2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumThe media is destroying Hillary and the Democratic Party acts like nothing is wrong.
Us lowly observers keep telling you that the media is hurting Hillary. But the leaders of the Democratic Party act like the election is already won. What is wrong with these leaders? Do they not understand the media? Perception matters.
Get your Democratic surrogates out there and have them not back down one inch. Control the narrative. Quit hiding and fight.
Democat
(11,617 posts)Democrats thought it was below them to respond to the Swiftboating until it was too late.
Democrats need to punch harder than Republicans instead of letting Republicans beat the media into submission.
INdemo
(6,994 posts)but just which outlets were they suppose to defend Kerry. They were all Bush.
Besides that the 2004 election was stolen and has been proven. Kerry won.
Karl Rove had his best election theft strategy ever in 2004..
Peregrine Took
(7,412 posts)later they should have hit them (Swift boater's) with everything they had.
Some Dems tend to do this - I think Dukakis did it too - lay low in August -thinking the electorate is not "paying attention" until the holiday is past.
A lot of damage can be done during that "down" month. People really gravitate to negative news - any time during the campaign.
yurbud
(39,405 posts)and these guys won't have subpoena power to enforce their witch hunts.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)In both cases they thought they could win by keeping quiet.
And this is how Democrats get "Bitch-Slapped" (excuse the language).
Hillary needs to be as loud as possible, and everyone on her team needs to be calling out the mainstream media on their bullshit and demanding Hillary gets fair and truthful coverage.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)ChairmanAgnostic
(28,017 posts)was being attacked for being anti Hillary and incapable of understanding her plan.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)But the Democratic Party never learns its lesson. Democratic leaders act like they cannot raise funds and push their message at the same time.
mothra1orbit
(231 posts)is part of a misguided attempt to "balance" news reports about Trump's idiotic behavior. Imagine if news media reported every nutty word out of Trump's mouth, every crazy lie he utters, every bigoted, racist smear he voices, without trying to find something equally negative about Hillary Clinton. It would be all Trump, all the time. There just isn't anything negative going on with Hillary's campaign, her speeches lately have been magnificent; she is not stooping to Trump's level of name-calling and shit-slinging. There just isn't anything bad to say about her except errors and omissions from her past--all of which she has acknowledged and apologized for. I truly think the networks especially fear accusations of pro-Hillary bias if they don't plant an ignorant, uninformed Trump stooge on every panel where they are interviewing a Clinton supporter.
liberalgunwilltravel
(325 posts)Well, remember that the strongest Hillary supporters, working behind the scenes to do all they could to get Hillary elected, were purged from the DNC.
Wednesdays
(17,306 posts)Do you have specifics, links to back that up with?
liberalgunwilltravel
(325 posts)I seem to remember a number of people, particularly Bernie supporters, calling for the heads of DWS and others that "conspired" to see that Hillary was the Democratic nominee. The people whose heads they got were some of the people who most strongly supported Hillary in the DNC.
George II
(67,782 posts)Coolest Ranger
(2,034 posts)please provide a link to back up your observations
BobbyDrake
(2,542 posts)And I'm sure by the OP's tone that they cheered those departures more than anything else this election, up until they could be used to criticize the party yet again.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)So no I do not believe the DNC is sabotaging Hillary Clinton...she is a Democrat and has many 'friends' at the DNC.
RandiFan1290
(6,221 posts)Reminds me of 2000 when they barely fought to count my vote in Palm Beach County and quickly rolled over for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
Gave the cons exactly what they wanted after the closest election in history. No fight.
JCanete
(5,272 posts)will be the reason why Democrats won't enact big sweeping change, because their hand's will be tied. I continue to vote for them, but I also continue to have a sinking suspicion that they like having their hands tied. That way they can pander to the democratic voters with rhetoric and incremental changes, and still continue to appease the people by who's grace they are in office at all, by being the Maginot line when it comes to incremental changes in the opposite direction.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)You act like the Dems have been in charge ...they have not been. Remember 2010 where the Greens (alt left?) attacked Obama non-stop and helped the tea party Republicans win? We lost the House. That ended our chances. You can't enact sweeping changes when you don't have Congress and we never did ...not even in 09 with Lieberman, Kennedy being ill, (Scott Brown appointed in Mass) and conservadems . The Democratic Party could never satisfy you because your demands are not based in reality.
JCanete
(5,272 posts)compared to the typical forces at work pushing our nation right.
