Category Archives: Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin

Time for A Laugh, at the Progressives’ Expense – Gonzalez Really Ain’t Running!

Posted on July 31, 2007 by | Leave a comment

So, finally, the Messiah has spoken, and it turns out Golden Boy Matt Gonzalez really isn’t running for mayor. All the pitiful jabbering and gossiping and puttering on the left about What Will Matt Do was for naught. Now, I predicted this some time ago, but you know what?
Who cares?
And that goes for any more chatter about this joke of a Mayor’s race we have now. Seriously.
Right now I’m just thinking of Eric Cartman and Nelson Muntz getting together, pointing fingers at San Francisco (especially the left) and laughing in their trademarked ways.
What’s funnier is that Mayor Newsom (who throughout his term could not pass a ballot measure or elect a new ally to the board that wasn’t appointed) is Mr. Invicible, and can literally do anything he wants, without any consequences. And yet, he’s still so scared of wealthy interests, he’s going to try and torpedo a MUNI reform measure.
Now who’s laughing?

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Posted in Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin, Politics of Political Reform, San Francisco Politics

What Is In The Water These Days That Makes SF Politicians Such Whiners?

Posted on June 21, 2007 by | Leave a comment

Someone managed to put something in Hetch Hetchy that turned the “City That Knows How” into the “City That Knows How to Whine“. Its effects are already being seen in our alleged political leaders, and their allied interests.
Seriously. No side is looking particularly statesman-like (statespersonlike?) these days, and it’s mostly because folks are happy with firing off the missives, big or small, but cry like schoolchildren (schoolpersons?) when someone fires back.
How else, then, to explain the “mean people are picking on the Sensitive Mayor” meme anytime anyone dares to suggest Our Mayor is less than perfect? Mild critiques of his sometime galpal, a mere molehill in blogville, got blown up into a mountain – again because someone made a slight comment that perhaps she and Mr. Mayor were not 100% perfect. (What is this, Soviet Russia or something?)
Meanwhile, the Mayor and his allies have no problem dishing it out – remember all the nastiness spewed during the District 6 Supervisor’s race? How many times have the Mayor and his staff resorted to name-calling when they don’t get their way? Folks, you can’t throw rocks and not expect rocks to get thrown back at ya. Deal, or get out of politics and something less acrimonious.
Don’t for a minute think I excuse “progressives” from their share of the blame. Supervisor Daly’s “outrageous” comments aren’t as common as the mainstream media and gossipers would have you believe, but the meme wouldn’t exist if it weren’t at least somewhat true. Worse than that, however, is the cacophony of whining from the left about how “bad” the Mayor and his allies are – and yet after all the whining and gimmicks, folks are content to whine and complain, rather than have the nerve to stand up and do something.

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Posted in Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin, San Francisco Politics

Kerry McCain ’08???

Posted on June 20, 2007 by | Leave a comment

More fun with Google Ads in my Gmail inbox: This time, whilst reading my weekly dispatch on all things concerning Clint Reilly (he who sued MediaNews and sort of won), I saw this ad for McCain with the headline, “Kerry McCain”.

Which is kind of funny, since at one point Sen. Kerry entertained the notion of having McCain on the 2004 ticket, something McCain, in his inimitable way, toyed with Kerry before scorning his bid.

It’s also kind of funny since McCain’s GOP credentials have been suspect at times by those in the Republican Party. Wonder which junior intern gets blamed for this one?

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Posted in Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin

L.A. Is In Like With SF On TV! Well, Sort Of!

