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You are here: Home / Politics / Media / A Question

A Question

by John Cole|  November 4, 200911:58 am| 53 Comments

This post is in: Media, Politics

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Ever, in the history of the country, have state Governor’s races not even in a midterm election year, but one year into an administration, been portrayed as a referendum on the President. And this is ignoring the fact that the two Democrats running for national office both won, one of which in a seat that has been in Republican hands for a century and a half, giving national Democrats one more seat than they had yesterday.

Could Chuck Todd explain to me how many votes in Congress for health care reform Chris Christie and McDonnell have? Our media is just hopeless.

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53Comments

  1. 1.

    Frank West

    November 4, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    What you describe IS amazing! (Oh, sorry for going all-caps on you — my inner-tea-partier just came out, tee-hee!) I think that one of the biggest lies going is that “the Media” is liberal. Big media is now mostly corporate-owned and is focused on these relatively minor victories while giving short attention to the federal victories of Democrats. Of course, the conserva-whacks will keep lamenting how the media is out to get them, out to glorify Obama, out to lunch, basically.

  2. 2.

    GregB

    November 4, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    It was full speed ahead for Bushism in the face of the losses of the NJ and VA Gov’s seats in 2001.

    Hell, AP and AOL are calling the two governor’s wins a “sweep”. No mention of Owens and Garamendi on the front pages.

    Clearly it is time to call in the Honduran army to send Obama off to exile in Venezuela.

    -G

  3. 3.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    November 4, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    I’ve given up explaining that to the resident ‘R’ at work. If Fox says it, he believes it. So the Democrats got their comeuppance. He’s lucky I like him, I just nod my head and say, I’m glad you’re happy.

  4. 4.

    geg6

    November 4, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    I’ve been shaking my head and saying the same thing to myself all morning, John. But Chuckie T is positive that the Dems losing two governorships dooms health care and pretty much any and all Obama/Dem goals.

    Two new (D) congressmen? Not.even.on.the.radar. Especially since the Teabagger Party didn’t win the one.

  5. 5.

    Violet

    November 4, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Could Chuck Todd explain to me how many votes in Congress for health care reform Chris Christie and McDonnell have?

    No. But then Chuck Todd probably couldn’t explain to you how many votes for health care reform Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have, either. All Chuckie can do is discuss polls and concern troll.

  6. 6.

    kid bitzer

    November 4, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    i don’t know how often i have to explain this to you: elections have consequences.

    except when democrats win them. those elections have no consequences.

    there: doesn’t that clear it all up?

  7. 7.

    General Winfield Stuck

    November 4, 2009 at 12:07 pm

    Our media is just hopeless.

    yes, I heard Chucky laying on the manure this morn. And of all people, it took Luke Russert to make the point that both of the new dems support the PO, making Pelosi’s troubles less by two,.

    I just cannot watch this circus perform today and tomorrow on my teevee and internets. Turning them both off soon to think about nothing, nothing at all, for awhile.

  8. 8.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    November 4, 2009 at 12:09 pm

    Although, my second thought on this is let them go all Rethugs are back in business, so Dems don’t become complacent going into 2010.

  9. 9.

    geg6

    November 4, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    And of all people, it took Luke Russert to make the point that both of the new dems support the PO, making Pelosi’s troubles less by two,.

    The mind boggles. But don’t worry. Luke will learn how to play in the big leagues very soon.

  10. 10.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    November 4, 2009 at 12:10 pm

    @General Winfield Stuck: This is why I’m listening to the Glee soundtrack over and over today. BTW, loved your pix the other day of wasp vs. hummingbird.

  11. 11.

    Senyordave

    November 4, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    I live in Maryland and I get the DC media, which covered the VA gov race heavily. I couldn’t imagine Deeds winning, he was a weak candidate. Kaine won primarily because he was Lt. gov to Mark Warner, who was very popular. In a bad economy, a state like Virginia is very liable to switch parties.

    As a former New Jerseyan (Jerseyite?), I was more surprised at Corzine. I think being a Goldman-Sachs bazillionaire hurt him a lot, and NJ has a history with the GOP (Whitman), but my peeps in NJ say that Christie is real bad.

  12. 12.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    November 4, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    @kid bitzer: This.

  13. 13.

    General Winfield Stuck

    November 4, 2009 at 12:12 pm

    @Bad Horse’s Filly:

    Thanks BHF

  14. 14.

    Robert Waldmann

    November 4, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    Think John. Surely you can guess the answer. In 1993 gubernatorial elections were presented as a referendum on the president. I recall reading “a stern warning to President Clinton.”

    You can’t really think that the media passed up an opportunity to (report) a stern warning to President Clinton.

