liam:

Thank you. Thank you. I had been trying to figure out what was troubling about the fairly uncritical posting (they said=it is true).

The attempt to name and shape public perception of Obama (or, I should say, the "Obamas") is taking a more diffuse form than the perception project against Kerry in 04.

For example, talk radio is everywhere - and nowhere. Language, frames etc., move in-and-out of AM radio, cable news (CNN is especially uncritical in its adoption of talk radio's/Fox TV's frames), blogs (even liberal ones), dinner conversations, WaPo, NYTimes - and so on. Each site stands alone - but together are mutually-reinforcing.

Case: This week's story about Michelle Obama is everywhere, untethered from one particular source. Even if some of the origins of the offensive language can be traced to Fox, the responses which keep the offensiveness alive (primarily because of the cable news insistence on "on the one hand and on the other hand" style of "reporting)are everywhere. So: I did a local AM/Black talk show segment (Atlanta)yesterday about Michelle Obama. Even in the dynamics of opposition (AM Black radio)the original characterization (the Obamas as "foreigners among us")is kept alive. NOT to mention that the possibility of the stuff sticking is helped by pre-existing race/gender stereotypes already "out there and everywhere." (unlike Kerry as a lying Vietnam Vet). The work of 527s is 50% done because of the history of race/gender in this country.

So there may be no SwiftBoat press conference. Who needs it??? Which is why it is important not to merely "repeat" - but to critically report.

Ah: For those who poo-pooed postmodernism, that stuff's kind of useful at times.

In other words: Obama: Forget them (I was tempted to type another "F" word). Do what you need to do, and I'm sending my little bit of money as soon as I finish this too-long comment.

Obama's candidacy promises many things - but HE has never promised to be stupid.

Posted at June 20, 2008 4:18 PM in response to Will There Even Be Any Scary Right-Wing Groups Swift-Boating Obama?

I said something like this on another site:

This election cycle has been quite an education for me.

I know Michelle(s). I live in a city full of Michelles, I teach Michelles-in-the-making, I have Michelle relatives, and was raised by the 1950s versions of Michelle.

What is becoming clear to me in all of this is that Michelle Obama is not being introduced as an "individual," but as a "category of persons" that evidently a portion of this country did not know existed (AA woman/bright/highly-educated/politically-aware/professional/straddles all kinds of identity-lines etc., etc).

Oh my...

Posted at June 19, 2008 9:43 AM in response to Michelle's moment.

I have mentioned this before as a suggestion for what is important to talk about during this GE cycle, but I will mention it again:

Since (1) voter registration has been wildly successful in bringing new people into the political process; and (2)grass-roots mobilization has excited and involved more people than ever before in my memory (I can't tell you how many "events" are being sponsored within 30 miles of me in Atlanta, Ga), I think it might be important for a site like TPMElection to perhaps report on/serve as eyes and ears on process questions - like this site's remarkable investigative reporting on the attorneys general scandal. For example, how ARE those new registrations faring? Are local vote officials "concerned" about the #s of new registrants? Who are these officials? What are the "concerns?" (A "concern" was just articulated in Louisiana, BTW, and reported faithfully in the NYTimes as a legitimate "concern"). Are there moves in "red" state legislatures to erect even more obstacles to voting (I live in a voter ID state)?

I guess what is bothersome about "Clinton said something" postings is that they are "top-down" (from the Clinton ex-campaign no less), while the energy of this election cycle is a kind of diffuse energy - emanating(sp) from so many corners and sources. The "Clinton campaign (former?)said something today" is not only a top-down vision of what is "important," but is a remarkably static approach to this exciting election cycle scholars will be writing about for decades to come. I am new to "new media," but I thought that the gift of blogs and sources like TPM was that they are free to capture "news" and analysis in motion (kind of like the journals on DailyKos - not a plug, just an example of the kind of dynamism I'm talking about).

Posted at June 16, 2008 9:36 PM in response to Are you as fed up with TPM as I?

Eric and Greg:

I would like to suggest some analytical judgement and critical thinking when posting and framing polling this far out from November. As has been already noted, the "shift" is not much of one, since McCain stayed at 42%. Also, I remember during the primary season that weekend polling consistently under-measured Obama support (for whatever reasons). For these 2 reasons of several - I don't know how journalistically responsible it is to post 2-3% changes (especially while the other person doesn't pick up support and another poll registers no shift).

And: Unlike the primary, if polling is at all significant this far out, wouldn't it be more interesting to create a story/analysis (not just a posting)about state polls????

What your headline suggests is that there is some drop in Obama support, but the data you cited does not bear you out on that "conclusion."

There are enough stories during this down time without having to make them up. It's kind of like MSNBC slicing up its own data to find a sliver of 100 "suburban women" (who are not always white, btw) who did not support Obama, and then creating a whole narrative around those 100 women. An ENTIRE show was devoted to these 100 women (where these suburbs were, I don't know. What is a "suburb" anyway these days with sprawling cities??).

Maybe all of you (pundits, bloggers, "reporters") should go get help for why the Obama campaign has become a fetish for some of you. While I know his run is ground-breaking blah, blah, blah - does that mean that media folk can
just throw away all reasonable constraints????

