Love or Lust, Obama and the Fawning Press Need to Get a Room

When Barack Obama decided that questions from the German press about his trip agenda in that country were too pesky, he told the reporters, "So, stop it all of you!" He just wanted them to ask things he wanted to talk about. Well, what politico wouldn't want that?

OK, dad. We'll behave.

And according to a new Pew Research Center poll, we are behaving...like fans. On domestic press, it showed that "President Barack Obama has enjoyed substantially more positive media coverage than either Bill Clinton or George W. Bush during their first months in the White House" with "roughly twice as much" Obama coverage about his "personal or leadership qualities" than was the case for either previous president.

Back in the US, NBC's Brian Williams' two-part "Living Large With the Top Dog" feature on Mr. Obama's life included a plug for Conan O'Brien's new show and mention of cable talkies where Mr. Obama only cited MSNBC personalities. Accident? I don't think so. There were a few probing moments in there, but they were overshadowed by the flash of hanging out in the back of the Auto One limo and having burgers. A little navel-gazing among journalism standards hall monitors about whether the thing had been too soft came and went.

Then, this Sunday in the NY Times, there was full-on chick-flick swooning over Barack and Michelle Obama's heavily scented "date night" in NY City and its high bar standard effect on our relationship culture, with just a hint of controversy over the taxpayer costs to add some spice. I swear I've seen this movie, only Michael Douglas was the president. Or Harrison Ford. Or one of those cool and languid characters you'd want to like you. George Bush needed to be beer-bar likable to get elected. His successor has managed to get a lot of people to want to be liked by him.

And in Paris, Mr. Obama talked about how he'd love to take his wife for a romantic tour of the City of Lovers, but couldn't. Then he did. I'm guessing some regular-Joe freedom fries weren't on the menu.

This guy is good. Really good. And, frankly, so far, we're not.

You can't blame powerful people for wanting to play the press to peddle self-perpetuating mythology. But you can blame the press, already suffocating under a massive pile of blame, guilt, heavy debt and sinking fortunes, for being played. Some of the time, it seems we're even enthusiastically jumping into the pond without even being pushed. Is there an actual limit to the number of instances you can be the cover of Newsweek?

If I wanted to see highly manicured image management I'd just take some No-Doz and read Gavin Newsom's tweets. But the Obama-press dance is a more consensual seduction where, in the old-fashioned sense, we're the girl. (In California, there's no other option.)

I thought that the Maxfield Parrish, heroic days of the Kennedy Administration PR, where the press and the president were pretty much all in on the same screenplay and the same jokes, couldn't happen in our modern era, what with paparazzi and tabloids and talk shows, citizen sound-bite scavengers and voracious 24/7 news cycles. But now that the stumbling Bushes and smirking Clintons are out of the White House, time has compressed back on itself like the machine in the Denzel Washington movie, "Deja Vu." It's the early 1960s and Camelot all over again:

Very attractive wife, cute, precocious kids and the hopes and dreams of at least 63 percent of the population sitting on the athletic shoulders of a young, charismatic, mold-breaking leader, Blah, blah. (Oh, and a Chicago Mayor Richard Daley helped make it possible. We can play the Lincoln-Kennedy parallels game here.) Only there's a puppy now instead of a pony and it seems like Barack Obama may be less socially, self-destructively libertine than Mr. Kennedy. In fact, he's downright conservative on things like same-sex marriage. (It's smart to have a wholesome life -- though very clearly, in the sinuous world of the Obamas, not to the point of abstinence -- when you're pushing programs that get labeled as socialist.)

So we're in love, lust, or just a whole lot of like. Clearly we get something in exchange, whether it's a little reflected exuberance, a sense of history or just some very minor role in a fun movie. If you want to appear in a movie with John Travolta, you go willingly with him to the LA Scientology Center and are happy about it. "I'm clear, man. Hand me the cans."

I'm not sure Mr. Obama is necessarily getting away with anything here. In Cairo, when he spoke of the "principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings," more than a few writers pointed out that this meant unless you're the Egyptian government or two gay people wanting to get married. What the president was saying overseas, to mostly purplish commentators' delight over the symbolic significance of the event, Dick Cheney was actually meaning in his own "freedom means freedom for everyone" speech about same-sex weddings.

The style-over-substance hit followed him from continent to continent. "While the president is popular among Europeans," the Wall Street Journal wrote, "he returned from his second trip to Europe with little more progress on key issues" than he got on his first visit. That's the Journal. But the Washington Post, where the John Kennedy myth was nurtured like a golden statue, managed a cautionary op-ed column from Robert Samuelson warning that "our political system works best when a president faces checks on his power." He meant checks from the press.

Samuelson was one of the few in the media to give some room to the Pew Research Center poll.

