Posted on 03/05/2002 9:40:46 AM PST by Elkiejg
I just caught part of the WH briefing with Ari (before cable stations cut away for the Pentagon briefing). The media was peppering him about Dems saying they didn't know about shadow gov. arrangements. HE SHOT THEM DOWN.....kept claiming in his soft spoken way "We're confident that when they talk with people on the Hill, they will see that the info. was previously submitted to them" - I'm paraphrasing.
He also got a great shot in to old Helen Thomas when he replied to her that the shadow gov. situation had been around since the cold war years - which he was sure she remembered!! I laughed out loud.
The stupid press kept hammering - "Daschle, Byrd, etc. say they don't know anything about it" -- Ari would reply with his "I'm sure when they talk to people, etc., etc." It was great - sorry they cut away for the Pentagon.
Does anyone know if transcripts are put out on these briefings? It would be worth reading.
Am I mistaken, or didn't she announce her retirement, once? Who the he!! does she think she is, Michael Jordan or something?
Or to flatter everyone else by the comparison.
You mean septic interest groups?
If Daschle wants to help his party he should just sit down and shut up.
Ari's unpreturbed but insistent tone is absolutely perfect.
As you know Dubya's adminstration is dealing with a press which is, in the main, relentlessly partisan and pro-Democrat. So what happens when the Dems are hurling controversial accusations at the adminstration, and the adminstration is responding in kind? You know well enough. The press presents the Rat accusations as warranted and reasonable (or even as sheer fact) and Republican responses or counter-accusations are presented in such a way as to suggest that Repuplicans are unreasonable, or that the Adminstration is "on the defense," or to further the stereotype that Republicans are "mean-spirited".
The Bush adminstration is undercutting these press tactics by using the "gimmick" of telling the truth, and doing so in a style which is non-confrontational, but insistent and uncompromising. The effects of this approach take time to manifest themselves, but were already apparent (IMHO) well before 9-11. Slowly stereotypes are changing, and slowly but steadily it is DEMOCRATS and LIBERALS who are comming to be seen as "mean-spirited".
Despite the fact that market forces are generating a few objective or conservative news sources, you have to realize that even under the most optimistic scenarios we are stuck with a predominantly liberal press for the forseeable future; and despite cable and the internet there are still millions of Americans for whom the broadcast networks are the primary source of news. Under these circumstances conservatives can simply not win an overt media based propaganda campaign.
Bush's approach under these unfavorable circumstances is brilliant. His goal is to consistently present a contrast in word and deed to the shrill lies, accusations and billious behavior of his critics, and to thereby let people see for themselves what the difference is. Creating the conditions were people can see that your opponent is wrong, and letting them come to that conclusion themselves, is much more effective (and more enduring in effect) than argumentatively telling them your opponent is a lying sack of you-know-what. If the Dem says "you are a hypocrite," and the Pubbie says, "no, you are a hypocrite," then all the sheeple see are two politicians engaged in a shouting match. All other things being equal, they will side with however the media tells them is on the side of truth and justice. Right now the sheeple see the Rats shouting, and the Pubbies talking about facts, enunciating consistent guiding principles, and solving problems. This is what we want.
What we need to do is to have the transcript and watch the CSPAN replay of it, so that we can assign the reporter's questions to actual names. But alas, I cannot find that CSPAN will be replaying it! I swear, I believe the WH should offer some of these briefings later in the day as a Pay-per-view event. I'd rather pay it to our guys than pay CSPAN $30 for a tape!
Further musings #134.....I wonder what would happen if one of the cable news stations, say Fox News for example, would run the the daily Ari briefings, the daily Pentagon briefings during their late night segments......instead of re-running their prime time shows? I wonder if they'd get more ratings? From my experience, I can state that I typically watch Fox News all day long. Their prime time shows have worn me out, so I don't watch them anymore. I have a feeling that they might pick up more audience from working people, if they'd run the "daily news" during the late night segment, rather than re-run their talking heads.......
FYI: Rep. Curt Weldon on H&C right now.
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