Tag Archives: Presidential Election

ELECTION 2012: Is Romney Getting Buried in “A Devastating Opinion Storm” Generated by YouTube Views of New Media?

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Hugh Hewitt, a lawyer, blogger, political pundit and commentator is not convinced by polls showing that President Barack Obama is leading Governor Mitt Romney. In his popular Blog, Hewitt slammed the polls, and then exclaimed:

So with 40 days to go until the decision is in, that’s the playing field: A tied race, with enthusiasm on the GOP side but grim self-interest propping up a disconnected president while the world burns, the domestic economy crumbles, and elite media and select pollsters cheer the emperor they love and on whom they depend for treats.

Interesting. Frightening, but interesting.

LINK:
http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/g/bbda2e0c-ca90-43f2-8473-5458a8af7d69

But, in his best-selling book: BLOG-Understanding the Information Reformation That’s Changing Your Word, AMAZON.COM LINK: 

 , in which he writes extensively about new media and the impact of blogging on the coverage of politics by mainstream media, Hewitt expresses a salient and powerful notion: “the impact of a devastating opinion storm generated by a blog swarm,” and how the generation of that opinion storm in new media can push or even trump mainstream political media coverage.

Can the aggregation of YouTube views have the same force as a blog swarm? In other words, are there certain trends in those views which can generate “a devastating opinion storm?”

The recently compilation of the YouTube viewing data of the  videonclips from the Presidential campaigns certainly suggest the possibility.

Charlie Warzel, adweek.com, writes as follows:

The 2012 conventions have been arguably the most important political moment thus far in the campaign and according to a study from the Pew center for excellence in journalism, Democrats enjoyed a hearty advantage in terms of exposure on platforms like YouTube. The results, which tracked total numbers of YouTube views from date of publish until September 24th, illustrate that Clint Eastwood’s empty chair performance well-overshadowed Mitt Romney’s big moment last August, pulling in 3.2 million views to Romney’s 1.05 million.

xx xx xx

[W]hat the numbers do help illustrate, however, is that the Romney camp has had serious difficulties capitalizing on a crucial moment of visibility for the candidate. YouTube may be one element of the vote, but as the views were compiled over a month, it is indicative of the limited exposure that Romney is generating online. In a time where the Republican nominee needs to familiarize as many voters with his ‘brand’ as he can, he seems to be falling short, digitally at least.

SOURCE: LINK: Read More: Click:
http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/clint-rocks-mitt-democrats-dominate-youtube-convention-wars-144068

 

The Pew Research Center provided the following data:

The higher interest in Obama and the Democrats in social media is also reflected in the viewership of videos since the two conventions. For instance, through September 21, 2012, Obama’s acceptance speech on various YouTube channels has been viewed nearly five times as often as Romney’s (4.9 million to 1.1 million). And contrary to what some observers might speculate, Obama’s speech has also been viewed more than former President Bill Clinton’s address to the nation, though that speech, in various forms, has been viewed on YouTube nearly four times as often as Romney (3.9 million times to Romney’s 1.1 million). The same pattern can be seen in the numbers as they relate to the wives of the candidates. Michelle Obama’s speech has been viewed 3.2 million times, about five times as often as the one delivered by Ann Romney (563,000).

Pew Research Chart

SOURCE: LINK: Read More: Click:
http://www.journalism.org/commentary_backgrounder/how_social_and_traditional_media_differ_their_treatment_conventions_and_beyo

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

COULD THIS NEW MEDIA DATA GENERATE “A DEVASTATING OPINION STORM” THAT WILL BURY ROMNEY? 

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ROMNEY: Was Mitt Romney’s “Meet The Press” interview a sign of defeat?

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Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts,...

Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, US presidential candidate. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One would think that Mitt Romney would take advantage of his “Meet The Press” interview on 09-09-12 to articulate a clear agenda loaded with specifics. That did not happen.

Instead, it appeared that Governor Romney was changing course midstream.

