Dana Milbank, political columnist for the Washington Post and author of Homo Politicus: The Strange and Scary Tribes that Run Our Government, looks at how the Republicans fared in the Michigan primary.
Michigan (pop. 10 mil) is a bigger & more diverse state than any one of Iowa (pop. 3 mil), New Hampshire (pop. 1.3 mil), Wyoming (pop. 500 thousand) or Nevada (pop. 2.6 mil) or indeed than all of them combined. It may also be a major swing state in Nov. 2008 as it went to the Dems in 2004 (51.2%) and 2000 (51%) very narrowly. So it is a mystery why the national Democratic party vetoed the state's effort to be heard early or why the media (NPR included) has downplayed how big a win for Romney it was & consequently how very significant that is for the Republican race to date.
Good grief, Dana Milbank! I understand why he wants this narrative to continue, with the press merely a reactive Greek chorus. But, Brian, wasn't there more than a little bit of press activism in not only ginning up this mess but also stirring the pot?
I think it may have came out of the press trying to sell the idea that the reason the polls, and through them the pundits, were so wrong in NH (not the worst the polls have been off in NH, by a long shot--see R primary 2000, when McCain came from a close tie to win by 18 pts) was that NH voters had lied to pollsters about their support for Obama and were actually racists who voted differently in the privacy of the voting booth. Chris Matthews flogged this idea for several days.
I think those among the MCM-DC subdivision saw this as a chance to brand the Clintons as racists and drive a wedge between blacks and the Democratic Party. Who knows, maybe Rove planted the idea....
I agree with anon...this show like EVERY other msm show (radio/tv/web) is the shill for big business which is what America answers to...Please do a show eher you talk about how candidates that actually wanat REAL change get slandered, ignored, smeared....
Greek chorus? How about MCM (Mainstream Corporate Media) Swift Boaters! The press just couldn't wait for some 527 groups to assail Hillary Clinton (and Bill), they had to do their own Swift Boating.
I realize the MCM, especially the DC-oriented subdivision, wants the public to believe that somehow the Clintons began a race issue when Hillary discussed JFK, MLK, and LBJ (with a nod to Ike), a perfectly logicial and historically correct mention of what happened.
The MCM then took one phrase of Hillary's comment and used that to cry with alarm that Hillary was saying LBJ was more important than MLK. The NYTImes used the truncated quotes at least two times, possibly more. The broadcast media focused on the truncated quote.
Look at the timeline, follow the Magic Ellipses, see where the MCM truncated not only Hillary's words but then Bill's to make the "fairy tale" words fit into the MCM narrative that Hillary and Bill were using the "race card" to attack Obama.
Surely it is the measure of a man that he chooses to take the cheapest of pot-shots at Dennis Kucinich. Perhaps, Dana, you fear him in some way? I suggest to you that you examine the most recent polling data of Americans regarding UFO sightings, as it is a rather common event, and really has nothing to do with the political views of any given man. It is a good way though, to avoid discussing real politics, eh Dana?
So on the one hand Democrats and Americans are supposed to have transcended race as a platform -- but on the other hand it is still too hot to explore and talk about openly?
I, for one, was looking forward to race entering center stage and being discussed and reviewed squarely, due to Obama's candidacy.
I am disappointed that any such discussion is being cast by Democrats at betraying the party.
The "none of the above" choice is also important for vote-counting accuracy on actual election day, because it allows vote tabulators to be sure that the voter did cast an intentional vote, rather than accidentally leave the ballot blank. Thus, it dramatically reduces the count of undervotes.
Hi. Love your show always. I heard Kucinich on Amy Goodman this morning (she gave him only the same amount of time the other three got to answer) and as many wrinkles as he may have, the contrast in response made it painfully clear how homogenized and "corporate" the three are.
The first 'a' in Nevada is pronounce like the 'a' in apple, not the 'a' in taught. This is a very serious issue for those of us who hail from the West.
you are both missing an important point. one of the reasons that democrats such as myself want to keep romney in it for as long as possible is that he absolutely savages the other GOP candidates at every opportunity. the most vicious critique of the republican candidates this year isn't the democrats. it's mitt romney. and lord knows he's got the money to keep spewing those attack ads...
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more.
Learn more. Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm
your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the
right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the
Comment Guidelines before
posting.
By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's
Privacy Policy and
Terms Of Use.
Sponsored
About The Brian Lehrer Show
It's your neighborhood, your city, your country, your world, and now your website. Brian Lehrer delves into the issues and links them to real life.
