What Dean fought for

I know Howard Dean has been under attack in some quarters of the left, mostly by Hillary supporters as of late. But I was watching this video of what it was like being in the room when he gave his now infamous Iowa speech and "scream" and the dkos poster is correct - the media frame and filter always colors how they present the news and consequently, what ordinary Americans see and believe.



So yes, I believe that the media's portrayal of Wright is just snippets and not necessarily representative of everything Obama's preacher said or did. But going back to Howard Dean, who came across so angry.

Now, the average public may not understand the technical difference between a vocal mic and a room mic. And so they may not understand how manipulated the infamous "Dean Scream" really was. But I can assure you with 100% certainty that the people at CNN, NBC, and Fox knew exactly what they were doing.

And they know exactly what they are trying to do to Barack Obama.

Whether it's to drag this race out for increased advertising revenue (political campaigns are big bucks) or to eliminate a threat, this spectacle is nothing less than the media manufacturing "controversy" to manipulate American democracy.

Everything that Howard Dean said is right - we want to take back America for the normal people. We want and need to run a 50 state strategy so that our message is carried in all corners by everyday Democrats. So that all Americans see that Democrats care about them - about Democrats in big and small states, in states that have traditionally been ignored, and in states that have traditionally acted as ATMs.

It has been said before, but it bears saying again - Howard Dean was right about most everything - his opposition to the Iraq War, his desire to move Southern voters beyond god, guns, and gays, his drive to talk to voters in all 50 states. And as DNC Chair he is implementing these things, but he's not on the Sunday talk shows like Terry McAuliffe used to do, because his audience isn't the politicos who are up watching Sunday talk shows. Indeed, he knows the media isn't his friend.

Witness the incredible turnaround from when they were raising him up as an insurgent, and then the quick Icarus flameout when they roasted him on a spit, turning his words over and over in the eyes and ears of the American people via their cruel instrument of tv.

Instead he has organizers on the ground in 50 states, paid staff that have rejuvenated the party in states like Idaho and Montana, as well as South Carolina. Obama has taken Dean's strategy and expanded upon it, with just results. But Obama know he has to be just as wary of the fickle media, because they can make or break you.

He gave a good speech, one that resonated with people across the country. He gave a speech where he reminded us of the best that this nation has to offer, and he did it all by himself, writing and crafting it by himself.

I think part of it is that the media is just friggin glad to have a president who can think and talk for themselves, but this doesn't mean that they don't want to roast Obama so that the race drags on, whether for ratings or otherwise.