  15. 15.

    GambitRF

    November 4, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    It really is pretty amazing how much NY-23 was hyped going into the election, and now that the Democrat won there and the Republicans won in the two Governor’s races, all of a sudden the Governor’s races are the headlines.

    Front page of Yahoo right now:

    Big headline:

    “Democrats, incumbents get wake-up call”

    and then over on the right margin in small print:

    “Dem wins in GOP area”

  16. 16.

    Will

    November 4, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    What really has me worried is the midterms. As we all know, when Dems won NJ and VA in Bush’s 1st term, that was just the canary in the coal mine for a massive Dem sweep in 2002.

    Right?

    Right guys?

  17. 17.

    AkaDad

    November 4, 2009 at 12:19 pm

    Our media is just hopeless.

    It’s because they’re so damn Liberal!1Tab1!

  18. 18.

    AkaDad

    November 4, 2009 at 12:21 pm

    Where did my punctuations go? Has anyone here ever mentioned how much WordPress sucks?

  19. 19.

    danimal

    November 4, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    I’m really hoping that Obama learns some things from the election last night. Specifically: 1) he has more congressional support for HCR, 2) cozying up to the banksters (such as Goldman Sachs’ Corzine is politically lethal, and 3) throwing a few bucks towards third party wingnuts may be a very lucrative proposition in 2010.

  20. 20.

    Beej

    November 4, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    @AkaDad: No, it’s because the 24-hour media has to have something to talk about and saying that none of these elections really had any national implications only takes about 30 seconds when they need several hours of filler.

  21. 21.

    4tehlulz

    November 4, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    @Senyordave: I can’t say I’m surprised about Corzine. His approvals were in the 30s earlier this year. By all rights, Christie should have kicked his ass by double digits.

  22. 22.

    Elie

    November 4, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    Again, the stupidity of the MSM is purposeful. They know that they will be corrected — that the left progressives go just apeshit when they read/hear this and that assures that we will tune in and comment and scream at them. Though it is negative attention, you are still helping them out by posting comments, listening to their teevee reports, even if we end up screaming at the teevee telling them what idiots etc they are and the like. Its a predictable minuet that both sides need; theirs to get attention paid even if negative and ours to “correct” them. Of course, they never get corrected. That is the point of course and assures our continued engagement.

    You guys aren’t really mystified by this, are you?

  23. 23.

    FunkyEntropy

    November 4, 2009 at 12:29 pm

    Short answer: Only when it’s a Democrat in the White House.

  24. 24.

    NCReggie

    November 4, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    well this certainly is good news for Sarah Palin!

  25. 25.

    Violet

    November 4, 2009 at 12:33 pm

    @Beej:

    saying that none of these elections really had any national implications only takes about 30 seconds when they need several hours of filler.

    That’s pretty much what the Today Show spent on the election results today. Okay, it was more like five minutes, but then they were off to discussing the important news of the day like Ann Curry participating in some improv performance and the Olympics. They’re only 100 days away, people!

    What I took from that was, if you’re not a political junkie – and most people aren’t – you don’t care much about these elections and whether or not they mean anything for the Republicans, Democrats and the President. If it’s your state or city you might care, but voter turnout could suggest otherwise.

  26. 26.

    Lola

    November 4, 2009 at 12:38 pm

    Everyone kept saying Owens was all Blue Doggy, but he supports the PO and he is pro-choice. Why was this guy not supported by the netroots?

    Also, I am genuinely confused why some are mad OFA did not get involved in Maine. I am on their list and have only been contacted on health care actions? Has OFA gotten involved in other state or local matters but refused to do so for Maine?

  27. 27.

    Mark S.

    November 4, 2009 at 12:38 pm

    @4tehlulz:

    I can’t say I’m surprised about Corzine. His approvals were in the 30s earlier this year. By all rights, Christie should have kicked his ass by double digits.

    It probably would have been, but there was an independent in the race. According to 538, Corzine never polled above 44%.

  28. 28.

    Bruce (formerly Steve S.)

    November 4, 2009 at 12:39 pm

    It was kind of funny watching the evening news shows last night: “…Virginia [yawn], New Jersey [yawn], but the race everyone will be watching is New York-23…”

    Then the media this morning: “…NY-23 [yawn]…” In fact, a regional news channel, Northwest Cable News, that I have on the TV as I write this just touted the “big national comeback”.

    The frenzy to create a horserace out of thin air is unbecoming but not entirely unexpected.

  29. 29.

    kay

    November 4, 2009 at 12:45 pm

    @Bruce (formerly Steve S.):

    CNN called Corzine’s loss an “upset”. Corzine was 22 points behind Christie this summer. 22 points. The only “upset” was that Corzine narrowed the gap.