Look for yourself: NBC NEWS-MEET THE PRESS

MTP is the Sunday TV talk show which is a leader in public affairs media. When Presidential candidates appear on the show, people watch and listen. An MTP interview influences the opinions of millions of viewers. It can affect the outcome for the voting in the November 6, 2012 Presidential General Election.

Remarkably, Romney stated that Clinton’s speech at the Democratic National Convention ”elevated” the Convention. Is the implication that Clinton’s speech diminished the speechmaking at Republican National Convention?

Likewise, Romney expressed his dissatisfaction with sequestration, the policy initiative which triggers automatic reductions in defense spending beginning January 1st. When host David Gregory reminded Romney that sequestration had broad bi-partisan support, he was adamant when he reiterated his position that the policy was wrong, and that GOP members of Congress should not have supported it.

Romney even when so far as to say that there were parts of health care reform which he liked.

We are only 58 days away from Election 2012.

With these kinds of pronouncements, can Mitt Romney articulate a game changing agenda to assure a GOP victory?

Or, has he virtually conceded that Clinton’s Convention Speech was the agenda setting message for Election 2012, a concession which assures his likely defeat?

ROMNEY: Would an African American female running mate push Mitt Romney’s candidacy over the top?

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Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney ...

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann Romney (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

COMMENTARY

Could Mitt Romney win the “race to the top” if he names an African American female to his ticket as vice president?

Jessika Morgan, in “Black Female GOP Possibilities May Exist for Romney Running Mate,” wrote the following:

Women are being considered as possible candidates to run with Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on the November ballot, the GOP candidate’s wife said July 5.

“We’ve been looking at that,” Ann Romney told CBS News in an interview. “There’s a lot of people Mitt is considering right now.”

She declined to say more about the list of possible vice president candidates to be paired with the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, other than to note that, as the former Massachusetts governor’s wife, she has offered advice in the selection process and would “love that option” of a female running mate.

Among the Black Republican women who could be added to a list of women running mate possibilities are former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll.

Rice, the subject of speculation in June, rejected the idea. And while Carroll, a Navy veteran and the first woman elected to statewide office in Florida has been silent, political journalists see Carroll as a possible aid to a Romney candidacy.

SOURCE: AFRO AMERICAN NEWSPAPER LINK:
http://www.afro.com/sections/news/afro_briefs/story.htm?storyid=75525

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Could an African American running mate aid Romney’s candidacy?

What do you think?

Your comments are welcomed.

MORGAN FREEMAN: Obama is not the first black president?; well, you were not the first black actor to play president yourself!

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COMMENTARY

Maybe Morgan Freeman was pandering for media attention and Internet clicks with his comment that President Barack Obama is not really America’s first African American or black President. According to Freeman, President Obama is America’s first mixed-race President. SOURCE: YAHOO’S MOVIES LINK:
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/morgan-freeman-obama-not-americas-first-black-president-152604131.html

Freeman, of course, who is presumably African American himself, portrayed a president in “Deep Impact” the 1998 film release of Paramount and Dream Works. SOURCE: IMDb LINK:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120647/

The film was very profitable. It grossed $180 Million on a production budget of $75 Million. So everybody including Freeman made some pocket change from his fictitious portrayal of the President.

And, presumably, this is what Freeman and his handlers were seeking by having him take a swipe at President Obama. Afterall, every click counts!

Thankfully, Freeman was not the first African American actor to portray the President. That credit goes to Sammy Davis, Jr. in the 1933 release of  “Rufus Jones for President.” SOURCE: WIKI LINK:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_president_in_popular_culture_(United_States
) A number of other actors also preceded Freeman in the role.

So Mr. Freeman, while your sop about President Obama borders on nonsense, at least it made us do some work and dig up some pop culture and history.

75 years after

Cover of "Deep Impact (Special Collector'...

Cover via Amazon

a black president emanated from the mind of a creative film writer, fiction became reality. America did indeed elect its first black president.

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FOX News: Brit Hume trashes Rick Santorum’s unnecessary social controversies; tags them as ‘political malpractice’

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, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.

Image via Wikipedia

Lead

Brit Hume’s smackdown of Rick Santorum‘s social issues agenda is tantamount to the political death penalty in GOP politics. Santorum is done.

