So the BIG "What if?"

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

Can I try to be conciliatory here and suggest that all parties are correct and, further, that all parties are being opportunistic. Here's how I see things:

1) I believe Sludge et al picked up on Clinton's "debate hype" from the other night. They want to see a fight, Clinton needs to have a fight, and the MSM has obliged. I'm not blaming Clinton. I had no problem with her "shame on you" speech. She needs to "hype" the debate so people will watch. She has some catching up to do. This IS politics after all.

2) I don't think the Clinton team is necessarily crying over the mud being thrown about. They may have sent out emails with the pic., but I had an in-law send it to me a couple of weeks ago. Nothing new here. So it really is a matter of timing. The pics were already out there. If it builds hype, so be it.

2a) So this helps the media in their ultimate desire: a compelling story for a debate; a story for writers and bloggers to write about.
2b) It helps Hillary because more people will tune in to see the "fireworks" of the debate (again, this was what her "shame on you" presser was about).

3) The Obama campaign has responded with fire because it all fits their narrative so well. So they flood the public sphere with charges of Clinton being the same-ol', same-ol', that her desperate tactics are an attempt to squash the hope of Obama and the eager voters. They are really pushing (perhaps over-pushing) this story. But this outraged response helps them to get their narrative out there. Clinton represents the entrenched, cynical ways of Washington.

So it's really a win-win-win-lose/win situation:

Win: the MSM gets their story (Tv stations get ratings; writers have non-essential, non-policy things to write about--you know, they get to avoid things that take research).

Win: the Clinton campaign gets its drama so that people tune in to the debate (her only chance of getting voters to turn her way).

Win: the Obama campaign doesn't have to stray from their message of hope and their denunciation of politics-as-usual. In fact, this just buttresses their argument. Furthermore, it gets the picture "out there" so that it won't be "out there" in November--or at least the media may have grown tired of it.

Lose/Win: Lose: some of us at DU have to listen to the shit being spewed from both camps and are nauseated that people can fall hook-line-and-sinker for the most basic bullshit stories. Perspective, people, perspective. We can watch the bullshit of the campaign and name it for what it is, but we need not bring the bullshit home and imitate their childishness. Win: some at DU seem to revel in this divisive shit.

[NastyRiffraff]

1. Excellent analysis

Particularly the last one. K&R

:kick:

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

2. Thanks.

Sometimes I think that we are the sheeple. And we know better.

[sueragingroz]

3. I love it when folks look under the sheets

that is an excellent post!