Posted on June 1, 2007 by | Leave a comment

While reading about all those new shows on TV everyone’s talking about, I could not help but notice how many are set in San Francisco. I find this entertaining for two reasons. One is that I’m always happy to see a film set in my hometown and am a walking encyclopedia of film locations (Heck, I could offer tours for Bullitt, Vertigo, and Tales of the City, to name a few). The other is that it once again reinforces what I’ve learned about the infamous San Francisco/Los Angeles “feud” – while people in San Francisco are quick to rip into L.A., folks down south really like Our Fair City, unaware of said emotion-filled feud.
Now, it seems, L.A.’s being in like with us has filtered into Hollywood decisionmaking. So far, in addition to the return of Monk(which pretends to be in SF but is filmed down south), there are at least three fall series coming up set in San Francisco. They are:

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Posted in Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin, Pop Culture & Society, San Francisco Politics

The Day The Bay Guardian Died – Catering To Power With Warren Hellman And Steve Jones

Posted on May 23, 2007 by | Leave a comment

Reading last week’s cover story at Bay Guardian, I realized that I wasn’t just reading an over-the-top PR piece for a wealthy downtown powerbroker — I was also reading the epitaph for the once-proud Bay Guardian tradition of investigative reporting – and the whitewashing of local history in the process.
Seriously. Now, I am happy to see any semi-public feature get fair treatment, but reading this puff piece I was being asked to ignore years of Guardian investigative reporting that indicated Mr. Hellman (he of the Wells Fargo Fortune) was anything but a “friend to progressives”. And yet, there it was, in all its multi-paged glory.
Apparently all it takes to change writer Steve Jones’ mind about a wealthy conservative power player in San Francisco is a few friendly chats, a trip to freakin’ Burning Man, a big payoff to the Bicycle Coalition (which paved the way, literally, for a big new garage in Golden Gate Park) and a general chumminess of his subject with his friends (Leah Shahum of the Bicycle Coalition and the SFMTA and her beau, Ted Strawser of the SF PartyParty and GavinWatch). Hmm.
Read any article about Hellman’s actions in Golden Gate Park, any one of an assortment of articles the Guardian has published about Warren Hellman on campaign finance, local politics, Mayor Newsom, or even Jones’ own pieces about the guy, and you’ll see a different picture being painted.

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Posted in Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin, San Francisco Politics

Hypocrisy? From a Political Consultant? Shocking!

Posted on April 28, 2007 by | Leave a comment

While reading some coverage of the California Democratic Convention this weekend, I caught this article in the Chronicle by Carla Marinucci about the role of “bloggers” at the convention.
I would love to attended since this is probably going to be one of the few “good” conventions to attend, but I just couldn’t justify the expense when I’ve got more important things to do than run around with political types who chatter on about how “great” their candidate is.
However, Marinucci’s article was notable for one thing -it exposed just how terrified poltical consultants are of emerging media and technology. When we get to the point where smart, articulate people can put together on their own the media you used to have to spend thousands of dollars on expensive political consultants with lots of specialized equipment and personnel, that’s about the time people start to wonder why it is we need “political consultants” in the first place.
Plus, when you consider the vast difference in sophistication, execution, design, and concept of advertising by mainstream American companies vs. the dull, cheap-looking ads of political campaigns, you start to wonder – why are people paying for advice that’s so 1980s?
That’s why “consultants” have to do what they can (just like mainstream media) to malign and stereotype citizen media. They, like the newspapers, are desperately trying to protect a monopoly-driven marketplace that has only a few people in control, and regard you as nothing more than a consumer of what they decide is best for you. For an example of this kind of nonsense, check out this quote from Ms. Marinucci’s story:

But one key state Democratic strategist, speaking on the condition of anonymitybecause of concern for riling the netroots crowd, warns that such efforts are potentially positive and negative.
Netroots commentary can frequently be intensely personal, even “totally mean and irrational,” the strategist said, with some bloggers finding power in their ability “to assassinate political characters online.”
“It’s amplified by the anonymity, and it can be scary that it’s so irresponsible,” the insider said. “And it’s pulling the mainstream media in that direction.”

In other words, this “consultant” is engaging in the kinds of things he alleges “all” bloggers do. Even though most people of any repute sign their names, and there is genuine anger and distrust of the media, the Highly Paid Democrat Consultant Way of Doing Things, and more that people want to talk about . Plus, how is it any better when political consultants get their clients to raise millions of special interest dollars for negative hit pieces and tv spots? Hmmm?
It’s nothing new – these conversations have gone on for years. Now, people can talk to others around the world and organize themselves and succeed. And THAT has the well-paid, 20th Century political class scared, because they have no idea what to do, besides, well use the cover of anonymity to engage in character assassination!