Quote

RELATED: Santorum Explains Why JFK’s Speech On Religion & Politics Makes Him Want To ‘Throw Up’

Hume noted that his recent comments on contraception were something of a shock, and politically inexpedient. “To many Americans… that seems peculiar,” he noted, adding that many Americans did not see how pre-natal care was something to fight against.

SOURCE: MEDIAITE.COM

Commentary

Hume is one of the most influential political commentators among conservatives. Hume’s critique of Santorum means that there is no mainstream conservative support for Santorum.

Santorum is now effectively out of the race for the GOP Presidential nomination.

 

 

 

2012: AZ Governor Brewer endorses Romney

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Congressman Poe and Governor Mitt Romney

Image via Wikipedia

Today [02-26-12] Arizona Governor Jan Brewer endorsed Mitt Romney for president during her appearance on Meet The Press.

That should help.

If Mitt takes the Arizona and Michigan primary elections, he’s got the nomination.

If Mitt gets the GOP nomination, he stands a good chance of winning the general election.

SOURCE: Video Clip, see Sidebar.

Around the Web

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O’REILLY: as between Obama v. Romney, it will be FOX News’ Bill O’Reilly’s call

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Lead

Bill O’Reilly could be the factor who in his own right may become the pivotal political commentator and major influence for the eventual outcome of Election 2012.

MJB’s Take

If Election 2012 seems to be full of surprises, it’s because Mitt Romney just does not have the juice he needs, and the momentum he should have by now, to win.

As presidential timber, Mitt would appear to have it all.

Wealth, looks, education, business success, political success and two earned Harvard degrees to die for: Law and Business Administration. One would think he would have blown past his challengers in the GOP primaries, and then with the aid, comfort and support of Old School Harvard Alumni, be positioned to crush Barack Obama in the General Election.

But, for whatever reasons, Mitt seems to be lagging.

That must be a great disappointment to old school, Blue Blood Harvard alumni money which for the most part is still the real capital base of America. When the rubber meets the road, that money has more affinity for Mitt, a ’75 Harvard graduate, than it does for Barack, a ’91 Harvard graduate.

That 16 year Harvard graduation gap easily can be translated into the hundreds of millions of dollars of political money pouring into the coffers of SUPER PACS, those unrestricted funds for the aggregation and unlimited influence of corporate money, massed the old fashioned way, by folks like Old School Harvard Alumni Blue Bloods. SUPER PACS generally should favor Mitt, not Barack.

Now enter Bill O’Reilly.

The O’Reilly Factor, FOX NEWS, is one of MJB’s must watch talk shows. Almost without a peer and competition, it has emerged as one of the most influential talk TV shows in mainstream political media. It’s host, Bill O’Reilly is one of the best political talk hosts in media. And, he is one of the best educated media personalities in the business: B. A. in History-Marist College; M. S. in Broadcast Journalism-Boston College; and, MPA in Public Administration, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard.

There lies the key-Bill is a Harvard alumnus. He has the mystical and magical Harvard connection.

So if Election 2012 boils down to Barack, Harvard alumnus, in the Left’s Corner v. Mitt, Harvard Alumnus, in the Right’s Corner, the super referee will be Bill, Harvard alumnus, straight up the middle.

Bill O’Reilly’s say will be the say so with respect to the outcome of Election 2012.

That’s our opinion; what’s yours?

IOWA: Romney won Iowa;Obama will win the presidency

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Lead

Mitt Romney won the Iowa Primary by a razor thin 8 vote margin. Barack Obama will win the Presidency in Election 2012.

The numbers:

1.Romney          24.60%     30,015

2.Santorum        24.50%     30,007

3.Paul                21.40%     26,219

4.Gingrich          13.30%     16,251

5.Perry              10.30%      12,604

6.Bachmann       05.00%       6,073

7.Huntsman        00.60%         745

Source: USA TODAY

Our Take

The GOP is bitterly divided. It is probably more divided today than it was in 1964 when Barry Goldwater won the GOP nomination for President.

