Media Gets It Wrong Again

If I were Barack Obama I would tell my flaks in the news media to shut up in the final days before elections. The chattering crowd's frenzy for this man only raises expectations that he cannot meet.

As a result, what was otherwise not too shabby a night for Obama on Super Tuesday came across like a public relations defeat because so much more had been expected. Still, those who predicted a bigger night for Obama are invested in downplaying what actually happened, and will surely gin him up for the next contests.

Before Super Tuesday, gushing pundits predicted that the Kennedy family endorsements would, at a minimum, deliver Massachusetts. Didn't happen. Feverish news reports of rising momentum for Obama led to hints that he was winning New Jersey. Didn't happen.

And, oh yeah, California's returns were supposed to keep us up all night because the "force of nature" that is Obama had erased Clinton's lead in the state. Oops, it turned out that Hillary Rodham Clinton's lead was so substantial that the networks could call the state for her just after midnight.

The California surprise promoted a bit of mea culpa from former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, who has actually been a voice of reason as so many of his colleagues have lost their minds for Obama.

"Once again," Brokaw said on MSNBC as Clinton's early California win was announced, "in all of our conventional and collective wisdom, we were wrong." More on Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Watch Tom Brokaw's mea culpa from last night's Super Tuesday coverage on MSNBC:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1407432393http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Read more news and opinion on huffingtonpost.com

Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford

Comments

[ErinG]

Beware of Crawford. He appears on MSNBC all the time, cheering for Hillary.

[BetterAmerica]

At this point I really think Obama will be the nominee. Every force in the universe is against HRC. I'm concerned that the Repub's will attack Obama and the Dems will lose the WH again. I have never seen such one-sided news and media coverage against a candidate.

[lapdogs]

How many people do these poll takers ask who they are going to vote for, anyway? Two or three? Maybe one hundred in a populated place like New York City?

Thats a real sampling of "the population"!

Zogby and these other polling companies (along with these Sunday Talk Show Know It Alls haven't been close yet!!

Stop reporting a single poll or incompetent word from these poll takers / know it alls - and let "ALL OF THE VOTERS" vote and think "their" candidate has a chance of winning when they vote.

If this makes the MSM work a little longer (and harder) by not knowing what the results are until the polls close, so be it!!

[Mattatat]

How incredibly prescient that Crawford wrote this and then Shuster pulled his stunt the next day.

Good job, Craig. Thank god for a voice of reason in this wilderness of stupidity.

[truthspeak]

I am appalled with virtually every news show at how they have treated Hillary Clinton. Why is it that she is often called Hillary Rodham Clinton and he is never called Barack Hussein Obama?????

[Ricardocomments]

The world is in dire need of Statesmanship! And quite frankly, Senator Obama has demonstrated that he is a Statesman, fulfilling a non-political vacuum that represents the interest of All. He is leading In the same vein as the following visionaries with extraordinary Statesmanship.

* A great statesman is he who knows when to depart from traditions, as well as when to adhere to them.
- John Stuart Mill


* And statesmen at her council met
Who knew the seasons when to take
Occasion by the hand, and make
The bounds of freedom wider yet.
- Lord Alfred Tennyson,


* Peace. commerce, and honest friendship with all nations–entangling alliances with none.
- Thomas Jefferson, in his first inaugural address


* We say that someone occupies an official position, whereas it is the official position that occupies him.
- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg


* Honest statesmanship is the wise employment of individual manners for the public good.
- Abraham Lincoln

[Wanod]

I read two of his books, and i still feel like i was cheated. I know no more now then i knew then. I got more out of the book "from promise to power" I tells more of who this guy is. I didn't know he smoked, or that he didn't like big crowds, and he has this thing about washing his hands.

[junglejane]

I love Craig Crawford. Total voice of reason.

[msmaggie]

Ya know, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Why does the media prefer McCain to Romney and Obama to Clinton? Better stories, more appealing personalities.

Sounds simplistic, certainly. But ask yourself, who would you prefer to sit next to at a dinner party?

[MollyS]

Barack Obama is a Charistmatic who entrances the children and repeats the phrase, repeats the phrase, repeats the phrase for chant--but resists questioning at all costs. He is a person whose charisma embraces the crowd at a distance but runs from the questions of town meetings. I was entranced at first myself. But I watched and I listened and I know no more of him than I did the first time he starting his chant phrases. This is not a rock concert, this is an election of the next President of the United States. This man refuses to be vetted or tested or questioned and yet we are entranced. He runs from town meetings. He runs from debates. His phrases are all he has, repeat, repeat,repeat, you are getting sleepy..... That is why he does not attract older and wiser people. They know of charismatics who repeat the phrase, repeat the phrase, repeat the phrase, and they are very pesky about asking questions. These are very trying times, inquiring minds would like to know who the man really is behind the good looks, impeccible suit and the repeated phrase, the repeated phrase, the repeated phrase--beyond the fact that he is a double plus good duckspeaker.

[JonStewart4President]

While I agree there was way too much hot air about Obama's numbers. Something I know the Obama camp wanted (rightly) and tried to make more realistic, but that a lot of the media weren't listening. But I know it's not just Obama that they do this to and about. The media likes to pick up things and just run with them. They like to create narratives. It's quick! It's easy! It sells! Like they showed on "The Daily Show" a bit ago, about how seemingly media created "stories" like "Hillary cries!" before the NH primary. Or "Romney erupts at reporter!" Which when viewing the actual events, not so much. But watching parts of the media repeating it over and over again, as if to make it true and right, happens to more than just Obama. It's a broken function of our mainstream media these days and it's problematic all the way around.