Comments [16]
Michigan (pop. 10 mil) is a bigger & more diverse state than any one of Iowa (pop. 3 mil), New Hampshire (pop. 1.3 mil), Wyoming (pop. 500 thousand) or Nevada (pop. 2.6 mil) or indeed than all of them combined. It may also be a major swing state in Nov. 2008 as it went to the Dems in 2004 (51.2%) and 2000 (51%) very narrowly. So it is a mystery why the national Democratic party vetoed the state's effort to be heard early or why the media (NPR included) has downplayed how big a win for Romney it was & consequently how very significant that is for the Republican race to date.
et -- from where I sit race- and religion- related issues, and world issues, are one and the same, hence my sentiment.
Rent?...man this is silly
Good grief, Dana Milbank! I understand why he wants this narrative to continue, with the press merely a reactive Greek chorus. But, Brian, wasn't there more than a little bit of press activism in not only ginning up this mess but also stirring the pot?
I think it may have came out of the press trying to sell the idea that the reason the polls, and through them the pundits, were so wrong in NH (not the worst the polls have been off in NH, by a long shot--see R primary 2000, when McCain came from a close tie to win by 18 pts) was that NH voters had lied to pollsters about their support for Obama and were actually racists who voted differently in the privacy of the voting booth. Chris Matthews flogged this idea for several days.
I think those among the MCM-DC subdivision saw this as a chance to brand the Clintons as racists and drive a wedge between blacks and the Democratic Party. Who knows, maybe Rove planted the idea....
I agree with anon...this show like EVERY other msm show (radio/tv/web) is the shill for big business which is what America answers to...Please do a show eher you talk about how candidates that actually wanat REAL change get slandered, ignored, smeared....
Greek chorus? How about MCM (Mainstream Corporate Media) Swift Boaters! The press just couldn't wait for some 527 groups to assail Hillary Clinton (and Bill), they had to do their own Swift Boating.
I realize the MCM, especially the DC-oriented subdivision, wants the public to believe that somehow the Clintons began a race issue when Hillary discussed JFK, MLK, and LBJ (with a nod to Ike), a perfectly logicial and historically correct mention of what happened.
The MCM then took one phrase of Hillary's comment and used that to cry with alarm that Hillary was saying LBJ was more important than MLK. The NYTImes used the truncated quotes at least two times, possibly more. The broadcast media focused on the truncated quote.
Look at the timeline, follow the Magic Ellipses, see where the MCM truncated not only Hillary's words but then Bill's to make the "fairy tale" words fit into the MCM narrative that Hillary and Bill were using the "race card" to attack Obama.
Surely it is the measure of a man that he chooses to take the cheapest of pot-shots at Dennis Kucinich. Perhaps, Dana, you fear him in some way? I suggest to you that you examine the most recent polling data of Americans regarding UFO sightings, as it is a rather common event, and really has nothing to do with the political views of any given man. It is a good way though, to avoid discussing real politics, eh Dana?
Race as center stage?
There are so many more important issues.
The world stage for one.
Brian, hate to break it to you, but you're NOT challenging the powers that be!
Why aren't you guys talking about how the corporate media is interfering with democracy by excluding candidates from the debates?
Please, talk about the real issues!
So on the one hand Democrats and Americans are supposed to have transcended race as a platform -- but on the other hand it is still too hot to explore and talk about openly?
I, for one, was looking forward to race entering center stage and being discussed and reviewed squarely, due to Obama's candidacy.
I am disappointed that any such discussion is being cast by Democrats at betraying the party.
The "none of the above" choice is also important for vote-counting accuracy on actual election day, because it allows vote tabulators to be sure that the voter did cast an intentional vote, rather than accidentally leave the ballot blank. Thus, it dramatically reduces the count of undervotes.
Hi. Love your show always. I heard Kucinich on Amy Goodman this morning (she gave him only the same amount of time the other three got to answer) and as many wrinkles as he may have, the contrast in response made it painfully clear how homogenized and "corporate" the three are.
just tuned in...so when does Rudy drop out
Dear Brian,
The first 'a' in Nevada is pronounce like the 'a' in apple, not the 'a' in taught. This is a very serious issue for those of us who hail from the West.
you are both missing an important point. one of the reasons that democrats such as myself want to keep romney in it for as long as possible is that he absolutely savages the other GOP candidates at every opportunity. the most vicious critique of the republican candidates this year isn't the democrats. it's mitt romney. and lord knows he's got the money to keep spewing those attack ads...
Brian - please ask Dana whether he thinks the fundamentalists are going to start tearing Romney apart.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.