Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Giddy Sense of Boosterism (The Media's Embarrassing Obamamania)
Washington Post ^ | November 17, 2008 | Howard Kurtz

Posted on 11/17/2008 3:12:29 AM PST by rightwingintelligentsia

Perhaps it was the announcement that NBC News is coming out with a DVD titled "Yes We Can: The Barack Obama Story." Or that ABC and USA Today are rushing out a book on the election. Or that HBO has snapped up a documentary on Obama's campaign.

Perhaps it was the Newsweek commemorative issue -- "Obama's American Dream" -- filled with so many iconic images and such stirring prose that it could have been campaign literature. Or the Time cover depicting Obama as FDR, complete with jaunty cigarette holder.

Are the media capable of merchandizing the moment, packaging a president-elect for profit? Yes, they are.

What's troubling here goes beyond the clanging of cash registers. Media outlets have always tried to make a few bucks off the next big thing. The endless campaign is over, and there's nothing wrong with the country pulling together, however briefly, behind its new leader. But we seem to have crossed a cultural line into mythmaking.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: media; mediabias; obama; obamatransitionfile
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last
To: The_Media_never_lie
Can't hold the media accountable at all.. after all, no one forced people to vote the o in or his minions. Yes, they went too far but people that voted o and his minions were just too lazy to do any thinking for themsleves. I'm guessing that many people voted o to make themsleves feel better (i.e. prove that they are not racist)... beyond that, I can't fathom why he was voted in.

Did people truely want their taxes to go up? It was what he promised.
21 posted on 11/17/2008 5:10:47 AM PST by Strutt9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Strutt9
It would be interesting to run a bogus third party candidate next time. Usually, those guys seems to take votes from the Republican, but maybe one could be manufactured to take votes from the Democrat. The policy stance would be strictly dictated -- by Obama.

Obama says "I will create 2 million new jobs."
3rd party guy says: "I will beat that! 2.5 million jobs!"

Obama says: "I will lower taxes for 95% of you."
3rd party guy: "Ha! I will lower taxes for 97% of you!"

Obama says: "I will make us energy independent."
3rd party guy: "I will have us exporting energy within 3 years!!"

The Democrats just offer empty promises. That would become obvious if someone made a point of always out-bidding them.

22 posted on 11/17/2008 5:43:58 AM PST by ClearCase_guy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: The Ghost of Rudy McRomney

And yet, we don’t have conservatives competing for these media outlets.


23 posted on 11/17/2008 5:48:39 AM PST by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

“crossed the line into myth building.” Why, of course, and as the WaPo ombudsman (actually ombudswoman) declared: our coverage was biased but it was so well written that it was a pleasure to read.


24 posted on 11/17/2008 6:00:19 AM PST by Malesherbes (Sauve Qui Peut)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MathDoc

[The responsible spending he promised? It’ll have to wait too. ]

No it won’y. Obama PROMISED to go through the budget line by line and veto any wasteful spending. And I believe him.


25 posted on 11/17/2008 6:06:53 AM PST by FastCoyote (I am intolerant of the intolerable.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

They can “boost” him all they want.

When the rest of us refuse to participate in his socialist schemes, he will fail.

We’ll probably get some “pushback” over refusing to participate, as Michelle alluded to:
“Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zone . . . Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual - uninvolved, uninformed.”


26 posted on 11/17/2008 6:09:57 AM PST by MrB (The 0bamanation: Marxism, Infanticide, Appeasement, Depression, Thuggery, and Censorship)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

Thanks.... I had a good laugh..Might be interesting to attempt... make sure that DNCmedia is on your side...


27 posted on 11/17/2008 6:32:47 AM PST by Strutt9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: rightwingintelligentsia

btt - another nail into their coffin — if anyone is listening!


28 posted on 11/17/2008 6:46:44 AM PST by NavySEAL F-16 (Proud to be a Reagan Republican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Strutt9
I'm guessing that many people voted o to make themsleves feel better (i.e. prove that they are not racist)...

There was a lot of racial jiu jitsu employed by the Obama campain to play upon the "white guilt" trip many liberals are on. I have actually heard some say that His election was necessary to bring about a "racial healing catharsis".