Actually I think you bringing up Lieberman is a perfect example of democrats talking a good game until they are finally in a position to do something, when its suddenly time for them to earn their paycheck. I don't suggest that that's all of them, and I hope its a relative few. We did still get health-care reform, just not the kind we would have liked, but we did it without republican support, so why didn't we get something that wasn't such an appeasement to insurance companies? Lieberman is to me, a pretty obvious example of a trojan horse, and sometimes I wonder who else's turn it will be to land on the next grenade.
As to how to get that majority in the house and senate, we are doing it wrong if that's what we want.(trump may do us a great favor in this regard this election though). I do actually agree with the school of thought that you can't get into Washington unless you court the money, and I'm sure many establishment politicians have simply calculated that you can't do shit from the side-lines, so you have to play the game.
But looking at the last thirty-five years, playing this game may have kept democrats in seats, but at the cost of taking whole areas of discourse off the table, and a general regression on labor rights, welfare programs, etc. You can't effectively go after big money in politics if you are taking it, and frankly, if its what got you to the ball, you don't want to. You have an edge in that regard, so why squander it. So you can't talk populism, you can't talk class war, which is the one way we could actually galvanize the middle class and the poor together on one side, and you don't ever win a solid majority when you refuse to distinguish yourself from your opposition on grounds that every person struggling can relate to. Sure, that comes with the unfortunate consequence of putting yourself squarely in the cross-hairs of big money, and having your own funds dry up, and maybe getting crushed by concentrated opposition.
But if democrats did that, I'd have little reason to question whether or not there were those within our party who refused to bite the hand that feeds them, even if they have occasionally barked and bared their teeth. As it is, they may be playing it right. They may be doing it for the right reasons. Since I can't know for sure, I'm going to continue to hold a measure of healthy skepticism.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)about single payer...we couldn't get it so we got what we could so the alt left or Greens or whatever...ran Obama into the ground and the result...oh happy day (*sarcasm*) we get six years of a gerrymandered house because of course we lost the Governorships too...never underestimate the potential to depress the vote...when you run down a candidate.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)The Dems fought until SCOTUS ruled which made it impossible to go on.
HelenWheels
(2,284 posts)I am serious about this.. He is blabbing all the time on TV and where is Hillary? She has to be more active and assertive. I love her but she seems so lack luster. She doesn't receive the TV coverage she needs.
Brainstormy
(2,380 posts)Yesterday MSNBC broadcast the ENTIRE Trump speech at that black church in Detroit. Except for a tiny snippet of Joe Biden's speech last week I can't recall them covering ANY Democratic speech since the convention.
pangaia
(24,324 posts)Violence, crashes, fires, tornadoes, wars, anything negative is what sells.
Bernardo de La Paz
(48,939 posts)Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)and more state and district focused. Hillary knows what she's doing. Ignore the media. A close race is good for their bottom lines.
Plus it seems like the Clinton campaign has been doing fundraisers (which they absolutely have to do) in order to have a nest egg for the next month and a half. And now they do they've raised almost $200 million!
Since coverage doesn't ramp up until post-Labor Day, this leaves them in a great position to start the more public phase of campaigning.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)I'm not sure that I entirely agree.
I think the Democratic surrogates have been very strong for the most part.
Rose Siding
(32,623 posts)The only magic wand Hillary has to combat our broken media's fixation with her is us.
As always, many want someone else to do the heavy lifting.
Vinca
(50,236 posts)I realize she gets coverage for campaign rallies and scripted events, but that's about it. She needs to take off the gloves and fight and not assume this is a done deal. It isn't. Democrats lose when they tippytoe around the hatemongers in hopes of eventual unification. It doesn't work and unification never takes place. Someone mentioned John Kerry as an example and that's a good one. He let the Swift Boaters get a toe hold and that was the ball game.
She needs to push her agenda and messaging.
progressoid
(49,933 posts)pnwmom
(108,955 posts)Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)She would make herself a target of an unfriendly media...let Trump be Trump.
PatSeg
(47,239 posts)complain that all the media does is go after Trump, essentially being in the tank for Hillary.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)can do for the country. Her agenda is not being forcefully pushed. So it makes her seem weak. It is not just the media going after Hillary's email or Benghazi it is the fact that Hillary's positive agenda is never in the news.
