A Wild Week of Obama-mania "News"
As I’ve said before, what bothers me about Obama-mania is the degree to which the media is not simply reporting it, but rather creating it. What evidence is there to support this? Well, consider the past week. Locally, the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board and Illinois political guru Rich Miller published editorials essentially encouraging an Obama run. Nationally, there have been stories in the Washington Post and on NPR’s All Things Considered program. None of these stories mentioned any of the numerous polls taken regarding a potential Obama candidacy. Since they won’t, I will. A quick glance at pollingreport.com shows that Obama (despite popular myth) trails potential GOP candidates Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. He also constantly ranks behind Giuliani, McCain, Clinton, Rice, Edwards and even Al Gore when people are asked whether or not they would like to see the above mentioned run for president.
The NPR story really got my goat, because I pride myself on being a Republican who enjoys their programming (particularly Saturday mornings) and is honest enough to admit that their ‘liberal bias’ is often overstated. But Mara Liasson’s report entitled "Barack Obama, Still on the Rise" was anything but serious, objective journalism. She claims that "some people who have met him say Obama has a powerful, even mesmerizing effect," then backs that up with a sound bite from Donna Brazile. To support the claim that there is a broad grassroots movement supporting an Obama run, she interviews a computer programmer who started a "draft Obama" website, but who has admittedly volunteered for other Democratic presidential candidates in the past. Most infuriating is Liasson’s attributing the "dismissive" assessment of Obama as a "blank canvas where people project their desires" to "a Republican" when almost the exact same sentiment and wording was used by The Nation’s David Sirota!
Perhaps there is something "special" and "unique" about Barack Obama. One thing is for certain, he definitely gets a special and unique sort of treatment from the press. If there is something "centrist" and "unifying" about Obama, don’t rely on the anecdotal evidence of adoring supporters who will be voting for the Democratic nominee whomever he or she is. Give us the facts, and let us decide if Obama really is the "real thing."
Also posted, with comments, at Illinoize
The NPR story really got my goat, because I pride myself on being a Republican who enjoys their programming (particularly Saturday mornings) and is honest enough to admit that their ‘liberal bias’ is often overstated. But Mara Liasson’s report entitled "Barack Obama, Still on the Rise" was anything but serious, objective journalism. She claims that "some people who have met him say Obama has a powerful, even mesmerizing effect," then backs that up with a sound bite from Donna Brazile. To support the claim that there is a broad grassroots movement supporting an Obama run, she interviews a computer programmer who started a "draft Obama" website, but who has admittedly volunteered for other Democratic presidential candidates in the past. Most infuriating is Liasson’s attributing the "dismissive" assessment of Obama as a "blank canvas where people project their desires" to "a Republican" when almost the exact same sentiment and wording was used by The Nation’s David Sirota!
Perhaps there is something "special" and "unique" about Barack Obama. One thing is for certain, he definitely gets a special and unique sort of treatment from the press. If there is something "centrist" and "unifying" about Obama, don’t rely on the anecdotal evidence of adoring supporters who will be voting for the Democratic nominee whomever he or she is. Give us the facts, and let us decide if Obama really is the "real thing."
Also posted, with comments, at Illinoize
posted by grand old partisan at
12/09/2006
4 Comments:
g.o.p., that poll you posted is a Fox News poll. Got anything more unbiased or at least biased in the other direction?
I am amazed that Donna Brazile continues to get any type of political work or is considered an expert on ANYTHING. She is an embarassment to the Democratic Party.
By
Bridget, at 13/12/06 12:27 AM
Scroll down. There are plenty of polls (including Gallop) that draw the same conclusions.
By
grand old partisan, at 13/12/06 8:39 AM
Barack Obama, D-Ill is an empty suit. What has he said or DONE that is
great?
Dr. Goldblatt has alluded to his corruption problems .
Hussien Obam's refusal to fly on the "common peoples planes/
Airlines." He only flies chartered jets.
He is Mr. Platitude.
By
Unknown, at 13/12/06 10:35 PM
Again, is his middle name really important. Let's not cheapen the arguments against Obama with such superficial jabs.
By
grand old partisan, at 16/12/06 4:07 PM
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