"SCANDAL FATIGUE, CATNIP & THE 'ANGRY' LEFT:"

[KoKo]

SCANDAL FATIGUE, CATNIP & THE 'ANGRY' LEFT: A few months ago, Steve Benen, Carpetbagger and DR guest-poster, wrote a fascinating blog entry that chronicled a series of Bush-related scandals .... all of which had occurred in the space of a week. In that regard, glance around this site today. You'll find an over-abundance of stories that undermine the credibility and integrity of our current administration and of the party in power. This coincides with a recent wave of references to the "angry" left, as though anger at the apathy of the media, the political establishment and much of the public in the face of this cavalcade of scandals is somehow in bad taste.
Take a look:

Ex-CIA Official Faults Use of Data on Iraq
Paper: White House Knew About Levees Early
McClellan Confronted With Abramoff Emails
Waas's New Scoop: Cheney 'Authorized' Libby to Leak Classified Information
Chief FISA judge warned about misuse of NSA spy data
House majority leader's landlord is a lobbyist
Republican Who Oversees N.S.A. Calls for Wiretap Inquiry
Bush's Budget Tricks
John Dickerson Speaks...And Drops Some Plamegate Bombshells
Bush's Social Security Sleight of Hand
Tom DeLay to Oversee Justice Department

Each of these stories constitutes a full-blown crisis that would have caused a massive firestorm for any other administration. But a cursory glance at the online editions of national papers and news outlets as well as a scan of the major cable news nets would lead you to believe that the most important piece of news today is that a British man accused of killing his wife and child will return to the US to face trial.

Bush's political opponents are unwitting partners in a macabre dance with this administration, where the U.S. Constitution dies a slow death as hundreds of egregious stories like those listed above are chased and flagged and highlighted by a relatively small segment of the population, only to fade weeks later, and while the political leaders who ought to be putting a stop to the madness are frozen in focus-grouped fear. To top it off, rank and file supporters of the powers that be, happy frogs in a pot of slow-boiling water, smile gleefully at the opposition’s alarm.

http://daoureport.salon.com/synopsis.aspx?synopsisId=e3466497-752a-490e-aff4-f2e0b3bc7765

[McCamy Taylor]

1. Damn! I predicted this last year! See my comic strip "Morality Fatigue"

I dreamed this one up last fall as Rove's idea that he would float before the press to explain why the GOP retained control of Congress even though their poll numbers were in the toilet (the real reason, of course, would be massive election fraud thanks to electronic voting, creative voter disenrollment, voter IDs etc).

http://www.grandtheftelectionohio.com/051108.htm

I was kidding, of course. I didnt actually expect to see a journalist come up with the same idea.

[KoKo]

2. Incredible cartoon, McCamy Taylor....thanks for posting....

You did set it up....and you should send it over to Peter Daou...he'd probably enjoy it.

I think the "Morality Fatigue" has worn us all out and I see it here on DU after the Alito Confirmation.

Have to hope that there are "fresh voices" who can take up the slack until some of us can get our "spirt" back.

[McCamy Taylor]

5. "Scandal fatigue" is something The WH wants the Dems to buy.

They want the Dems to focus on ONE WH crime because when the American public sees that the WH is guilty of lots of crimes, the American public decides that the GOP is full of rat bastards that need to be voted out of office this fall.

The principle behind scandal fatigue may work in the press where there is limited copy space and air time. Rove can use the smoke from one fire to hide the smoke from another. But the human mind has a near infinite capacity to absorb info and to accumulate outrage--which is additive, not exclusive. As the American people see more WH crimes, their outrage grows, their determination to vote to oust the GOP grows, and their determination to replace them with DEms grows.

This is why Rove wants the Dems to focus on ONE WH crime at a time. He can handle that. He can spin that.

Do not be fooled.

[KoKo]

6. The article from Peter Daou is going at scandal fatigue from another

angle though. His point is we are bombarded by scandal after scandal and the media just moves on. He's saying we need to not let the Media and Rove move us along because it all goes down the Memory Hole unless we focus.

It really supports your cartoon! :shrug: If Rove and his operatives overload us we can't gain traction.

[Unmarked Poster]

7. Makes sense KoKo01

Scandals are coming fast and furious, and it doesn't matter if it's intentional or not. What matters is that each story supplants the previous one, allowing BushCo to slide. Creating a crisis out of one would break the cycle and force the administration to play defense.

[McCamy Taylor]

14. Limiting to one would make the WH look guilty of only one. Rove happy.

[KoKo]

8. We just sent that article off to some folks who are "flagging" from

"Scandal Fatigue" who are Dem Activist friends from another state.

We all need to know that what we are feeling is "normal" and that we are NOT ALONE...It does help when one is fighting against a Crime Family that most Americans NEVER/EVER thought they would see.

Most Americans are still waiting for Government "Checks and Balances" to WORK....we are trying to tell them that the CONCEPT IS DEAD...IT's up to US to FIGHT against it because BOTH PARTIES HAVE LEFT US IN THE GUTTER!!!

[McCamy Taylor]

15. Better term is "Smokescreen" something Rove has been doing for years

Way back in Papa Bush's administration they did this too. Hide a fire from a nasty scandal with the fire from another scandal, one that is flashier but not as politically damaging. I just happen to have a cartoon demonstration of how this one gets use:


http://www.grandtheftelectionohio.com/060127.htm

You are going to see a lot of GOPers, Freepers (and moles) pseudo Democrats, media toadies embrace a nasty perversion of the idea of "Scandal Fatigue". "Oh, yes! Let's focus all our attention on ONE scandal. Let's convince America that the WH is guilty of only ONE crime."

BS. Nixon was brought down because the American public had a whole laundry list of dirty tricks and high crimes that he had committed. They never would have kicked him out just for the wiretapping alone.

By all means let Congress focus its attention on the Mother of All Scandals. Fitz can focus on the Plame Affairs. The press can hop from scandal to scandal like a Mexican jumping bean on crack for all I care. America isnt going to get tired. It is going to get disgusted.

[KoKo]

16. McCamy....I love your posts and you've done much research

but I just don't think you are understanding the "Fatigue" and are trying to pump folks up here for a different reason. :shrug: I've tried to explain to you the difference but you don't answer me...:shrug:

[cyberpj]

3. recommended. excellent article. I just sent it to Dean at DNC. nt

[cyberpj]

4. goes well with this cartoon also.......

[Hissyspit]

11. I was gonna post that! Thanks.

That cartoon explains A LOT

[KoKo]

9. kicking for the read...think it's a good article that many DU'ers would

like to read...whether they agree or disagree..

[Armstead]

10. Sad but true

It's friggin amazing that less than ten years after grinding the nation to a halt over a BJ, so much real scandal goes right through the radar undetected by the mainstream polirticians and media.

[MissWaverly]

12. on the McLaughlin group they were screaming that

bush is an albatross around the Republicans neck. They say that he has been ordered to
draw down the troops in Iraq; and he is going to do so, which is why he is accusing the
democrats of wanting to cut and run because that's what he plans to do.

I dunno, but it seems there are a lot of folks angry that are conservatives and usually
ride the elephant.

[gordianot]

13. There is a Russian Proverb for this situation. Open at your own risk

At least I was told it was Russian (never met a Russian who has heard it).

This is like life (I insert Bush America) which is a shit sandwich and every day you have to take another bite.