There's a story: "Obama's Candidacy as the New Exotic."

Geez,,,

Posted at June 15, 2008 12:53 PM in response to Gallup: Obama's Lead Narrowing

Correction:

"comments" not "coments"

The Field doesn't have the entire economics call, but does have details from the call.

Thanks...

For the info on the Fla district. So am I to understand that Dems weren't going to hold on to it anyway???

Posted at June 10, 2008 8:58 AM in response to Florida Dem Declines To Endorse Obama

Hello All:

This Michelle person has actually migrated from Daily Kos to TPM. There is a journal/entry on Daily Kos about Michelle (whatever) and PUMA (whatever). I think she/he is looking for a home, and rests where people respond.

The collective decision at Daily Kos (and perhaps other sites) was not to respond to her coments, and I think (not sure)that she/he left that site and is now here.

BTW: For those who are interested in the entire economics call from the Obama campaign yesterday (Greg posted small excerpts, but did not have much to say about the substance of the call), The Field gives access to the entire call.

P.S.: I remember being first introduced to the topic of green-economy ? listening to Obama's talk with a paper's editorial board in Wisconsin during the primary race there. He knew alot about it, and also knew the specifics of how Wisconsin's economy had "retooled" for a new economy (unlike, maybe, Ohio?? Michigan?? Don't know). The Field also has a critically (as in informed/thoughtful) analysis of Obama's Americas policy talk (given last month in Fla).

BTW: I don't know about the LA race, but they guy in MS won because of the increased enthusiasm and participation of African American voters in the district! (and yes, AAs can be "conservative" also). That is one reason why Obama at the top of the ticket is good downticket, whether people want to be associated with him or not (Distancing oneself from Obama seems short-sighted, but I don't know anything about the Fla case).

Voter registration is so very important!

Posted at June 10, 2008 8:39 AM in response to Florida Dem Declines To Endorse Obama

It makes sense to me that Obama would "partner" with Edwards to sort through the difficulties of health care reform/revolutionary change.

Obama has said several times that his model of governing is a kind of "team of rivals" (or something like that), and refers to President Lincoln's selection of advisors from people who at one time opposed him. This seems to be more than a political "stunt," but rather is an attempt to lay out competing visions as points of departure for problem-solving.

I also heard a Webb-Russert conversation yesterday about social class/race/ethnicity/history and voting patterns in Appalachia. The conversation was so thoughtful that I ordered Webb's most recent book as well as his book about the history of the Scots-Irish in the U.S. I hope Webb gets alot of media since he seems to be able to talk about white racial/ethnic identity in a way that engages people.

I hope media and bloggers alike are pushed to be as thoughtful as the people they will be covering (like Goolsbee, for example). The stakes are too high for ideas to be reduced to silly, stupid, "gates."

Posted at June 9, 2008 2:44 PM in response to Obama Says He's Partnering With Elizabeth Edwards On Health Care

It makes sense to me that Obama would "partner" with Edwards to sort through the difficulties of health care reform/revolutionary change.

Obama has said several times that his model of governing is a kind of "team of rivals" (or something like that), and refers to President Lincoln's selection of advisors from people who at one time opposed him. This seems to be more than a political "stunt," but rather is an attempt to lay out competing visions as points of departure for problem-solving.

I also heard a Webb-Russert conversation yesterday about social class/race/ethnicity/history and voting patterns in Appalachia. The conversation was so thoughtful that I ordered Webb's most recent book as well as his book about the history of the Scots-Irish in the U.S. I hope Webb gets alot of media since he seems to be able to talk about white racial/ethnic identity in a way that engages people.

I hope media and bloggers alike are pushed to be as thoughtful as the people they will be covering (like Goolsbee, for example). The stakes are too high for ideas to be reduced to silly, stupid, "gates."

Posted at June 9, 2008 2:44 PM in response to Obama Says He's Partnering With Elizabeth Edwards On Health Care

Greg:

I have read your update, and I do appreciate it, expecially your emphasis that CLINTON is (I would say) "politically" positioning herself as a "leading women politician." (or something like that).

I will say again, however, that any discussion/postings about "woman," "women," and the Clinton candidacy/campaign must not use the word in an unqualified way. The women in that room were overwhelmingly white (as reported by the NYTimes).

The Clintonian throwback political use of "woman," "feminism," "leadership," simply (1)disappears (as a verb)too many, many women who have poured their/our hearts and souls into this primary season; and (2)disappears at least FOUR decades (let's not even go back to the suffragist/abolitionist writings of AA women) of forward-moving writing/thinking/activism/feminist writings by "women of color" that expanded the category of "women" to include more women than who were in that room yesterday.

Why is it important to be clear about the use of "woman" as a political tool/concept? If not careful, then the media (including TPM) become a partner in what I would argue is a manufactured women's "movement" emerging from the primary season that will become yet another "problem" for Obama.

Back to Federer who is breaking my heart right now (as in getting his behind kicked!).

Posted at June 8, 2008 11:02 AM in response to Hillary: Time To "Write The Next Chapter In America's Story"

sorry,

didn't mean to post twice.

sorry.

Posted at June 7, 2008 3:10 PM in response to Hillary: Time To "Write The Next Chapter In America's Story"