[Sosfbay-news] Sam Smith on handling hostile media & political foes

[JamBoi]

Sam Smith on handling hostile media & political foes
Date:	Fri, 9 Mar 2007 12:21:01 -0800 (PST)


This is really smart advice from Sam Smith (below
the item about Edwards).  MoveOn's empty gestures
against Fox News, even though their complaints
are usually legitimate, accomplish nothing, and
they obfuscate the fact that a lot of the
'liberal' media act just as much like corporate
pro-military mouthpieces as the Murdoch gang.  In
fact, Fox sometimes covers news in a fairer &
more detailed way than the liberal news outlets. 
Fox's coverage of our 2004 convention in
Milwaukee was the best of all the major media,
and the Fox reporters we spoke to asked
interesting questions that showed they had done
their homework.  On the other hand, The
Washington Post reported on the Milwaukee
convention as if it had been a fashion show
(featuring Birkenstocks & all the other usual
Green stereotypes).  But Sam's best point, for
the Green Party, is that our goal is to build
popular support and persuade folks to our point
of view, not draw lines in the sand. -- Scott


UNDERNEWS 
FROM THE PROGRESSIVE REVIEW
MAR 8 2007
Edited by Sam Smith
LATEST HEADLINES & INDEX: http://prorev.com


EDWARDS CHICKENS OUT ON FOX

CBS - Democratic presidential candidate John
Edwards won't participate in a debate co-hosted
by Fox News and the Nevada Democratic Party, his
campaign said, as party officials tried to settle
a dustup over their partnership with the cable
network. Edwards' campaign said the involvement
of Fox News, which is often accused by liberals
of having a conservative bias, was part of the
decision to pass on the Aug. 14 debate in Reno. .
. The two Democratic presidential frontrunners,
Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama, have
not indicated whether they will attend the Nevada
debate. . . Move On Civic Action says it has
collected more than 260,000 signatures on a
petition that calls the cable network a
"mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a
legitimate news channel.". . . Democratic Party
officials and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
initially touted the partnership with Fox News as
an opportunity to reach out to a different bloc
of voters.

But in a letter posted Wednesday on the party's
Web site, Democratic Party Chairman Tom Collins
said Reid now shares activists' concerns and "has
asked us to take another look." Collins said the
party would invite a "local progressive voice" to
participate on the debate panel, which also would
include a reporter from a local Fox affiliate, a
national Fox News reporter and the moderator. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/08/politics/main2546570.shtml


SAM SMITH - The Edwards reaction, apparently
motivated in part by the self-righteous lot at
Move On, demonstrates one of the reasons the
Democrats don't do better. You can't win a fight
if you refuse to get in the ring. As one of the
few who has appeared on Pacifica, NPR. . . and
the Bill O'Reilly Show, your editor learned that
long ago. Admittedly, you've got to know your
moves, among which I would include these: 

- Keep smiling. The rightwing hosts want to get
you mad. Just don't. It throws them off their
pace.

- Find something they can agree on or something
you have in common. Before my appearance on the
O'Reilly Factor, I mentioned to the host that my
granddaughter was growing up about 20 miles from
his hometown on Long Island. He immediately
become friendlier. In the 1990s, I was worried
about a book related appearance on a Idaho radio
station in the heart of Mark Fuhrman country.
Then in his introduction, the host mentioned that
I was a supporter of jury nullification, an issue
that has fans on both the left and the right.
When I heard that, I knew I was home free. Just
one sentence in the book had saved me from being
stereotyped. The interview, originally scheduled
for 20 minutes, went on for an hour. 

- Help people move from their pet issues to
others they haven't thought much about. I once
did a talk show in Michigan militia territory. I
used some lines about gays not being the ones who
take your pensions and feminists not
shortchanging your healthcare. Some guy calls in
and says, "You know this fellow from Washington
has a point. We have to stop worrying so much
about those gays and women and worry more about
the corporations." It taught me not to give up on
people

Part of the problem is that many on the left and
the right approach the other side as solders
against an enemy or lawyers in a trial rather
than as teachers or organizers. Its not a good
approach because if you can't change the hearts
and minds of some of those watching on Fox,
you're probably going to lose the race. Put a
smile on your face, some facts in your mouth and
give it a try. 

MORE POLITICAL NEWS
http://prorev.com/politics.htm

___________________

JamBoi
Jammy The Sacred Cow Slayer

"Live humbly, laugh often and love unconditionally" (anon)
http://dailyJam.blogspot.com


 
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