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Barack the Invincible?


__Kratos__

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Maybe I've been looking at the media's treatment of Barack Obama -- the relentless, often favorable and sometimes gushing coverage -- through the wrong end of the telescope.

Maybe -- though I'm not convinced -- what we write and report doesn't matter. Maybe Obama manages to float above it all, protected by a Teflon coating.

That, at any rate, is the theory being floated by Slate media critic Jack Shafer. And since I'm invoked, I feel the need to respond.

My cameo role involved a piece I wrote in March, cataloguing the negative subjects that had been chewed over in the media: Tony Rezko, William Ayers, 130 "present" votes in the Illinois legislature, a Senate compromise that favored a nuclear energy contributor and, of course, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

But I don't believe those stories had little or no impact on Obama; after that, you may recall, Hillary Clinton won most of the remaining primaries. Most likely, we haven't heard the end of the Wright issue. And the coverage of Obama has gotten much friendlier since he clinched the nomination, especially during last week's world tour.

Obama is a skilled counterpuncher; he can defuse an issue without losing his cool, either by calmly brushing it off or smothering it in nice-sounding words. It is an underrated skill in politics. Nothing seems to rattle the guy.

In fact, that supreme self-confidence is itself becoming an issue, which says to me the media is largely firing blanks these days. How dare he meet Merkel, Sarkozy and Brown before he's even been nominated? How dare he tell House Democrats that he's likely to win? (Have you seen many candidates who go around proclaiming they'll probably lose?) It makes for good sport, but if this is the worst thing the media can pin on Obama, he's in for an easy ride.

In the end, though, here's why the coverage matters: Obama is--or was--the least-known nominee since Jimmy Carter. Our impressions of him aren't fully formed. That's why he keeps trotting out his family for People, Us Weekly and "Access Hollywood." He knows the coverage is crucial in sharpening the gauzy image many Americans have of him, and he's right.

More of the article here: Link

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Maybe I've been looking at the media's treatment of Barack Obama -- the relentless, often favorable and sometimes gushing coverage -- through the wrong end of the telescope.

Maybe -- though I'm not convinced -- what we write and report doesn't matter. Maybe Obama manages to float above it all, protected by a Teflon coating.

That, at any rate, is the theory being floated by Slate media critic Jack Shafer. And since I'm invoked, I feel the need to respond.

My cameo role involved a piece I wrote in March, cataloguing the negative subjects that had been chewed over in the media: Tony Rezko, William Ayers, 130 "present" votes in the Illinois legislature, a Senate compromise that favored a nuclear energy contributor and, of course, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

But I don't believe those stories had little or no impact on Obama; after that, you may recall, Hillary Clinton won most of the remaining primaries. Most likely, we haven't heard the end of the Wright issue. And the coverage of Obama has gotten much friendlier since he clinched the nomination, especially during last week's world tour.

Obama is a skilled counterpuncher; he can defuse an issue without losing his cool, either by calmly brushing it off or smothering it in nice-sounding words. It is an underrated skill in politics. Nothing seems to rattle the guy.

In fact, that supreme self-confidence is itself becoming an issue, which says to me the media is largely firing blanks these days. How dare he meet Merkel, Sarkozy and Brown before he's even been nominated? How dare he tell House Democrats that he's likely to win? (Have you seen many candidates who go around proclaiming they'll probably lose?) It makes for good sport, but if this is the worst thing the media can pin on Obama, he's in for an easy ride.

In the end, though, here's why the coverage matters: Obama is--or was--the least-known nominee since Jimmy Carter. Our impressions of him aren't fully formed. That's why he keeps trotting out his family for People, Us Weekly and "Access Hollywood." He knows the coverage is crucial in sharpening the gauzy image many Americans have of him, and he's right.

More of the article here: Link

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This is not correct. He keeps trotting out his non-white family. He is keeping his white side of the family out of it. He seems to be ashamed of part of his family because of the color of their skin. He even called his grandmother a racists.

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This is not correct. He keeps trotting out his non-white family. He is keeping his white side of the family out of it. He seems to be ashamed of part of his family because of the color of their skin. He even called his grandmother a racists.

You're lost in the blogosphere, daniel. Come back down to earth! When he mentions his family, he mentions both sides--every single flippin' time. I'm tired of it, frankly. Father from Kenya, mother from Kansas, blah-di-blah-di-blah. And he didn't call his grandmother a racist, he said that she had once confessed "her fear of black men who passed her by on the street." If your grandma told you the same thing, would you think she was racist?

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You're lost in the blogosphere, daniel. Come back down to earth! When he mentions his family, he mentions both sides--every single flippin' time. I'm tired of it, frankly. Father from Kenya, mother from Kansas, blah-di-blah-di-blah. And he didn't call his grandmother a racist, he said that she had once confessed "her fear of black men who passed her by on the street." If your grandma told you the same thing, would you think she was racist?

Yep he called her a typical white person. Makes sense comeing from a typical black person.

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What's funny is that the media is criticizing Barack for being untouchable - but when this is brought up about, say, Ronald Reagan, it tends to be represented as a good thing.

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What's funny is that the media is criticizing Barack for being untouchable - but when this is brought up about, say, Ronald Reagan, it tends to be represented as a good thing.

Mr. Burns: Welcome, fellow Republicans. To start with the old business, Brother Hibbard will read a report on our efforts to re-name everything after Ronald Reagan.

Dr. Hibbard: All Millard Fillmore schools are now Ronald Reagans. The Mississippi River is now the Mississippi Reagan.

Dracula: (Points to Frankenstein, seated next to him) And my good friend, Frankenstein, is now Franken-Reagan. Bleeeh!

Mr. Burns: Excellent!

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What's funny is that the media is criticizing Barack for being untouchable - but when this is brought up about, say, Ronald Reagan, it tends to be represented as a good thing.

What was funny was all three commercial network news anchors tagging along on BHO's foray to the Middle East and Europe.

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Indeed, you'd think at least one would go to Schmidt's Restaurant und Sausage Haus. I guess the suits just haven't figured out what sells yet.

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