“They refused to ask the man questions and glossed/lied wherever they needed to get him elected.”
That’s absolutely right; the perceived shift in coverage as of late leads me to believe that their internal polls indicate an election day disaster for Obama (that apparently can’t be averted with their normal deceptions), and they are trying to claw back some of the credibility they’ve lost over the last 20 years by playing “impartial” now.
Informed Americans have spent that time adjusting to different news sources to compensate; I don’t see the “mainstream media” ever going back to the position of influence it once held. The days of Dan Rather, Andrea Mitchell, and Soledad O’Brien (to name some of the most egregious offenders of late) being anything other than the voice of the left are over.
Is it me or has the media shifted a bit since they early interviews with VP-nominated Ryan? I think the media realizes that it is goin to be Romney/Ryan and they are scared $hitless that they will be made to look foolish when conducting and interview with Ryan and/or in press conferences. He's a detailed oriented policy wonk and the media doesn't read anything past the talking points. Hence, the media folks don't know the actual details of Obama's policies and Ryan's plans.