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Posted in California Politics, Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin

Crime and Punishment (and Spin) by the Bay, Part II : Critical Masshole Edition!

Posted on April 4, 2007 by | Leave a comment

People wondering if their concerns about public safety were just an eerie paranoid feeling had their worst fears confirmed with a string of revelations in the local press recently. First, we hear that auto break-ins are on the rise, while the D.A.’s office does nothing. So the next time your car is broken into, remember to the D.A. and the City, it’s the criminal who has the rights, not you!
Then we read about a particularly dangerous day in San Francisco where repeat offenders are allowed to go free, and the only response from City leaders are shrug, spin and talk – while all along the fact remains murders and crime are on the rise, unpunished.
If any of this sounds familiar, that’s because this has been par for the course for quite some time, and while San Franciscans are much less safe from violent crime, theft, and the like, the spin seems to work because neither the Mayor nor the District Attorney face serious threats to their re-election. The politickers engage in their chatter, the media refuses to take the long view, and all the while we’re subjected to more chatter.
Meanwhile, you, I, and your friends and neighbors are far less safe. It seems spin and disinfo aren’t a great foil for criminals with guns who shoot people, or thieves eyeing your hard-earned money as an entitlement they’re owed by you. (Don’t tell the spinners – it’ll make them feel bad!)

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Posted in Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin, San Francisco Politics

iPhones, iPunditry and iPhoolishness OR Why Pundits Never Get It Right

Posted on January 9, 2007 by | Leave a comment

Today I was part of the masses who attended Macworld at the Moscone Center, and I was part of the assembled group that was amazed by the brilliant design of Apple’s new iPhone. But once the effect of some very smartly organized presentations by Mr. Jobs and Co., and I thought about what I’d seen, I began to realize that most of what I’d seen had already been “reported” via various news sources, and debated and debacled by various industry “analysts” (the business equivalent of political pundits).
So why was I so impressed by what I’d heard?
After all, multiple outlets who cover Apple patents noted the application for a multi-touch display. Others kept talking about a possible widescreen iPod. There were several sourced reports that a Taiwanese firm had received the Big Order for an “iPhone” from App.e.
Endless discussion amongst industry analysts dissected rumors, reporting and more about Apple’s “chances” with a cell phone offering, with many dismissing it as a foolish idea. One analyst dismissed the idea, suggesting that people simply glue a cell phone to an iPod Nano to get the same effect.
Blah blah blah.
In the end, a good portion of the rumor mongering ended up being true. Apple did develop a cell phone, Apple did merge it with a widescreen iPod, and Apple included many of the elements previously discussed.
What the pundits, the analysts, the chat-board regulars, and the talkers did not get, however, was the synthesis of all these disparate items on a checklist, into something far better, and greater than the sum of its parts. A quick look at the faux mock ups of potential iPhones by fanboys and fangirls bears this out.
So in the end, we were wowed by not information we’d heard before, but rather by the synthesis of all these ideas into something new and unique. Something no one could have predicted using a checklist, making it impossible to truly gauge the potential impact on Apple, the cell phone business, et al.
It is a lot like political punditry, really. High and mighty journalists, talkers, politickers, consultants and the like are all great at making up dry, long, checkbox lists of why a candidate or a cause or an idea can or cannot win. We are told these people “know what’s best” and we’re told to listen and do as they say.
Problem is, they can talk you to death about these points and speak with some authority – after all they do talk for a living. And yet, in the end they are usually not much more successful at really knowing what will happen next than all the tech analysts who seemed to “know” about the upcoming iPhone – and still don’t’ get it why they’re gawking at the results just like the masses are.
The difference is that political folk are more adept at changing spots and denying they’d ever predicted otherwise. Perhaps Wall St. might learn a little bit from the politickers after all.

