With all of Mitt Romney's media gaffes, it's no wonder that Rupert Murdoch has been tweeting that Romney needs a new team. In fact, his words seemed particularly prophetic yesterday when Mitt's man Eric Fehrnstrom, the etch-a-sketch guy, insisted in an interview with Chuck Todd of MSNBC that the tax connected with Obamacare was a "penalty," which is the same spin used by the White House. That interview has thrown the right-wing blogosphere into a hissy fit.
But Fehrnstrom is only one of Mitt Romney's problems, and I think Dark Lord Murdoch was referring to another interview - this one on Breitbart - in which two Romney advisors say they will only communicate through the "Center-Right Media," which to them does NOT include Fox News.
And that's a big problem, because Murdoch isn't going to back a Republican candidate who shuns Fox News. In fact, he hints on his twitter that he doesn't even see Romney as a viable candidate, and he certainly has the power to weaken his chances in November just by ignoring him. Romney has appeared on Fox, but mainly to spout agreed-upon talking points. But I really don't understand why Team Romney would rely mainly on the "Far-Right-Out-There-Goofy-Extremist Media" when the vast majority of independent or low-information voters wouldn't be reading the Drudge Report or Breitbart anyway.
So in a bizarre way, I agree with Murdoch. The Romney guys seem to think that preaching to the far-right choir is the answer, instead of attacking Obama in the mainstream media. I honestly doubt this will help him win anything except more enemies - and they don't need Rupert Murdoch as an enemy. And while they tout Twitter as important to their message, it can hurt Romney as much as help him - Murdoch proved that this weekend.
Breitbart: Romney Team Relies on Drudge and Breitbart
Drudge is the single most powerful force in the media today,” said Zac Moffat, Digital Director of the Romney Campaign. Lenny Alcivar, campaign spokesman
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Moffat and Alcivar discussed how websites like Breitbart and Drudge influence the way their campaign receives and delivers the news.
When this election is over, one of the lessons that will be learned by the mainstream media is that they no longer have a toe-hold on how Americans receive their news. Never before – in a way that has taken Democrats off stride – have we seen the confluence of an aggressive online community, led by Breitbart, and an aggressive campaign team not willing to cede an inch of ground to Democrats. This combination has created a new political reality. We no longer allow the mainstream media to define the political realities in America. The rise of Breitbart, Drudge and others, combined with an aggressive Romney campaign is a powerful tool in the arsenal of the conservative movement.
If I talk to Breitbart about an issue, thousands more will hear our message than if we give a quote to one of the hill rags.
Moffat revealed, “I have two windows constantly up on my screen all day long, Twitter and the Drudge Report.”
*snip*
“The governor will no longer allow the mainstream media to dictate the terms of this debate. This is just the beginning... We are witnessing the rise of the center right media.”
Yeah, right - how's that working for you so far? *scratching head*
