C&L's John Amato Talks About McCain's Free Ride From The Media
By Logan Murphy Thursday Mar 27, 2008 3:42pm
C&L creator, John Amato, appeared on MSNBC Friday to talk about GOP presidential candidate, John McCain's new ad, and the free pass he's received from the mainstream media during the primary season. We've covered the media's love affair with the aging Arizona Senator, and as John points out, all he has to run on is his war record and the media has been all too happy to help him out:
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"Well, of course the only thing that John McCain can run on is that he's the military man and the media helps him out. I mean, he has this gaffe, he doesn't know who's in Iran, are they Iraqi, a Shiite, or an extremist and the media lets him off the hook so he doesn't need these commercials because the media's helping him out already."
Amato also brings up the escalating violence in Basra and Baghdad, which shows how the crumbling surge could hurt John McCain, but he was cut off by MSNBC host Mark Mullen-- who seemed more interested in talking about Al Gore jumping in the Democratic primary race -- which proves John's point, as Mullen gives McCain a free pass on the one issue he's staking his entire candidacy on.
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John McCain's military expertise will prove invaluable if we ever go to war with Cambodia or Vietnam again. As for his knowledge of the Middle East, not so much.
go john go!
spank the MsM!
Good job John
The corporate media is a complete propaganda organ of the Right. Their "news media" are simply marketing venues. Their newscasters and pundits are merely marketing personnel.
Expecting integrity, accuracy, fairness or professionalism from the MSM is like expecting Coca-Cola's marketing division to fairly and accurately report on news from Pepsi. That's not their job.
Rusty Hussein-Legged Mack Daddy Shackleford @ 1:
Vietnamese, Iraqi, what's the difference to crazy Johnny?
Left&Left @ 4:
"Charlie is in Iran!"
I'm really tired of this "anyone could've made that mistake" garbage. A person running for President of the United States shouldn't be just "anyone." He should know what the fuck he's talking about.
Rusty Hussein-Legged Mack Daddy Shackleford @ 1:
McCain's military experience includes almost sending the USS Forestall to the bottom of the China sea after his plane "misfired" a rocket while still on deck, getting shot down after less than a couple dozen flights, and signing all those anti-American statements while at the "Hanoi Hilton."
If he has a shred of credibility, he would have publicly chastised or even left the GOP after the disgraceful incident of all those GOP delegates wearing those "purple hear band aids." But since he is a fucking whore, let him run on his military record... please, I am not willing to give him any respect that he has long lost. Respect is earned, nor granted... and you can milk the whole "POW" bullshit for so long. Most of his POW colleagues did suffer the same torture, did not sign the anti-American crap, and did not use their POW experience as a jumping point for political and personal gains. To me McCain milking his POW status is an affront to those who did suffer with him, since he is the only thing he has to run on... he is cheapening the sacrifice and service of a lot of people.
I was not taken aback by the attacks on Kerry, as much as I was mortified for what they did to McCleland: a vet who lost both legs and an arm by diving on a live grenade to protect his comrades. And the GOP shitted on him... and now they want to sell us the whole "War Hero" bullshit now? There is a special ring of hell for this scum buckets... Fuck the lot of them...
Nice John. But "Democrats don't play that game [meaning swift boating]." The Clintons?
Senator SlimeBall's record as America's first and only 'Reverse Ace', he lost five planes during his career to make him #1 in that dubious category, is great, riveting stuff but what about The 'Magic Man' and his running....
Without coattails.....
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
John I just happened to catch it live on tv. I was laying on my bed almost asleep and I hear the words, John Amato. I became wide awake fast. You made the C&L family proud.
I did notice how John was cut off when he mentioned what's going on in Iraq. Nope no time for talking about reality.
I just saw a new ad for McCain. It shows him laying on the cot in Vietnam and talking to his his guard or someone. Does anyone besides me think he can overplay the fact that he was a POW. To me, that really is his primary military experience. He hasn't much else.
pissed off patricia @ 10:
Perhaps some future candidate for president of Iraq can use a picture of himself at Abu Ghraib for similar purposes.
rekroc @ 6:
After 5 yrs of war in the zone, 1 million civilians killed, millions of refugees, 4k American troops killed, and almost $1 Trillion in expenses... you would think a jackass who has only one thing to run on: war on "terror." You would think that at least he would have the mental capability to get the basics of the area right, like for example the fucking difference between Shias and Sunnis. It takes what? A 10 minute briefing, a couple of paragraphs tops in background? And this jackass can't even get that right...