Chemisse
(30,802 posts)There is a lot to talk about with her policy proposals. If the media finds that too dull, put a juicy spin on one of them and get it out there!
Someone suggested she is waiting out the clock. That's a bad idea; Trump is going up in the polls every single day.
PatSeg
(47,239 posts)I hope her campaign has some strategy in all this. Perhaps they were laying low until after Labor Day? I understand letting Trump self-destruct, but there has to be something positive from Hillary to offset it eventually.
KALD
(128 posts)But I still want her to win...She HAS to win. If she doesn't that means that hate has won. Trump is the most dangerous person who has ever run for president. It gave me chills when I heard the story about him asking; "Why can't we use our nuclear weapons." This e-mail stuff is just bullshit! I just wish Hilary had folks behind her like Axelrod and Plouffe. Hilary's advisers Suck! They are not doing her any favors by keeping her away from the podium. Trump is always on TV if not him, then someone from his campaign is. It seems this election is hers to lose, she must step it up ASAP.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)Hillary's campaign staff should control the messaging. Supplement bad news coverage with positive coverage. They are not proactive enough from my view point.
BumRushDaShow
(128,380 posts)because much of the real GOP (including the Kochs) is actually ignoring the Donald Trump Show and are throwing all their resources into the legislative races so they can hold the Senate and the House while their clown is out there distracting the media and "concerned" Democrats.
Meanwhile, Hillary is fund-raising like mad for the down-ballot races that are crucial to have any type of functioning government, whether she wins or not. The Senate is the key to dealing with the SCOTUS as they control the nomination calendar.
sheshe2
(83,637 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,380 posts)doc03
(35,293 posts)Koch brothers attacks and just a few days ago they run their first Strickland ad. Then I read less than a week later the Democratic party has written Strickland off and pulled their money.
BumRushDaShow
(128,380 posts)to tie (when including the 2 indies) i.e., it is currently 44 D + 2 indie + 54 R. The weakest seats for the Rs seem to be IL, PA, OR, & WI. Other contested, but more difficult to pick up are obviously OH, and then NH, IA, & FL. So I think it's a matter of of focusing on the sure things and also trying to hold Reid's seat in NV.
spooky3
(34,401 posts)It is frequently sexist because when you ask people what exactly they consider flaws, if they can name anything specific (and often they can't), they typically pick something that men also have or have done. Yet the same people do not have a problem with the male politician.
I'm with RuPaul on this 100%.
Rose Siding
(32,623 posts)lol
BobbyDrake
(2,542 posts)How many elections have you won again? None?
I thought so.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)has been attacked like this for a quarter century. When it comes to Hillary, the media have been united with the entire right, including business and all the other dark-money power blocs, to take her down.
They have NEVER succeeded.
So maybe reconsider just how "flawed" she is. How many others could still be standing? We'll never know because no one else has faced this relentless hammering with lies.
Electing our indomitable HRC will be my own personal spit in their faces.
Protalker
(418 posts)Trump has ruthless advisers Conway a Black Widow Spider with a smile, Bannon and Citizen United creator. All funded by Mercer billions. Get
the A team.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)KrazyinKS
(291 posts)What do you say to these guys. How can you more importantly get the other side of the story into the media. My husband reminded me yesterday back in the 90's when the story broke about the Iran Contra thing and how it flooded drugs into some neighborhoods, it was the same week that a story broke about Clinton and some dirt dug up on them. Got me to thinking, are they doing this to drown out a much more important story? Like Trumps possible Russian connection or the dirt in his taxes? God his sons look like Nazi's what is with the hair grease. Looks like the lucky Tiger my dad used to use. I don't know that I can watch it. Rachel Maddow had a good story I think Friday about his campaign staff and how utterly low he went when it came to choosing his staff!
mobyditch
(5 posts)and we allow the GOP to frame the issues. We know who is to blame but cannot say lest we get banned from here.
Fla Dem
(23,573 posts)But then you say you can't say who it is because you will be banned. That would make me think you are laying the blame at the feet of a Democrat. Your post does not make sense.
Welcome to DU!
BobbyDrake
(2,542 posts)Well that didn't take long. I hope MIRT keeps an eye on this one.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)This is not their first rodeo.
Remember that many predicted our recently departed brethren would return in different guise.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)[img][/img]
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)rather illogical, blaming Dems for destroying the Dem media coverage.
johnp3907
(3,729 posts)You've only got one post. Would a ban really hurt?
