The reason why the media is easier on Obama - from an Obama supporter

[Political Heretic]

I'm an Obama supporter, but I work hard to try to see TRUTH beyond the biases of my preferences. I thought I'd start a thread on this, though I posted it as a response elsewhere.

The reason why the media seems to be easier on Obama is the unfortunate reality of being a newcomer who wasn't supposed to last this long - or at all - against the long time presumptive nominee.

Even if / when Obama pulls clearly ahead, don't expect that to change much, because to the media its still the "cool" story that generates the most attention and ratings: Obama is pictured as the fresh new underdog even when that underdog status has actually changed.

Hillary is experiencing the pain of being treated as the frontrunner - and when you've been characterized as the presumptive frontrunner for so long, and then a young upstart comes in and starts to upset that, he's STILL looked at as the underdog, and underdog always, always, always equals media STORY told in a less critical way.

It aint right, but its one of the many realities of politics that aint right. We are clearly benefiting from it and I'm happy to continue to take it for as long as we possibly can. Hopefully some of that will continue in the general with an Old vs. New matchup between McCain and Obama.

Analysis given by your friendly - and mildly reasonable - Obama supporter.

[cooolandrew]

1. I feel it is mostly his chrisma and the same magnetic chrisma will win us the GE by large margins.

[Meldread]

2. That isn't the only reason, though.

Her campaign has made a large number of gaffes that the media has focused on while Obama has made less. A big example: Bill Clinton in South Carolina. They have also gone after Obama, for the so-called snub-gate. Additionally, Obama suffered from New Hampshire until after Super Tuesday, with a stigma that he couldn't secure the white vote. There are some in the media who still report that Obama is struggling with whites.

They also play up the Latino and female divide, but ignore Hillary's shortcoming among men, young people and African Americans.

However, yeah there is a somewhat more favorable slant toward Obama. As another poster said, I think it has to do with his personal charisma, but you are right - ratings always play a role.

[Political Heretic]

3. Those are good points. The NH stigma and "snub-gate" are both good examples.

Thanks for that additional analysis.

You're right that the media does jump on "gaffes" because those are also "sexy stories."

[LeftCoast]

4. Don't worry. If Obama wins the nomination, they'll be hyper-critical with him too.

Just wait. It happens every single time. The republican candidate gets a total free-pass while every single thing the Dem does (or is suspected of doing) will go under the microscope. We'll hear how this is a pattern with the Dems and that we're doomed, doomed, doomed in Nov.

[susankh4]

7. Perhaps, but....

They will have to tread lightly if they don't want to be labelled racist. This may make Barack the "teflon president." And... that's not all bad.

Tho... I think we will need Hillary as VP to see that anything actually gets done.

[Benhurst]

12. I wouldn't count on it. The press sure turned on Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun,

the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Senate, and destroyed her political career with false charges and innuendo.

And in Obama's case, it won't just be an irresponsible press. KKKarl Rove and the boys we go to work on him full time if he gets the nomination, as they will on whomever we pick.

An interesting interview with Senator Moseley-Braun, see an earlier post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4516899

[susankh4]

19. Good Point....

I hope he can stand the heat.

Personally... I think if he gets the nomination... he is going to need Hillary as a VP..... as much to help him handle the media spin as anything. Her experience in this department is worth it's weight in gold.

[cooolandrew]

17. That is why he was always the perfect candidate. McKinney needs to run for congress again assuring..

...16 years of rule.

[Perry Logan]

5. They'll won't attack him the way they attack Hillary. The media is severely Clintophobic.

Not to say psychotically Clintonphobic.

If Obama runs, they'll certainly be nasty about him. But nothing beats the Right's (and therefore the right-controlled media's) pervasive distemper regarding the Clintons. They might even have to hold back in their attacks on Obama, for fear of looking like the racists they are. This could work very nicely.

[susankh4]

8. Exactly

Which is why she needs Obama as a "shield."

And he needs her as the behind the scenes "get things done" gal.

If they can make it work we will have one hell of a team in 2008! And 2012 and one and on....

[Benhurst]

13. They did a pretty good job working over John Kerry, effectively

using his record as a war hero against him while ignoring the cowardly record of AWOL Bush.

