Word: subtext
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...Democratic caravan hit the asphalt on a two-day tour through Texas. Politically, the message was that the Democrats believe the nation's third most populous state remains a competitive battleground and that they intend to force George Bush to defend his home turf. But the subtext was lifted from a buddy movie: Gore aide Marla Romash likens Bill and Al's excellent adventure to a "male version of Thelma & Louise...
...prejudices. The Republicans are wary about emphasizing race this year. They are sensitive about criticism of the way they used Willie Horton in 1988. And they have been making progress in attracting black middle-class supporters. So they have switched their emphasis to family values with a sexual subtext -- Murphy Brown, out-of-the-closet gay militance, condom distribution in the schools, sexual flamboyance in publicly funded art projects, and so on. Dan Quayle and others working the values circuit like to encourage the feeling that the American id is dangerously seeping up through the floorboards: Clamp down the superego...
...These subtexts shape the way a story gets covered. They add texture, but they certainly emphasize one set of points time and again. And often, reporters will be looking out for any bit of information that confirms their subtext...
This is no less true for White House stories. And these days, the subtext of Bush stories has become: His campaign is in a tailspin...
...those boring days, the rumors can get their fullest hearing, simply because the journalists have nothing else to file. This is especially true when they confirm a story's subtext, just as the Quayle rumors confirmed that Bush's campaigning is sinking faster than the vice president's IQ scores...