Dollar Brand @ 8:
I never consider DLCers to be democrats, more like GOPlites... so in a sense John may be correct.
Hi guys..It was fun. I tried to get my point across...I didn't see the banner below me that said The REBRANDING OF McCain or I would have talked about that...
Excellent point about John Kerry. It doesn't matter to Republicans that he'd served his country honorably in Vietnam - and why? Because he was a Democrat. You certainly won't see the Swiftboat Veterans for "Truth" calling out McCain on his service.
We need to push to wrap up the nomination. The Democrats cannot afford to wait, and we certainly cannot afford to have Al Gore run as a 'compromise candidate'. The time for compromise has been over for eight years.
It is waste of time going on these shows. The dice is always rigged against the Liberal. They cut him off as soon as he started talking about how bad Iraq was. Their mission is to convince America that the DEMS are divided and McCain is a war hero. Funny how they are going to play up McCain's war record when they attacked Kerrys. But that is the double standard of the right. The Republican woman had a really stupid voice. That alone was worth attacking.
A mainstream news organization bends over backwards to protect a profitable-for-them right-wing candidate. And in other news, the sky is blue and a bear was rumored to have shit out a Nazi pope in the woods, or something equally mundane.
aaaaawyeah, amato!!
too sexy! TOO sexy!
:)
McCain is now a criminal. He has broken the campaign finance law! No one in the media is talking about this fact. McCain is a criminal.
Oh my John, I didn't even notice the banner because I was looking at you and listening.
Pat Leahy said on radio that Hillary should bring her campaign to an end. He also mentioned how many gaffs McCain is being allowed to get away with while everyone pays attention to the Hillary and Obama campaigns.
Everyone please give to smiletrain . If you dont know what that is, shame on you.
DC @ 19:
Or about the fact that he was not born in the US, but hey he is a Republican so the media ignores it.
well, we here in the blogosphere shouild keep screaming.
Let us ask: what does it matter that McCain was a 'military man'? Does being a grunt automatically grant one omniscience in defense affairs? I know three individuals in my personal life who either are or have been members of a branch of the United States Armed Services, and not one of them feigns to know the slightest about foreign affairs. I don't think any of them even know altogether too much about the technological aspect of military service; none of them could tell you about the material sciences which go into constructing shell-proof armor for tanks, for example.
It's time for blogs to begin conducting their own campaign against McCain, by calling into question things that the right-wing media won't touch. The grassroots today is more powerful than at any other time, and most of us are more knowledgeable than any mindless talking head. Let us step in for the Democrats while they're too busy bickering amongst our own and take charge of the debate until such a time as someone (hopefully Obama) wraps up the nomination. If it would be possible to form a coalition between liberal and leftist blogs, we could handily destroy the Republicans before any Democrat even steps up to the debate podium.
John Amato @ 14:
good job, JA. you're lucky they didn't put 'liberal pundit' under you as a caption. they're msm. unfortunately you keep your expectations high. that's good character, I'll admit and I'm glad you have those feelings. you're better than they are.
John,
Stick with the blog.
You do not come across well on video.
You look like you're drunk.
At least borrow a jacket from someone that matches your shirt!
"John McCain has been getting dissed..."
I can't believe a reporter just said that.
I went to Townhall.com just to see what they like to discuss.
here's a list of subjects that are blogged about most over in the Land of "Conservatoria":
Blogs by Issue
Campaigns & Elections (1775)
Media & Culture (1710)
Foreign Affairs (1566)
Faith & Family (1559)
A Culture of Life (1555)
Immigration (1437)
Budget & Government (1383)
Education (1332)
Judges & Courts (1239)
Safety & Security (1219)
Jobs & Economy (1172)
Energy & Environment (1084)
Second Amendment (1031)
Science & Technology (1000)
Tax Relief (989)
Health Care (938)
Social Security (797)
Property Rights (385)
what is missing from this list of thigs that really should concern Americans?
anyone?
anyone?
Like I have said before, his "war hero" status along with his being a POW seems to put him behind some sort of political firewall. He seems untouchable in those two categories. So we move from there....what other experiences does he have that would make him better to handle this invasion in Iraq? He admits he knows little to nothing about economics.
So the main thing on most people's mind today is the economy
The second and third things are health care and the war.