Conservatives simply will not consolidate behind Romney. Santorum is weak. Gingrich, a real conservative horse in the race, is too far behind. Cain, who we believe would be the GOP’s best hope to beat Obama, is on the sidelines.

We can close the books on Election 2012. Barack Obama most certainly will win reelection.

So, we need to start thinking about and talking about Election 2016.

IOWA: winner, losers

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LEAD (Revised)

This is MJB’s call of the winner, there only can be one, and losers, the also rans, in the Iowa Primary for Tuesday, January 3, 2012:

1. Newt Gingrich

2. Rick Santorum

3. Herman Cain

4. Rick Perry

5. John Huntsman

6. Mitt Romney

7. Michelle Bachmann

8. Ron Paul

Comment

What do you think?

Do you think it’s between Romney and Paul as the polls and commentators have suggested?

Hint: the polls and the commentators could be wrong!

Will the outcomes in Iowa set the stage for the wins and losses in upcoming primaries?

NEWT: Virginia-no votes for Gingrich

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November 8: Republicans gain control of Congre...

NEWT: Image via Wikipedia

Lead

Newt Gingrich did not qualify to get on Virginia’s primary ballot. To make matters worse, state law does not allow write-in votes. Without Virginia primary votes, can Newt capture the GOP nomination?

CNN Article (Quote)

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich failed to collect enough signatures to appear on the Virginia primary ballot, the Republican Party of Virginia announced Saturday morning, leaving the longtime Virginia resident without a place on the state’s ballot and raising questions about his campaign’s organization.

“Voters deserve the right to vote for any top contender, especially leading candidates,” campaign director Michael Krull said in the statement.” * * *

* * *Virginia state law specifically prohibits voters from writing in candidates not on the ballot in primary elections.

Source: Steve Brusk,“Gingrich, Perry fail to qualify for GOP primary ballot in Virginia,” CNN POLITICS

Our Take

Virginia’s primary election could be pivotal. It’s an early primary which usually signals how the South will vote.

So, if Newt is out in Virginia, who’s in, and will the Virginia win propel another GOP candidate forward on the road to winning the GOP Presidential nomination?

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OPINION: mr. president, are you listening to America?: it’s bad, really bad out here!

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President Barack Obama, you need to walk down the aisle yourself in the supermarket in cognito, and listen to what people who are hurting under your watch are saying. It’s not about you, the debt crisis, the gridlock in Congress-it’s about the fact that it’s bad out here, fault notwithstanding.

They are saying that they are hurting; that cash is tight; that they are barely making it; and, that if you don’t do something about it; you’re done.

I happened to visit a friend the other day at his luxury condo. He’s got some money, but he’s not making any money. Sooner or later he’ll be in the bread line. He had a lucrative career, made a lot of money, spent a lot of money, saved a lot of money, but nearly lost it all in the recession and cannot get back on his feet. At some point, he might just end it all.

He was depressed. Just a few minutes before I arrived, he watched the repo man hook up and tow away the Rolls Royce of his neighbor who just before the recession was himself a self-made millionaire, but like him recently became a member of Occupy XXX because he was broke. He lost his money, his wife, his lifestyle, his belongings and now his car. It seems likely that he will lose his life unless something remarkable happens, which is not likely either.

So Mr. President, you won’t lose because you’re a bad person, or a bad politician, or for that matter a bad President. You’re gonna lose because it’s bad out here in the real world, and unfortunately for you, little to nothing has been done under your watch to turn things around.

That’s my opinion; what’s yours?

 Around the Web

GOP PRIMARY: is it all about white male privilege?

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Lead

Were the GOP Debates  both “interesting and important?”

Source: THE WASHINGTON POST

At the end of the day, have the Debates been, and will they be, about the players, the losers, the ratings or the visual?

Image

GOP Debates: The Visual

Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, the GOP’s all star cast, the “iron men” of GOP politics,  ”Back Together Again!”

Is this the visual America has been waiting to see in the GOP Presidential nomination contest? Will it fire up the GOP electorate?