So far, this is all about image and character and press "opportunities." But with what CNN medical reporter Elizabeth Cohen called this morning "gazillions of dollars" of our money at stake and crazy people with nukes bristling from around the edges of the world, we can't afford not to keep a closer eye on the substance thing.

Follow Phil Bronstein on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PhilBronstein

Comments

[goodforme]

don't waste your precious time on corporate mass media trash.

go listen / watch / read DEMOCRACY NOW!

you'll get truth and perspective.

[bebrave]

If Mr. Bronstein thinks that "Obama coverage" is too "positive" he is obviously watching the wrong channels and needs to diversify. I am STUNNED by the comments I hear on Fox News EVERYDAY and on Morning Joe (MSNBC) about the President and his family. The snarky and vicious comments made on websites and commentary on Right wing radio and WSJ and Townhall and even Politico. You Mr. Bronstein need to diversify.

And this notion that the Main Stream Media is somehow the Liberal Media when Fox brags regularly about the overwhelming viewership they have...and the fact that Murdock owns d a m n near ALL the media in NY and the world (including neighborhood papers) is, to me subliminal brainwashing. Murdock and his hateful employees ARE main stream media as far as I can see their loud and angry voices are dominant. And to miss that point is to fall for their strategy to portray themselves as the underdogs.

[nyred48]

Mr. Bronstein: The Fourth Estate never called "tech" nor did the "checks and balances" thing on Bush or Cheney. MSM appeared to be cowed for eight years. And, to tell you the truth, after eight years of anger, fake wars, big spending, lies and domestic spying--the Obama family puts a smile on my face. My suggestion is to step back, look at the president's programs and compare them with the GOP's. I bet you'll start posting pictures of "Bo" again.

[Kathryn48]

nyred48,
Please explain how "the Obama family puts a smile on my face". What good have they done for your family? What do you know about them?
I'm shocked that durring the campaign no one from either Barack, or Michelle's past have been interviewed. I recall reading on CNN that they found, and tried to interview two of Obama's roomates from Columbia University, but they both refused to be interviewed. WHY? If an old school friend of mine became President of the United States of America, I would be just beaming, and so proud to have known them, I would love to be interviewed. Why didn't Obama's Grandmother speak out about her grandson? What about his half sister (still living in Hawaii)?
How about his Uncle (still living in Hawaii)? What about all of Michelle's friends and family? No one want's to, or are allowed to speak to the press? Why?
What about Obama's college transcips? Their is no way he could have made it to President of Harvard Law Review without publishing any transcrips. Michelle was disbarred. To be disbarred, you have to do something really bad. Why was Michelle disbarred?
In a nut shell, we elected a family that we know nothing about. Mr. Bronstein is correct. The media did not, and is still not doing their job. Investigate, and report the news as it is, and let the American people decide how to take it.

[teron678]

Don't watch News on the MSM .... why??? .... It is filled with sensationalism, pr0paganda & an agenda .... Real Journalism d ied decades ago ......... people started realizing this ....... in the US ... when the Media sold the Iraq W ar to the Public & when they gave the Bush Administration a pass on all his i llegal & questionable actions ....

Acting like it d ied when Obama took office is disingenuous ...

[teron678]

Don't watch News on the MSM .... why??? .... It is filled with sensationalism, propaganda & an agenda .... Real Journalism died decades ago ......... people started realizing this ....... in the US ... when the Media sold the Iraq War to the Public & when they gave the Bush Administration a pass on all his illegal & questionable actions ....

Acting like it died when Obama took office is disingenuous ...

[ProperGanda]

This article states my biggest problem with Obama, and it's nothing he did. It's all the cute-sy articles shoved down your throat about how perfect he and his wife are (see "Barack Obama, Stop Ruining My Marriage") and I think this has a more negative effect than a positive. I didn't really see anyone call him out on Jobs created or saved. When people get so defensive about any criticism about the president, that's when you know its gone too far. Your automatically labeled as a right wing hack, when in fact Obama was supposed to be post partisan, post racial, post gender, post human goal post

[ElsaIndy]

EXactly. Style over substance. The press fawning over Obama with his carefully orchestrated camelot story, "date nights" and all the rest resembles the fawning press over Reagan, over W and his war....and the refusal of the press to ask tough questions and report as a gadfly rather than a besotted groupie.

[RumiSouth]

Complaints about the Obamas' date night strike me as ludicrous. Didn't we have a president take 1000 vacation days in the eight years of his tenure while fighting two wars?

[Jeffrey Barea]

First he scares the bejeebers out of New Yorkers and then ties up traffic. You have no idea how disruptive the visits by any President are!

[tangerinesong]

I have been reading these comments throughout the day.

