If Edwards wants to be a leader, he can't complain about limited media coverage

[ProSense]

He needs to build grassroots support, including a way to raise more money. He hasn't done that.

[Radical Activist]

1. Edwards started out with more name recognition than Obama.

He was a national candidate. The fact is that some candidates are better at working the media than others. That's part of what will make someone a good President.

[enlightenment]

3. The ability to WORK the MEDIA

is part of what makes a good President??

good grief.


We're doomed.

[Radical Activist]

4. If you want to get legislation passed and build national support then

Yes, you have to know how to work and manipulate the national media to your own advantage. That's pretty obvious. I have a hard time understanding what your problem is with that.

[enlightenment]

7. Perhaps I'm just not as

Machiavellian as you seem to be.

I continue to hope that politics will someday rise above manipulation, rather than embracing it.

[Radical Activist]

10. If progressives are ever going to win again

we have to stop believing that just being right on the issues is enough to get elected and pass our agenda. Obama is one of those very rare progressives who also has a talent for raising money, getting good press coverage, and gaming the system to his own advantage. It doesn't happen often and I'm damn glad we have a shot at getting a real progressive elected this time.

I think its sad when people point to Obama's success as a candidate as some kind of proof that he must be a sell-out. That's a losers mindset that guarantees we never get a winning nominee.

[KittyWampus]

5. may I attempt to finesse a bit? The ability to hire staff who can work the media

is part of good leadership.

It's a job. A leader finds someone who can either do it or come up with some strategy.

[Radical Activist]

9. True, but its more than staff.

Its how good you are on camera, how much you inspire hope and trust in the people listening to you, and yes, your judgment when it comes to hiring the right staff and knowing when to ignore their advice.

The media is unfair to everyone eventually. Some people know how to deal with that better than others. Obama has a talent for it and that's something we need if we're ever going to elect another progressive. The alternative is always blaming others while we play the righteous martyr, as Kucinich does. Personally, I'm tired of losing.

[randymaine]

2. It's both about name recognition and positive or negative coverage

And you know what it was like when Edwards was leading in Iowa. Haircut this, haircuts that.

[DiverDave]

6. Huh, great bs post.

what if the media IGNORES YOU?
and you don't take the millions from every lobbyist that would want a "word" after your elected?

Oh, and the only one taking public financing...your whole post is bullshit.

[ProSense]

12. You build grass roots support! If you can't, how are you going to win?

Kerry did just that in Iowa last years, no media 17 points down, and he came back to win.

Edwards ran in the 2004 primary, where the hell is network?

[LaPera]

39. You called it correctly.

[GreenTea]

8. Not true! Get fucking real!

More than 80% of voters get their info from the republican corporate main stream media, money talks, Obama received huge MSM support (for obvious reasons) with that comes big time monetary support and one needs MSM to produce a national campaign...just look at the excellent liberal Dennis Kucinich, also with zero MSM - unfortunately one needs that exposure to compete effectively, or we get whom the MSM wants...just as we got John Kerry who the republicans wanted instead of Howard Dean whom the MSM trashed...and effectively eliminated in 2004.

Get REAL!

The mainstream corporate media (MSM) is simply ignoring Edwards, trashing him if they mention him at all....They want it to be a two-way race with the two moderate easier to beat democrats, and even if either Hillary or Obama won the general election, neither would pose much or no threat to the corporations greed, privatization plans and monopolies what-so ever!

Progressive candidate John Edwards has publicly opposed these same insatiable corporations and is a real & true threat to the five republican owned MSM corporations (Disney, Murdoch, Time-Warner, Viacom & General Electric) the corporations know Edwards would regulate try and break up the lock they now have on the republican owned media.

Again, Hillary and Obama pose no such threat to the corporations that run our country....they are moderates and will go along with status quo as ALL moderates do. Of course the corporations want to get a republican elected....But, if a republican doesn't somehow get elected the next best thing is a moderate Democrat for the republicans - just as Hillary and Obama profess to be, and indeed are.... moderates!

The republicans and their corporations certainly don't want an FDR type liberal progressive such as John Edwards elected.

From the wise Paul Krugman; January 14, 2008: "John Edwards, although never the front-runner, has been driving his party’s policy agenda. He’s done it again on economic stimulus: last month, before the economic consensus turned as negative as it now has, he proposed a stimulus package including aid to unemployed workers, aid to cash-strapped state and local governments, public investment in alternative energy, and other measures."

John Edwards won the SC debates by ALL consensus, but the MSM knows they must continue to ignore Edwards and he'll have no chance, that's their obvious agenda.

[ProSense]

11. Excuse me, what's not true? n/t

[GreenTea]

14. Everything you've written! n/t

[ProSense]

15. "If Edwards wants to be a leader, he can't complain about limited media coverage"

Wrong?

[GreenTea]

20. And where would your candidate be with Zero MSM coverage?

John Edwards is correct why would the MSM want to give him any coverage when he will very well break up all their power and FCC gains they've made under Bush to increasing their power and influence...Look at you...you watch every corporate MSM news program and you really believe you're getting the facts...Pitiful!

[ProSense]

24. So if Edwards doesn't win you're going to blame the media?

Who will you credit if he wins?

