New Script

As Bob Somerby keeps telling us, the press doesn't report, they repeat scripts.

The "Script" on John Kerry was that he was an upper-class flip-flopper. So no matter what Kerry actually did or said, the media filtered it through that narrative, and FORCED the facts to demonstrate the spin. Same for Gore: the Script said that Gore was an exaggerator. So everything Gore said was used by the media to support that pre-determined image.

Well, for four years now, the media script on Bush was that he was "decisive," "blunt," "a leader," but still a "regular guy." No matter that the facts never bore that image out - Bush has benefitted from the most fawning coverage and the most positive media script enjoyed by any President of my lifetime.

Well, the press now has a NEW script on Bush, and it is a BIG problem for him.

The new media narrative on Bush is that he is INdecisive, lazy, out-of-touch, and rigid. And everything he says or does will now be used to feed THAT narrative instead of the old one.

He has no one but himself to blame, for this of course. He has behaved that way for years, and the script finally caught up with the reality. The old script reached a point of such complete disconnect that it has become unsustainable. But now that the script on him has changed, he will have a very, very hard time getting his old image back.

Stick a fork in him.

He is now actually going to get called on all his lies.

Poor bastard - he thought the free ride would last forever.