Monday, October 19, 2009

If You Control The Message, You Control It All

Thus proclaims the White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn. Of course, many of us actually knew this already, or strongly suspected that was the case. How nice to have someone in Obama's administration, someone pretty high up,confirm it:
President Obama's presidential campaign focused on "making" the news media cover certain issues while rarely communicating anything to the press unless it was "controlled," White House Communications Director Anita Dunn disclosed to the Dominican government at a videotaped conference.

"Very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control," said Dunn.

"One of the reasons we did so many of the David Plouffe videos was not just for our supporters, but also because it was a way for us to get our message out without having to actually talk to reporters," said Dunn, referring to Plouffe, who was Obama's chief campaign manager.

Here she is, telling the tale. You don't have to wait long to hear her say it:



Doesn't that make you feel all warm and "tingly" inside? Yeah, me too. I think it's called high blood pressure:
Continued Dunn: "Whether it was a David Plouffe video or an Obama speech, a huge part of our press strategy was focused on making the media cover what Obama was actually saying as opposed to why the campaign was saying it, what the tactic was. … Making the press cover what we were saying."

Dunn was speaking at a Jan. 12, 2009, event focusing on Obama's media tactics and hosted by the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, which seeks to promote collaboration between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. The event was held in Santo Domingo and was attended by the country's president.

Did you catch that? She said this over NINE months ago. NINE!! And this is just now coming out? Way to make the case, Ms. Dunn - the media is nothing but a bullhorn for whatever you tell them to say. Pathetic.

You may know Ms. Dunn for other reasons that have been in the news of late. The first would be her starting a war with Fox News:
Dunn has been facing some criticism since she led a White House campaign last week against Fox News, slamming the top-rated network as an "arm of the Republican Party" and "opinion journalism masquerading as news."

From her own lips:



But you know, not everyone will role over for Ms. Dunn paving the way of The One:
Fox hit back this past Friday, releasing a video of Dunn speaking to high school students last June in which she lists her two "favorite political philosophers," including Communist Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung, whose draconian policies are blamed for the deaths of tens of millions of people.

Oh, yeah - she said it. Not Mother Teresa and, say, Nelson Mandela. Or Martin Luther King, Jr. Or Ghandi. Or the Dalai Lama. Nope. Mao Tse-tung:



Holy smokes. In case you need a little refresher of who Mao is, you can click HERE.

So, that's the White House Communications Director, Anita Dunn. She seems to fit right into the Obama crowd, doesn't she? I'm sure she and Bill Ayers probably have a lot to talk about, or maybe she just hangs out with Obama's old Socialist Party friends (remember that? Oh, yeah - card-carrying member of the New Party.). Hey, it could happen!!

I do know that this admission is mighty disturbing. To have confirmed by the White House Communications Director that they purposely controlled the media, thus the message, is telling. And scary as shit, I might add. As is the press ALLOWING itself to be manipulated in this way. Maybe now we really can stop calling them the "press," and instead call them the Obama Propaganda Team? Or Orchestrated For America? What's your take?

15 comments:

Alessandro Machi said...

How is the following quote controversial.. "a huge part of our press strategy was focused on making the media cover what Obama was actually saying as opposed to why the campaign was saying it, what the tactic was."

Move on, nothing to see here folks. The only controversy that line sparks, in my opinion, is that the Barack Obama administration new the media was SO LAME, the would never challenge the plausibility of the statements being made.

But that is not on Barack Obama, that is on the media.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, Alessandro -

I think the issue is that Obama was saying platitudes and rhetoric, as opposed to issues of substance, or explanations of how he arrived at (stole from Hillary) policies, etc. Rather than the media actually vetting him, or actually looking at HOW the campaign was operating (Chicago-style politics, ACORN, etc.), they just regurgitated whatever Team Obama told them to say.

But you are quite right - the media failed MISERABLY in actually doing journalism.

Obama, though, does not get off that easily, though. He intentionally set out to dupe and mislead, which at the very least, is unethical, especially from someone claiming to be a different kind of politician, bringing more transparency, blah, blah, blah....

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

ME -

I know, right? What choices.

It is so frustrating - they did this with Bush, too, so it isn't ALL Obama, but as Alessandro pointed out, it is a problem with the media itse;lf, though Obama certainly used them.

Is it really too much to ask for the media to do its job, and for all politicians to NOT be corrupt, trying to get over CONSTANTLY, manipulate, connive, and deceive?

Mary Ellen said...

I think as long as the corporate media have their lobbyists camping out and dining with the White House, we will be served up a heaping plate of steaming doo-doo which will be called "the news".

If you look at all the corruption in Washington, it all points to campaign reform and allowing lobbyists in Washington. But wait! Didn't Obama say he would never ALLOW lobbyists in HIS White House? Dollars to donuts you won't be seeing the media replaying that soundbyte any time soon,eh?

NYY-2 games
LAA-1 game

Yikes!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Oh, yeah - such a ban on lobbyists that Obama. Hahahahaha!!! I mean, c'mon, you don't really expect him to fulfill ONE campaign promise, do you??

ARGH - Girardi really blew that. He took out a guy who was pitching really well got two quick outs, and brought in a pitcher who is NOT pitching well - obviously. Sheesh. Girardi can micromanage a bit, especially with his bullpen. Pitiful.

Logistics Monster said...

Hey Rev - more on Anita. Thanks for letting me drop the link.

http://logisticsmonster.com/2009/10/20/interesting-power-couples/

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, thanks, LM! I appreciate that! :-)

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

Uhm, does PRAVDA and the KGB ring any bells here? Or am I just being
"conspiracy theorist"?
They'll have a hell of a time getting me outta cloister if they're going to intern me for saying that!!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Nazareth Priest, you know, I don't think you're being a conspiracy theorist at all! When you look at all the people with whom Obama has surrounded himself who are socialists, or even communists, it is pretty darn scary.

You might have a whole bunch of us joining you in the cloister!!

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

Hey, we have a convent for the women and a priory for the men...if you can handle Gregorian chant and fasting, y'all come!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

LOL, Nazareth Priest - I love Gregorian Chant, actually. I spent time in two different Episcopal convents when I was younger, and went on retreat a bunch at one. Loved it.

Fasting is fine, too - cleansing for the soul, and all.

The way things are going, I think we all need to be praying more, don't you?? ;-)

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

Rev. Amy: Yes indeedy:<)!
Fasting and prayer casts out the evil spirits, as Jesus says...and there is one mighty Evil Spirit we need to cast out!!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Too true, Nazareth Priest, too true.

How in the world did this happen, anyway? I just cannot understand why the same people who were screaming abt Bush, his inexperience (though honestly, he had more experience than Obama did), his policies, too many of which Obama has not only kept but expanded, etc., etc., vote for him? I don't get it! You'd think they would want a sober, more experienced, devoted civil servant like Hillary! But no...

Something was surely at work, right?

Fr. John Mary, ISJ said...

Rev. Amy: Don't tell anyone...I might get in trouble for this...but I would have voted for Hilary over BO any day...any day...she at least has moral principles. Uh oh, I might have to go to confession for that:<)!

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Nazareth Priest, your secret is safe with me! I'm good at that whole confidentiality thing! But yeah, I'd keep that quiet...

:-)