Has the contest been, and will it reflect the image, a contest for white boys only? Bye, bye Michelle Bachmann and Herman Cain?

Does not the visual say it all?

You decide.

Read More Around the Web

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MEDIA: has MSNBC lost its edge in its nighttime political coverage; will it have significant influence in election 2012?

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Lead

Has MSNBC lost its edge in its nighttime political coverage?

In view of recent poll results, will MSNBC have significant influence in Election 2012?

Media (Quote)

It’s certainly obvious in Iowa that candidates are investing a lot more time in television interviews than they are on the campaign trail. It’s a safe bet: a recent New York Times/CBS News poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus participants showed that 37 percent said they get most of their information from Fox News, that’s compared with 27 percent who cited broadcast news and a mere 2 percent who said they relied on MSNBC.

Source:  Allessandra Stanley, “The Republican Primary Campaign in Iowa Is Right at Home on Fox News,” THE NEW YORK TIMES

MJB’s Take

It’s hard to imagine that the suits at MSNBC are taking the poll results well. The implications of  MSNBC having diminished influence in Election 2012 could be staggering.

Obviously, the only game in town for mainstream media coverage now on the Presidential political calendar is the ongoing GOP primary election season. Because of its conservative tilt, FOX News would be expected to have a slightly higher viewership and ratings advantage when it comes to general media coverage of national politics and the GOP.

But, one would think that because the choice of the Republican nominee for President is a matter of real public concern and interest,  a larger percentage of people would be watching the commentaries on MSNBC if for no other reason than to hear and consider opposing viewpoints about the GOP candidates, and their positions on national issues.

The numbers for the reception of broadcast news seem to be good. However, broadcast news is not as pointed, engaging, opinionated, informative and influential as cable news.

MSNBC has an all-star line-up of nighttime talk TV talent hosting the programs from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. including Al Sharpton, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow. They are supported by diverse groups of commentators and contributors. The hosts and many of the commentators and contributors have been aggressive in criticizing the GOP candidates and their positions on issues. Those contrary viewpoints, of course,  add measurably to the body of information viewers and voters should be considering from now until general election day 2012.

The poll numbers for MSNBC were unusually weak. The fact that they were so lacking should be ringing bells and whistles loudly in the executive suites of MSNBC.

If MSNBC expects to boost viewership and have a significant measure of influence in the outcomes of the national elections, then major changes in its nighttime cable programming are warranted.

Related Web Articles

Also Read

Your comments are welcomed!

CAIN: ain’t no more Herman Cain for political media to beat on

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Lead

Herman Cain has suspended his campaign.

By devoting extensive coverage seeking to humiliate Cain and to derail his candidacy, mainstream political media lost its way. It utterly failed  its fundamental role in American presidential politics to stay focused, and to adequately inform the American people about the issues of national concern on the business and affairs of the country, the presidency, and the Presidential candidates in the GOP race for the Republican nomination.

Media (Quote):

After Herman Cain suspended his presidential campaign, other Republican presidential hopefuls praised him for energizing conservative voters and wished him well.

Source:  Danny Yadron, “Former Rivals Praise Herman Cain,” WSJ WASHINGTON WIRE BLOG

Query

Please take a moment and reflect.

If you wish to comment, that would be appreciated. But if not, please just take a moment and think.

Set aside the fact that Herman Cain is a Republican, that he is black and that he is conservative. Just reflect that up to now, he was a candidate in America for the GOP nomination to run for President in Election 2012.

Whether you agreed or disagreed with his philosophy, viewpoints and politics; whether you would have voted for him or not; Herman had every right as an American citizen to enter upon the playing field; to compete in the game of Presidential politics with Mitt, Rick, Newt, Jon, Michelle and Ron and whoever else seeking to run for President; and, to engage in conversations about the business and affairs of the nation.

This is still the United States of America.

Every qualified man and woman still has an unfettered right under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, to enter the race; to say whatever he or she wants to say; and, to do of course within reason whatever he or she wants to do to run for office; get his or her message out to the voters and seek the wins needed in the upcoming primary elections for GOP candidates who want to secure the nomination of the Republican Party, and run against Barack Obama in Election 2012 for President of the United States of America.

