The Used Car Salesmen
By scarce Sunday May 18, 2008 12:00pm 
It shouldn't surprise anyone when Meet The Press assembles a panel of four spin doctors* that they will furiously try to out spin one another, though in at least one instance there was a qualitative difference. Three were selling old models, John McCain and the DLC , while Bob Shrum was more or less left on his own to paint rosy pictures of that New Kid on the Block, Barack Obama.
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Former republican presidential aspirant Mike Huckabee and political consultant Mike Murphy (hired gun in the past for both John McCain and Mitt Romney, among others) were bemoaning the fact the republican brand was damaged, while trying to sell the idea that John Sydney McCain was just the tonic for a beleaguered party. Huckabee's spin was the usual tired and worn "Maverick" nonsense, McCain as the non-traditional traditional republican. Or something like that. Murphy's hyperbole would extend further, calling McCain a "Change Agent," a centrist who would bridge the partisan gridlock in Washington. (Murphy said all that with a straight face, too.)
Harold DLC Ford, Jr came in, chomping at the bit, when the conversation moved to the three recent congressional losses by republicans in heavily red districts, seats in Illinois, Louisiana, and Mississippi. In each of the races Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were used by the RNC in tv advertising as the scary 'libruls' to dissuade the republican districts from voting for the democrat. This strategy was a dismal failure. But to Harold the real lesson to be gleaned from all this was that moderate democrats were on the ascendant, and that presumably the democratic party should not stray too far to the left lest it implode. The party brand might be a problem but as long as the candidate running was not 'threatening' everything would be fine.
Each selling an idea without any real facts to back up their assertions. One could ask, for instance, how Sen. Barack Obama became the most liberal in the U.S. Senate with a collective rating (80%) from liberal interest groups similar to that of Joe Lieberman (78%), while John McCain's rating (9%) by the same groups is down near the bottom of the barrel of true lunkheads like Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-SC), all at 8%.
Beware of salesmen selling you a bad bill of goods is an old and in this case, apt piece of advice.
*Informal a person who provides a favourable slant to a news item or policy on behalf of a political personality or party [from the spin given to a ball in sport to make it go in the desired direction]--Collins Essential English Dictionary
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First liar doesn't have a chance.
What's up with Ford saying that Iran has been supplying the insurgents with weapons ?
Didn't the DoD just say a week ago that there was no evidence of that?
These Sunday morning shows now reek with the smell of fear and desperation.
I don't understand why anyone believes that Harold Ford is still relevant to the Democratic Political discourse, because the DLC and everything it stands for is not relevant and never has been.
Consider twenty years' losing record in national elections and tell me why they're still relevant when they should be eviscerated from the political landscape.
mudshark @ 2:
Not just the DoD, Maliki's government also denied it. As to his pushing it, the GOP can count on a good chunk of authoritarians who would believe any bullshit that flies outta their mouths.
If Ford wants this Iran invasion, he'd better cough up three times the troops we have to do it. The RW isn't going to a draft, though, (unless they want a repeat of the 60s riots on their hands), so for right now an Iran invasion, or even bombing is out due to lack of troops.
General_Rennenkampf @ 5:
I'll go one better - any Democrat hawking for an Iran showdown needs to enlist and go fight. Period. Otherwise, drink their cans of STHU and leave the war strategies to those who know better and are not Bush's minions who never met a war they didn't like, but sure as hell won't go fight in it.
Here's a housewife in Long Island who gets it:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com/2008/05/long-island.html
a hundred more like her and this place would look like some kind of free-speech democracy.
Would you buy a used car from any of these guys on MTP, including Timmeh?
((crickets chirping))
Let's face it. These guys have helped this country get into this mess. By only using red-button issues(abortion and gay rights) they have dropped the ball on all other issues, like health-care and spending. These guys were all for exploiting Terry Shivo and gay mariage to cover for what was really wrong with the country. Why talk about the criminality of the White House when we have Barak and Hillary? Deficits and soilders using the Koran as target practice? Let's talk about polls. Russert and Co. are shills for Corporate America to keep us unwashed masses talking about American Idol.
Why was the Scrum portion of the segment truncated? Or did he not get to speak?
Also, Harold Ford sitting there and advising that Democrats need to run to the far right is disgusting, and further proof that removing the DLC candidate from the presidential election process should be the absolute number one concern of true progressives (looking at you, Crooks and Liars).
What Russert (of course) is failing to realize here is that the issue isn't necessarily "branding", but in fact the substance of the Republican message (which will not change with McCain or a DLC candidate). That is to say, the country has tried moving to the Right, and all it's left us with is massive governmental and personal debt. Not to mention an endless war and the near destruction of the US image abroad.
Conservative policies benefit nobody but the ultra-rich, and America seems to be finally waking up to that reality. NBC needs to work harder to balance these panels- 3 Republicans vs. one Democrat does not a discussion make.
