Once again, Digby points out the strange behavior of the political news media.
Reporting on the article by Chris Bowers Digby stresses the point that the news media is agog that Liberals and Progressives are challenging the conservative Joe Lieberman, and question whether "these people" should be challenging the incumbent of a Democratic Senate safe seat.
Yet in Hawaii conservative Democrat Ed Case (supported by the Democratic Leadership Council - DLC) poses a serious threat to incumbent Senator Daniel Akaka (Senator since 1990) and in Rhode Island the extremely conservative Republican Stephan Laffey a seriously threatens moderate Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee (Senator since 1999) in the Republican Primary. The latter two cases go effectively unremarked in the national media.
What's the difference? Well, in the news narrative, conservatives are supposed to challenge moderates within each party, but Liberals are not supposed to go after Conservatives.
"It just isn't done."
This appears to be the news media in its "Man bites dog!" mode. So the news narrative has set the agenda. Only the agenda will be discussed Sunday morning.
There's 33 Senators running for reelection this year. The political climate is such that there could be a change in the party running the Senate. Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum is not in good shape, causing a likely Democratic pickup of one seat. Rhode Island leans Democratic, so if Chaffee is replaced by a Wingnut Republican, then this is another possible pickup for the Democrats in the Senate. The news November 8th will revolve around the close elections. Connecticut is going to send a Democratic Senator (or one who caucuses with the Democrats.)
Where are the news media? If they were fox hounds they would be giving an example of what the old saying "They are haring off on an irrelevant chase." means. This pack of (news) Fox Hounds doesn't realize where the Foxes (i.e. real news) are, so they are chasing hares.
No comments:
Post a Comment