The Press Will Torment Obama, Too

With Obama emerging as the Democratic front-runner, clear signs suggest that his press treatment will soon change and that the media will fall back into their lazy routine of critiquing leading Democrats through the eyes of Republican spin.

In Sunday's New York Times, Obama was twice described as being overly effeminate: He's an "elusive starlet" who prefers "playing the tease," while espousing a "feminine management style." Compare that to the media's portrayal of Republican Sen. John McCain as sort of a man's man, and it's obvious where those competing narratives are headed.

Obama remains vulnerable, because Republicans do a masterful job of convincing journalists that, in the end, they don't really like Democratic candidates, that they don't trust them.

Read the full Media Matters column here.

Comments

[Oldtt]

When it comes to the Presidency, how would anyone know what a "feminine management style" might be? Even in a piece ribbing Obama, the NYT writer exposes the very misogyny that Clinton has had to buck throughout this campaign.

[Silpat]

Good.

[athy]

VERY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE READ THESE BEFORE VOTING-
JOURNALISTS-PLSE HELP INFORM THE VOTERS. MEMBERS OF FOURTH ESTATE-WE NEED YOUR HELP.WE NEED INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING QUICKLY
Articles contain controversial /contradictory Information ,
Stories deal with Sen. Obama"s Past record of accomplishments-prior to his decision to run for office of president.
Read what people who worked with him in the past-in Illinois- have to say. And read background of the "legislation" he was involved with.
INFO IN THESE ARTICLES,AT TIMES, DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS MOST OF WHAT IS INCLUDED IN SEN. OBAMA"S WEBSITE PLUS IN ARTICLES ON CNN AND WASHINGTON POST BLOGS. THESE ARTICLES NEED TO BE READ.
http://news.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/
http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/obamas_lobbyist_line.php
http://www.taylormarsh.com/
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/03/obama200803?currentPage=7
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3080794.ece
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/09/pacs_and_lobbyists_aided_obamas_rise/
http://www.counterpunch.org/
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=aa0cd21b-0ff2-4329-88a1-69c6c268b304
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/26/politics/main3876941.shtml
http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/02/26/obama_s_dangerous_protectionism/index.ht
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-wilson/battletested_b_86355.html?view=screen
//www.newsmax.com/politics/obama_daley_chicago_elect/2007/10/11/40228.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b6dc1c0e-e669-11dc-8398-0000779fd2ac.html
http://www.infowars.com/?p=370
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7dTXPQb1z0

[pizzmoe]

So far, Obama has handled everything with class and ease, and i think he will continue to do so, but no question the true attacks havent even started.

[ignrnthllblly]

Of course the media will torment Obama, in the same sense that a pack of dogs will torment a pork chop. Because the media exist for the same reason as our institutions of learning--to confirm our prejudices--neither Obama nor McCain will escape being costumed as the fulfillment of those prejudices. In the case of McCain, this accrues to his benefit: the idea that McCain--because of his military background, military service, and time as a prisoner-of-war--will act as some kind of personal protector to each voter and that McCain's experience necessarily translates to expertise in foreign policy. McCain will have to but step into the costume; the electorate, for the most part, will obediently confuse the actor and role. As for Obama, the media will fulfill the expectation that he is inexperienced and, incidentally, black. Experience, we will be left to infer, is unrelated to accomplishment; it is a quantitative, rather than qualitative, bonafide; acquired solely by having been a witness to power. And half-black is black--you'll never hear Obama described as half-white. Obama, to be elected, must be elected as a black man, thereby assuring that color will close the ears of many to his message. Our media will decry overt racism, even as it makes sure we are blinded by the reflection. The idea that Obama is, like Reagan, a teflon candidate is simply wrong: it's not that what's thrown fails to stick, it's that what is thrown falls way short of the mark. No one--talking heads, Republicans, nor Clinton Democrats--has yet found Obama's range. To borrow a functional Bushism: he's been consistently "misunderestimated." That constitutes a real advantage as GWB taught us.

[bellecloche]

True, the mainstream media will be harder on Obama, but so far he's handled any attacks beautifully. He's plays the cool and calm candidate ready to answer attacks on policy and ready to dismiss the "silly season." Frazzled, stunned, whining, ranting, or speechless he is not. For those hoping he stumbles, we'll just have to wait and see.

[SDnavyPROUD]

Don't begin to pretend, Mr. Boehlert, that you are immune from bias. Since the begining of the primaries your coverage has been very slighted to favor your preferred candidate_and we know who that it is. Though I had real hopes that you would be able to stay objective.

It just proves that it'sdamn near impossible to present the facts as you_the journlist_ percieves them, without your perspective coming through... and someone ultimately getting upset. I encourage all the wachdogs to continue their work, as they see fit; however we also must realize that like everyone else your ultimate goal is to get from pt A to pt B.

