But that's not the problem with Fox. The problem with Fox is that it is an advocacy organization either designed or with the effect of coming across as far more persuasive than an outright advocacy station, by selling itself as "news" and throwing in little tidbits of apparent "balance" amongst a barrage of slant, misleading innuendo, misleading statements, and wildly relevant omissions.
That's a huge difference. Of course, the case needs to be made. but that seems to be another "challenge" on the part of Democrats, along with framing.
Then Jarrett uttered some words that might get the "democratic base" all teary eyed with positive political passion, but which will likely chill a whole lot of other Americans, including many who voted for Obama.
I think that what the administration has said very clearly is that we're gonna speak truth to power
It's almost like Democrats took lessons on how to play into right wing and far right wing caricatures of them. Yes, this is a popular phrase, and yes it has been used by some notable (and well spoken) politicians, but it is not appropriate here, and it sounds far more out there in this context than it really is. It makes it seem that to those not already fully on board with the White House that the White House has a rather controlling agenda.
Of course, active Dems keep getting their feedback from other active, fully committed Dems, who tend to see things the same way, so nobody is pointing out to Jarrett how this actually hurts the White House's message, hurts them with their case to Fox, and plays right into Fox's attacks back on them (which don't bear repeating here.)
Jarrett also helped those who want to make the case against the White House. But at the same time, she also did something more important. She aligned Fox with the rest of the media, when the real problem is that the rest of the media is not doing a sufficient job covering the media story that is Fox. This is two terrible strategic accomlishments with one move.
Jarrett told Brown that the White House will go after any network, not just Fox News, that distorts the truth.In other words, now the case is not about Fox, because what Fox does is pose as political and policy news station when it is actually in large part an ideologically motivated and highly manipulative advocacy station, but the case it about the entire media. This builds solidarity between Fox and the rest of the media, when exactly the opposite is required (let alone the fact that Fox often goes after the rest of the media, which in turn is too scared to make a real story out of Fox's constant distortions). And it also makes it seem now that the issue not so much how bad Fox is (see above again for what it does), but simply that the "media is bad" and it is thus about a thin skinned White House that seems to be attacking media and viewpoints that it does not like.
"We're calling everybody out," she said. "This isn't anything that's simply directed at Fox
This plays directly into Fox's characterization of what the White House is doing. And it bolsters the alarming argument, false as it is, that the White House is trying to have a chilling effect upon independent reporting and disparate viewpoints.
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