Even as some elections are happening today, this old advice holds true for newly elected Republicans. And it will hold just as true come the next set of primary elections and the general. In fact, they’ll always be true. And for those of you that supported them?
The fight will never be over:
Ten Media Truths for Conservative/Republican Legislators
- The Media hates you, and wants you to die in a fire.
- The Media will only reliably compliment you when you do things to help liberals and Democrats.
- The Media loves it when you attack other conservatives/Republicans.
- You will never, ever, ever be able to reliably buy off the Media by being a ‘good’ (i.e., self-hating) conservative/Republican.
- Every flaw that you have – real or perceived – will be magnified by the Media. You will get no slack at all.
- Every flaw that your opponent has – real or perceived – will be downplayed by the Media.
- If you get an endorsement from a major Media source, it’s probably because your opponent was caught in a horrific scandal. So don’t count on getting that endorsement the next time.
- The Media has no shame, no sense of guilt, and no institutional memory of its own faults, flaws, and prejudices. Do not appeal to its better nature: the Media could care less about your opinion of it.
- Do not whine about any of this: the truth is, this unrelenting hostility from the Media will (if properly handled) simply make you an unstoppable political machine.
- Most importantly: THE MEDIA DID NOT ELECT YOU. The voters did. Keep that in mind when you’re working out your legislative priorities.
The above is summarized by a single line (H/T: Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit): they are Democrats with Bylines. Period. This is how you need to view EVERY person in the media as hostile unless they have a long track record of being either 1) conservative themselves or 2) it really is a conservative site.
Even we, easily the most Conservative news and opine outlet in NH, can be Republican unfriendly. In fact, we need to be – when Republicans don’t live up to their word or what they purport to believe in, we believe it to be incumbent upon ourselves to make life miserable for them.
That’s the difference – you GAVE us a reason; you brought us upon yourselves. The other media just hate you because you exist. Just ask all those Democrat candidates that continuously get 95-99% of campaign donations from newsrooms.
This nice thing about this, though, is that most of us on the Right know this. Conservative candidates had better learn this: forget about the media and worry about your base. There are enough alternative outlets (like us) and social media to just give the Left MSM the lip service it sometimes deserves. But only lip service – go where your base resides.
(H/T: Moe Lane)
