When the liberals start pounding simple, understandable points again and again, the media will follow.

The conservatives have produced an "analysis" that the entire conservative side of the political spectrum is following and they are having an impact on the media.

The liberals have to produce their own points, in a central location that liberals can advance. Liberals would have as much impact on the media as conservatives.

Here are my points.  People who are better at this should make better points and then those liberals who want to become involved writing letters to editors or blogs or comments in blogs or calling political shows will have consistent themes that they can hammer until the media begins to respond.

1.  George Bush gave his word, more than once, that the parties that identified Plame would be out of the White House.

2.  The exposure of Plame was an organized effort.  The identity of Plame was "shopped" by more than one member of the White House to several journalists.

3.  Rove and the White House have deliberately lied over the last two years with their claims that they did not know who identified Plame.

4.  Rove and the White House, partly through leaks, are deliberately lying today about the circumstances around Plame's exposure. (Novak identified Plame for Rove?, Wilson's trip was approved by his wife?)

Posted at July 17, 2005 1:29 AM in response to Mr. Bush, Have You No Shame?

There's a problem here, right?

The problem is that the republicans have short, understandable clear messages that they are actively and systematically trying to advance through the media and the democrats do not.

I'm not a professional, but these points are points I'd make:

1.  George Bush gave his word, more than once, that the parties that identified Plame would be out of the White House.

2.  The exposure of Plame was an organized effort.  The identity of Plame was "shopped" by more than one member of the White House to several journalists.

3.  Rove and the White House have deliberately lied over the last two years with their claims that they did not know who identified Plame.

4.  Rove and the White House, partly through leaks, are deliberately lying today about the circumstances around Plame's exposure. (Novak identified Plame for Rove?, Wilson's trip was approved by his wife?)

The original post is just an example of point four.

If the Democratic National Committee sends out an "analysis" that makes a short number of points to advance, then the millions of politically interested people on the left can start hammering those points and putting those points into their blogs and sending letters to editors asking why their stories did not include those points and deconstructing any attempt by the other side to argue against those points.

But if the right wing of the politically interested is focused, and the left wing is scattered and disorganized, the right wing will get the most ridiculous stories printed in the Washington Post and New York Times.

As Matt understands well, the system is there for the gaming.  That's the reality that the reality-based community has to take into account better.

Posted at July 16, 2005 10:33 PM in response to Accidents Happen, Again and Again

One thing Matt has historically been good at is reminding his readers when the republicans game the refs that the refs are there to be gamed.

Where are the democratic talking points?  What are the small number of things democrats want to make sure everybody understands about this affair?

I'll offer the following points, but it is still baffling how poorly democrats game the media.   It hurts to see, but when it comes to the media, democrats are out of touch with reality.

Anyway, here are some points.  If Howard Dean had sent out some points *after* everyone saw Mehman send out points and then saw the media begin following those points the debate would be at a different stage today.

Is it just that Howard Dean is an idiot?  You decide.  But here are uninformed points I would be trying to make. 

1.  George Bush gave his word, more than once, that the parties that identified Plame would be out of the White House.

2.  The exposure of Plame was an organized effort.  The identity of Plame was "shopped" by more than one member of the White House to several journalists.

3.  Rove and the White House have deliberately lied over the last two years with their claims that they did not know who identified Plame.

4.  Rove and the White House, partly through leaks, are deliberately lying today about the circumstances around Plame's exposure. (Novak identified Plame for Rove?, Wilson's trip was approved by his wife?)

Posted at July 16, 2005 3:11 AM in response to Is It Hard To Breath Down There?