The Taylor machine wouldn't have to control all the media. It would own one "news" network, whose talking heads would have called Smith a socialist and a communist. Certain radio "personalities" would pile on, also accusing Smith of being a socialist and communist, not to mention a Muslim, and questioning whether he was even an American citizen. How well would it have worked? Did you notice the results of the election last week? As for his most important antagonist having an attack of conscience, it seems to me that the members of one political party are actually bragging that they are going to oppose any measure that would help the country in order to strengthen their pursuit of the White House in two years. We don't really have to wonder how it would play out today; sadly, we already know.
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borodinrodin
14 years ago
A better example was seen in the 2008 Republican primary debates. Look what and how the establishment media (left and right) treated Ron Paul. There was a man who derived the majority of his monetary support from individuals and small donors. The corporate media (read Ben Bagdikian's Media Cartel) five major communication conglomerates did everything the could to marginalize and discredit him and disregarded his message as much as possible (whether you agree with his positions or not).
The electoral and primary process has been co opted and we will continue to get the same end result. Loss of personal liberty and freedom under the guise of "protecting us" Patriot Ac or "taking care of those too big to fail". Both parties as elites have served to Socialize the Risk (to the citizens) and Privatize the Benefits (to themselves). That's the key problem. The double standard of the elite representatives who do not live under the laws they impose and then profit from their knowledge of legislative process has got to end as well as their payback to funders on Wall Street and K Street.
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