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)This is from 2004...and you can see that Bush takes a significant lead in late August...this has not happened this time...and Bush was ahead in the spring as well ...and Bush was a known quantity who can not bad as he is be considered the same as Trump who is a racist and a bigot...also we now have Virginia. You guys live in the past...look at the new electoral models.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2004/president/us/general_election_bush_vs_kerry-939.html
mainstreetonce
(4,178 posts)Putting out the real facts about current immigration policy and current successes.
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)mainstreetonce
(4,178 posts)Bring it on
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)so take a deep breath and do something useful...like phoning or GOTV.
OnDoutside
(19,945 posts)coast for the last month, while Hillary fundraises & preps for the Debates, with a view to ramping up massively for the last 8 weeks. Consequently Trump has dominated the headlines and has narrowed the gap to some extent, but they've been scrambling under huge pressure. I believe, starting from Tuesday, we will see a big difference in the energy of the Clinton Campaign. You can't go full tilt all the time, and it is clear they are working off a well defined strategy.
sheshe2
(83,637 posts)Rose Siding
(32,623 posts)I mean if they're destroying your candidate, surely you contacted them.
As a Hillary supporter, fight! Don't hide! She certainly isn't. Just this month she raised over 183 million bucks to fight for us, up AND down ticket. She released policy on mental health and pharma price gouging and has raked the Don at every turn.
Be the change you wish to see. Stand up for her.
nruthie
(466 posts)It's nothing but Trump. And nothing about Hilary except for her e-mails and the fact that she seems to be laying low; and the fact that polls are neck and neck and the more horrible Trump gets it seems the quieter the Democrats get. At this rate we're going to end up with a catastrophe.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)Where?
BobbyDrake
(2,542 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)White dudes and they are not as important as they think they are- or that the media makes them out to be.
Mz Pip
(27,430 posts)Every issue is a "scandal" or a "controversy." So much hyperbole over things that are neither scandalous or controversial.
Trump's problems are treated like jokes.
And I agree; this is a problem. Democrats are delusional if they think Hillary has this election won and Trump can't win. It's frustrating to watch.
book_worm
(15,951 posts)I don't think she is destroyed. It's a closer race but she is leading.
EricMaundry
(1,619 posts).. and that they're holding it back until after Labor Day.
But then I consider that there is already a lot of damning stuff out there already.
LAS14
(13,769 posts)... that "damning stuff" is what Trump thrives on!
workinclasszero
(28,270 posts)Last edited Sun Sep 4, 2016, 01:27 PM - Edit history (1)
to be elected because they refuse to tell the truth about him to the American public.
They let him and his surrogates spew lie after lie after lie on the air and don't call them out on it.
They bitch and moan about BS emails and let a monster into the white house.
I don't know how long this country can survive with the MSM empowering the barbarians at the gate.
hollowdweller
(4,229 posts)It's worked mostly.
However his new campaign management is doing a better job for him as far as keeping the coverage on him but having it LESS damaging.
Clinton may have to come out of hiding soon to stay up. I think mostly she wants to avoid answering questions about certain things that might look bad for fear she might say the wrong thing.
I think the debates are going to be what tells the tale in this election really. I'm not sure if Clinton answering some of these questions at the debates at the first time is better than earlier or not.
I do think as Trump campaign steps up their game she will have to make herself more available.
Response to UCmeNdc (Original post)
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unblock
(52,113 posts)we have a sick media with an agenda that varies between pro-republican and mere sensationalism.
we all see republicans on air getting free and glowing coverage, often unchallenged or even downright supportive.
when was the last time you saw anything remotely comparable on the democratic side?
we can't get anyone on air without them dismissing our accomplishments and then bringing up some made-up scandal.
so tell us how we can "control the narrative" when they are the ones who own the microphones?
tymorial
(3,433 posts)generate revenue. This is achieved through sensationalism and manipulation of information to elicit an emotional response in the consumer. The more attention grabbed, the more they can charge for advertisement.
Asking the media to behave honorably is pointless.
stopbush
(24,392 posts)Why would Team Hillary opt to play the Trump game when they are WINNING across the board? Hell, they have well-known Rs coming out and endorsing Hillary. They have huge leads in the demos that will decide this election, and that includes making significant inroads into traditional R strongholds. They are building their warchest for the big push in the fall.
All the whining reminds me of the "concern" expressed about Hillary's campaign after Sanders' big win in NH. We were told to expect a staff shake-up, a big course correction, that Hillary was going to HAVE to find a way to appeal to and tap into the demo that Sanders was winning. NV was going to be her Waterloo as the popular Sanders Express steamrolled her out of contention. Right.
What happened was that Robbie Mook stuck with the game plan and said as much. Rather than pivoting away from all the long and difficult work they had done building a ground game, they counted on that ground game to win. And guess what? They were right - the entire primary season was basically won when Hillary took NV by 5 points. The strategy worked then, and the strategy is working now.
Chill out. This isn't the Gore campaign which made the yuge mistake of not using Pres Clinton as a very visible surrogate. This is not the Kerry campaign that allowed the swiftboaters to gain traction. This is the winning Obama campaign on steroids. Were Hillary losing, there would be room for concern. But she's not losing. She's winning - big time.
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)betsuni
(25,374 posts)Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)I am sure if Hillary said ignore what a racist scary piece of shit Trump really is and listen to my great policy ideas... whyeverything would be roses and sunshine for the campaign. They would be winning...oh wait they are winning by not following this 'great' advice.
JCMach1
(27,553 posts)instead of his brownshirt rallies.
Native
(5,936 posts)I think Hill has a fabulous team, and I think we are going to see stuff heating up very quickly now.
Native
(5,936 posts)UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)Why write about her ideas and beliefs?
Avalux
(35,015 posts)What would you have our Democratic leaders do? Go insane trying to counter every ridiculous talking point from the GOP and Drumpf that's legitimized by the media?
Joining in and participating in the sick game the media is hosting would only legitimize their bullshit even more. You know they wouldn't be treated fairly.
nolabels
(13,133 posts)The less the Hillary camp exposes the harder it makes corporate efforts to belittle her efforts. The people who don't fully understand what is happening now were part of the population that was planned for long ago. All of the disinformation and gutting education curriculum through the last thirty years was no accident. There agenda on how to get things done was set long ago and adhered to. The blueprint of what not to do was learned when Nixon was in office. If college and high school kids are not educated even in basic philosophy and a few other core concepts then understanding why something is wrong goes to mute in their brain.
It was a big effort they used to get to this point, they are now going to be expecting some dividends. It's hard telling if it worked to their expectations but i do believe that they are thinking they have at least a crap shot every time with it in place.
BlueStateLib
(937 posts)Who won last week
yuiyoshida
(41,818 posts)make money!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512397858
randr
(12,409 posts)A close race is what drives their profits. With the Don so far down following conventions they have to boost his numbers and drop Hillarys to keep our interest and up their profits.
We may see some Republicans choose Country over Party but you will never see the MSM choose Country over Profits.
unblock
(52,113 posts)we've had some great advances; certainly, we have more government disclosure and oversight than we ever did.
however, the republican party learned to close ranks around each other no matter how criminal or proven their own actions may be, and they learned to never apologize and never back down.
meanwhile, the media learned that a scandal that brings down the most powerful politician brings much acclaim and many viewers. therefore, they viciously drool at any hint of the prospect, no matter how remote or improbable.
the republicans, of course, also learned they have a big friend in the media in this area, and are more than happy to obliged with investigations and hearings and innuendo and so on.
i'd say they will not rest until a democratic president is forced to go nixon's route, but in truth i know that that would only encourage them....
Crash2Parties
(6,017 posts)This whole time, she could've been running a campaign that captured that same feel of inclusiveness and optimism.
Instead, it's like they all went home, she continued her campaign as she had been doing and that was that.
What changed?
UCmeNdc
(9,600 posts)The Democratic candidates have this idea that you take it easy in the month of August. That is why their leads always disappear by September.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)And all the 'concern' bullshit in the world won't change that. Donald Trump has ruined any chance he ever had. She is competitive in areas that Democrats are never competitive. This is just an attack on our nominee.
Crash2Parties
(6,017 posts)It was *amazing*, and then...nothing. She attacks Trump, he attacks her. She can do so much better.
Response to UCmeNdc (Original post)
Post removed
BlueInPhilly
(870 posts)Sorry, DU is on election mode and your assessment does not belong here. If you cannot find the energy to support HRC, then please don't drag the rest of us down.
Do something about it. Get on FB and Tweeter to counter lies out there. Comment about your disgust when you read totally biased articles. There are things you can do.
Then come back and tell us about how much "energy" you don't have.