Democratic passivity, Part 212

There’s an email floating around falsely accusing Obama of refusing to shake hands with the troops during his visit to Iraq. Another such example of sheer stupidity is one that says the “liberal press” refused to report an occasion where troops voted for McCain over Obama 54-2. These things are, indeed, circulating widely throughout the internet, and as far as I can tell nobody on the Democratic side is doing anything about them. Bob Somerby, The Daily Howler, hits the nail on the head. He has been a lonely voice in the wilderness when it comes to recognizing the cowardice of the liberal press in refusing to identify mainstream pundits and reporters who have sold out to the Republicans.

Of course, there’s no way to keep every damn-fool voter from believing every damn-fool story he hears. But the Democratic Party has been massively harmed in the past two White House elections by false accusations against its candidates. Our question: Have you seen the party make any effort to bring this general problem to the attention of regular voters? Have you seen the party develop messaging urging voters to doubt the things they get told? Have you seen the party discuss Jerome Corsi—who is back, of course, with a new, nasty book? Have you seen the party make any effort to discuss the false claims about Gore?
Have you seen the party show any sign that it prefers to win elections?
Readers; it’s a great bumper sticker: Friends don’t let friends believe rumors! For years, we’ve urged the Democratic Party—and “career liberal” elites—to pro-actively tell people like Stickles [the main who got the shake-hands email, but didn’t have time to check into it] that they are being played for fools by deliberate purveyors of falsehood and bull-roar. Most people don’t like to be deceived; we’ll guess that Stickles may be such a person. But has anyone ever told Ivan Stickles that he has been played, again and again, by powerful elites who seek to deceive him? Did it enter his head, when he met these new rumors, that these forces might be at it again?

Indeed, where is the multi-million dollar ad campaign that identifies exactly how the Republicans and a subservient, anti-Democratic mainstream press do this election after election after election -- Gore's sighs (deliberately amplified by the press) and "lies" (deliberately fabricated by the press, including Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich and other so-called "liberals"), Kerry's medals, and more recently, Kerry's "disrespect" for the troops in Iraq ? And clearly identifying why: the fact that they must distract attention because their extreme right wing ideology is anathema to most Americans?

Trying to get it across in sound bites the media may or may not show -- usually not -- or to people who actually show up and listen to the speeches -- most of whom are already in the choir -- will not do the job. TV advertising, radio advertising, local newspapers: that’s the only way the Democratic Party will ever build critical mass for making effective counter-attack possible.