Whether Herman had $10 in the bank, or $10 Million, that was his fundamental right. And, it was taken from him.

How?

Not by the well-informed decision-making of voters at the ballot box.

But, essentially by the personal decisions of reporters, analysts, commentators, contributors, writers, editors and others in political media hot to trot about generating a torrent of media coverage concerning sex stories from three unhappy and unimportant women in the business and affairs of the nation anxious to tell their alleged stories from years gone by, but could never adequately explain why they wanted to tell their stories in the first place.

Who really cares, and in reality what difference should it have made to the state of the union and the presidency, what happened 14 years ago to the former National Restaurant Association staff employee who settled her claim, got paid, got another job, made another sexual harassment complaint and at least until one month ago was moving on with her life and career?

Who really cares, and in reality what difference should it have made to the state of the union and the presidency, what happened to the former applicant for a job at the NRA who did nothing and said nothing for all these years about an alleged sexual assault which took place 13 years ago?

Who really cares, and in reality what difference should it have made to the state of the union and the presidency, what allegedly has happening for 13 years  with a consenting women who allegedly was involved a love affair?

Mainstream political media should have been disciplined and stayed focused on the issues affecting the state of the union by keeping Americans informed about those issues and the positions of the GOP candidates on those issues. Just about every media outlet in the nation, however, got off mission,  went rogue, and wasted tons of ink and air time on what amounted to tabloid trivia.

It was mainstream political media coverage in prime time, to use the words of Ron Paul from another context: “beneath the office of the presidency.”

That’s our take, what’s yours?

MEDIA: Election 2012 & national politics-transformation of political media into a feature presentation of the entertainment industry

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Lead

In mainstream political media , is “GOP” a brand?

Media (Quote)

We’re waiting for The Donald to bellow his signature “You’re fired!” at one of the candidates.

Donald Trump will moderate a Dec. 27 debate with Republican candidates in Des Moines, Iowa, debate sponsors Newsmax and ION Television announced Friday.

The real estate, reality TV and Republican Party star, who had a short turn on the GOP primary stage earlier this year, is certain to add some spice to the debate format.

Source:   Mary Lu Carnevale, “Donald Trump to Moderate Dec. 27 Debate With GOP Candidates,”              WSJ WASHINGTON WIRE

The Questions

With the broadcast of Donald Trump hosting the next GOP debate, is national politics emerging to become nothing more than just another feature presentation of the entertainment industry?

Will TV reality stars begin to replace journalists as the “stars” in political entertainment?

Are we witnessing a trans formative moment in the evolution of political media?

Is that emerging development healthy for the future of America’s politics?

Does the GOP even have a candidate with the movie star qualities of President Barack Obama?

OBAMA: Chris Matthews-thrill is gone: are liberals concerned about President Barack Obama?

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Chris Matthews at presidential debate in Dearb...

Image via Wikipedia

Are liberals [really] concerned about President Barack Obama?

VIDEO Lead

Source: See, “Thrill is Gone,” VIDEO, uploaded in News Videos, Sidebar, in which MSNBC‘s Chris Matthews sounds off!

Issues

Is the “thrill [really] gone?”

Or, is the commentary by Chris Matthews, a high profile MSNBC media personality, intended as a strategic diversion to deflect attention and media coverage away from the coverage of Newt Gingrich and the GOP contest?

Also Reads

GINGRICH: Are liberals concerned about Newt Gingrich?

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Lead

“Liberals should fear Newt Gingrich.”

Online Quote

The opening quote comes from Tyler Mills, a young writer on the Yahoo Contributor Network, who said further:

Why? The man can put a sentence together. Newt has taken a lot of positions over the years that may be anathema to true “Constitutional conservatives” on education, healthcare, environmental and foreign policy. I would argue that Gingrich is a conservative for the 21st century, one that understands that an ocean is not going to always be able to protect us from a globalized, and sometimes volatile, world.