Where is McCain's niche?
It is past time Clinton and Obama turned their sights on McCain. He is getting a free pass from the media, which we all knew would happen, so the Dems have to attack twice as hard. And keep calling the media on their bias.
We need to think strategically.
As it stands now, blogs act as something of a lobbyist bloc, but we're not unified. There are a large number of blogs with large numbers of viewers, such as C&L, DailyKos, etc., but we don't really work together. Right now, so far as I see it, we're stuck in a sort of mode where every blog basically does its own thing, and while a few blogs might by happenstance bring to light something at the same time, there's rarely a concerted effort across the grassroots to force a particular issue up and front.
That needs to change. If it were possibly for the grassroots to gel together - that is to say, form something approaching a united consensus, complete with a nominal de facto leadership - we might really be able to change things. A dozen blogs discussing one particular issue is much more effective than a hundred discussing things haphazardly, after all.
rekroc @ 6:
yes, he absolutely should. however, there's more at work than just an unintentional gaffe of course. a sadly sizable percentage of the american population doesn't know the difference between sunni and shia or that iran is shia or any of that. so a large part of what was actually at play with mccain was an INTENTIONAL conflating of the two parties into one scary AY-rab enemy. unfortunately, that point is getting far too little coverage.
I just sent off a critical email to MSNBC regarding Mark Mullens. Here is the text:
Wow!
MSNBC brings John Amato on to talk about the pass McCain receives from the press
and is interrupted by Mark Mullen when he talks about how the crumbling "surge"
in Iraq should be hurting McCain!
Mark Mullen would rather talk about Al Gore jumping in the race? Why pretend to
talk about the media soft shoe for McCain if you aren't going to let critics
of the soft shoe talk? So you can say you covered soft media coverage of McCain?
You can do better than that.
Then I signed it. If more of us did that maybe things would change (hint hint)
Canuknotusa @ 26:
Show me you fashion police badge. I want your name and badge number. :)
John Amato @ 14:
Well you had 30 seconds so I think you did a good job. If someone told me, "Tell me what you think about John McCain, 30 seconds," I would still be gathering my thoughts by the time they turned to the next person. I don't understand the rationale behind such short segments.
"Garlic nose" ranted Wright.
Anyhoo, MSNBC will back the corporate candidate Mclobbyists and is supporting Obama so they can turn on him to help their corporate candidate.
At least one blogger called them on their bias for mcbushie.
Nice work piasan.
Smitty @ 33:
Very well done.
We need to have a directory established that details the contact information of every single individual of interest at work in the media industry. As it stands now, I have to use Google-fu to get any information of this sort, and I don't like that. We need to compile this information for easy access. Does anybody want to take a crack at it?
McCain - war hero - free pass.
Obama - historic - free pass.
Now what?
pissed off patricia @ 34:
Yeah, we'll send Fox Security right over!
Canuknotusa @ 26:
WHAT?! what are you, the canadian simon cowell?! jealousy doesn't become you, cannuck.
All Trades @ 38:
Except that's not at all accurate. Where were you when the Reverend Wright 'controversy' broke - and, more importantly, when the Reverend Hagee controversy didn't
Have a list of five points to hit, and get at least something in on each one.
McCain gets a free pass by Main Stream Media. Check.
McCain spending is breaking the law. Missed it.
Keating Five, 16 grand in bribes. Missed it.
Lobbyist influence, not just the one he's accused of having an affair with. Missed it.
McCain pushed for Bush's surge. Missed it.
Also, for each talking point there's going to be a standard denial or an attempt to dismiss it. Be ready for dismissals with "Easy to ignore tough questions when your job depends on it."
Visual presentation: You looked like Jimmy Kimmel smiling after he just farted. Sit up straight, put on your concerned citizen face. I'd carry a clipboard, too, with your five points. You can consult it as you tick them off, using it as both a tool and a prop.
John Amato @ 14:
Not so sure that one could call it rebranding so much as repackaging. You know, like they do at Winn Dixie with meat that's passed its' best before date. Sprinkle a little dry rub on it and presto it's good as new.
Dollar Brand @ 8:
I'm not saying that they play clean all of the time-- but what have they done that is the equivalent of swiftboating?
All Trades @ 38:
Now what?
It's McCain v/s Obama.
The battle of the century.
Two perfect people.
How to spin it?
David and Goliath? New v/s old?
Historic v/s old?
