Peter Daou doesn’t write as much as others in the blogosphere, but he pretty much always nails it when he does.

In today’s entry, he writes…

If I have one overriding concern, it’s that Bush’s ever-sinking poll numbers will lull progressives into overlooking the media problem. Complacency in the face of this issue will undoubtedly lead to ballot box disasters in 2006 and 2008.

We can’t ever forget how much power the media has in shaping conventional wisdom.

And if Democrats/Progressives don’t learn to aggressively shape the media narrative - or to even acknowledge that they currently don’t - we will certainly fail to capture this opportunity to reclaim at least a bit of sanity in American political life.

With a cold, blustery wind and the feel of oncoming snow, the Charlie Ross Making and Breaking of Political Heroes event at UVM started with an ominous hint of confrontation.

VIPs were escorted to the front section. Local press milled about, including Chris Graff, the recently fired from the AP dean of the Vermont press corps, and father of Dean staffer and first White House Blogger Garrett Graff… Sam Hemingway and that blond guy with the ponytail. I know I know his name, but…

And no less than 5 professional video cameras - three on the floor, one on the stage and one in the balcony - were on hand to capture the fireworks, apparently in part for an upcoming VPT program.

Current and past UVM presidents, Dan Fogel and Ed Colodny, talked amiably. Dan in an appropriately academic suit. Ed in a bright red v-neck sweater. And, of course, there was the gruff and rumpled Frank Bryan.

The program began with a welcome from President Fogel and then Chuck Ross, son of Charlie Ross, the event’s namesake. Charlie, the father, was many, many things, including a UVM professor and one-time unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate. The eventual winner of the campaign of 1974 was Pat Leahy. Chuck, the son, is Leahy’s State Director.

After a touching slideshow covering Charlie Ross’ full life, the combatants took the stage. Sitting left to right were Howard Dean, Howard Fineman, Dotty Lynch, Howard Wolfson, Ron Kaufman, and moderator Norm Ornstein.

That’s right, Howard Dean and Howard Fineman, sitting right next to each other.

All were treated to a personal water pitcher which must have contained at least 18 ounces of water. This group was going to need to slake heavily. And they clearly were not going to share.

So, Ornstein tried to soften what surely must have been a tense and anxious crowd with a few jokes. The best of which were (paraphrases, of course)…

37% of Americans say that they would rather have Dubai run the U.S. than Bush.

And when Cheney was at a 38% approval rate, Bush asked him, “What’s your secret?”

George Bush said recently, “You know, people keep saying that I just don’t listen, but when I do, they say I need a warrant!”

So the stage was set for battle. But, confrontation, there was not.

(to be continued…)

For more coverage, with actual quotes, read this or this.

UPDATE: Fellow traveler, Corinne, pointed me to this WCAX story and offered this…

This is why I love irony so much:

“Before the public forum, panelist Howard Fineman of Newsweek told reporters it’s difficult but not impossible to see heroes in politics: “Maybe I’m being naive, but I think the American people see someone who can reach across the divide in the country, speak truth, be fearless, have a sense of humor, they’ll respond to it. That’s my hope and my belief.”

All he had to do Tuesday was look to his right. Guess you can’t always see what’s right in front of you.

The new Blogads survey is out. And once again, it upends the conventional wisdom about who political bloggers really are.

As expected, Chris Bowers provides some good analysis and this helpful summary…

Active readers of Democratic political blogs are very highly educated, highly politically active, quite well-to-do, voracious consumers of media, not very young, and skew male. Apart from the male part, these indicators fly in the face of stereotypes about progressive bloggers, who are supposedly drooling, rabid, anti-social, uneducated, teenage extremists with no political value and out of touch with current events. Quite to the contrary, active blog readers have a tremendous amount of political capital to spend, and are in search of adventurous progressive politicians and organizations to spend it on. Is there any major progressive political group in the country that would not want to appeal to the demographics of this readership? High concentrations of wealthy, highly educated, highly active media junkies cannot be found in many areas in either this or any other country. Mischaracterize and misjudge them at your own peril.

The one key difference of the Dean campaign, as indicated in the Pew survey of Dean supporters, was that the percentage of men and women was almost equal (and arguably, women now dominate what is left of the Dean community still operating at Blog for America).

I believe raising the percentage of women netroots activists is essential to developing an effective netroots-friendly campaign.

But, this NY Post cover just may be one of the silliest ever…

Based on the size of Tarrant’s lawn signs, I imagine Vermont’s ridgelines could look a little bit like this…

He must be stopped.

According to CNN (via Crooks and Liars), Tony Snow will in fact accept the position as the new White House press secretary. Might as well just slap the FOX NEWS logo on the podium.

No, Air America is not doing an IPO, but local Burlington affiliate WVAA 1390 AM is now running a public radio style pledge drive.

Sounds like the eBay Guys can’t pay all the bills.

Cause for concern I’d say, but WVAA is one of the few benefits of my long commute. A donation would be much appreciated by many, I’m sure.

Randi Rhodes has been on a Bush on the Couch kick of late. I wonder if it’s been on Pink’s reading list, too.

You see, some protest songs are timeless.

Others? Stunningly topical…

Dear Mr. President
by Pink

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let’s pretend we’re just two people and
You’re not better than me.
I’d like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye,
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We’re not dumb and we’re not blind.
They’re all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter’s rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say.
You’ve come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you ’bout hard work.
Minimum wage with a baby on the way.
Let me tell you ’bout hard work.
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away.
Let me tell you ’bout hard work.
Building a bed out of a cardboard box.
Let me tell you ’bout hard work.
You don’t know nothing bout hard work.

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You’d never take a walk with me…

Would you?

Here’s video of a live performance.

(via AMERICAblog)

The University of Vermont will host a panel discussion on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 called “The Media and the Public Trust: The Making and Breaking of Political Heroes.”

I see the juxtaposition of Howard Fineman and Howard Dean on the same stage for this topic as the height of irony. I wonder if the organizers or participants are aware of it or intend it that way.

To me, and many other Dean supporters, Fineman was Stereotype-Perpetuator-In-Chief of the anti-Dean punditocracy, adding much to the image of Dean as the unhinged wacko from Vermont.

On a seemingly weekly basis, Fineman penned article after article about the reasons why Dean couldn’t or wouldn’t be the nominee.

To Fineman, Dean was ~too emotional, too humorless, too unwilling to suck up to the press in order to manipulate them.~ And many other inside-the-beltway wisdoms from the same crew who helped beat the drums of the Iraq War.

I hope someone brings this up during the event.

There’s lots of evidence that I’m sure I could find, but here’s a nice take-down at Salon that I quickly found…

Newsweek’s grand inquisitor
When Howard Fineman asked Dean if he believes Jesus Christ is the son of God and the route to eternal life, campaign reporting reached a brand-new low.
By Aaron Kinney
http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/feature/2004/01/13/fineman/index.html

(from an email to a friend)

Gov. Dean sits for a long interview with the editors of the American Prospect…

Breakfast with Mr. Dean
Dean speaks with The Prospect about Iraq, national security and the Democrats’ new voter database.
By The Editors
http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?
section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=11436