Boy, they have no idea what they have coming.

29 posted on 11/17/2008 7:21:56 AM PST by The_Media_never_lie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Liz; Milhous; Grampa Dave; BIGLOOK; SunkenCiv; LucyT; jan in Colorado

journalists fostering the notion that Obama is invincible


30 posted on 11/17/2008 7:33:13 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mark319
This is way out there: but it reminds me of one of my favorite Bill Cosby routines. It's the one where Bill and Russell blame the man who "came in through the window, dad!"

The obvious culprit - quickly accusing anyone else as the cause of the problem - in order to avoid discipline for their own behavior.

As Bill's dad said, "There is no window in this room, son!"

31 posted on 11/17/2008 7:53:33 AM PST by kinsman redeemer (The real enemy seeks to devour what is good.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: The_Media_never_lie

You are so right that the DNCmedia/o campaign played the race card. It still does not negate people being responsible for thier own votes. Yes, they will certainly have buyers remose BIG Time. But, the shame is that due to O & Pravda (dnc media).. no other blackman will ever get voted in the white house. O will certainly ruin it for anyother person of color. (probably should not have said this loud)


32 posted on 11/17/2008 8:23:06 AM PST by Strutt9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy
The Democrats just offer empty promises. That would become obvious if someone made a point of always out-bidding them.

Yes, but the difference is, the Third-Party candidate would be unceremoniously grilled by the media. "How will you create new jobs? In which industry sector? Where will we find skilled workers? Will these be union jobs? Will these be jobs that will harm the environment? Will women get paid as much as men?" And so on.

For Obama: "How's the toilet training going for the new puppy?"

33 posted on 11/17/2008 8:33:52 AM PST by Lou L
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Strutt9
Yes, and that is certainly the downside.

He is inheriting a crisis, and he could turn out to be the hero. However, I think it is more likely that this is a long tern problem (<4 years) and he will turn out to be the goat.

I hope I am wrong, for myself personally as an investor, for the black people, who need a hero and for my country.

34 posted on 11/17/2008 9:02:21 AM PST by The_Media_never_lie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: MrB

Now that’s funny! I missed that one!


35 posted on 11/17/2008 9:57:28 AM PST by CRBDeuce (here, while the internet is still free of the Fairness Doctrine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: CRBDeuce

It’s absolutely fascist,

but you put it in front of 0bama supporters and they’ll try to justify it like “maybe she meant...”


36 posted on 11/17/2008 11:01:01 AM PST by MrB (The 0bamanation: Marxism, Infanticide, Appeasement, Depression, Thuggery, and Censorship)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: kinsman redeemer

“...he broke the bed then he jumped out the window laughing”...Great stuff.


37 posted on 11/18/2008 3:20:24 AM PST by Mark319 (The U.S. fought Marxism throughout the 20th century and now Americans have voted it right in.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Strutt9
Can't hold the media accountable at all.. after all, no one forced people to vote the o in or his minions.

You're kidding, right? While the media is not totally at fault what would you expect people to do when they are deliberately lied to, misinformed and Obama was held up by the media and everyone else trashed? Clearly they had an agenda and used every means possible to hide Obama's faults and elevate his few positive attributes.

The media is relied on by many to provide information. The clear bias has become normal to most Americans. Yes, they should think for themselves but when all the information points to a good thing that's what they'll believe.

38 posted on 11/18/2008 4:25:33 AM PST by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: raybbr

39 posted on 11/18/2008 4:26:15 AM PST by timestax ( CNNLIES)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: raybbr

No I’m not kidding....That is what the media will say as an excuse. We know that they were the cheerleaders for the o... but majority of the people just don’t seem to see it. I suspect when they wake up from their deep sleep... first, they will blame the dncmedia, then themsleves for listening to the dnc/media. Maybe this is what we need. There will always be a core grp that will always vote dnc no matter what. But, the ones that have finally realized they have been sheeples... then maybe they will be more careful and realize votes do matter. Heres’ hoping for the best.


40 posted on 11/18/2008 12:45:42 PM PST by Strutt9
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson