Study: Press Looking Harder At Obama Post-SNL

DAVID BAUDER | March 4, 2008 05:07 PM EST | AP


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NEW YORK — Life imitating art or just a coincidence? A study of campaign coverage found the media took a sharper look at Barack Obama the week after "Saturday Night Live" spoofed journalists enthralled by his candidacy.

The NBC comedy show on Feb. 23 opened with a mock debate where journalists were rough on Hillary Clinton while being starry-eyed about Obama. It matched complaints the Clinton campaign had made _ and she even referenced the comedy skit during a real debate last week.

During the week, Obama was the dominant person in 69 percent of presidential campaign stories, according to a study by Project for Excellence in Journalism. That's the biggest percentage one candidate had received in any week this year.

Many of the stories took a tough look at Obama, such as a Feb. 25 ABC "World News" study on his Illinois legislative record and a "CBS Evening News" report on his career three nights later.

It's hard to say whether "SNL" acted as a de-facto assignment editor, since some of the stories were probably being prepared before the NBC show aired, but it did seem to crystallize a thought that had been percolating, said Mark Jurkowitz, the project's associate director.

"There were a lot of factors at play," Jurkowitz said. "But there's no question the skit, if nothing else, was perfectly timed."

With no primaries last week, news outlets had the time to look at other stories, as well as the time to look at their own performance. The Washington Post, New York Times and ABC's "Good Morning America" all ran stories addressing whether the media has been fairly covering the Obama-Clinton contest.

"Saturday Night Live" this past weekend opened its show with another fake debate where journalists played easy for Obama. This time, the skit ended with an appearance by Clinton herself.

The project studies 48 different media outlets, including newspapers, Web sites and television networks, as part of its examination of campaign coverage.


 
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Obama supporters are a bunch of idiots who have no business in the Democratic Party .They are vicious and hateful and any body voting for that empty suit has no business in politics. Obama is a coward and an opportunist who has never accmplished anything.It makes me sick when l hear people compare that empty suit to MLK.MLK gave his life for what he believed in and to hear people compare Obama to MLK is an insult to his memory.SNL is right, Obama can do no wrong, he will bring America together and yet his followers are so hateful and classless . He will even cure cancer.But for the Clintons , the Democrats would not have seen the white house in the last 20 years or so and if they are foolish enough to nominate that empty suit, they will loose and loose big.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:42 PM on 03/05/2008

SNL exposed Obama as being humorless and mollycoddled.
Hillary's got a sense of humor that she successfully used to help her win Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island.
Obama has shown that he lacks the ability to laugh at himself. We don't need a Black Nixon, do we?
I wish he'd Man-Up and stop acting like a petulant child.
He just a politician, after all.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:36 PM on 03/05/2008
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Just because they are looking harder at Obama doesn't mean they have to stop looking at Clinton.

In fact just because of her claims of media bias they should be grilling her ass harder. Call it the curse of the front runner. Pressing her to answer the questions. She always dodges them with long winded answers. Her and her campaign staff like that fat lard Kiki whatever her name is. She is just awful and condescending and never answers one question with a straight forward answer. Their all like that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:36 PM on 03/05/2008
- snowcat I'm a Fan of snowcat 23 fans permalink

why don't they look at:

Further scandals that have plagued Hillary Clinton recently include but are not limited to:

Norman Hsu, a fundraiser and donor to Hillary Clinton that was a fugitive of the law for over a decade;

Samuel Rivera, Mayor of New Jersey and a Clinton supporter, recently arrested for corruption;

The very public "Paul vs Clinton" legal battle where Hillary will have to testify under oath about Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign understating over $750,000 in contributions to her 2000 Senate campaign, from one Peter Paul, that will be heard in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Hillary’s campaign initially denied even knowing Peter Paul, and then later, admitted meeting him but never had a conversation regarding his contribution to her campaign;

Hillary Clinton's association with the 527 Group, America Coming Together, financed by George Soros, which has been fined $775,000 for violating campaign finance laws.

Her association with that group is via, Harold Ickes, president of America Coming Together, who just "happened" to be a former Bill Clinton Top Aide.