  30. 30.

    slag

    November 4, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    What Jon Stewart said.

    Also, a 1st-hand election night anecdote:
    The progressive mayoral campaign I have been volunteering for is run by individuals who–almost to a person–got their start as volunteers for the Obama campaign. I, myself, never really volunteered for an individual campaign before Obama (aside from some very half-assed GOTV stuff prior to 2004) and neither had any of these people–from the volunteer organizer down. And now, here we are, very close to putting the most progressive mayor we’ve ever had into office (he’s ahead but votes are still being counted). It’s safe to say that this candidate wouldn’t have had a chance without a serious and experienced volunteer staff, given that he was very badly outspent by his challenger. So, for that, I am (as is every other serious progressive in my city) very much obliged to the Obama campaign team.

  31. 31.

    slag

    November 4, 2009 at 12:53 pm

    @Lola: I’ve received voting reminders from OFA, but no issue-specific endorsements. This seems like a sensible strategy on their side, if they want to continue to be taken seriously.

  32. 32.

    Mario Piperni

    November 4, 2009 at 12:57 pm

    It’s natural that both sides are going to spin the results as they see fit. Expected behavior. The results are meaningless. Let the Reps revel in their delusional joy at perceived victory and let them do it all the way to 2012. As long as they remain on their path of pushing out moderates from the party, they’re doomed. The 40% who call themselves Independents might cast a vote their way in state elections or even midterms but they’re unlikely to do the same when it all really counts.

    The Palin-Beck Axis

  33. 33.

    Chasm

    November 4, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    CORRECTION – DEMS got 2 seats, NY-23 and CA-10. Both were held by R’s, Garamaldi and Owens are both Dems.

    Obviously, this is even better news for Republicans.

  34. 34.

    RememberNovember

    November 4, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    The “liberal media” has become like that chameleon who walks through a Peter Max drawing. They have no idea what or who they are, or if they should even answer the 5 basic questions of reportage.

  35. 35.

    BombIranForChrist

    November 4, 2009 at 1:15 pm

    It is so, so frustrating.

    I think there is a big market out there for a blog that regularly documents these clowns and their antics. Media Matters does a pretty good in depth job, but I want something a little more fun … like Brill’s Content, where editors pit the predictions of people like Dude Clown up against a Chimpanzee throwing a dart. In Brill’s Content, George Will famously scored lower than the chimp.

    These are a bunch of preening news celebrities, so the best place to hit them is in their vanity.

    Maybe I’ll quit my day job ..

  36. 36.

    JenJen

    November 4, 2009 at 1:23 pm

    You know, I’m really starting to think that McCain-Palin might pull this thing out after all!

    Seriously, Joe Scarborough has to be the worst offender vis-a-vis this off-year election, and that’s saying a lot considering he works for the same network as Chuck “Remember when I used to be the non-conventional-wisdom pundit” Todd. Scarborough has gone so far as to say that last night’s results should serve as a green light for Blue Dogs and moderate GOPers to further roadblock health care reform. Energizing!

  37. 37.

    fraught

    November 4, 2009 at 1:46 pm

    Chuck Todd is hopelessly ensnared in the village gossip microfiber hairball. He cannot figure anything out for himself. Last election he was NBC’s boy genius of statistics and polls. Now, without his charts, forced to come up with his own analysis, he just regurges what he hears on the whisper circuit. He’s a puerile little boy, overpraised by Tim Russert (who was overpraised himself and believed every word of it) and promoted far beyond his abilities. He’s a living Peter Principle teetering on the needle of his own incompetence.

  38. 38.

    Bad Horse's Filly

    November 4, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    @Bruce (formerly Steve S.):

    The frenzy to create a horserace horseshit out of thin air is unbecoming but not entirely unexpected

    .

  39. 39.

    jenniebee

    November 4, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    I think David Frum got it right (and I am really weirded out when I say that):

    In two of the three most watched races in the country, the candidate of the president’s party is running neck and neck against his main challenger – in the midst of the worst recession since World War II.
    This is what you call a conservative politics that is “working”? What would it look like if conservative politics were failing?

  40. 40.

    Mister Papercut

    November 4, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    Ever, in the history of the country, have state Governor’s races not even in a midterm election year, but one year into an administration, been portrayed as a referendum on the President.

    But of course! Mark Warner rode into the VA governor’s mansion in 2001on a wave of public dissatisfaction with President My Pet Goat. It also portended the GOP’s massive congressional losses in ’02 and his reelection defeat in ’06.

