It’s been a while since we took a look at the Establishment blogs and with less than seven weeks left until Election Day it’s time for a glance at the propaganda machines.
The Kerry campaign brings out a big-time player with a diary entry from Elizabeth Edwards on her recent visit to the North Star state. Mrs. Edwards started off her day in St. Paul reading David Shannon’s A Bad Case of Stripes to a class of second-graders. “The best part of the afternoon,” says Mrs. Edwards, “was the engagement of the young people,” who learned that “people of all ages are tired of the smear-and-fear tone covered in the media.” (We didn’t realize that “A Bad Case of Stripes” had invaded our turf, but we’re checking it out.) Perhaps Mrs. Edwards caught a glimpse of yesterday’s New York Times cover story on young people reawakening to presidential politics.
Over at GeorgeWBush.com, the blog promotes an online chat with second lady Lynne Cheney. In the chat, which took place yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Cheney told the participants, “I have thought on occasion of running for office, but lately I’ve been thinking I’d rather be a campaign manager — maybe for one of my daughters or even one of my grandchildren.” Lynne Cheney as Karl Rove; the mind boggles.
In another post on the Bush-Cheney blog, Katie Knapp, director of volunteers and interns, clues us in on how “W Rocks Oregon” as eager-beaver Bush volunteers blitzed voters with over 3,000 phone calls. (Knapp inexplicably detours to tell us that “Eugene, OR was the first city in the United States with 2-way streets” and that “The chinook salmon is the official state fish, and record catches of 53 inches and 126 pounds have been recorded.”)
Meantime, as far as we can tell, the Nader-Camejo 2004 website is blogless, but there is an Unofficial Vote4Nader Blog. It’s mostly a collection of news articles related to Nader compiled by the blogger Morgan, who asks us all to imagine what it would be like to have Nader in the White House. Morgan continues, “Hmmm. Okay, so if that may be a little tough or just too much for you to ever imagine in the first place, make it a bit easier on yourself and begin with, say, [Ralph in] the Oval Office.” What a sight! (Having earlier boggled, the mind staggers.)
The very active and official Michael Badnarik blog is celebrating its candidate’s recent addition to the Connecticut ballot. The Libertarians lash out at the “Draconian ballot access … imposed by the duopoly to prevent our voice from being heard. It is like forcing us to run twenty miles just to get to the marathon.” Still, this doesn’t stop them from sticking their tongues out at the other third-party candidates, writing, “And we soundly beat Nader, Cobb, and Peroutka in the battle for ballot access. Great work, guys! ”
So much for that third-party solidarity.
–Thomas Lang
Thomas Lang was a writer at CJR Daily.