Clinton often refers to criticisms about her as a "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" but the fact of the matter is, if these situations of her own making did not exist, that conspiracy would have no ammunition against her.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:39 PM on 03/05/2008
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Clinton said on Limbaugh that Obama took his name off of the ballot because he was a afraid he would lose the state anyway. This outrageous and disgusting arrogance of them has really sent me over the edge. It's one thing to be confident but it's quite another to make up blatant lies about members fo your own party.

I think Clinton should honestly be removed from th democratic party for her remarks saying that McCain is better suited for the white house than her own party member. Her disgusting personal gains are splitting the party. But no one wants to challenge that. They say its good for the party a little back and forth. Ummmm not when you put it in the minds of the American people that republican is a better choice for president than a fellow democrat.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:40 PM on 03/05/2008
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That would be Bill Clinton who said that Obama was afraid he would lose Michigan.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:41 PM on 03/05/2008

Jeeze, snowcat - the post was about SNL and you decide to go off topic and slime Hillary with some long-winded diatribe without a speck of proof or attribution?
You must have the same sense of humor as Obama. I'll bet you're a blast at parties.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:40 PM on 03/05/2008

Thank you very much for that piece. If she believes she's already vetted, she'd better think again if she is the presidential nominee. I remember Richard Nixon, and Hillary remind me of him so very much in so many ways..

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:47 PM on 03/06/2008
- iPolitics I'm a Fan of iPolitics 33 fans permalink

Obama supporters should boycott SNL. That's a huge, young audience. The key demographic for earning ad money. Not that anyone watch it anymore, but put a nail in that coffin.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:24 PM on 03/05/2008

I don't think a boycott is necessary. The show is lousy now anyway. Maybe an Obama supporter needs to make some lame joke. Why do we celebrate anyone man or woman you describes women as "bitches?" I thought that why hip-hop culture as so misogynist. Why authorize the use of the word.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:52 PM on 03/05/2008
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Yeah I agree with you. When was the last time SNL was actually funny? The media hyped up Clinton's appearance but it was actually awkward and a little embarrassing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:42 PM on 03/05/2008

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE IS NO LONGER A COMEDY PROGRAM, IT IS WING OF THE HILLARY
CLINTON CAMPAIGN, AND THAT IS NOT WHAT WE ASKED FOR IN SNL.

I WILL NOT WATCH THE SHOW UNTIL IS DECIDES IF IT IS A POLITICALLY BIASED HACK
OR GO BACK TO WHAT WAS ITS VISION IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IF LORNE MICHAELS IS ALLOWING THIS, HIS LEGACY IS ON THE LINE.

PERSONALLY, I CALL THE LAST TWO EVENINGS ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE:

"The Vagina Monolgues" (and, yes I am a woman so this is not sexist, just outraged)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:28 PM on 03/05/2008

They're looking more closely because they take him seriously as the only viable Democratic candidate, the one who will be nominated. They want to locate his weaknesses before anyone else does. And that's fine, because his record his clean. It's Clinton whose life in Washington has been one scandal after another. So let em dig!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:17 PM on 03/05/2008

When is the press going to find out that Bill Clinton enlisted the Canadian Government right wing Prime Minister to perform his dirty trick on the Nafta memo. Ohioans are easily fooled so they are accustommed to voting against their own interest. I know how they are. I lived there for two years and it was the rust belt ..mental and job wise. They won't get any jobs back as long as they keep falling for the stupid tricks.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:59 AM on 03/05/2008

Wow. Obama talks about a "united" datates of America, about hope and compassion. And then a supporter of his basically calls an entire state mentally defective. I think some of you are missing the message.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:31 PM on 03/05/2008

Reporter Matt Taibbi brought up the same point a couple of weeks ago. The very people who ought to stand up and BOO when Clinton opens her mouth about NAFTA and starts reinventing her history with it, are the people who have been saying they support her. Sometimes blue collar people have to work so hard they don't have the time or the energy to go online and really dig for what they need to know. Network news should give them information, but instead its anchors chit chat about personalities. If you're not working two jobs and raising a family, you have time to research this stuff. A lot of people don't.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:24 PM on 03/05/2008

Oh yeah, I like Alec Baldwin but 30 Rock and SNL are on my do not watch list!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:53 AM on 03/05/2008

Because the way to deal with conflicting opinions is to shut them out. You're sure you're not a Republican?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:32 PM on 03/05/2008
- jrockbg I'm a Fan of jrockbg 8 fans permalink
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LMAO!!! I love the short memory of Oba-maniacs. Does anyone else remember the SNL episode before the Iowa caucuses? They mocked the media for treating HILLARY as the annointed one! Subsequently, Obama went on to win an amazing primary the following Tuesday.

So lay off SNL. Your criticisms of them lacks serious context.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:15 AM on 03/05/2008
- dr4Will I'm a Fan of dr4Will 10 fans permalink
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oh my, the media is going to do their job in an unbiased way--bad news for obama lovers--they can't stand the truth!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:34 AM on 03/05/2008
- kappa08 I'm a Fan of kappa08 76 fans permalink
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what "truth"? The fact that she showed atypical Democratic weakness when she went along with "Master" and voted for WAR? Or the fact that she has changed her voice at least a dozen times along this road. She is same ol same ol. Nothing new. In fact just the same as the feckless democrats that have done NOTHING and will do NOTHING along with their too afraid do NOTHING constituents on a path of mediocrity. Boooorrrriiiinnnng. *yawn*

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:43 AM on 03/05/2008
- AnotherTry I'm a Fan of AnotherTry 50 fans permalink
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What makes you think Obama will be different much less better?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:31 AM on 03/05/2008

We know the truth Hillary may try to steal this election but it will not win her the title commander in chief.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:08 PM on 03/05/2008
- TruthLives I'm a Fan of TruthLives 2 fans permalink

The media should have taken a closer look at Barack Obama earlier and if iuts true that it took SNL to move them... well that's a sad comment for the American media...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:27 AM on 03/05/2008
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You have the media talking heads taking their cues from SNL and then these same talking heads expect you to believe that they have the expertise and insight to inform and enlighten you about anything in any significant way? Seems to me that something's broken here.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:33 AM on 03/05/2008
- CalliDem I'm a Fan of CalliDem 8 fans permalink

Are you people really this stupid?? You actually believe that SNL is the reason Hillary KICKED HIS ASS
BO has the ability to win SMALL states dominated by college aged Obamabots. Your fairy tale is going to END the wat all fairy tales end. People wake up

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:55 AM on 03/05/2008
- Kyuzo I'm a Fan of Kyuzo 37 fans permalink

Hillary "kicked his ass"? Really?

I'd look at the scoreboard if I were you. Blocking a field goal in the fourth quarter doesn't mean much when you're down by 21.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:18 AM on 03/05/2008
- Grulg I'm a Fan of Grulg 6 fans permalink

But in this case--Hilary is fighting for the Wildcard position in the American League, all she has to do is make the playoffs and then the Clintonistas will take it from there. Trust me, anyone who thinks that Barack is gonna just skate on thru til Nov is kidding themselves.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:23 AM on 03/05/2008
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I think the process is starting to show; folks do want change, but only from one system to the next--we vacillate between these two only. This will be a test for America: if Clinton wins after playing dirty, then the message will be that we are still the nation that elected Bush president twice.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:24 AM on 03/05/2008

You know, we have a problem here. Obamabots. Clintonistas. Folks, if you want McCain to win in November to continue the Bush Administration's failed policies, then keep talking about the supporters of our two candidates this way. GET A GRIP!

We have two GREAT candidates, and either one will be a big improvement over where we have been the last 8 years. Vote for whichever you want to in the primaries, but please try to control yourselves as you talk about the results. Those of us who support Obama have good reasons for supporting Obama. Those of us who support Clinton have good reasons for supporting Clinton. Most of us will support whichever one eventually wins the nomination. Neither of them was my first choice for the nomination, but either of them can count on my support. I'm not hypnotized by either one, and the implication that any of their supporters are being duped just weakens our results in November.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:46 AM on 03/05/2008
- certainot I'm a Fan of certainot 2 fans permalink

the real story here is not be obama media relative to clinton media, it's GOP/corporate media vs. democracy.

with the GOP nomination nomination done and talk radio focused back on it's primary goal of swiftboating whoever the DEM candidate will be, the republican-owned corporate media could get back to electing a republican, and at the same time keep media income up by making sure the DEM fight keeps going.

and how many hillary voters were republicans inspired by limbaugh and co to vote against the black guy? they have been working on that for weeks but the republican voters were still worried about their nominee v mccain.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:53 AM on 03/05/2008
- snowcat I'm a Fan of snowcat 23 fans permalink

I'm so tried of the crap about the msm bias against Clinton.

When are they going to start hammering her with questions about her shady land deals, shady investments, corrupt contributors, and endless other scandals?! All they ask about is related to her campaign behavior ( mocking, 3am ad etc). She has never answered hard questions and has beautifully manipulated the media and public so that everyone now believes she's been vetted and has been treated "unfairly". Barack needs to fight back more and mention her scandals!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:13 AM on 03/05/2008
- trbone I'm a Fan of trbone 3 fans permalink

Would you like some cheeses to go with that whine? Get used to it . The honeymoon with the media is OVER. Faced with declining credibility the press has no choice now but to do their job. If you don't think the media has heavily pushed Obama to this point then you are just not paying attention. GO HILLARY!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:47 AM on 03/05/2008

Whatever. Clinton has co-opted the media and they are peddling her false propaganda. Hillary hasn't won a single vote. Her goal is to get people to vote AGAINST Barack.

It matters not. She has lost. Yesterday was a net gain of 1 to 3 delegates for her. Come Saturday and Tuesday, he'll be back on his winning wave and will have evaporated her net gain in delegates.

I'll toast wine to that all day long.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:00 AM on 03/05/2008

I agree completely snowcat.

I still believe firmly in what we're building here, as do we all, and I think we can make a shift change that is not destructive, but furthers the cause of truth in politics.

Backed by Truth, Fronted By Obama

Though I respect the decision to 'not do nasty' on the part of Obama's campaign, it's not going to work. Clinton's map to the WH is routed via FLA, MI or intimidating SDs. This is not about getting nasty or attacking. It's about shining the light on Senator Clinton's own realties. This can be done with candor and eloquence because we are backed by truth, and fronted by Obama.

A new strategy has to be demanded by us, the supporters, so that Senator Obama will be pushed by his base, into action.
I'd like to begin an online petition of Obama supporters that addresses our wishes for 'our campaign'.
1st key points of this work in progress:
1. That we not get nasty, but that we answer negative attacks quickly and firmly.
2. That we call upon our surrogates, as Clinton does, to bring up things that are more than murky in Senator Clinton's camp. I.E., Bill's very interesting Dubai dealings, the Senator's own questionable campaign fund raising history scandals.
3. Debunking the media bias lie toward Obama. Clinton was the inevitable, the media darling for over a year. All it took was her complaining about a couple of positive weeks for Senator Obama, and the media now falls all over itself to repeat all her talking points.
4. Shed light on the obvious fact that Senator Clinton could not care less about the party and the country she decries to love. If she did, she would not imply that the Republican nominee would be better suited for the WH, she would not say that "as far as she knows he is not a Muslim", and certainly would not consistently suggest that all people and/or states that did not vote for her were insipid and inconsequential.
5. The voters must demand that she release the tax returns. This needs to be truly brought to bear. She is obviously hiding something, and we deserve to know BEFORE it's too late to diffuse a ticking bomb awaiting us in the general.
6. Release the WH papers. What DID she actually do during her tenure as First Lady?
7. Please confront her with the 35 years nonsense. Senator Obama has a longer legislative history than Senator Clinton. That is a fact not receiving enough attn.
8. What actual crisis has Senator Clinton diverted? How was this accomplished without proper security clearance?

If you're also interested in helping me formulate this petition, join me here:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/ipetition4Barack

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:08 AM on 03/05/2008
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