Comments on: Why Obama’s UW Speech Should Have Made the News

By: President Barack Obama: Deliberately Considered at Year’s End, Part 1 « Jeffrey C. Goldfarb's Deliberately Considered

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:14:42 +0000

[…] Party, and even when he made clear what principles were at stake in powerful partisan speeches, the media tended to not pay attention. It didn’t fit their narrative. They reported on the ups of the right and the downs of the left, […]

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:09:51 +0000

This reminded me of a short piece in FP Magazine a couple weeks ago, arguing that by any “objective” standard, the first two years of the Obama administration have actually been “at least fairly successful,” and that this should lead us to question what is really his problem leading up to November.

Here’s the link. Again, it’s fairly brief:
http://rothkopf.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/09/24/obamas_glass_jaw

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:08:07 +0000

Turnout will be the defining factor in this election, regardless of generic ballot or Obama approval numbers- Political events such as this are (cost) effective at mobilizing/exciting Democratic voters- The Republicans already have a great motivation to “get out the vote” . . . They want to take down the Democratic Senate and House, and eventually Obama in 2012.

I agree that Obama and the Democratic Party need to emphasize their accomplishments, and reiterate the threat that Republicans will do everything to stall and stagnate governance for the next two years. The major policy initiative for the Republicans, repeal the health care bill, is patently impossible to do- it would inevitably be subject to a veto if passed, and if funding disputes are the stage for partisan warfare, then look to history- Replay 1995: Gingrich holds USA Gov Hostage-

By: Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

Jeffrey C. Goldfarb — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:34:45 +0000

If an event fits into the prevailing narrative of a news organization or a group of such organizations, appearing to be a new development, it will get attention. If it doesn’t, the challenge for the political actor is to work to get attention, to create a new narrative or to present something surprising, ironic, creative, outlandish that speaks for itself, think Tea Party town hall disruptions or the ultra conservative notion that the text books are pro Islamic and anti-Christian, but also the eloquence of Obama at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Obama’s speech in Wisconsin didn’t fit the narratives of MSNBC or FOX, fit in only as part of the daily cross fire logic of CNN. I don’t think there are faceless media gatekeepers who repress and filter, though it often seems to work that way. As I said in an earlier post, I am the last one to recognize a conspiracy as a matter of principle. Nonetheless, there is a real problem that Eric and I see. A sustained argument for the mobilization of Democrats has not been given adequate attention.

By: Eric Friedman

Eric Friedman — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 22:55:36 +0000

It is very difficult to understand the logic behind what small things get serious media attention, which stories are chosen as significant. This speech has been relegated to the dustbin. Media gatekeepers repress and filter out important stories that should be told (significant speeches) and thereby distort reality. Someone decided that this speech was irrelevant. Keep in mind we are living in a moment in which an ultra-conservative dentist in Texas gets to call the shots on the content of history textbooks.