Smart Friends
A savvy friend writes in to CCM's Red Phone:
The WH spreads rumors that it's Edith Clement, then schedules the announcement for 9 p.m. (creeping close to deadline for everyone, but particularly national papers such as the Times and USA Today). THEN, in a classic bait-and-switch, Bush announces it is, in fact, Michael Luttig (or anyone else). Bam -- the coverage in tomorrow's papers (except for the west coast ones) is about an inch deep, setting the tone for the entire debate. Let's put it this way: smart Dems will resist the urge to comment AT ALL tonight, because anything they say now will be held against them later.What can I say? I have smart friends.
It's a very shrewd move by the WH -- and another example of how they manipulate the media to serve their own purposes.
posted by Jonah B. Gelbach at 3:39 PM
2 Comments:
The only way that would work, under the logic presented, would be if Bush nominated someone who has been completely under the radar -- i.e., if he nominated someone who has not been mentioned as a serious candidate over the last two weeks that took folks by surprise. Anyone who is not ready to comment on a nominee such as Michael Luttig, who has been mentioned not only in the last two weeks but for many years as a prominent potential nominee shouldn't be commenting on the national stage in any event. Tripped up because it's nine p.m. EDT? Please.
The only thing you can give them credit for is getting the full play out of the announcement -- prime time national announcement and all that. One can assume that Clinton took advantage of the huge newsworthiness of the announcement to make his announcement of Bryer and Ginsburg in prime time.
Tripped up because it's nine p.m. EDT? Please.
Well, I *am* biased. But I think you've missed my friend's point about the 9pm factor. And I will say that the deadline thing is no small affair, at least for print journos. It's a media thing....maybe you wouldn't understand [joke!].
And, actually, for blogging ones, too, if my casual empiricism is right. And even for TV....I bet people don't watch for very long after sth like this.
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