In the Tank
by tdaxp ~ May 23rd, 2008
Eddie of Hidden Unities shared (via google reader) this unintentionally hilarious post by Joe Klein, which argues (as best as I can tell)
- The press has no bias in this election
- John McCain is a horrible candidate
- Barack Obama is the President that America needs
The post even ends, echoing Obama’s mantra of “change.”
Yes we can stop white folks’ greed from running a world in need!
Yes we can ignore unconventional wars! In our own cities!
Yes we can stop free trade!
Yes! We! Can!
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Given you’re busy enjoying life in a great place, I’ll offer a generous pass for your utter skimming of the post without any indication of actually, oh, reading it.
How else to explain you missing the substance of his point away from the fluff.
From that article….
“In criticizing “prestigious political reporters and commentators”, Novak fails to mention that many of us, including me, supported McCain’s position–and opposed Obama’s–on a variety of issues, from free trade to the farm bill”
Didn’t Klein just say up there he’s against Obama’s position on a number of issues…. including free trade, and that’s he’s for McCain’s?
Further…
“I’m somewhere between McCain and Obama on an Iraq withdrawal plan–in favor of a steady withdrawal, without pause, but also without a strict timetable and end date–although I disagree with McCain on the need for long-term (100 year) U.S. bases in Iraq.”
That isn’t exactly an endorsement of Obama, nor obviously of McCain.
Klein is noting that this election is about “big” issues persay, i.e. how to address the problems of the country that 81% of the electorate seems to think is wrong enough to merit concern. McCain as well as Obama have both seemed quite earnest in discussing them previously, again, showing their policy differences (like the free trade that Klein supports with McCain against Obama).
He didn’t say Obama is what we need. He’s saying a debate on actual meat and potato issues other than parsing of words about Iran, Rev. Hagee, George Bush or Rev. Wright is what he’d rather be covering.
He has praised McCain in the past on a variety of issues and is one of those journalists who has enjoyed the all-access pass to McCain journalists who cover him have had, something Obama, Clinton, Romney, Bush etc. rarely gave to reporters, especially not nearly every day on the campaign trail as McCain.
Lastly, its very difficult in a McCain vs. Obama contest to see who the bias is benefiting. Both enjoy great relationships with the media (albeit for different reasons and McCain’s are stronger hence the potential for a benefit for him in the fall).
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Eddie,
I think we are arguing on different levels of analysis. I am asserting that Klein’s article is an example of the general media bias in favor of Obama, and you are attempting to refute that by arguing that Klein did not endorse Obama.
Of course he has not. Nor does that affect my assertion.
The selection that you quoted regarding bases is an example of the bias. To argue that McCain is emphasizing a “need” for US bases in Iraq in 2103 is no more or less true than to say that McCain is emphasizing a “need” for US bases in Germany in 2045.
Expecting that Obama would run an honorable or honest campaign is probably the stupidest prediction I’ve ever made on this blog.
May 24th, 2008 at 3:20 am
After the GI Bill mess this week, I’d have to say the same for McCain’s campaign. Though this is politrix, and American politrix in particular generally always lets us down in the end.
Given human nature, it will be interesting to note the behavior of individuals in the MSM during the general. Most journalists (especially those who have covered him in person for a while) like and respect McCain personally, even though they may disagree with him politically on some issues (though not all as Klein represents a nice example of a “liberal” journalist with some centrist views). McCain’s call to “national service” is positively Kennedyesque to most of these journos, who can’t help but like the funny and often crass, ex-POW McCain, who turns down few questions and is generally always available to the press.
Obama may have the liberal and ethnic pedigree some in the MSM desire, but his personality towards them is aloof and access is heavily restricted and rare.
Who will get the benefit of the doubt more by November? It is by no means guaranteed the MSM is in the bag for Obama, as McCain represents a rare GOP nominee with the kind of personal charisma and backstory the media can’t help but enjoy and respect.
May 24th, 2008 at 6:29 am
McCain is definitely the media’s favorate Republican, so it’s been interesting to see coverage of him skew negative once he became the Republican nominee.
Nothing is guaranteed, as always. Merely that Obama will certainly receive a majority of MSM votes in November, and that coverage up until now has been biased in favor of him and against his opponents.