Why Oh Why Can't We Have a Better Press Corp? (John Kerry Edition): Archive Entry From Brad DeLong's Webjournal

June 29, 2004

Why Oh Why Can't We Have a Better Press Corp? (John Kerry Edition)

At CJR's Campaign Desk, Liz Cox Barrett tears America's political ~~airheaded gossipmongers~~ press into shreds and gobbets, and then eats the gobbets:

CJR Campaign Desk: Archives: Once upon a time, not so very long ago, there was a senator named John who found himself on Al Gore's short list of potential running mates. The campaign press... was entranced.... It tumbled all over itself to describe John as the perfect match for what it saw as the somewhat wooden, robot-like Gore. One newspaper described John as a man with "an easy manner and good looks," a politician whose "charisma [might] rub off on [Gore]," a person who could "bring some charm to the ticket." John's selection, it opined, would signal that Gore "thinks the election will be decided on personality"... "charismatic"... "younger and more telegenic than Dick Cheney"... "handsome," with "a record tailor-made to undermine the standard Republican attack on liberal Democrats." This John's surname was Kerry....

What a difference 1,460 days make.

The "handsome," "charismatic" candidate who four years ago had an "easy manner," "charm," and a record impregnable to Republican attack has undergone a hideous transmogrification.... No longer handsome, Kerry... "The Addams Family"'s heavy-browed Lurch... a "long-faced Easter Island mask"... "a long, angular face [that] has something of the abstraction of a tribal mask"... "those long-faced walking trees in 'Lord of the Rings'"... a "droopy, hound-dog look." Kerry, it seems, was repeatedly whacked by an Ugly Stick sometime between 2000 and 2004.... Kerry has also, apparently, lost any shred of charisma, and is now utterly free of charm "...rarely do [Democrats] have much to say about [Kerry's] personal appeal or charisma"... "charisma-challenged by a mannequin." (This from newspapers that sang the praises of the charismatic and attractive Kerry not four years ago.)... Chris Matthews wondered aloud on "Hardball" whether John Kerry "has the stuff," given that "nobody ever associated the word charisma with [him]." (Four years ago, Matthews had no such doubts about Kerry. "I think [Gore-Kerry is] going to be the ticket, I'll say it here, because I believe that -- that Bill Clinton, to his credit, set the standard: Pick a vice president who looks right from day one like he could be president," he declared in July of 2000.)...

[T]he once charming Kerry has apparently grown "aloof"... Howard Fineman... "the matter of Kerry's public persona: he can seem aloof, condescending and soporific."... Gloria Borger asked her roundtable cohorts on CNBC's "Capital Report": "We always called [Kerry] aloof. Is he still aloof, or is this -- or is he trying to warm up here for us?"... Lois Romano wrote that Kerry "often comes off as aloof and elitist."...

[A]s the revealing swimsuit portion of this campaign approaches -- the conventions, the debates, and the inevitable autumn opposition research ramp-up -- who knows what the eyes of reporters will see? Heck, by October, Kerry could become "fetching" and Bush "articulate." Or, things could head only downhill, with Kerry devolving to "grotesque" and Bush to "tongue-tied" as the days until Nov. 2 wind down. Campaign Desk is willing to bet on only one certainty:Whatever descriptions of the candidates and their demeanors become the flavors of the moment with the campaign press, we urge you, the readers and the listeners -- resist. For those characterizations will bear little or no relationship to reality, and in the Kingdom of the Blind, the one-eyed man will be king.

Posted by DeLong at June 29, 2004 07:12 AM | TrackBack | | Other weblogs commenting on this post

Comments

By these Methods, in a few Weeks, there starts up many a Writer, capable of managing the profoundest, and most universal Subjects. For, what though his HEAD be empty, provided his COMMON-PLACE-BOOK be full; And if you will bate him but the circumstances of METHOD, and STYLE, and GRAMMAR, and INVENTION, allow him but the common Privileges of transcribing from others, and digressing from himself, as often as he shall see Occasion; he will desire no more Ingredients toward fitting up a Treatise, that shall make a very comely Figure on a Bookseller’s Shelf, there to be preserved neat and clean, for a long Eternity, adorned with the Heraldry of its Title, fairly inscribed on a Label, never to be thumbed or greased by Students, nor bound to everlasting Chains of Darkness in a Library: But when the Fulness of time is come, shall happily undergo the Trial of Purgatory, in order to ASCEND THE SKY.

from A TALE OF A TUB, Section VII, A Digression in Praise of Digressions

Posted by: Jonathan Swift on June 29, 2004 08:20 AM

____

Somebody (Media Whores Online? The Daily Howler?) once said that the most important lesson about the media vs Clinton was that they didn't savage Clinton because he was Clinton, but because he was a Democrat. That they did it to Gore, not because he was Gore (whatever that means), but because he was a Democrat.

And that they'd do it again in 2004 to whomever the Democrats nominated, because he would be a Democrat.

They were right.

