Media blows up story, then blames it on everyone else
I'm glad to see I'm not the only getting irritated at the media's attempt to pass off the "controversy" over Obama's "flip-flops" as coming from his leftist supporters (see pandagon for another comment on this "controversy"). The truth of the matter is most of the blowback Obama has received in the last few weeks has come from the GOP and the mainstream media.
Take Iraq. I don't know anyone on the left who thinks Obama has substantially or significantly changed his stance. Everyone seems to understand that his central position is one of "get out of Iraq as soon as possible". I don't know anyone who takes the "16 months" number as being written in stone. Yet, to hear media mavens tell it, the merest hint that Obama might not meet that figure allegedly created a huge uproar in Obama's base.
Really? All I saw was a GOP spin team and a compliant media taking the bait, thus producing a media firestorm that started and ended with people who want there to be a controversy on this issue. McCain wants it because it helps obscure his own flip-flops and undermines Obama's image as "a different kind of politician". The media wants it because it makes for an interesting story and (hopefully) keeps the race close (because a blow-out would just be boring).
Obama didn't have to hold a second news conference last week to reassure his supporters. He had to hold a second news conference because journalists were being willfully stupid in swallowing a GOP shit sandwich.
FISA caused more upset in Obama's supporters than his Iraq war position. But then Obama's FISA position is more in-tune with the conventional wisdom of the beltway so they just weren't able to sell that story.
Just another reason why the mainstream media is no longer my primary source of news.
Take Iraq. I don't know anyone on the left who thinks Obama has substantially or significantly changed his stance. Everyone seems to understand that his central position is one of "get out of Iraq as soon as possible". I don't know anyone who takes the "16 months" number as being written in stone. Yet, to hear media mavens tell it, the merest hint that Obama might not meet that figure allegedly created a huge uproar in Obama's base.
Really? All I saw was a GOP spin team and a compliant media taking the bait, thus producing a media firestorm that started and ended with people who want there to be a controversy on this issue. McCain wants it because it helps obscure his own flip-flops and undermines Obama's image as "a different kind of politician". The media wants it because it makes for an interesting story and (hopefully) keeps the race close (because a blow-out would just be boring).
Obama didn't have to hold a second news conference last week to reassure his supporters. He had to hold a second news conference because journalists were being willfully stupid in swallowing a GOP shit sandwich.
FISA caused more upset in Obama's supporters than his Iraq war position. But then Obama's FISA position is more in-tune with the conventional wisdom of the beltway so they just weren't able to sell that story.
Just another reason why the mainstream media is no longer my primary source of news.
posted by Chris Andersen at 1:15 PM
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