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Cass Sunstein's Memo To Democrats: "Keep Terrorism Out Of The News."(or else we lose)
Townhall ^ | Hugh Hewitt

Posted on 08/23/2006 7:39:27 AM PDT by hipaatwo

University of Chicago Law Professor Cass Sunstein calls them as he sees them, as was obvious from his analyisis of the NSA's authority to conduct warrantless surveillance of Al Qaeda contactings its U.S. operatives.

Now Professor Sunstein has written a telling little essay for The New Republic, which that magazine's headline writer has misrepresented with the title "Mortal Combat: By Stoking Fear, Republicans Gain An Edge Over Democrats."

The essay says almost nothing about Republicans "stoking fear," although it includes the line "So Karl Rove knows exactly what he is doing."

Rather, Professor Sunstein delivers some hard news for Democrats:  When Americans are concerned about their safety, they turn to George Bush and the GOP.  Some key excerpts:

Republicans say that national security is a winning issue for them; Democrats say the same thing. Social science evidence strongly suggests that the Republicans are right, because the politics of terrorism touches a chord that produces much more support for them than for Democrats: our own mortality....


(Excerpt) Read more at hughhewitt.townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dncstrategy; elections; hewitt; issues; lostdems; midterms; terrorism; waronterror; wot

1 posted on 08/23/2006 7:39:30 AM PDT by hipaatwo
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To: hipaatwo

Nothing to see here... move along... *cough


2 posted on 08/23/2006 7:44:09 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
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To: hipaatwo

Sadly, the media will heed the message. "What Romanian oil rig?"

"What airline plot foiled?"

"What Muslims cought buying 1000 cell phones?"

The media needs to be held accountable, by selectivly reporting the news, they are aiding and abetting the enemy.


3 posted on 08/23/2006 7:44:58 AM PDT by Idaho Whacko
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To: hipaatwo
Republicans "stoking fear,"

Yes, it our turn :)

"Terrorists are going to steal senior citizen's social security checks to buy cell phones."

"Terrorists are going to make poor school children go without lunch."

"Terrorists will force women to put burkas on in sleazy bad alley's..."

4 posted on 08/23/2006 7:47:04 AM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: hipaatwo
The dems are saying "we are no safer" hoping that we will be attacked. They are hoping to make political gain from American deaths. Unbelievable!
5 posted on 08/23/2006 7:50:48 AM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: hipaatwo

Sad, but not surprising in the least. I firmly believe that most Dhimmocrats would shed a few, if any, crocodile tears at my demise at the hands of bloodthirsty Islamic Fascists. They'd think nothing of their horrible hypocrisy as long as they gained a power platform from which to bash Bush, raise taxes, mandate Kyoto, cut-and-run from Iraq, and enforce sensitivity training on a variety of topics that only they feel are important.


6 posted on 08/23/2006 7:53:15 AM PDT by kromike
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To: hipaatwo

Guess the prof didn't think anyone, other than demoncrats, would read his crap.


7 posted on 08/23/2006 7:58:01 AM PDT by Edgerunner (The greatest impediment to world peace is the UN and the Peaceniks)
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To: hipaatwo

IOW the MSM will cover terrism with the same fervor as all the marriage amendments which passed.

The story will go stealth. No headlines for the autmated news grabber services to pick up.

The word "terror", "war", "terroist", "bomb" will never appear in any headline. It bet it will be as if every moslem has left the planet.


8 posted on 08/23/2006 8:05:22 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: hipaatwo

"Professor Sunstein concludes that the Democrats' best strategy is to "try to keep terrorism out of the news." Rather than an essay on the GOP "stoking fear," it is really an argument on how the Dems need to hide the threat from the public if they want to win."

So, IOW, the democrats have the power, own the mainstream news and can keep the discussion off salient topics?

So much for CNN's evenhandedness or any of the newsprint.

The truth is out.

Except for one thing: How do you stop the web?


9 posted on 08/23/2006 8:08:31 AM PDT by OpusatFR ( ALEA IACTA EST. We have just crossed the Rubicon.)
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To: OpusatFR
The journalist Kevin Drum has already admitted that he won't discuss certain topics (like Iran) because it might help Bush.

How many other journalists on print and tv have already made the same choice?

Look at the silence regarding the Fox journalists in Gaza: it seems pretty clear that the MSM will join forces with terrorists to coerce non-liberal media to toe the liberal line.

The are the enemy within.

10 posted on 08/23/2006 8:14:41 AM PDT by pierrem15 (Charles Martel: past and future of France)
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To: LurkedLongEnough
DNC Platform: HURRY UP AND FORGET!
Muslim Platform: BE AFRAID ALL THE TIME!