Posted by: Barry on June 29, 2004 11:00 AM

____

"For those characterizations will bear little or no relationship to reality, and in the Kingdom of the Blind, the one-eyed man will be king. "

only if the blind guys vote for him.

Posted by: Anna on June 29, 2004 11:33 AM

____

Well, if the press corps--90% of whom will vote for him, if the past is any indicator--can't muster any enthusiasm for Kerry, what does that tell you about his chances in November.

Posted by: Patrick R. Sullivan on June 29, 2004 12:58 PM

____

Actually, the latest offering is a big improvement for Weisman:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A10538-2004Jun27?language=printer

It is about policy. It uses actual budget numbers and estimates without the smoke and mirrors.

Posted by: bakho on June 29, 2004 01:49 PM

____

I don't care who will be king of the kingdom of the blind. I want to know who is going to be president of the Republic of the blind

Posted by: Robert Waldmann on June 29, 2004 05:03 PM

____

They're trying to Gore-ify Kerry.

Because you know last time it was so much fun what with that whole inventing the earth-toned Internet thingy and all.

Posted by: Fledemraus on June 29, 2004 08:00 PM

____

I also remember early in the primary the press and pundits were worrying about whether Democrat voters would be able to bring themselves to vote for a moderate candidate who could win in the general election. After the relatively moderate Kerry won, all of a sudden the press and pundits announced that this meant Kerry had no support because people only voted for him only because they thought he could win an election, not because they *really* supporte him. It was a speculative bubble for Kerry, a second order phenomenon beauty context phenomenon that meant his compaign would collapse. I think some folks over at Slate and TNR had references to Goedel's theorm and self-computable systems... I think.

There is a place for good old fashioned politcal horse race talk and voting statistics, and such... but this kind of garbage?? When you think about the complete triviality of it all, it is frightening. And all this junk squeezes out almost all discussion of substance.

My theory is that with ratings and sweeps and everything must be a maximum profit center always, news has become show business. For the reporters, the combination of having to do hard homework, and the fact that the reward for it might be a lower popularity score to deal with at contract negotiation time because you have said things that might upset somebody the advertisers want to get, well what is the payoff for them? That is my current theory.

Posted by: jml on June 29, 2004 10:34 PM

____

Great site fatty lose weight with reductil and reductil uk

Posted by: reductil uk on July 6, 2004 01:54 PM

____

Great site fatty lose weight with reductil and reductil uk

Posted by: reductil uk on July 6, 2004 10:26 PM

____

Great site fatty lose weight with reductil and reductil uk

Posted by: reductil uk on July 8, 2004 02:28 PM

____

Get it up mate, it's fun!

Posted by: Viagra on July 8, 2004 08:22 PM

____

Qui vult dare parva non debet magna rogare - He who wishes to give little shouldn't ask for much

Posted by: fat chubby naked men on July 11, 2004 11:25 AM

____

This will get yours up again, dude!

Posted by: Viagra on July 12, 2004 02:44 AM

____

It gets yours up to the top dude! The girl will enjoy it!

Posted by: cialis uk on July 13, 2004 07:11 AM

____

It gets yours up to the top dude! The girl will enjoy it!

Posted by: cialis uk on July 13, 2004 02:04 PM

____

Muppets love Viagra!

Posted by: Viagra UK on July 14, 2004 03:01 AM

____

I don't really think your thoughts are right. Maybe you need a loan?

Posted by: payday loans on July 15, 2004 12:17 PM

____

Thanks for your blog!

Posted by: Kontaktanzeigen mit Bild on July 16, 2004 06:10 AM

____

Hire a car to feel higher!

Posted by: Car hire UK on July 20, 2004 05:00 PM

____

Hire a car to feel higher!

Posted by: Car hire UK on July 20, 2004 11:54 PM

____

What a cool blog!

Posted by: Kreditkarten online on July 27, 2004 12:17 AM

____

buy ativan cheap at http://www.buy-valium-cheap.com/ativan.htm, ativan side effects, buy ativan, ativan, ativan lorazepam, ativan online, lorazepam, lorazepam online, buy lorazepam, buy ativan online, buy lorazepam online, generic ativan

Posted by: ativan on July 28, 2004 08:29 AM

____

You can purchase anti anxiety medications at http://www.alprazolam-xanax-online.com. xanax, buy xanax, xanax online, order xanax, purchase xanax, cheap xanax, 2mg xanax, 2 mg xanax, xanax xr, xanax side effects, generic xanax, xanax picture, buy xanax online, xanax tablet, xanax bar, alprazolam, buy alprazolam, alprazolam online, xanax alprazolam

Posted by: xanax on July 28, 2004 01:34 PM

____

Posted by: xanax on July 28, 2004 02:50 PM

____

Posted by: xanax on July 28, 2004 04:00 PM

____

Posted by: xanax on July 28, 2004 04:42 PM

____

Posted by: xanax on July 28, 2004 05:35 PM

____

Posted by: xanax on July 28, 2004 05:39 PM

____