Deception by omission (Editorial)

[AnAmerican]

"BOULDER, Colorado--November 21, 2003--I am amazed and frightened to have discovered only recently how successfully and subtly my perceptions and my sense of personal power are manipulated by our media. Until then, I considered myself well aware of the media's motives and methods and therefore immune to their manipulation. However I have been more profoundly deceived and disempowered than I had thought possible. My deception runs deep; the consequences enormous.


I have come to recognize my deeper, more dangerous level of deception through a process of inquiring into why so many of my friends think Dennis Kucinich is not electable. Among my friends, most say "Yes, nobody better represents me than Dennis Kucinich. But I don't think he's electable." I kept asking my friends, "Why? Please explain to me why you think that." I have not heard a single answer that is even slightly satisfying, even from my more intelligent and politically informed friends.

<snip>

Why had I never heard of a politician who has spent his entire political career since age 19 courageously fighting for my ideals? I shifted the focus of my inquiry from Dennis Kucinich to finding the source of these false beliefs. I personally have never actually heard or read the words "not electable" in the media. The only people I've ever heard speak them are my friends. And when I have asked my intelligent, committed, good friends why they say this nobody has yet come forth with an intelligent explanation. For vague reasons we cannot articulate it just "feels" that way. We believe something and don't know why. Interesting. Something strange is going on.

<snip>

His exclusion from coverage by major media is precisely because he is supremely electable. Dennis Kucinich is the single greatest threat to George Bush. He is the one candidate who -- when he is heard -- appeals to the intelligence, compassion and goodness of America. There is no one else even in his league. Listen to him and judge for yourself. You cannot understand who this man is through the media. Get a video and watch him. He will stir your heart to believe again in the possibility that our nation can change -- profoundly. You will feel the opportunity to make a difference in our government that had previously seemed impossible to you. You will want to get involved, and you would, except for one thing: you know he's "not electable."


Full text at http://www.oasistv.com/news/11-21-03-story-2.asp

[Egnever]

1. Maybe you can write to this guy and explain

Denis will never get elected because he is for Gay marriage, He is for gun control, He is against the death penealty, In a time when we have troops on the ground he is hostile to the pentagon, He wantsd a department of peace, He wants to cancel free trade, He has a history of being against abortion.

Prety much any one of these things eliminates him in the general.

But of course like you he can continue to live in denial and ignore all of these reasons why the general public will not vote for him and keep pretending it is because the press doesnt like him.

Fact is he is too far left to get elected. He might be able to survive having one or two of these things in his platform but all of them together assure he will never make it past the two percent he is getting now.

flame away.

[AnAmerican]

2. Thanks for your (yawn) input.....

You obviously did not read the article thoroughly. When people hear Dennis speak in person they become supporters. His low poll numbers are a direct reflection of the fact that most people don't know him which is a direct reflection of the fact that the media does their level best to marginalize him or ignore him.

The press adores Dean....why? Because he is "safe". He will not rock the boat, he will not piss off the corporations. He will not do anything to upset the applecart.

A reporter in Seattle was asked by a Dennis supporter why he did not cover the Congressman...the response?? The reporter said that the management of the newspaper had forbid their reporters from covering Dennis.

I feel much more at ease voting for Dennis than some media annointed "play it safe" candidate.

We have all railed agianst the media bias in this country at one point or another, yet when that very same media attempts to make up our mind for us, certain people here see nothing wrong with that. That just proves to me that some posters here talk a real good game but are unwilling to take concrete steps to effect real change.

Dennis may not win, but it will not be based on his platform which is by far the most thought-out, the most friendly to our citizens and the closest to traditional Democratic values.

You my friend are the one in denial, far be it from me to try to remove your head from the sand pile you have buried it in.

[w4rma]

3. So, you support DK for his personality?

When people hear Dennis speak in person they become supporters

And you believe that his personality will outweigh his positions on many hot topics which, unfortunately, polls put him in a minority on?

Is that what you're saying?

[AnAmerican]

5. No...his platform

As I already stated, when people here Dennis' platform, they become supporters. His platform is what has drawn people to him, is what would have drawn more people to him if not for the deliberate marginalization by the media and the myth of unelectabilty. Go ahead...let the media appoint our President...you apparently have no problem with that.

What is the matter with letting all the candidates prove their point to the American public...and I am not talking the staged and sound bite driven debates. I am talking about the media covering (in depth) all the candidates...not just the select few that are "safe" candidates who will do little to change the status quo. A staus quo that has led us to be despised the world over, a status quo that enabled a right wing dictator wanna-be like George to steal the election, a status quo that virtually assures his continuing presence in the WH after next November.

You just don't get it, do you?? His positions are the most sound out of all the candidates....the problem is, most Americans still have not heard his message due to the issues I outlined above.

Go ahead, be smug in your convictions that Dennis is not electable.

One thing I know for sure, if Dennis can't win against the rethugs, no-one can.

[NNadir]

6. I've heard him speak, and worse, I've read his writings and his history.

He is the last of the Democratic candidates I'd want in office. Every time I hear him, I think less and less of him.

Thanks for (yawn) telling us why Dennis is "unbeatable." Now all you need is to convince the other 98% of us. You're not doing too well at that task by all available measures.

He's better than Bush, but that's really no great shakes.

I do hope that Dennis gets himself a girlfriend though.

[goodhue]

4. Thanks for posting.

Its been flaming in general discussion today . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=751855