Perception and the Media

There has been much chatter, from both online pals and the media, about last night’s Democratic debate.

As I wrote last night, my own feeling was that Hillary won. The media certainly was quick to give her the win, and the kudos reached a rather absurd level. (No, Van Jones, she wasn’t like Beyoncé.) I also thought Sanders did quite well, but to me, Hillary carried herself the best.

However, a handful of focus groups showed Sanders winning. Vox had an interesting article about this, taking a look at how they felt Hillary seemed too timid and Sanders came across as strong. I found this a little dismaying because it seems that a woman who gets passionate about something is deemed as ‘shrill’ or told to ‘calm down.’ (For the record, if you ever encounter me when I’m really angry, tell me to calm down at your own risk.) It is very much a double standard that women have had to deal with for pretty much forever. It reminded me a lot  of President Obama stepping back from the risk of appearing to be the ‘angry black man.’ Virtually everyone seems to have these hardwired perception filters that are really hard to overcome. I thought that Hillary was being calm but showing strength; others thought that she was too passive.

A gal can’t win for losin’.

Another interesting thing I read today was a piece from Paul Waldman in which he wrote about how the media will manipulate our thoughts on the debate. We’ve been seeing this a lot lately, haven’t we? Whether it’s the media writing story after story about Hillary’s emails or not reporting on Sanders’ events, it seems they have their own agenda to push.

A related story was from poll genius Nate Silver about how the media had been selling the narrative of Hillary’s campaign in disarray and how VP Biden might step in to rescue the party and blah di fucking blah. So after pushing that narrative, they are now talking about how she was triumphant, a veritable phoenix rising from the ashes of a dysfunctional campaign. However, as Nate points out, she has been the frontrunner nationally for the entire time, and by a fairly healthy margin. He does not state that she is a shoo-in, but odds show that she is the prohibitive favorite. However, their bogus comeback story is a lot more interesting than “yes, she was ahead before the debate and she’s still ahead after the debate.”

This is why I take so much of what I read with a grain of salt. Sure, a lot of what I read is biased on the left. I realize that. But I try to avoid the especially sensationalistic sites like Salon or Jezebel. The Daily Beast can be that way, too, but I pick and choose which articles I post from there. If something is obviously inflammatory or biased, chances are I am not going to post it. I grow weary of journalists pushing an obvious narrative about this or that candidate. I just want to see the straight-up facts and go from there. Many journalists have insightful and thoughtful opinions, and I enjoy those for what they are: opinions. I always try to keep in mind that that is what they are offering up and putting their own spin on.

Unfortunately, far too many people accept that manipulation as fact and don’t form their own opinions. They’d rather be told what to think than to think it through on their own. I’m certainly vulnerable to that to a certain degree, but I do my best to form my own opinions.

Most people who know me would probably agree that I have plenty of them!

Well, that was refreshing!

Tonight was the first Democratic debate and boy howdy, wasn’t that a breath of fresh air?

1. Everyone talked about the issues.
2. No one attacked each other to any extensive degree.
3. Everyone agreed on the Democratic principles and vision, and no one really went off the reservation to any great extent.
4. Everyone seemed knowledgeable and was able to use their words and put them together into sentences that actually made sense.
5. There were only five people onstage, which meant that everyone got to say their piece, although I suspect Jim Webb would disagree with that.

What a contrast from the Republican debates. No one was attacking viciously, no one was stupidly attacking President Obama, no one was attacking immigrants or blahs or poors...it was all quite civilized.

I almost don’t know how to handle it. I mean, what just happened here? Did a group of candidates hold a debate and actually talk about the issues in a substantive way?

Huh. Weird.

P.S. I think Hillary won. Webb definitely lost, Chafee was marginal, O’Malley did pretty well, Sanders did very well, but Hillary was cool, calm, and collected, and came across as the most ‘presidential,’ which definitely counts for something in these debates. Biggest loser of the night? The Republicans. This is how you do a debate, kids. Please make a note of it.

Fair Warning

It seems that we’re really starting to get immersed in the 2016 election, with most of the air in the room being aspirated by Mr. Trump. It’s not surprising that the main focus right now is on the Republican side, because honestly, who can’t ogle a train wreck?

But there is some action on the Democratic side, too, and I feel like I need to make something very clear. I think everyone knows that I dress left (ha!), so that should come as no surprise. I’m starting to see some infighting between Clinton supporters and Sanders supporters, though, and I’m here to tell you that I want none of it. I refuse to bash either candidate. The main thing those of us on the left need to do is ensure that a Democrat gets into the White House again, whether it’s Hillary, Bernie, or Joe (although I really don’t think he’s going to run). I don’t care who the nominee turns out to be: I will vote for the Democratic candidate. We actually have a pretty good bench, and I would vote for O’Malley or Webb or Chafee if they somehow got the nomination. They are all decent people who will advance the Democratic agenda and support Democratic policies.

There are possible Supreme Court nominations looming. Do you really want a Republican nominee on the Court? This is crucial.

I am fine if you support any of the Democratic candidates. We have no argument there. However, I will not get into any arguments about who is the better candidate, and I will not tolerate any bashing of any Democratic candidate. Don’t like Hillary? Fine. But don’t be posting stuff on my Bookface wall bashing her. Debate is fine (although I really don’t want to engage in that this time around...my mind is made up), but angry rhetoric and name-calling is not. I also know my own mind well enough that I have come to my own decision, so going after me and trying to convince me otherwise isn’t going to work very well for you. Something some of you might not know about me is that I am very stubborn, and the more someone tells me I have to do or see or read something, the less likely I am to do so.

That’s why I still haven’t seen “Titanic.”

Anyway, at the end of the day, we need to remember that we are on the same side and want the same things. The best way to get there is to get a Democratic president into the White House again. Don’t lose sight of that goal.

(For any Republican friends reading this, it really doesn't apply to you. Carry on!)