science after all and is incredibly predictable, so his focus on organizing grassroots is a sure way to counteract this unfair playing field.  He won't be able to win at this this game no matter how skillful he is.

As you often point out, Obama's going to win with his people-powered campaign instead of the McCain people-soured campaign.  This is what BigMedia truly doesn't understand.

I just realised that Obama has an opportunity to regain the initiative/moral high ground here by adding some of this stuff to his fight the smears website. How would you suggest this to the website owners? There is a email address for smears on obama watchdog@barackobama.com but I dont think this is appropriate. Mass email to the main website?

Al,

You are the voice of sanity.

Here's my appreciation and recommendation...

The thing is . . . this pick-up by the media was absolutely inevitable. Last week they lost the precious storyline they'd been clinging to for months (will Hillary support Barack, will Bill support Barack, will Hillary's voters ever vote for Barack), and after the stupendous Democratic convention, that was all shown to be baloney.  But the very next day they were handed the next "juicy" storyline on a platter - and of course, every each one of them wants to be the one that "discovers" the information that sinks Palin's candidacy.  They're never going to cover the 10 billion dollars a month that is spent in Iraq, or the war crimes being committed by this administration - it's just not going to happen.

The best thing we can do, if we want to help win this thing, is to really focus on achieving message discipline. The Obama campaign is polling this stuff hard - they know the tacks that work.  So for instance, we keep pushing the McCain-Same meme.  In certain areas, we push other issues - like in Virginia they're emphasizing the abortion fight and that McCain wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.  And as much as it may bore us, we must just keep repeating the same stuff over and over again until it sinks in to the national consciousness.  And take our lead from the campaign.

So for example, on Palin, Bob Bauer gave us the lead here:

On morning media call the Obama camp advisor says the GOP veep candidate has a “compelling story,” expects a great primetime address. Calls on her to explain her reformer credentials.

“What she needs to do, however, is explain her reformer credentials in light of the revelations that she supported the Bridge to Nowhere and hired a big lobbying firm to win her small town millions in earmarks.”

http://thepage.time.com/2008/09/03/gibbs-palin-will-no-doubt-give-great-...

Let's raise expectations for her, rather than lower them. And lets paint her as a traditional GOP politician.

KD

On my personal blog:

http://asim.livejournal.com/2008/09/02/

Thank you for pushing this hard and long, Al. A sample:

You claim to be "vetting" her. This word does not mean what you think it means. It doesn't mean we poke at everything we think might be a hypocritical act. It doesn't mean that the "other side" doing it, makes it OK. It doesn't mean we pry into her family life. It doesn't mean we demean her, or post crass things about her. You're not helping either candidate, you're just feeding the troll. And don't expect sympathy from the masses when the troll comes back to bite your candidate.

Or you.

I just got back from the Obama GOTV office where you are told when you walk through the door as a volunteer that you will be asked to leave if you discuss Palin's famly. Amongst yourselves. Over the phone. The paid workers were told You mention one word, you're fired. One word, zero tolerance.

And they're asked some people to leave.

I heard some of the really great ideas they have to GOTV in the two weeks before Election Day. Fabulous stuff, but I wont discuss it because why give an opponent who might audit this thread a roadmap.

The GOTV post was me, Alexa.

And, I have to find this whole "Omigod" she's so inexperienced, she knows nothing of foreign policy, what will we do if she's in charge of the country? line of attack a bit disingenuous to say the least.

We couldn't have asked for someone as "experienced" or as "knowledgeable" about foreign policy as Dick Cheney and look what that f***er has done to our to our country over the past eight years.

It's not experience that's the issue, it's the GOP.  They need to go.

KD

That was EXCELLENT, Allan!

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

WE MUST leave the Bristol/Levi soap opera to the like of the NE. [National Enquirer]

They're better at it, better paid, and they have a profit motive. A.N.D. they are on site now in Alaska. Little known fact: ever since Carol Burnett sued the National Enquirer for libel and won big time, along with the spate of similar suits that followed, the National Enquirer now requires that its reporters deposit in their vault, after legal vetting, a minimum of two separate and distinct documented sources for each challenging fact. Some editors require three.

Great article, Al.. Ambinder is also pushing the 'how can a mother of 5 be a VP' which is total trash for anyone to be pushing. but looking at it from another perspective...

Blaming the dire straits of your campaign on the media is a privilege of the conservatives like the ability to call someone a liar or fried oysters for lunch. Obama sensed if he snapped at Gibson and Stepho he would be marched to Kucinichland, or at least to an unknown territory. Rowing harder by using the force of your legs and waist is a good strategy like blaming the media but not when the Titanic is sinking. Palin is hurting McCain across the nation by getting the campaign off message and their missed opportunity of using free media to argue policy and attack the opponent. The vetting has become a mini-scandal that McCain is avoiding and Palin we presume can't hold her own on a talk show as well as Biden.

Daily Kos is being mentioned in the MSM because they have the occasion to dispute the site's credibility. On one hand, publicity is publicity, but there has clearly been a lack of discipline there. Conspiracies can become another culture with its own mythologies. Tho Kos is pushing stories that get picked up and researched more by other media outlets. Kos will get what they deserve, but McCain and Palin are in trouble. One paper, the Times or the Post, was talking about an anonymous poster that Kos defended. They shouldn't have anonymous posts over there. My 2c, but you rock, Al!

