I completely understand how years of prejudiced, bigoted, sexist treatment would create bottled-up resentment and anger. And having recently looked at video clips of Chris Matthews and various conservative talking heads, I can understand how that media treatment of Hillary would further inflame the resentment and anger.

I encourage Hillary supporters with these strong feelings to aim some of their energy at fixing the media. In the crunch, the so-called "liberal media" is controlled by an ultra-wealthy corporate elite who act in their own interests, not those of the public their licenses obligate them to serve.

Thus, all the corporate broadcasters ignored the recent New York Times story about the "independent" military experts on TV who were actually Bush-Cheney shills leading up to the war in Iraq. There is no "free market" correction when the market is controlled by a few buddies with the same goals. A number of prominent insiders, including Dan Rather and Katie Couric, have said publicly that there is corporate pressure that slants which news gets hidden and which gets reported. And the media companies are becoming increasingly entwined with the war industry, the military-industrial complex of which Eisenhower warned.

The anti-democratic, ultra-wealthy, fascist forces have always used bigotry to emotionally play one group against another in order to keep control. Open information flow is the path to eliminating all forms of bigotry and injustice. Honest corporate media truly fulfilling their public responsibilities is an essential component.

"The anti-democratic, ultra-wealthy, fascist forces have always used bigotry to emotionally play one group against another in order to keep control."

Maybe so, but their reins on the media herd aren't that tight. Jon Stewart's production team, the best in the news analysis business, recently put together a montage of media herd video clips before the Iowa caucus.

So was the media herd then attacking Hillary Clinton, trying to weaken her before Iowa? Umm... well... not exactly. Quite the contrary, the media herd was then in full Clinton coronation mode, with one analyst helpfully advising Barack Obama to just sit out the campaign this time around.

Nothing, but nothing, is more fickle than the media herd. After Obama won the Iowa caucus the old fashioned way, by superb campaigning at the grassroots level, the media herd executed a perfect 180 degree change in direction.

This is not how you would expect a media under the disciplined control of dark forces to behave. In 1992 the media herd saw dashing Bill Clinton as a refreshing alternative to stodgy George H. W. Bush. But after they tired of Clintonism, the herd in 2000 swooned over George W. Bush's folksy charm. In 2004 the media herd, cowering with fear, dared not challenge Bush and John Kerry paid the price. Today the herd is contemptuously dismissive of Bush.

So how will the media herd react to the coming showdown between John McCain and Barack Obama? Obama is now enjoying a huge media bounce while McCain's recent speech caused his own supporters to wince. But five months is an eternity in politics. And, as we witnessed with Clinton pre- and post-Iowa, you never know what will cause the media herd to change direction.

This point is not lost on the Republican "Fear and Smear" (c) GOP attack machine. Their sole objective will be to maneuver the media herd into a box canyon as they did in 2004. As Kerry can attest, this strategy can be devastatingly effective. Can Obama counter this Republican strategy? Yes, I think so. Here's a tip: <link>

Obama/Clinton 08!

I completely agree that the owners' reins on the media herd aren't totally tight. There is a certain amount of noise and slop in the system. And I also agree that Hillary got very deferential treatment early on in the campaign. Important points both. Your link to the pit bull point is also definitely valid.

In addition it seems to me, there is a bird's eye view well described by Bill Moyers in a spectacular speech to the National Conference for Media Reform: <link>

He lays out with stark clarity the severe threat to America's democracy from today's consolidating corporate news media. It's a speech from the heart to rekindle "the patriot's dream".

Thanks for the dialog.

NBC and MSNBC are the worst of the lot. Tim Russert is on right now with his group of airheads telling us why Hillary should not be VP. With Tim at the head of the news NBC and MSNBC have rotted from the head down.

I had no idea he was on this late,so turned him off as soon as I heard his drivel

THEY CANNOT SEEM TO STOP THE HATE HILLARY..

Maybe you should watch the whole program MaryAnne, they discussed the pros and cons of her as VP. Also they talked about what a great speach she gave yesterday and how unfortunate is was she was not able to take the time she deserved before she suspended her campaign.

There are many things that affect the media's coverage. The corporate reigns are one thing. Another is simply ratings, which means money to their owners and a good narative makes ratings. When Hillary looked inevitable, that made a good story for a while, but a horse race is even better. So, when the race became Obama vs. Clinton, they ran with it for as long as they could. Even though this race was effectively over two months ago, they still pretended Hillary had more than a snowball's chance in hell of winning because it made ratings.

Maybe all hillarys supporter should boycott msnbc nbc cnn /wolfb.and cafferty.

I hope hillary will go back to the senate.

This is just me but i think that she could do more good there than she could as vp.

Im just so sad that she was sold out like she was.

I hope the grow up and just accept that she just got beat by a better campaign.

Maybe you should watch the whole program MaryAnne

MaryAnne is not interested in actual information. She's on here, as always, to whine and cry like a 4-year-old who had her dolly taken away. She's been doing it for weeks and she's not going to stop.

Piggyhew,

You are so right about Hillary in the Senate. She is positioned to be a major powerbroker there for literally decades. She can help out in pretty much any congressional or senate race now due to her strong run in all 50 states and list of volunteers and donors.