But lastly, I have to also talk about bias. I have found that for weeks on various programs, that Craig Crawford has his own anti-Obama bias. And no, not that he's trying to be reasonable and a voice of caution in the wilderness. That I get more of from Keith Olbermann than Crawford. I have seen him on many different shows now, making some statements that were just as biased and any supposed starry-eyed media person for Obama. My favorite comment by him was saying that a clear joke by Obama about how he should have said "his weakness was helping little old ladies across the street," instead of answering honestly, was called a flip-flop type response by Crawford. It was at that point, I threw up my hands about him. And Abrahms as well, let's not pretend he doesn't have his own bias.

Two biases don't make a right. People need to dial it back in the media about predictions about Obama, not the least of which is they don't do Obama any good. Same with these ad hominen attacks on Hillary. Totally agree.

But Crawford? kettle? this is pot calling, you're black.

[jcandrsn]

Totally agree with this assessment. Despite the fact that Sen. Obama had a great Super Tuesday, I found myself a little disappointed because I actually fell for the media hype.

In truth, I've grown pretty tired of the news media as a whole as this process has progressed. Every week, they have to sensationalize something else. After Iowa, the Clinton campaign had to shake things up. McCain should've turned it in months ago. Obama locked up the Nevada caucus the day he got the Culinary Union endorsement. Ted Kennedy's endorsement will lead to hispanics voting for Obama. The republican nominating process could extend into the summer.

It's all so ridiculous that I'm beginning to wonder if the news media is any more trustworthy than a horoscope or telephone psychic. It makes me wonder if the assertions that Clinton will polarize anything or will energize the republican base hold any more water than the rest of the nonsense you've shoved down our throats. I'm now generally leaning toward the notion that the dem nomination will be wrapped up in a few weeks and super delegates won't matter a lick, precisely because it's the exact opposite of the current flavor of the week news story.

[KARE]

I am so happy to see that most of these posts are rather intellectual in nature, not what you find on most of Huffpo. But then this isheart of the Obama lovefest.

[crmr22222]

Hasn’t anyone else been irritated with the cadence in Obama’s preaching, general speaking and especially in answering questions? He does not speak in a normal rhythm! (Unless on Oprah’s couch.)

It appears he can rarely put more than 5 words together. It is usually 3-4 and hardly ever more than 5. It also appears to worsen when he is questioned and especially when “stretching the truth!”

He pauses, stammers or repeats phrases, over and over again to allow time for his brain to catch up with his mouth to maintain his façade. In the process the pundits, and thus his blind followers, describe his speeches as “inspirational!”

His thought process appears to be the same as with his failing to vote, and/or not being able to make a decision, for over 130 votes in the Illinois Legislature, or even worse- ‘pushing the wrong button’ repeatedly!

How scary is this path? Now we have the press, and an OPRAH inspired machine, pushing for the election of a façade protecting, stammering candidate.

(Oprah Winfrey raises $3 million for Barack Obama BY SOO YOUN in Montecito, Calif. and MICHAEL SAUL in New
York DAILY NEWS WRITERS Oprah calls Obama her "favorite guy" - and she's working hard to get him
in the White House.)

Haven’t we learned anything from the devastation of the last 8 years of the stammering president Bush?

Obama has yet to offer anything substantive for any of his plans to accomplish any of his ‘America is about to change promises/h­opes/dream­s…’ Where will we be on his day one in the White House?

P.S. For the good of the nation and our future well being, please support Hillary Clinton
as I and so many have just done! www.hillaryclinton.com

[crmr22222]

While Obama may be a great "motivational speaker," what he "preaches" greatly lacks substance. He "preaches" hopes, visions and dreams with very little substance as to how or why we should believe he could accomplish all he dreams and promises. To quote one commentator; “His speeches are touching, but they are mostly cotton candy,” yet most fail to make note of this fact and fail to ask pertinent questions. Obama may be great while "preaching," but he is extremely vague when questioned specifically or in debate.

Time has not been spent on reviewing and revealing to the voters Obama’s past record, (positive or negative), yet every breath of Hillary Clinton receives undue, unfair criticism, which gets played and debated over and over again. It seems only praise is aired for Obama. Are we expected to actually believe he walks on water?

Obama has failed to vote in the Illinois Legislature for at least 130 votes. He instead voted “PRESENT.” Obama recently admitted; ‘that on at least 5 occasions, he wanted to vote one way, but pushed the wrong button.’ ’ HE PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON? A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON! AND HE DID SO 5 TIMES!
Doesn’t it occur to anyone that the President, from day one, needs to know how to correctly push many buttons and make many decisions?

With the status of the Economy, Health Care, Iraq and the instability of the entire Middle East, you must ask yourself the most important question. Wouldn’t we all sleep better at night having a person with her experience in the White House, on day one, rather than one who must learn how to correctly push buttons while on the job?

We are suffering huge, and long lasting, scars from 8 years of a young, charming, on the job learner. Let’s hope this country can survive if the outcome is the election of another young, charming, on the job learner! God help us!

Terry