  41. 41.

    Nellcote

    November 4, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    but one year into an administration,

    The inauguration was on Jan.20th. Could you please wait ’til Jan. to call it a year? I realize we were all anxious to have him start as soon as possible but I think it’s unfair to add on the extra months to his administration. Yes, it’s a nit-pick but one year is a milestone and deserves to be accurate.

  42. 42.

    Mister Papercut

    November 4, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    That should be ’04. Way to fuck up the joke, self.

  43. 43.

    NickM

    November 4, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    Q: How many votes in Congress for health care reform Chris Christie and McDonnell have?

    A: Wolverines!

    This has been another wingnut addition of SASTQ.

  44. 44.

    NickM

    November 4, 2009 at 2:55 pm

    Is there any industry in which mediocrity is as rewarded as in TV punditry? It is astonishing. I am amazed by all the competent people I meet in everyday life and even more shocked when I see how stupid you can be and still be successful as a talking head. I have never once heard Chuck Todd say anything original and insightful. Ditto Cokie Roberts and everyone on Morning Joe, etc. Why is this?

  45. 45.

    HyperIon

    November 4, 2009 at 3:58 pm

    Ever, in the history of the country, have state Governor’s races not even in a midterm election year, but one year into an administration, been portrayed as a referendum on the President.

    I guess it’s just me but this is one ugly sentence.

  46. 46.

    HyperIon

    November 4, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    also…. Media ARE

  47. 47.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    November 4, 2009 at 5:50 pm

    @HyperIon: Me and you. I was going to fix it but it turns out I can’t edit John’s frontpage posts.

  48. 48.

    pattonbt

    November 4, 2009 at 7:24 pm

    Its pretty simple, the press (at least the cable and free to air networks) are not journalists, they are story tellers. And to an individual they want to be ‘the one’. The go to guy / gal so they can mug on TV an feel all smart and stuff. They are starring in their own villager reality TV show to be the last survivor. Because you dont get the big bucks to report boring policy.

    So they all want to say up is down and down is up because they want to be ‘the one’ to catch ‘it’ (whatever the ‘it’ of the day is) first. Theyre like the idiots on some comment sections who jam up the top of the board screaming ‘FIRST!!!!’.

    Tapper is a perfect example of this. He will say obviously mornic things and take the most counter intuitive stance becasue it just might pay off. Thus his true genius will shine through and he will be fellated on the cocktail circuit of the village. But as long as he doesnt stray off the reservation too much (i.e. being honest) both sides let him keep playing no matter how wrong he always is.

    The press will never honestly report policy debates (because facts are boring and have a liberal bias). Additionally, the press will never truly turn on the republicans because it goes back to the high school days where the republicans were the jocks and were popular and got the girls and cruised through life. And the republicans just keep walking through life like its still the frat days. They say and do whatever they want and they dont care if 1) its true 2) its harmful 3) its contradictory, etc. They know they will not be held accountable for anything (I mean please, explain how Inhofe and the rest of C street psychophants remain ‘esteemed’) and they cake walk on the press. Because the press desparately wants to be a part of the frat. They want to be cool. They want to be part of the ‘in’ crowd. And this is their shot.

    So while facts may have a liberal bias, media reporting has a self preservation bias. I believe there was some saying abouts being paid to ignore facts that would result in the loss of your job or something. That is the modern press, paid to ingore facts.

  49. 49.

    Bender

    November 4, 2009 at 10:23 pm

    the two Democrats running for national office both won, one of which in a seat that has been in Republican hands for a century and a half, giving national Democrats one more seat than they had yesterday.

    How ironic, to have Ball Juicers slamming the media for being stupid and in the tank for the right… while repeating the media’s lie about “never having held that seat since the Civil War.”

  50. 50.

    General Winfield Stuck

    November 5, 2009 at 12:46 am

    @Bender:

    Owens – the first Democrat to win this district since the 19th century – is up for re-election in 2010.

    Duh

Comments are closed.

Trackbacks

  1. Daily Digest for November 4th | Random Fate says:
    November 4, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    […] A Question […]

  2. But It Makes For a More Better Story! « FIFTH COLUMN says:
    November 4, 2009 at 2:07 pm

    […] Even if it’s completely fucking wrong: Never, in the history of the country, have state Governor’s races not even in a midterm election year, but one year into an administration, been portrayed as a referendum on the President. And this is ignoring the fact that the two Democrats running for national office both won, one of which in a seat that has been in Republican hands for a century and a half, giving national Democrats one more seat than they had yesterday. […]

  3. Daily Digest for November 5th | Random Fate says:
    November 5, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    […] A Question […]

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