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Posted in Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin

When Reality and Rorschach Collide: Election Analysis Roundup

Posted on November 17, 2006 by | Leave a comment

Every election season, once the ballots are counted, we the readers of the news, are treated to “election analysis.” Read any major paper, alt-weekly, or “the Internets” and you have all sorts of Big Experts talking about What It All Means.
What strikes me, having worked on campaigns for years, is just how little one finds out about what actually happened during the election season that gave us the results – instead these “analyses” function more like a political Rorschach Test, telling us more about the prognosticator than about what really happened or more importantly, how.
Let’s take a look at local election post-mortems. Most people locally tend to use pollster David Binder’s premiere post-election analysis as a starting point, which is primarily concerned with statistical information about turnout, who voted, polling info and the like – in other words, facts that are agreed upon to be verifiable with some interpretation by the knowledgeable Mr. Binder to translate these raw numbers into conversational English.
Fog City Journal ran a short analysis (which I was asked to write literally minutes before I walked in the door at SPUR, hence its lack of polish) , BeyondChron, and even the “blog” at the Bay Guardian used some form of Mr. Binder’s work to base conclusions and the like.
This is also where things get interesting. In the print edition of the Guardian, the results are trumpeted loudly as a rebirth of the local “progressive” movement, and at times one gets the impression that the authors are almost breathless in restating over and over “Things are OK. Don’t worry. We’re doing fine, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”
Which is fine, I suppose for people who want to hear that. But what I missed in the article most was the “why” and “how” – how did Chris Daly managed to win after a bruising campaign? Why did candidates like Supervisors Dufty and Alioto-Pier crush their opposition, if they had any at all?

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Posted in Campaign Tactics & Analysis, Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin, San Francisco Politics

Disinfo Rehab Mail Archive – Fall 2006

Posted on October 22, 2006 by | Leave a comment

Note: This entry will be updated as I get more mail. New mail is featured at the bottom of this entry! Today’s additions: Jane Kim, Marin Healthcare Board, and more!
As promised, here is the first installment of the Fall 2006 Disinfo Rehab Mail Archive. Unlike television ads, which bloggers and media folks can easily dissect because they’re on TV, YouTube, candidate websites, and the like, mail is a “below the radar” medium. You know it is out there, but unless you’re on the targeted mailing list, you won’t see it.
Which is why it makes for a great way to send distinct messages to distinct groups of people – and a great way to attack someone and get away with it. By the time anyone notices it, it’s too late to do much about it, and the press usually isn’t sent copies of hit pieces by candidates!
Since I personally do not live in a district with an angrily contested Supervisorial race, I’m interested in submissions from readers who might have something they’ve received in the mail in the Daly/Black/SF Republican Party brouhaha, and the mega-money festival that is the District 4 battle to replace Fiona Ma, now that she’s been elected to a 6 year term in the Assembly. Oh and if anyone has any “freaky” mail from way out in Distrct 8, send it over!
As always, if you submit a big pile o’ mail, I’ll buy you a drink/coffee/whatever once this nutty election is over. Email me and tell me what you have and I’ll make arrangements to pick it up, or you can simply scan them in yourself and send them in as JPEGs.
Please note that all pieces that appear on this page were sent to actual voters, who in turn gave the pieces to me for inclusion in this fall’s archive. (To protect their privacy from identity thieves, their names and addresses have been Photoshopped out)
A mail piece’s appearance here does not indicate I’m endorsing or not endorsing a particular candidate, and it does not indicate that campaign endorses this site, its views, or anything at all. Conspiracy theorists, please put down the crack pipe and find something else to worry about.
Update: A loyal reader tipped me off to a similar project being done by the East Bay Express, entitled Fun with Misleading Mailers. Short and to the point, the additional coverage of the myriad of pieces hitting the mailbox is great for voters
And now, for the fun, after the jump!

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Posted in California Politics, Campaign Tactics & Analysis, Debunking Politicos Pundits + Spin, Gov. Doofinator's Follies, Political Direct Mail Archive - 2006, San Francisco Politics