[izzie]

6. Could be Hillery has just been around longer and isa Clinton

I really think that the country is fed up with this family business stuff. We have sort of lost our way on the 'citizen' being a big part of the govt. from the army, Congress to the WH,(life times jobs???) and it was a thing the 'founders fathers' thought made a good country the citizen that went home after a few terms, in govt. A women that stays 8 years in the WH with her husband, than 8 years in Congress and can then loan herself 5 million dollars when she HAD to work while her husband was Gov. does not sit to well with the every day 'citizen' running our govt. I can not be the only person that feels a little off about her. Papers print a lot what people are feeling besides the news. Not that she would not be a pretty good President, in my way of thinking, even if I think it would be a co-president. I just want us to have some new blood in Congress and the WH. I even think it is time Byrd and Kennedy gave up their jobs. I am still waiting for Jeb to pop up so I can have some real bad dreams. I just know they are going to spring him on us.

[Bongo Prophet]

9. I will now scare you with this - unlikely but possible - hypothetical dilemma.

Clinton/? vs McCain/Jeb.

sleep tight, eh?:evilgrin:

[izzie]

11. Mt mind is not as jaded as yours, yet. Please do not let that happen.

That you put it into my mind I can see it going on and them winning. Jeb has been so still I am sure they have some thing in mind for him and us. If any Dem. think it is going to be easy to get that cash cow of the Am. tax payers out of the hands of Wall St. oil companies and the 100 year old party hacks in Congress they must be dreaming.

[Bongo Prophet]

18. i will do my tiny part to fight against such a thing, but the wheel of history is large.

This is why I am more concerned with party unity in the face of that, than getting into fights about the candidates.
the alternative is so horrific to allow.

But don't let it get you down, it is a pretty low odds bet.
i don't see myself as jaded, just scanning the possible futures we might find ourselves in.
More of a scout.
"Onward, into the future!: ;)

[Benhurst]

14. If Jeb gets the VP slot on the Republican ticket,

we can count on the third presidential election in a row being stolen.

[izzie]

21. All along this GOP have planned on a life long party in power

Many have come out and said it. Carl walking out of the WH last year has not stopped that thinking. I have also always felt that their are big money people that like their people to stay in power to keep control of the money, that makes a capitalist contry run and they are not always in toon with the people. Just look who the govt. bails out when they get in trouble with thier own mess like the Saving and Loan. The very tax payer that they took in the first place pays for it.. That is not saying very much for our style of govt. for every day people but of course the govt. is still better than most. I think one is fighting a 'born to rule' think pattern that is just plain hard to fight. It will be a hard fight for a man or women to fight that type stuff from this side. Jeb just maybe what they need with McCain.

[Bongo Prophet]

10. Kudos for being "mildly" reasonable - you are part of the new trend.

The corpmedia tend to move in unison like a flock of starlings, and are fascinated by their own narratives.
There is both agenda and psychology at work, and they can be quite unstable - they can turn on people.

They will be friendly as hell to Tom Delay, as they trash clinton, Gore, Kerry...next?
We need to ram it through this time around. If Barack is the nom, they will be in for some real tightrope walking.

If Hillary gets the nom, the election will be mostly about competence, economy, healthcare, energy, and whether to leave Iraq.
With Obama as the nom, this election will be about all that, plus a narrative that it is a referendum on past vs future.

In reality, both of our candidates are a referndum on change, but the narrative is juicy enough for them to get their little beaks into.

[ProSense]

15. No, it's because there isn't much there to attack him on. Bill Clinton was a newcomer in 1992,

but he brought more baggage onto the national stage. Obama has nothing the likes of Bill for the media to gin up outrage. That's why Hillary's campaign is trying to make an huge issue of the Rezko non-issue.

On edit: It's also why Hillary's campaign threw in the "drug dealer" implication.

[THUNDER HANDS]

16. bingo

[TheDonkey]

20. Ratings!

$$$ trumps anything when it comes to the media (ratings). I agree that Obama stories and Obama coming from behind to challenge Hillary makes for a good narrative and big ratings.