Obama is already working with Kerry on putting an end to media consolidation.
Kerry is a leader on that issue, it's one of the reasons the media coverage isn't favorable. He finds a way to get around that.

[GreenTea]

30. No Hillary and Obama are just so cute & sweet & moderate why would I do that?

The republican MSM loves the bickering and focus and attention they are getting, (and given) that's ALL that counts...We need moderates....they put their foot down....corporate moderate are even better....they'd never sell us out!

[ProSense]

31. "cute & sweet & moderate"

No that was Edwards in the Senate.

[GreenTea]

32. The chosen ones!

You know, the ones the media talks about 24/7....the fun couple! (The ratings couple, the republicans MSM chosen couple)!

[ProSense]

16. "He needs to build grassroots support, including a way to raise more money. "

Wrong?

Even he has said he hopes to raise more money. Remember the money bomb attempt by supporters. How did that go?

[GreenTea]

21. And Obama built grassroots? Get real....He was receiving huge sums of money after

he announced, as soon as said he was going to run (republicans wanted him to certainly run, their huge monopoly media machine can tear down whom they chose)...Tell us all about how Obama built his grassroots, when, where?....through the media?

[ProSense]

22. Yes

he has

Obama has used the Internet very effectively. Kerry did too, he still holds the Dem record for Internet fundraising.

Edwards needs more supporters contributing to his campaign, he needs to work on building support.

Still, where is his 2004 network? He has campaigned in these states in a presidential primary before.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

29. That's

completely delusional. Edwards stripped his entire anti corporate platform from Kerry, and still didn't go far enough. He adopted all his positions recently.

[GreenTea]

33. Your duplicity is amazing!

And what's your corporate nominees stance?

[ProSense]

35. That's your characterization. n/t

[GreenTea]

36. NO, that's yours! n/t

[Radical Activist]

18. So if anyone gets good media coverage

they must be a sell out? That's a good way to make sure we always lose. As soon as we find a progressive candidate who is skilled enough to get good media coverage and raise money then people like you will turn your back on him. I guess you prefer losing.

[GreenTea]

23. Absolutely Holmes....You think the republicans want a liberal, a progressives ideas to be heard?

They want fucking moderates....Reagan praisers, corporate moderates...no way do they want anyone besides moderate, if they somehow the moderate does win...so what, moderates like yourself are for status quo, so the corporations are not the least bit threatened....but mostly the sexist, racist republicans know whom they have a much better chance against...and their OWNED media projects only that....No MSM coverage, no bucks and 80% of the voters go along with what they say, as you do....where else? The republicans know how to effectively destroy a candidate....just look at Howard Dean, Mondale, Kucinich, etc....

[Radical Activist]

25. enjoy losing

I'll support the candidate with a solid progressive record and the ability to win a campaign.

[GreenTea]

28. Fuck that!

I'm for an absolute liberal FDR progressive....not a fence sitting, which ever way the wind blows, status quo moderate...THE ONLY REASON I'D VOTE FOR EITHER IS PERHAPS THEY WON'T CAVE ON THE SUPREME COURT NOMINEES....otherwise moderates make me sick to my stomach!

[MrSlayer]

13. Right and someone getting fucked against their will shouldn't complain either.

That's exactly what the corporate media is doing to John Edwards.

[ProSense]

19. Then if he wants to lead, he needs to figure out a solution. He cannot win if all he has to rely on

is the media. He can't say he's for change and then complain that he's unable to effect change. He participates in the debates. He gets media coverage. He needs to leverage that to increase his standing.

[MrSlayer]

40. His message is more than strong enough to carry him.

But if the media doesn't let it get out, doesn't really cover him, then it doesn't matter. Yeah, he's in the debates but you see how he has to fight to get a word in. He gets coverage but as a sidenote. He doesn't get anywhere near the facetime or mentions as the other two. The corporate media doesn't want anyone in there that will rock the ruling class boat. They marginalize anyone that will.

[Quixote1818]

17. Bill Clinton complains about every tiny fucking thing

It seems to have worked for him.

[Occam Bandage]

27. I've always kind of wondered that. Is that his GE strategy, too? To fail to

control the media narrative, and then whine about it? Is that how he'd govern, too--to let the Republicans control the media narrative, and then whine about it?

Leaders lead. This is apparently a foreign concept to the gilded opportunist, but hey.

[Hieronymus]

34. My God, anyone should realize the media runs the election process.

[Caseman]

37. We should start electing our celebreties!!!

After all, what is more media attention is that!!! I mean, who cares about credentials, initiative, and proposals!!! It's all about what the color is their skin or what they have between their legs, right?!!

I don't support Edwards, but if you support the media choosing our candidates, then you are the enemy of American interests.

[GreenTea]

38. Yesss, like Reagan, Arnold...Oops, poor non-charismatic Thompson, (they tried) . So what about....

hard-nosed, gun toting, "tough guy" Chuck Norris? (Is Charlton Heston still available)?

Hmmmm..... Gropher, Largent, S. Bono, Bunning, J.C.Watts, etc....

I do get your point though...The media has a huge influence over more than 80% of the voters and how they think, vote, and what they perceive to be a natural progression of what they want to believe as being real, as their unobstructive choice.

The "Think Tanks" are paid well!!

[ProSense]

41. Kick! n/t