The Political Junkie @ 6:
Yes, I agree 100%.
Ford is a corrupted soul....he's no better than murtha or rockefeller or any of the others up there doing little more than stuffing their own pockets......they're on the right team, but corrupted powerhungry jerks....i'm surprised that ford went over to the dark side so quickly...
The problem here is that the Democratic party is in a state of flux. I, for one, am getting pretty tired of the pandering antics of the centrists of the party. As far as I am concerned, their spin is as bad as the right wing. I think its about time to advocate for some new leadership who won't back down to the Republicans, who will do what they say, and fight for the common folks who are forgotten by the glitz of the corporations and the media.
No more. I've had enough of it. It is about time the Dems send folks out there that we can close ranks around instead of watching in horror every time a Republican shouts them down on a talk show, press conference, Congress or any other public venue. And that also means MTP. This crap has got to stop.
this is MTP's idea of a debate, 4 like-minded people trading hand-jobs.
phhpt.
how russert and MTP passes for journalism i'll never know.
Obama became the "most liberal" member of Senate when he became the front runner. Funny thing is the only people this strategy will likely work on are hardcore Republican voters who would never vote for a Dem anyway.
If this show were toilet paper - I wouldn't use it to wipe my butt.
*
Samson- @ 14:
I think it's called a circle jerk.
Ron @ 17:
:-)
meet the circle jerk
you are correct.
Wouldn't it be refreshing to see 4 ordinary workaday people rotating from various parts of the country interviewed each week by an objective reporter rather than this standard issue group of like minded jockeys? The participants, from all walks of life, would be discussing the issues that most effect them and how they expect the government to work on their behalf since it is their tax monies that are paid to do just that. No sophistication, no inside the beltway crap, just the ordinary guy in the street who will most feel the effects of their election positions.
These empty talking heads who live so above the average Joe Doe do not, could not, would not have a clue to what the rest of us have to live with everyday. And at the end of serious discussions, maybe, just maybe, the press will no longer be choosing our candidates for us. The tables will be turned for once! Just a suggestion.
mudshark @ 2:
Ford is a Clinton crony. Anything he says has to be processed and viewed through that prism.
Harold Ford is a jackass! The reason most of my freinds in his state didn't vote for him, was because of his anti-gay tirades! Asshole doesn't realize, that liberals don't have to vote Republican, but they don't have to vote for a Republican Lite Democrat like himself either!
These guys have gotten so much stuff wrong for so long that it's a wonder anyone pays attention to them.
By the way, it's Jon Kyl, not John.
I'm so ashamed that my state keeps sending these right wing dudes back to the Senate... and When McCain loses in November, he'll still be my senator.... ick.
The most amusing thing about the reslugs is that they're all more then willing to discuss the "brokenness" of the reslug brand but no one has any idea how it got that way. Not a single inkling as to what might have flushed the entire reslug party down the political toilet. Nope. No idea what so ever. Oh wait.. must have been something the evil demoncrats did. Yeah! Is it too late for them to blame it on clinton? LOL!
I also get a kick out of how they've all got plans to "fix" it. Sure none of them know how it happened but by gawd they've all got 100% fool proof plans on how to make it all better again.
It's high comedy when you get professional clowns like shmuckabee soft shoeing as fast as he can on national tv. But if you take five seconds to listen you realize that reslug plans probably haven't changed much since the mid 1900's and truthfully, probably some time before that.
Some of these old fools still haven't gotten the memo that they're no longer calling 'enemy' political operatives "commies" any more. C'mon Strom*, get with the times! It's 'librul' now. (circa 1960)
*[I know he's dead... but do you think the reslugs have noticed yet?]
Harold Ford is a DLC conservative DEM. As an analyst, he brings nothing to the table. Huckabee is there for entertainment value and as an analyst is eqaully poor. Murphy and Schrum spew the same tired rhetoric as always and have been wrong more than right over the last two decades. When Russert compiles these kind of panels they are a complete waste, and that goes for other regulars like Broder, Brooks, Safire, Matlin, Buchannan, Carville, Byrn, Bagala, etc. There is a lot of new political blood in the form of journalists, authors and commentators that have superior insight, but Russet falls back on the "club" that gives us NOTHING! It's time for a lot of these guys to retire. Hopefully a new Administration and a new FCC will break up the media and restore the fourth estate.
If the republican brand were a dog, Huckleberry's kid would hang it.
Harold Ford is clearly being groomed by the media as the conservative alternative to Barack Obama. This, sadly, will get him on the TV shows consistently to spout his "Democratic moderates on the ascendancy" crap. He weasels blue dog talking points into every debate/discussion.
Mike @ 26:
lol, roflmao....thanks mike, beautiful
My own take on this week's MTP at The Young Turks. Comments requested over there. Hell, stick around and watch Cenk take it apart too. I expect he will....
ummm, and tell me again how many big campaigns has Bob Shrum LOST? And would someone please tell me why he (and Donna Brazile while we're at it) is a sought-after authority on ANYthing other than sending out bills for hapless, out-of-tune "consulting" work??