Ninety percent of the responses have nothing to do with what Mr. Bronstein wrote here. Ninety percent of the responses are attempting to personally tear Bronstein to shreds. Do we forget the previous articles and posts he authored that made us think? That supported Obama which he still does?

The personal and hurtful insults need to stop. This is nothing but personal and private insecurities in a sociological setting run amok. What’s up with this?

Leave the "but you did it first" shtick to the children because they don’t any better. How in hell can one bring Sharon Stone or jealousy of Obama into this conversation as an example? You wouldn’t do this in person with acquaintances; you would be viewed as a buffoon so why do it here?

C’mon people, we are better than this.

Respectfully,


Tina

[rascalish]

Admittedly, some people arent responding to Mr. Bronstein's points. Sometimes it's much easier to tear someone down from the safety of the internet hunting blind.
In my posts below I took issue with what I perceived as a degree of hypocrisy in his choice of articles as evidence.
I like Phil Bronstein actually. But I take exception with his point, especially when he works for a major metropolitan newspaper.
MSM has abandoned reportage in favor of immediate gains. Which in all honesty appears to be an epidemic in the US right now (on more fronts than one).
If your going to complain about BO's press then do something about it. I for one will definitely listen.

[Springbirdgirl]

"But with what CNN financial reporter Elizabeth Cohen called this morning "gazillions of dollars" of our money at stake and crazy people with nukes bristling from around the edges of the world, we can't afford not to keep a closer eye on the substance thing."

So I guess this was not apropos in 2002? Correct me if I am wrong, North Korea was making the same threats around the same time we were planning to go to Iraq? What has changed?

Mr. Bronstein it seems like you just woke up from a Van Winkle like slumber...

[ChiEg]

Spot on!

[1088]

From what I hear about Phil Bronstein, that he knows about fawning alright, every single blonde get an office tour late at night. I guess you feel, that every journalist have the same motive.

[Springbirdgirl]

I want President Obama to be held to the fire the same way President Bush was when he said Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9-11... Oh wait...

[ChiEg]

Lol...

[JulieSA]

Bush never said that.

[UltraClassic]

True, Bush never said that but it's just one more thing these shmucks like to repeat. Say it enough times and you will believe it.

[bluescat47]

I think your point is well taken. The news coverage has been overly smitten by the Obama charm offensive, as much as I admire Obama and what he is trying to on the policy front. But we obviously need to critically assess his policy choices and initiatives, on N. Korea, TARP, stimulus spending (where are the jobs when we need them, which is now?), the viability of the Chrysler-Fiat deal, and the ocean of debt we are accumulating for the future. The Cairo speech was terrific, and not surprisingly, the right has tried to claim the content (democracy promotion,etc) as its own. But there are still questions as to whether Obama can mix it up in the political arena and has the skill, temperment, and endurance to bring the bacon home.

[springsm]

Is that why they drag out 5 obstructionists on every word Obama says. Forget it...the MSM wouldn't make their own news if they were having a love affair with Obama. And what an immature title and even worse, Phil works for the SF Chronicle...that is no example of anything. Blahblah and blah.

[rascalish]

I'll take the MSM and Bronstein's article seriously when we see journalists do their jobs.
All involved have been AWOL since 9/11.
So much of what we read & watch is reduced to simplistic sound bites. Its either vapid and lacking content or some lame infomercial.
Bitch and moan about the death knell for print journalism all you want. Corporate news media killed themselves.

[Springbirdgirl]

I could not have said it better myself!

[Jeffrey Barea]

Yes you could have. You could have explained to him the meaning of "Yellow Journalism" and when the phrase was first coined. You could have explained to him the facts behind the Zenger trial (aka the Governors newspapers war) and what year that happened.

So many other fascinating examples of how journalism has never really been a paradigm of ethical reporting. Post or Pre 9/11.

You could have added that what has kept greedy politics in check is less journalism as a concept but oppositional reporting. What is going on that is dangerous however is that liberal/leftist journalists are not just "not reporting." They are actively complicit in hiding any flaws. And shouting down anyone who reports even the truth if the truth harshes their love buzz.

[Mnemanth]

Absolutely. Very well said.

[Wolves50]

Great post. The mainstream media coverage of Obama has been laughable. Of course libs will just cite Fox News in any argument against that, but in reality the vast majority of press coverage of Obama is exactly how Bronstein describes it.......fawning.

I think the libs hated Bush so much that Obama can do anything and get their approval because they're still in the euphoria of the post-Bush era. I just hope the press wakes up and starts grilling Obama the way they grilled previous presidents.

[Perseus]

Well, we could cite the ratios of GOP talking heads on the pundit shows. But we won't because it's against the rules of the internet TO FEED THE TROLLS.