Currency War by Lawrence B. Lindsey

Author:Lawrence B. Lindsey [Lindsey, Lawrence B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Forefront Books
Published: 2021-07-27T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Monday evening found Ben and Bernadette flipping between Fox, One America News, CNN, and MSNBC.

“Did you notice,” said Bernadette, “that Fox and CNN ran the same lead story about Enough Is Enough and how their campaign might lead to protests? How often does that happen?”

Ben replied, “Once in a blue moon. But in the electronic age even blue moons can be manufactured.”

“This one certainly was,” Bernadette said. “It’s only been forty-eight hours since the start of their ad campaign and now talk is everywhere about people hitting the streets. The NSA told us Enough Is Enough mobilized more than a dozen single-issue groups to follow up with their own social media releases and website videos. It’s like their plan from the beginning was to start the picketing after the issue had been primed by national cable buys.”

“Those media buys gave the channels incentive to carry stories supporting what those who bought the time were saying,” Ben said. “In a way, it’s theater.”

“Our guys up on the Hill told us that the effect was immediate,” Bernadette said. “By tomorrow afternoon nervous nellies in Congress will be on the floor to demand that the president do something. You can almost smell the jet fumes as they catch the red-eyes back from their home districts.”

“Whoever put this together is smart,” Bernadette said. “I hear it is two media guys from losing presidential campaigns, one from each side of the aisle. It’s hard to get used to how important entrepreneurship is here. Back home the BBC calls the shots, and the papers are too proud to be bought off so easily in what they cover. Here it’s like the news is for sale.”

“Wait until Sunday,” said Ben. “Thursday’s the day for final decisions about who will appear on the Sunday talk shows. Senators with strong anti-China positions are aiming to put themselves at the top of the list. The more memorable—or outrageous—the floor speech, the more likely they are to make the cut.”

“It’s like they’re getting free advertising,” Bernadette said.

“The most valuable kind,” said Ben. “Voters back home are tuned in and all of a state’s media take a cue when one of their own is on. Editorial coverage back home creates an echo chamber.” He paused to watch the screen, then added, “I don’t mean to be too cynical, but for a senator, the real advantage is national coverage. They needed the exposure. There’s a saying in Washington, ‘The most dangerous place in town to stand is between Chuck Schumer and a bank of television cameras.’ ”

Bernadette laughed.

“See, most senators view themselves as future presidents and every member of the House looks at himself in the mirror and sees a potential senator.”

“Ambition, I get,” said Bernadette, “and politicians are the same everywhere. But here it’s all about building name recognition in the public at large. In a parliamentary system like Britain’s, your audience is your fellow politicians. They expect you to be wise and thoughtful and not to have a toothy grin and get coverage by being outrageous.

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