My liberal friends (I consider myself to be fairly left-wing) are not used to facing conservatives who understand complex policy questions, or at least that is the way they like to portray things. Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain and Rick Perry are all talented people, but they are performers and hype people–they don’t have a serious grasp on policy

Source: YAHOO STORY

Issue

Are liberals concerned about Newt Gingrich?

Related Coverage & Web Links

GINGRICH: Newt Gingrich: the GOP candidate of the moment; can Newt break away from the pack and take the GOP nomination?

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Lead In

The GOP Presidential candidate of the week, of course, by virtue of the scope and volume of political media coverage without doubt is Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives.

Newt surged in the polls this week. That raises the question whether is he is now positioned to break away from the pack, and to take the GOP nomination for President?

Newt’s surge came about just in time to capture and dominate the media coverage this weekend on the Sunday Talk TV Shows. The hosts were interviewed by POLITICO on VIDEO this week to talk about and share their views about Newt and likely success of his candidacy.  That VIDEO is uploaded under MJB News VIDEOS, Sidebar, Title: “11-18: NEWT Rises-Sunday TV hosts talk about it.”

His surge also is in time for the CNN GOP Debate scheduled next week on 11-22-11, one day before the anniversary of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Debate will focus on national security and the economy.

And, in the segment of the Journal Editorial Report TV show entitled: “Is Newt the Real Deal?” a panel of journalists from the Wall Street Journal have a lively roundtable discussion about Newt and his candidacy. The show is a featured program of FOX News. The VIDEO of that panel discussion is uploaded under  MJB News VIDEOS, Sidebar, Title: “Newt’s Poll Numbers Surge.”

The media coverage in the coming news cycle for next week is likely to be intense, something that Newt is well aware of and is likely to play into.

MJB’s collaborative partner, X9TV, uploaded in the first module on its site a FOX News VIDEO featuring a 6 minute clip of a FOX News Watch panel  talking about media bias and coverage with respect the Newt’s campaign. See VIDEO: at  X9TV.COM   Also click:  tab for X9TV on the Menu Bar of this Blog.

Media Quote

Newt Gingrich calls it giving advice. Most people would call it cashing in on his prominent name.

The former House speaker has raked in millions of dollars since leaving office more than a decade ago. Now as a rising GOP presidential candidate he’s facing renewed scrutiny of the intricate network of consulting firms, advocacy organizations and other businesses that, taken together, some have called Newt Inc.

“I do no lobbying of any kind. I never have. A very important point I want to make. I have never done lobbying of any kind,” Gingrich told Fox News Channel this week, defending himself over questions about his time since he left the speaker’s office under a political cloud in January 1999.

Source + Read:  HUFFINGTON POST

MJB’s Take

Newt Gingrich is now taking his turn being in the limelight as the putative front-runner for the GOP Presidential nomination. And, it seems that unlike the other contenders, including Mitt Romney, he’s ready for it, but more importantly, he relishes it.

Newt knows that his government affairs work as a “strategist” will be controversial.

The difference between a lobbyist and a strategist for most voters is a distinction without significance. As far as the court of public opinion is concerned, Newt is no more and no less than a high paid lobbyist who became rich by exploiting the honor and prestige of high office, Speaker of the House, to line his pocket with millions of dollars, irrespective of the history lessons and other consultations on politics and policy he has provided to clients.

Controversy fuels media coverage. And, it is that coverage which draws interest, which Newt is getting in spades, and attracts viewers, political money and votes. Newt loves it.

So he’s getting all the ego stoking attention he wants. If his calculations and projections are correct, in the end he will be the only GOP Presidential candidate having an image of a take charge leader who can assume the reigns of leadership as President on day one.

Newt has packaged himself as a “true conservative.” That’s music to the ears of the multi-billionaire conservatives who are prepared to unleash a torrent of political money, in the billions of dollars, to fund and fuel his campaign for President.

As for now, it’s clear that Newt may be the only true conservative who has the potential of breaking away from Romney and the other contenders, and then dominate and lead the field until the Republican National Convention to take the nomination for President.

That’s our take on it.

Leave a comment, and let us know what you think.

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