These people, the American Leftists, are not only misguided, they are dangerous to us all. Prof. Sustein's little bon mot re "stoking fear" is nothing more than a DNC plank. Nobody has to stoke the fear, that is what the Muslims are doing every day. Like yesterday. 8/22 was supposed to be the "big surprise" and we're all still here, but it did make people afraid of the regime in Iran and of Muslims in general. Good.

When the "Average Joe" anywhere across the globe, has had enough of the terrorists' tactics, I truly believe that there will be a great deal of unorganized "stoking of anger". It can't happen soon enough for me.
11 posted on 08/23/2006 8:17:01 AM PDT by ishabibble (ALL-AMERICAN INFIDEL)
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To: AmericaUnited
The Leftist/Democrats are becoming very concerned about the image they are portraying. For over 4 years they have attempted to gain political advantage for their party, their gang alone and not all of the United States; all parties.

I've recently received a ban from the "Drudge Retort" (a leftwing blog which has pirated the "Drudge Report" if you try and simply surf to "Drudge.com") and had several posts excised from another blog, one owned by the "pirate," cadenhead.org/workbench. They just don't care for anyone actually reasoning arguments highlighting their subversions and virtual treasons. As this professor acknowledges, and attempts to lead the parrots in squawking the same "tune."

And, the prof is exactly correct! This has become specially apparent with Castro's illness! The Left/Democrats are jumping to the defense of this international terrorist when anyone from the right expresses satisfaction over his expected demise. . .

These Leftist/Democrats are only interested in their ideology/party/cult of politics and will go to any lengths to win by forcing the US to lose, retreat or become significantly damaged -- so that they can gain votes for the new international "Gang!"

They will probably acknowledge the common sense reasoning of this professor and (as the humorous individual mocked) start whining about how Republicans are not giving out free chickens, or even a pot! They will notice that terrorists actually respect old people that the "Republithugs" are trying to steal money from oldsters to give to the evil rich.

If they succeed, they can march into Washington, elevate Hillary to an even more Saintlike status than she has now, nominate Kucinich as VP and begin the new International by goose-stepping universal medicare into reality . . .

Sieg Heil (Victory Welfare)
12 posted on 08/23/2006 8:21:26 AM PDT by tadowe
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To: hipaatwo

Cass Sunstein. If you want to read a truly silly book, read " The cost of rights: why our freedom depends on taxes." Why this mental midget is given any credence.......


13 posted on 08/23/2006 8:44:07 AM PDT by Cosmo (Liberalism is for girls)
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To: hipaatwo
"Democrats would like to think that the situation is very different now from what it was in 2004, and that the issue of terrorism may even work in their favor. With the war in Iraq going so badly, perhaps a reminder of the September 11 attacks no longer has the effect that it had even two years ago. It's possible, but I doubt it. There has been no successful attack on the United States in the last five years, and it remains true that Republican candidates project greater firmness, aggression, and resolve."

I.E. The DumocRats need a terrorist attack within the next month or two. I guess they better call their buddy Osama and see if he's available.

14 posted on 08/23/2006 8:50:33 AM PDT by jerod
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To: hipaatwo

Sunstein is the author of Republic.com, a book which was endorsed by Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton, in which he argues for government regulation of the Internet. Forums such as FR REALLY bother him, and he'd like to do something about it. He thinks there's way too much free speech on the Internet, that people have too many choices, and he pines for the day when Americans passively imbibed their news from one or two liberal anchor men such as Walter Cronkite.


15 posted on 08/23/2006 9:49:33 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: OpusatFR
"Professor Sunstein concludes that the Democrats' best strategy is to "try to keep terrorism out of the news."

Who is Sunstein's audience? Democratic politicians, or Democratic journalists? The politicians don't have the power to keep terrorism out of the news, but the MSM does, up to a point. And the MSM has great power to fuel diversionary, overblown stories, such as Wilson/Plame, the RATS "subliminal message" story, and the Cheney hunting accident.
16 posted on 08/23/2006 9:55:25 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Edgerunner

Well, it was in the New Republic.


17 posted on 08/23/2006 10:25:03 AM PDT by MarxSux
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To: Steve_Seattle

"The politicians don't have the power to keep terrorism out of the news, but the MSM does, up to a point. And the MSM has great power to fuel diversionary, overblown stories..."

At whose behest?


18 posted on 08/23/2006 10:37:52 AM PDT by OpusatFR ( ALEA IACTA EST. We have just crossed the Rubicon.)
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To: hipaatwo

"Mortal Combat: By Stoking Fear, Republicans Gain An Edge Over Democrats."

This appears to be their new mantra/marching orders. I've seen a number of reports to this effect.


19 posted on 08/23/2006 10:53:09 AM PDT by FastCoyote
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