My diary scrolled off the front page at DKos.

Sorry, Al, I disagree on a few points.

I truly believe "the poor little Palin against big bad wolf media game" more likely to gain her sympathy from MEN voters than women. She's very vulnerable to be judged harshly by women in two areas where Hillary was rock solid.

Women are harshest critics of fellow women. Clinton could gain sympathy from this crowd even if they disagreed with her on issues and admitted she gained senate seat mainly due to Bill, because they hailed her as a great mother. They admired her fighting spirit, a fierce lioness who protected her cub at all cost. I heard repeatedly during primary what a great job she did with Chelsea, especially in lieu of Monica-Gate and Bill's philandering. Hillary was portrayed as VICTIMIZED wife who stood firm FOR HER CHILD. 

These type of women really admire GOOD mothers.

Contrast that with Palin who is VERY vulnerable as a mother right now, judging her harshly for running for VP as mother with 4 month old infant with special needs.

Women can be more sexists than men on this issue.

The second issue is harder to pinpoint, sure many can relate to wayward children and teen pregnancy but at gut check time alot of them are cattily gossiping maybe if she paid more attention to her kids than her political ambitions, Bristol wouldn't be pregnant. As feminist that is difficult for me to voice but hearing that catty tone across beauty shops and Walmarts.

Being on the cover of US and National Enquirer with sleazy headlines and portrayed as an ambitious beauty queen who leaves a pregnant teen and her infant, special needs son behind for politics. Um, sorry, that's not sympathetic take on her.

She's not the victim, her kids are and that is a VERY telling difference between Hillary's more successful "victim of sexist media."

Lastly, if there is one area GOP excelled and Dems failed, hammering so hard you nail the coffin shut. When GOP smell blood in the water, they are sharks that make sure prey is devoured. I don't suscribe to their methods but they do make sure the prey is DEAD.

Dems too often leave the prey wounded and walk away.

Until last week McCain's team and media were making election a referendum on Obama. Dem convention and especially Obama's speech really sought to run the tables and make it a referendum on McCain and GOP. McCain played right into that trap with Palin pick, it's now all about McCain and his judgement. Meanwhile, Obama sails on improving in polls and looking rock solid steady versus the GOP circus.

Thanks. You are absolutely right. The hubris of the left-wing and Obama bloggers to sit back and crow now.  It's not over yet. It could still backfire and Obama still has the white racist voters to contend with.  Palin is risky and so far has not gone over well.  But you are absolutely right, the media coverage and mis-coverage could change that in an instant and we have many days till Nov.

There is a legitimate way to attack the hypocrisy and cynicism of the Palin nomination.  She is a candidate who is attempting to piggyback on the credentials and work of others, such as Hillary Clinton, to get votes.  Gov. Palin has nothing in common with Sen. Clinton besides gender.  Palin is against the Equal Pay for Equal Work act, she has done nothing to help single or working mothers get affordable health care or child care.

There is plenty to go after the Republicans on that will resonate with the voting public.  We need to do that.  The incredible power of the netroots also rests in it's ability to talk about real people and real problems.  This is an underutilized and incredibly powerful tool that is much more significant than the slinging slime.

Bravo Al for bringing this up. We are Democrats and want Sen. Obama elected because of what this will mean to the lives of fellow Americans. We need to press that.  Hey, it's still Barney Smith, not Smith Barney that we are supporting.

Al,  This was a much needed post.  I wish it had come out a few days ago.

It's worth noting that the most offending diary on Palin had many comments pushing back, including a couple from me.  (And I recced the others like a maniac).  Granted, those comments got swamped, but there are a lot of little fish in the blogosophere that have been trying to keep things from going off the rails.  And a big shout out is due to John Cole at Balloon Juice, who has consistently tried to smack down this nonsense.

The tragedy of the whole thing is that the Palin pick was such a gift to the Obama campaign in so many ways.  Hopefully, we'll get to keep some of the goodness.  The good news is that most voters aren't in this echo chamber -- and they're still going to see the basic inconsistency between McCain's campaign message up until now and this choice.  I also think that the McCain camp is sadly mistaken if they think that the deep desire for change in this country can be captured by a 'courageous' stance against pork.  Still, the payoff should be much better than it likely will be.  And there's a risk of significant blow back.

Can I throw in one other word of caution?  There should be no comments that imply that Palin is anything other than a very bright savvy politician.  She may not be ready for office (and that's for voters to decide); she may have some areas in her track record that are questionable (and that's for voters to decide), but it's plain she's smart.  And there is a REAL problem with the fact that red state voters are pretty darned sure that blue state voters think that red state voters are yokels.  There really is a disdain that comes through and it's poison.  So try to at least censure yourselves.  Even better: consider the possibility that 'rednecks' have some really fine qualities that we would all do well to learn to appreciate.  Put some meat on Obama's claim that there's not a red America and a blue America, but one United States of America.

Well said indeed -- and thanks for saying it!

jon

PS:Jay Rosen's <a href="http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2008/09/03/mccain_strategy.html">Palin and a re-ignited culture war</a> is a great description of the likely McCain strategy.

They've been bashing Palin worse than any liberal: