Why the Media Fears John McCain

Contrary to Republican assertions, it is now clear that the media does not favor Obama over McCain. If this was ever in doubt, Romesh Ratnesar's pathetic questioning of Barack Obama on the "Surge" in Iraq was symbolic of the media's inability to do their jobs properly.

"I would like to know whether you feel that after the last five years, haven't we learned that a commander in chief needs to be willing to acknowledge mistakes or errors in judgment when circumstances change?" asked the Time Magazine Editor (who caused a storm earlier this year for his calls to invade Burma).

Obama's progressive side flashed, and the Illinois Senator snapped, "You know, I have to say, it is fascinating to me the to hear you guys reemphasize this over and over again, I have not heard yet somebody ask John McCain whether his vote to go into Iraq was a mistake. I haven't, during the entire week that we were having this conversation."

And here, Obama hit the nail on the head.

There may have been a love affair going on between the media and Obama when he was facing Hillary Clinton, but now he is up against a grizzled war veteran, the main stream media is doing exactly what it did before the build up to the Iraq War -- sucking up to power, not asking relevant questions and fearful it might be labeled unpatriotic.

McCain has been running an abominable campaign so far, and it is a miracle his party hasn't stepped in to intervene. The 71 year old has been unable to remember where he stands on the issues, contradicting virtually everything he once stood for, and doing his best to appear as un-presidential as possible. A series of blusters involving disgusting jokes about killing Iranians, ludicrous personal attacks on Barack Obama and unforgivable slip ups by his campaign on the economy should have spelled the death of his presidential bid, but the media has given him a pass, preferring to focus on Obama's speeches and inability to connect with white working class voters.

The big networks have not called John McCain out on his many blunders, and refuse to ask serious questions about the surge. They continue to repeat government talking points about its success without trying to understand it.

The "Surge" was essentially a political gimmick designed to quell violence in specific areas and create the impression that the United States was still in control. As Obama has pointed out, it hasn't done anything to promote long term stability, it hasn't quelled the huge tensions between Sunni and Shiite faction, and hasn't strengthened the Iraqi government's ability to govern. The notion that America is now "winning the war" in Iraq is ridiculous -- a short term reduction in violence does not constitute anything other than that -- a short term reduction in violence (although 53 people were recently killed in a spate of suicide bombs).

McCain is a war hero, but he is also a war monger hell bent on expanding America's imperial interests around the world via the barrel of a gun. He wedded himself to the biggest foreign policy disaster in U.S history, and has done nothing but ensure that more people die as a result of his stubbornness. McCain has not resisted a chance to engage American troops in more danger, selling the "Surge" like a used car dealer, and questioning anyone's patriotism if they dare oppose him. Obama, on the other hand, has been scrutinized for having a nuanced understanding of the conflict, and questioning the Government's assertions about its latest policy -- something the networks should be doing themselves.

Unlike Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and George Bush, McCain is no chicken hawk, but his insatiable desire to go to war is no less heinous. The networks need to focus on this before they help elect another candidate with a series of policies destined to plunge the United States even further into the abyss.

Ben Cohen is the editor of www.thedailybanter.com and a contributing writer to www.espn.com and Boxing Monthly Magazine. He can be reached at [e-mail]

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Comments

[Saxton]

The media won't report the facts on McCain because he will provide them with more wars to cover during sweeps week. Remember how gitty all the MSM was when we went into Iraq, sending all their correspondents to travel with different military units. They had their big wall maps showing where the different battles were taking place and there was the almost hourly briefings by military commanders. That is what the MSM is hoping for and why they are protecting McCain. Of course, McCain in order to support his 100 years of war will need to incorporate the bring back the draft The question will be, will the draft include everyone's sons and daughters or just those of the middle and lower class?

[GuyBlaise]

John McCain's campaign is focusing more on negativity than the real issues of the American people--to the point of worrying some in the G.O.P. As the Peul of Guinea say," By trying to hit your enemies, you end up kicking your friends."
Guy Blaise
Guy at guyblaise.com

[demfriend]

I have been yelling there are two John McCain's the media should and has to address to get things straight. There is the "hero" who was the POW. That was then. The next one is the senator who before becoming the senator left his first wife who gave him all the support and kept everything for him and then got dumped for the new "model" Cindy. The marriage license before the divorce thing. The Senato has voted againest more vet bills than people know and people should know that.The Hero has not been one in the Senate so much. The Keating 5 that is repeating the cycle 20 years later with the son Andrew. It says a whole lot that MSM will not tell unless they bring out the facts that although he was a vietnam "hero" as a POW he stpped when he went into the senate. Weigh the positive and the negatives show it all while a Senator. It can be done and some have actually done this!!!! If the press wants to be able to write without the administration telling them what to write they need to tell the truth about McCain NOW!!!

[Susan60]

The McCain campaign would like all of us to think that the Iraq War started with the surge, and the surge, as they continue to tell us has been successful.
The media has bought into McCain's talking point that for some reason, known only to them, that it is imperative that Obama admit that the surge has worked. Why it's so important to hear that from Obama is beyond me, but I think the more pathetic reason is that "it's all they got."
If we don't focus on the surge and just how much greater everything is in Iraq now, we must then turn our attention on the bad judgment of even getting into this war in the first place. That bad judgement goes to McCain, not Obama. So everyone is to pretend that the war started with the surge. If we keep repeating THE SURGE WORKED< THE SURGE WORKED, they will find their magical pony. And they are trying to get Obama in on the chant. After all, if you are McCain with atrocious judgement, you kind of need someone like Obama to back you up. Obama is wise not to help McCain's campaign. The media is clueless and are once again doing McCain's job for him.

[nomobull]

the surge hasn't worked . amd ask the iraqi people do they think things are better or just lidded with things boiling under the surface to the lid falls off.

[Poststep]

"There may have been a love affair going on between the media and Obama when he was facing Hillary Clinton, but now he is up against a grizzled war veteran" A grizzled WHITE war veteran.

[TwoToothTammi]

I'd like to give you a big fat kiss, Ben!

[blackchaps]

And pigs will fly.

[katmeyster]

It was really quite interesting to watch interviewer after interviewer read from the same script: didn't the surge work? why don't you support the surge? don't you want us to win? why do you hate freedom?

The MSM is just one big shill for their corporate owners (with a very few exceptions). This is disgusting and I am afraid that the uninformed, undereducated public will buy it hook, line, and sinker.

I hate this.

[scorpioleidy]

And that's what repugnicans are counting on: feeding marginal-minded Americans lies and filling them with fear to get votes ... so sad, so desperate ... but it won't work ... not this time, not this year!

[Gma11]

Talk about reading from the script, that is exactly what McCain is doing in a town hall today. And the script is not in front of him nor on a teleprompter. It's on a table to his left. It looks so silly for him to be standing and addressing a crowd while he keeps looking down to his left and reading!

But he makes his usually points about Obama gonna raise your taxes and Obama won't drill for more oil - and the crowd cheers!

[scorpioleidy]

Thank you, Ben Cohen! I love you!!!

Obama '08 & '12

[hopeless277]

The fix is already in. Obama loses and McCain wins. Corporate greed knows no bounds. McCain/Cheney 08.