Reliable v/s fresh face?
Experience v/s unknown potential?
Let me know when it's all over.
I'm going to watch reruns of "Who wants to be a millionaire."
jimbo92107 @ 42:
More:
McCain's relationship to Hagee and Parsley as a counterbalance to Reverend Wright
McCain's 'maverick' persona as a sort of role-playing used to disguise his very real relationship to the Kristols and other neocon organizations
McCain's relationship to the media - you ought to have mentioned his birthday party
You still did a good job on the whole, however. Let's try to co-ordinate our attacks in the future, however - we have to speak loudly, and carry an even bigger stick.
Matt Hussein in Texas @ 39:
No, Not O'Reilly's police brigade!
Whens McCain going to be asked how the troops feel as they fight against an enemy under circumstances intentionally designed by sociopaths to prevent the US military from achieving any kind of a victory?
ckukahiko @ 32:
which is even funnier since Iranians are Persian, not Arab. But hey, who cares? Facts just get in the way of war-mongering vitriol.
John Amato @ 14:
I'm impressed that they're relying on your expertise. I'm no expert but I recommend staying away from the swivel chair. It makes you look a little cocky- which you should be, but you don't want to 'look' it.
What a right-wing love fest that was. Funny, the guy kept asking the right-wing chippie what SHE thought about what's going on with the Democratic party. Was John asked specifically about McCain? And when John talked about how McCain is promising to continue Bush's bad policies, all the sudden, it was time to keep the conversation going and on to a new subject. I mean, the guy EXCUSED McCain's "gaffe" as just a mistake. John, you should have hammered him on that alone. "Why are you helping John McCain? Aren't you supposed to be impartial?" You might as well not even appear on shows like that, since you can't adequately counter bullshit arguments coming from the moderator and the winger.
jimbo92107 @ 42:
They gave him 30 seconds to talk! Even if he had his McCain cheat sheet in front of him I am not sure he could effectively deliver all of those points.
Another thought on strategizing:
The Catholic bloc often votes lockstep with the Religious Right; although they tend to be slightly more socially liberal, they seem to be even harsher when it comes to economic conservatism. Can the Hagee endorsement be used as a wedge here? We know already that Bill Donahue is up in arms over it.
A list of mcbushies flip flops will come in handy for the general.
w used it against Kerry and mcbushies list is long.
He is running on stay the course in Iraq which took a thumpin in 06 and nothing else.
Let's face some facts, shall we?
So, he doesn't look drunk?
And appearing on national media shouldn't mean being concerned about appearing drunk?
Keep dreaming.
Nice job landing on M$NBC, JA!
Too bad those punks buried you on a Friday night time slot... :(
RueMorgue @ 37:
Just go to Mediamatters.org. They have the 411 on everyone media. I wrote to phil.griffin@msnbc.com, letters@msnbc.com.
Good try John A.... Guess there's been just a whole hell of a lot of changing the subject going in this nation... On all kinds of issues... for about what is it, eight years now??? Seems like it was only a million years ago that everyone was all caught up in stains on blue dresses... We should be so lucky as to have 'only' something like that to worry over these days............JD
RueMorgue @ 41:
Yeah. The controversy was about Wright talking about the "chickens coming home to roost" - a foreign policy issue.
Obama condemns the "controversy" and then gives a homemade speech about race. The subject is now race. The media
swoons. Marvelous. Controversy over.
Now they pulled out the "garlic noses" line. The controversy re-ignites. (It should. As a Jew, I wouldn't want my candidate sitting idly by if their pastor referred to "Jew noses".
Oh, I forgot to mention the Al Gore issue.
When Douchbag threw Gore into the conversation, you should have immediately smacked that down as a planted distraction.
Has Al Gore announced his intention to grab the nomination?
Where did we first hear about this wild Gore theory?
Answer: from MSM right wing concern trolls like Joe Klein.
I'm sorry, you don't know what a "concern troll" is?
Google it.
The MEDIA was taken over during the 90's by the same people and institutions that President Eisenhower warned us about at the end of his presidency during his farewell speech. Of course the media gave him a free ride. It's not like the media is free anymore.
I didn't realize that was John on MSNBC when I was watching at lunch. He's a goofy looking/acting sob. Also, when he said "eveybody likes Al Gore," I about spit out my lunch.
