STEVE PIECZENIK TALKS

Gov Christie and MSNBC:  A Symbiotic Relationship Gone Awry!

A recent NYTimes article on Jan. 19, 2014 entitled  "For Christie and MSNBC, a Messy Divorce Plays Out In Public View" caught my attention.   The article was written by Michael Barbaro and Bill Carter. (posted earlier)

  By now,  everyone in the USA  knows about New Jersey Governor’s “Bridgegate”.
Also,   most Americans know that the politicians create narratives about themselves that may or may not correspond to the truth.   In order for a particular politician to deliver his/her carefully crafted image,   they must pander to the whims of the media.

 

The mutually beneficial relationship between the politician and the media derives it’s basic legitimacy from the fact that whatever the media broadcasts to the public is usually interpreted as ‘news’ or ‘truth’.    In turn,   the politician must act according to the ‘truth’ that the media projects to the public.    Any deviation from the narrative or image invites disaster.    In this apparently beneficial relationship between the politician and the media,  there is a NEXUS OF MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION that is never articulated by either the media or the politician.    As long as the politician acts according to the narrative that both parties agree to- there is an implicit harmony wherein the media garners proprietary access to that particular candidate.    In turn that candidate becomes the so-called ‘darling‘ of that media outlet.

 

Nothing was further from the truth than the symbiotic relationship created by Christie and MSNBC,  the left-leaning TV network.

  Before the honeymoon turned sour,   both Christie and MSNBC purposefully embellished an ‘ersatz romance’:

  “An on-air ROMANCE BLOSSOMED,    FORGED OVER CHUMMY STROLLS ALONG THE JERSEY SHORE AND HEART-TO-HEARTS in the STUDIO ABOUT OVEREATING TO EDUCATION,  EMBODYING THE AISLE –CROSSING ASPIRATIONS OF THIS PARTISAN ERA.” [my emphasis]. 

MSNBC viewed Christie as the ‘tool’ /’vehicle’ which would allow this Left Leaning Network to break through the Fox Impasse into the ‘top tier’.    In return,  Christie manipulated,  so he thought,   MSNBC into the venue through which he could portray his carefully crafted anti-Tea Party [favored by  Fox News]  pro-bipartisan skills straight into the White House as the leading Republican candidate for the 2016 Republican Presidency.

 

But as we know now,  "Bridgegate" erupted into the public purview compelling the seemingly ‘even-tempered’,  ‘jovial’ , ‘judicious’  Christie Avatar to disintegrate into the well-worn Christie traits of ‘bullying’, ‘lying’ , ‘deceit’ and ‘nefarious sarcasm’.

  Suddenly!   MSNBC became the Partisan Network and  Mika Brzezinski the scion of one of the most sophisticated Psyops experts,   Zbig Brzezinski,  turned into  a disingenuous, wounded ‘Bambi’. 

  She even bemoaned  her hurt feelings:  ”I was a little surprised when he took a jab at us.”

Of course this type of symbiotic relationship is neither new nor surprising.

 

For most Americans,   we expect this form of  bilateral pandering almost bordering on a sado-masochistic relationship,  minus the accoutrements of whip and chains.   What fascinates me is the fact that in the 21st century where the internet and not the TV media has trumped all news outlets that this type of mutual pandering even exists at all.

  Here is the reason why I believe that the days of the political candidate and his/her need to portray a benign if not completely false narrative  to the public,  is at best absurd if not self-destructive. 

[1]   The dynamics of political narratives has changed completely in the 21st century.
One can’t create the nonsensical,  simplistic idioms like Honest Abe or Tippecanoe and Tyler Too.    Those days are gone for ever!

[2]  The political candidate in the 21st century has to be incredibly sophisticated in elements of psychological warfare.
[3] The essence of a candidate has to be written in such a way that whatever truth has to be hidden—usually the need to be liked,  an essential ingredient of political pandering—has to be filtered through t the dynamics of DISTORTION,  DENIAL and DISPLACEMENT.

Here is an example with Christie;

  He is by nature a ‘bully’,  ‘manipulative’, ‘controlling’ and ‘egregiously manipulative’.    In many ways,   Christie is just the iconic representation of most politicians on all levels of government.    In order to hide the aforementioned ‘negative qualities’ of Christie’ or any other candidate,   kingmakers like Fred Malik or Roger Ailes will hire sophomoric spin doctors who know little about psychodynamics or psyops and use the standard techniques of ‘sucking up to the press’ .     Invariably,   as we have seen with Mitt Romney,  a decent chap,  or McCain,  a professional warmonger/wannabe military hero,   the truth about each of them emerges in the incessant revelations of past experiences that belie the accepted narrative.

  Two  essential elements destroy the Rhino fabrications of Presidential candidates.    First,   is the fact that the American public has less tolerance for ‘bullshit’.    Secondly,  the powerful nature of the internet and the ability to fact check instantaneously,  allows for any dissenters,  including yours truly,   to decimate any narrative or any  factual distortions.

In effect,  Reality Checking  has become the predominant vehicle for ‘neutralizing’ the kingmaker’s fabricated narratives and the mutual pandering of media and candidate.   However,  every rule has it’s exceptions and that one as far as I am concerned is President Barack Obama.

  When the nation state injects restrictions into the ability of the US citizens to access any information like Obama’s past personal history or his academic record or his involvement in any secret organizations then the state becomes a legitimate target of internet penetration.    But that particular issue of the nation state attempting to embark on the purposeful repression of a candidate’s historical past lends itself into the Snowden revelations.

As for now,  let me simply say that the Democrats and Republicans have to do much better with prospective candidates who seek the presidency.     The fact that we might not need a President is somewhat premature for today’s discussions.

  However,  as long as the nation craves a leader,   called The President then the candidate should be ensconced in the world of deception,  psyops and  if possible,  TRUTH.

I have someone in mind but that suggestion of a likely effective Presidential  candidate will have to wait till the next blog.

  Until then,   keep  REALITY CHECKING  all of the POLITICAL PANDERERS and their KING MAKERS as well as their preferred media outlet!   I wish you all---GOOD WILL --- HUNTING!!!