Saturday, December 09, 2006

A Wild Week of Obama-mania "News"

Okay, seriously now……

I actually like Barack Obama. Granted, I didn’t vote for him; but I am (particularly in comparison to Dick Durbin) somewhat proud to call him my Senator. I read his book, and found that he has some interesting and important things to say. And if he runs – more power to him!

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 or commentary 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 by double digits. 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 under my skin, because I pride myself on being a Republican who actually 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 also 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. Hopefully, this will be the last post I have to do about Obama for a while. Hopefully I will have spurned some of the professional political reporters out there to look at the polls and give us an honest assessment of what’s going on out there. If there is something "centrist" and "unifying" about Obama, they need to stop basing their stories 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 at the Grand Old Partisan of Illinois

7 comments:

Anonymous,  1:51 PM  

O.K., with this post you've crossed the line to whining.

"No fair, the media likes him better."

Big deal.

Be happy. The media could be focusing on the massive contradictions between McCain 2000 and McCain 2006.

grand old partisan 4:56 PM  

skeeter,

If by "whining" you mean that I've pointed out something you don't like hearing but can't dispute, then sure. I'm "whining."

BTW, there isn't much difference between McCain 2000 and McCain 2006, other than the media's coverage of him. He's always been a conservative, but the media in 2000 ignored that because it didn't fit the story-line about him they wanted to sell. Wonder what they're ignoring about Obama?

pathickey 5:25 PM  

GOP, old friend, the media will use the Clinton-GINSU on Barack Obama. As soon as the Holiday season passes, watch for the Billary artilaary to open up on Obama. Were I a GOP foot soldier, I'd just sit back and watch the carving up on Senator Obama commence. Barack will have more German steel in his back than a friend of a Progresive can log-in.

Barack is playing in the wrong alley.

Anonymous,  5:18 AM  

Geez, GOP, I do think you have one chance at happiness. Put on some ruby slippers and click your heels together three times, while saying' "There's no place like home." Then move to Kansas.

Bill 7:30 AM  

Barack sure does have the old GOP worried. They are even hoping that Hillary comes through for them and butchers Barack. The poor senator hasn't even announced yet and he is already getting the blago treatment from the reactionaries.
Personally, I prefer Hillary because it would be great to see Bill back in the spotlight again as First Man and because Hill really aggravates Republicans much more than Barack.
It is also funny to see them complain about his "lack of experience and accomplishmenmts" when they have "W" in the White House.
The "Billary artillary"....excellent Pat!

pathickey 9:02 AM  

Bill,

That is the point that Baracka-maniacs fail to see. The Senator is a political Babe in the woods compared to the Arkansas Toothpick pulling Hill Billy Clinton. My God, If Obama's luggage carriers feel that his natural treads up Destiny's Slope are Tolls he's screwed blued- and tatooed.

The Clintonite carve-up on Obama to come will make Chicago politics look like patty-cakes.

I would have prefered as a voter that a wonderful young man learn his way up the gradus, surrounded by political pros and cut-men, instead of a group of avid readers of Granta and Noam Chomsky.

Anonymous,  1:38 PM  

GOP,
How many time have you and others here written the same post? There are about three currently on Illinoize. That's whining. Or a lack of creativity.

With regard to McCain: What's his view now about Liberty U?

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