All Trades @ 59:
And Wright was right on the foreign policy issue. Be offended if you wish, I don't especially care, but we ought to withdraw every single penny and piece of equipment we've donated to Israel for the pasty fifty years. It was the media that initially spinned Wright into a 'black separatist', mind; Obama's speech was in regards to countering this initial spin.
Yes how about a nice list of all of the Flip Flops by McCain. Avery factual list with all of the facts clearly stated.
googoomuck @ 61:
Goes back farther than that, goo
Check out "The Media Monopoly" by Ben Bagdikian - I think its in its 5th or 6th edition...
googoomuck @ 61:
Obviously, no one got it.
Chris H. @ 52:
That was why he has to be ready with "Easy to ignore the tough questions when your job depends on it." The first thing they'll do is dismiss your arguments or promise "We'll talk about that on another segment." = BIG FAT LIE.
Liberals will never get to really attack the issues until after we break down the MSM's rhetorical wall of silence. We've got to treat all corporate media as participants in the cover-up of these crimes and abuses. They will never willingly allow us to speak truth to power.
Bring back the Fairness Doctrine.
jimbo92107 @ 67:
You nailed it.
Canuknotusa @ 55:
No, he didn't appear drunk to me. Of course he had just left my house in a taxi on his way to the studio and he and I had only had three martinis each before he left. I thought he did damned well, all things considered.
I'm pretty sure that I'm not dreaming because I can't type when I'm asleep.
BigSky @ 62:
That's the way to do it. When you don't really have anything to say, get personal. Sounds like it may often work for you. Here however, not so much.
Canuknotusa @ 55:
Thank you for your "concern", most touching.
The times actually did a forum on the HIV gaffe. it will cost him younger and internationally aware voters.
Immediately following the douchebag's defense of McCain before any discussion was allowed to take place, Amato should've stood up, said "you've just proved my point", removed his mic, turned and walked away while flipping the bird. Fuck the corporate whores. Whats the point of going on?
Ever so slowly the tee vee includes John, Kos, Sam, in addition to Rachel. I hope this reflects the puke email they must be getting re the same old Buchanans, Millbanks, Wolf. It was exciting on Feb 5 08 primary night to see John, Rachel, and (sorry I forget exactly who) another web blog person on MSNBC at the same time - 3 great voices allowed to say something real. Thanks John!
pissed off patricia @ 70:
Yeah, that corporate guy pimped this blog so the trolls will spew.
I am surprised he was watching MSNBC and not fixed noise.
kravitz @ 72:
And it will shore up his African-American voter base, many of whom wrongly believe that HIV was purposefully introduced by the government. Is that necessarily right? No, but it's no more wrong than the Christian who votes Republican out of fear of the 'New World Order', or the Jew who does the same because he's so terribly afraid that the Democrats will cut off handouts to Israel.
I didn't think he looked drunk, I thought he was goin' for the "yes we're in a recession" look. That being said, the picture at the top could be a little more flattering. I vote for the graph.
pissed off patricia @ 10:
Yes PoP, the fact that McCain was a POW has been way overplayed. No doubt he endured a lot of nasty shit as a POW, but that doesn't make him a fucking war hero for life. And the experience certainly does not make him more qualified on national defense or security. He's gotten way too much undeserved and unchallenged mileage on the POW angle.
"""No one cares about blogs,""" exceptf for, C&L, Townhall.org, Drudge, Poh-lee-ti-co, HuffPO, Malkin, Coulter, Kos.... [snark]
No Dem is going to vote for McGrandpaMcVeteran. No Dem will allow the GOP to prevail, not if they have any fight in them. They're (we're-- I'm not American) simply choosing a candidate. The Dems are alive and kicking and the GOP is inert, and splintered/splintering. The GOP base is off on one of their fucked-up tamngents, as usual. Things looking good for Dems across the board.
canuk,
stick to loonies.com or ilovealanismorissette.org, eh? leave the u.s. to us.
getalife @ 75:
I'm beginning to wonder if there's a difference between the two nowadays.
Except for KO.
Edwin Hussein (not a scary black Reverend) @ 79:
I agree, but we can have a monumental victory if all the liberal blogs were to unify for this election cycle. Imagine, if I may engage in Republicanesque imagery for a moment, a unified Coalition of the Willing marching through the sandblasted political arena, tossing aside all comers like so many bales of hay... to paraphrase our Chimperor, isn't it so romantic?
Edwin Hussein (not a scary black Reverend) @ 79: