FIRST PRIORITY: THE MEDIA

Catching up on my reading and bloggin post-Thanksgiving, I'm reminded of why I decided to put it all aside until after the holiday: I'm once again disturbed, depressed, upset, aggrieved.

Foremost thought/conclusion:

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MEDIA. All this talk about what Dems have to do to start winning again is in equal parts maddening, dumb and ridiculous. What we have to do is develop progressive media outlets as an alternative to right-wing talk radio and Fox. There is no middle way. It's all about the medium, not the message. We have the right message; our voters understood Kerry's positions and agreed with them. Bush's supporters were so confused by the mixed and/or deceptive messages they got from Bush/Cheney themselves and the pervasive and powerful right-wing media that they voted for the Shrub while overwhelmingly mistaking his stances on the issues.

There can be no overestimating the power of integrated media. It is an unaccountable echo chamber reinforcing each message ad infinitum, creating a credibility perception almost impossible to overcome. "Independent" TV network and cable news channels, print media and radio have proven they cannot be trusted to provide a truly objective, fact-based source of information for the public.

So it's up to us. George Soros, Theresa Heinz-Kerry, Bill Gates Sr., and all you other billionaire progressives, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. Fund progressive media, BIG-TIME. It's the only way to start winning again.