General_Rennenkampf @ 11:
I too am a little uneased with Harold Ford. He also kept preaching his gospel of pulling more to the center-right in order to win general elections. If all the Republican ideas are stupid, and that was made clear by their own admissions, then why are we APPEASING them by compromising sound public policy just to make them feel good? If what we're offering is best for the country, then they'll just have to get with it.
bemused new yorker @ 30:
Donna Brazile had the guts to tell Paul Begala to his face that the DLC strategy is crap. Works for me.
Having those from the right and left do their job and spin their talking points was not surprising. What was disappointing was Harold Ford's bloodless, robotic performance, and his pathetic attempt to give relevance to his out of favor DLC. For him to say that the special election victories by conservative Democrats in some of the most conservative districts in the country means that such conservatism is required for Democrats to win everywhere else is just asinine. Ford also sounded like a me-too Republican lite, conceding Republican talking points left and right while making what was left of his arguments. Is it any wonder why Ford lost his Senate election and why Obama, not him, is the likely Democratic nominee this year?
Harold Ford is a piece of shit.
After watching the clip I had a bit of indigestion, but then I remembered what I was watching and had a good laugh.Since 2000,if anyone believes a word any Republican says they deserve what they get.The problem with that is that we have all have gotten it, in spades.Now it`s time to teach the American people that the campaign commercials are lies,what the MSM says is lies,and it`s time to vote for someone who wants to help those of us who don`t make $100,000 a year.
Take Harold Ford's advise and pull a George Costanza, whatever he says to do, do the opposite.
Travis @ 32:
And Donna Brazile is one of the main reasons the female voters have been so turned off. Her saying the "party" does not need their votes because they are now being replaced by younger voters has alienated enough who may not come back into the fold when needed. The same Donna B who threatened to leave the party if the supers voted ahead of the people. Yep, the same old Donna B.
John McCain should be a change agent.. At a toll plaza.
ummm, and tell me again how many big campaigns has Bob Shrum LOST?
Answer: all of them.
Pat J @ 37:
That is 100% not what she said, for the record. She said this:
and this
neither of which seem to imply that she doesn't feel that female voters are welcome in the Democratic party
but keep reaching for that rainbow, Taylor Marsh
It is "champing at the bit", not chomping.
Ford, not the car, the politician, was always a hack. One day he'll pull a Lieberman or an Uncle Tom, whichever will work better for him. Mark my words.
BushisLiar @ 41:
Yes, it is "champing", but chomping works just as well. At least they didn't say "irrergardless".
or "irregardless", you know . . . the correct spelling of a non-word.
@41
Good on ya for noticing.
While we're at it, my pet word-crusade: Factoid. There are so many factoids out there these days that it's a shame this word is so often misused. A factoid is something that appears to be, or is represented as, a fact, but isn't (just like an android seems to be human but isn't). It's not a "little fact," or piece of trivia, as it's so often called. That'd be a "factette." The paranoid among us, like me, might wonder if those in the media have defanged this word exactly because they are so good at spewing factoids around.
Mike @ 26:
Frickin' Pricless. LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@3:45 Mike Murphy said "If democrats want to beat George Bush again...".
Is he talking about 2000, 2004 or both?
Hmm
actually watched just to see how Timmeh would defend McLiar for refusing to sign Senator Webb's GI Bill - ol Pumpkinhead did not disappoint
but I kept the tivo going just to see how these guys would spin it - and thought I was through the looking glass when the only one I could agree with was Shrum
BushisLiar @ 41:
Either is acceptable usage. "Champ at the bit" is still used more in the UK while "chomp" seems to have overtaken it in popularity in the U.S.
http://www.word.com/collegiate/archives/2006/09/from_the_mail_s_11.html
It's not the Republican brand that has brought the party it's troubles. It's 8 years of pure Republican right wing ideology and philosophy that has people repulsed by Republicans. Brand has nothing to do with it, right wing conservative "values" do.
Murphy is a liar. McCain isn't a "centrist" but a hard right wing conservative, plain and simple.
Are you tired of your Buick? Would you like to now try... YOUR BUICK?
Take the ACLU out of there and Lie-berman rates higher than Obama or Clinton.
Out of every person/entity in that previous sentence, I'll take the ACLU's word first...
Harold Ford Jr. is teh sux
I would love to bitch slap that fucking silly smirk right off Mike Murphy's sorry face,but, I can wait until November ,when the huge Democratic landslide forces assholes like Murphy into political oblivion!Adios Mutha-fucka!
What does this mean?
*Informal a person who provides a favourable slant to a news item or policy on behalf of a political personality or party [from the spin given to a ball in sport to make it go in the desired direction]–Collins Essential English Dictionary
GET A PROOFREADER!
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