[OtayPanky]

Eric Boehlert: With Obama emerging as the Democratic front-runner, clear signs suggest that his press treatment will soon change and that the media will fall back into their lazy routine of critiquing leading Democrats through the eyes of Republican spin.

===

Oh for heaven's sake stop whining.

Anyone who can't deal with the press, the blogsters, the 527's, and the assorted kooks at both ends of the political spectrum, doesn't belong in the big chair.

Gore and Kerry were big failures here. HRC is worse than both of them. Let's hope Obama is competent enough - and has a competent enough staff - to deal with all the crap that comes with the job.

[Covenant]

I wouldn't be an Obama supporter if I thought he'd wilt under heat. I think an engaged press is something to be wary of, but it's the press' job to be adversarial. Hopefully they do attack McCain as equally, but one should never fear the press--just be good about managing the story.

[ncvoter]

So far, Hillary has been an extremely loud whiner about the media, and has goaded them
into giving her a FREE PASS on all of her scandals.

Great description of how Hillary uses false claims of sexism etc to get her way here at HuffPo:

"Clinton and the Vast Media Conspiracy"
www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-jenkins/clinton-and-the-vast-medi_b_89465.html

The Clintons are unable to resist manipulating all around them.

Clinton doesn't like the DNC rules for the Michigan, Florida, Nevada and now the Texas Primaries, so she seeks to manipulate them.

She doesn't like Obama's oratory skills, because she doesn't have the ability to inspire, and has a grating voice. Its not because she's a woman, because there are many great women speakers.

She wants to be the leader of the most powerful country in the world, but how can we restore trust when Clinton is so mercurial?

[kingsbridge77]

What dirt do they have on the Clintons? That Hillary killed Vince Foster? That Whitewater was a real scandal? The Lewinsky gave Bill a BJ, even though Bill's approval went up during the incident?

What Obama supporters/Republicans call scandals is nothing but hot air.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Lies and fearmongering work. They just plain work. Time and time again.

The Dems just do not understand this. Himmler understood this. Goering understood this. Rove understands this. Dems... no.

[biglover]

It does work - you are right - but it only works on the uninformed and ignorant. I doubt Obama supporters are going to fall for it this time around. The people who will, fall for it probably would not have voted for him in any event.

[TruthLives]

Countess, you just can't get off it when she is not even the topic... cool it already..

As for the rest everyone except the obamaites know he's in for it if he is the eventual nominee..
They will go where clinton wouldn't as a good democrat, but they love this.. its what they've been waiting for....

[kingsbridge77]

We'll see. Obama supporters say the media is fair, while media analysts say it's not fair.

We'll find out soon.

[BrooklynLager]

We'll find out soon? We already know.

When Obama wins the nomination, the press will go into full-assault mode. Possibly earlier. And I"ve never heard ANYONE say the press is fair; I'm assuming you're a Clinton supporter projecting childlike innocence on Obama supporters. That way you'll get some joy out of it when the press begins to REALLY attack him.

But we already know they will.

[PinkoAttic]

Oh please, spare us the paranoid hypothetical scenarios. Yes, the press will go after him once he secures the nomination. He should expect nothing less than a firestorm on all fronts, as most presidential candidates endure. I seriously doubt, however, that they will get as much traction against Mr. Obama as they would against Mrs. Clinton. Witness, for example, the whole traditional costume thing that they tried to pin on him in the last debate. He handled it masterfully and we have since moved on (the story did not endure with volume past a couple of news cycles).

The MSM knows it - the Republicans know it. The attraction of Obama to the American electorate (and, I would suggest, the greater part of it) is the inspired hope for " something better ". Whether it that hope be naive or not, it is presently ingrained in the American psyche as much as a miracle cure would be to a chronically ill patient. None of his detractors (except Mrs. Clinton) have so far dared to come across too much as cynical party poopers for risk that they themselves be branded as guardians of the old way of doing politics. Witness Karl Rove telling conservatives not to refer to Obama as " Hussein ". It is a truly marvellous national euphoria which has chosen to manifest itself in the form of an impossibly unlikely protagonist. As with all things euphoric, it will come to an end eventually, though I'd wager that America will not have satisfied its craving until at least 6 months in to an Obama presidency. Until then, Obama is best described as being covered in kryptonite rather than teflon.

[jeffmorgan]

Well last night I saw on Fox News a segment about whether Obama is the teflon candidate, because attacks just well... you know what teflon does. But now I read that he's vulnerable to coming media attacks. I think we are obsessive compulsive forecasters.

[Countess]

This is minor when compared to all the dirt they have on the Clintons. She won't even release her income tax returns hardly an encouraging sign.