That is the thing that frustrates me no end, that members of the media are this bought into the right wing-nuttery. Back in 2000, and all through the late 1990's in fact, I thought the media monsters were merely chasing after the next shiny object.
However, the appearance of Obama on the national scene nullifies that theory completely -- he *is* the shiny object on the stage and everywhere else, and yet, the media still keeps following old, washed out, has-beens such as the RNC (RushNewtCheney).
My eternal hope for the lefty blogosphere was that they would be sort of amplifiers, at least in part, for Jon Stewart and Media Matters/Think Progress, heaping scorn on the media and NOT taking up their memes and running with it.
Sigh.
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One take away from the President's speech today...
May 21, 2009, 11:29AM
The speech was vintage Obama: illuminating, exhorting, cajoling, explaining, inspiring and shaming and much much more, all rolled into one amazing 50 minute speech.
BUT, I think the biggest take away was this: every one of us was complicit in getting the country where it is today, and in a sense enabling the thuggery of the last 8 years, so shape up America, and pay serious attention to the serious problems. The two particular targets were the two intransigent Congressional critter camps: Rethugs and DemWimps.
He was a classic professor, as he always is when necessary. I don't think he enjoys this aspect, but I think he does it when he has to, just enough to give him breathing room to do all the other things he needs to do to get us out of this incredible mess. My heart just aches that he has to keep doing this periodically.
He also had a not-so-secret exhortation for those of the on the left, sitting here and carping at him: I am in your camp, I want to do what you want to do; our obstacles are in the Congress, go put pressure on them. We have our marching orders. Anyone want to join me in trying to do something about this very real problem?
]]>Kind of like a one-woman blogosphere ombudswoman...
]]>Really, your (my responders', that is ;-) points *were* well taken :)
]]>That said though, there is a certain onus on people who do have front page privileges and editorial prerogatives. My diary will receive far less attention than a regular feature on the front page.
Also, I was not even asking for more substance, but highlighting the tease part of the speech was just too cable-newsy. TPM is the news org, not me...
]]>And yet, the only headings both HuffPo and TPMDC could find are about the "teasing" -- if even the blogosphere is always imitating cable chatter on pursuing trivial trappings, what is the point, really?
They (HuffPo and TPMDC) could have drawn attention to the real shaming he heaped on the people in power, both in DC and Wall Street, the beautiful way in which he wove in the dire times we live in with the opportunity it affords to remake the world, the validity of criticism (even if it is as inane as the lack of the "body of work" ASU cited) and the importance of addressing it, the power of idealism, and on and on. There was so much else to talk about...
]]>Idiots.
]]>As it is, Rethugs and their media enablers are the only ones talking -- ceding the debate and then crying about the consequences is just way too stupid.
President Obama cannot show up on all these shows going up against every Rethug cong critter -- the numbers of them can be matched only by the dems in congress. Especially, house members who are now free, need to get their mugs on TeeVee and drill in the sane viewpoint.
]]>Plus, Cong Rethugs seem totally enamored of the Clintons now -- may be they actually are awed by the survival of the Clintons despite their own best efforts against it.
]]>But, seeing as how the Obama admin seems reluctant to go to him for whatever reason, here is a rather radical and I think, terrific idea :-)
How about BILL CLINTON? Extremely effective, charismatic, knows everything about everything in life and politics, dedicated to any task he takes up and knows everyone in the world, let alone Congress! This would also retrieve their family honor once and for all...
]]>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/11/93148/945/934/659101
(Sorry about the excessive pimping, but I want people to see the clip of Sen. Obama addressing a similar issue -- focus on the inane and the irrelevant -- which I have embedded in that diary.)
]]>http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/11/93148/945/934/659101
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