The media does have a love affair with Barack Obama. He is charismatic, full of life and controversial, to say the least. He is the news, not John McCain and the Republican Party needs to realize that fact as Hillary Clinton finally did realize.
The republicans have propped up a former prisoner of war, a true American hero, a man who served his country bravely as a soldier and admirably as a Senator. However, the man has lost a few steps, his mind is failing and the rigors of the campaign are getting to him. Admit it, it shows!
This columnist has always been an admirer of John McCain. I am from the Vietnam era and have a love and respect for all the brave men and women in uniform. They are the reason I can sit here and put my opinions down on paper without fear of reprisal from my government.
John McCain deserves better, but it is not the fault of the media that he is not newsworthy at this time in his life. In fact the less he is on camera, the less we see how far downhill his health issues have taken him. So, I see that as a merciful thing regardless of the reasoning behind his being ignored by the media. It hurts me to watch him stumble and fumble over words. Have you ever been embarrassed for someone? I am, for him.
That said, what is the fascination with Barack Obama? I could understand it if they news media were trying to expose him to us, and I mean that positively. They should be exposing his detailed plans for his administration. Those plans are something we should all know in order to make an informed Presidential voting decision.
Before Obama entered the Presidential race what did he do besides his brief five minute stopover in the United States Senate? Nothing, but he really did not have to do anything. He meets the criteria for entering the race and has the same right to enter as all other Americans who meet the criteria. But how in the world did he get to be his party's presumptive nominee? He simply attracted the cameras and mesmerized enough voters at the right times to wrap up that party nomination. The miracle is that he did it without presenting a substantive plan.
More importantly he had the charisma and enough of a mesmerizing effect to withstand the likes of Reverend Wright and others with whom he had less than uplifting historical ties. In short he was able to misdirect the pointed questions about his ties to questionable individuals and he also dodged the accusations from his own party opponents that he is not qualified to lead the nation from its highest office. Hillary was right; he lacks qualifications.
The fact is that Barack Obama is a media phenomenon and that seems to be enough these days. He cannot be explained, logically. As an accountant by day I try to approach everything logically and analytically. At the end of the day everything should balance. This man's popularity cannot be approached logically, analytically and he does not balance. Maybe those facts are a plus these days for success in man's and woman's quest for the Oval Office.
What was wrong with all those other Democrats? Perhaps it was the fact that they were known. Perhaps we could apply logic to their arguments. Perhaps we could analyze them and perhaps they did balance, but we just did not like that balance. Barack was an unknown. To his credit he has stayed an unknown to now for the most part. That is why he has been successful. Dare I say he has not been “vetted”? By the way, where was that buzz word in all the other campaigns throughout history?
Because there is so much we do not know about the good Senator the media continues to follow him around like puppies at his heels. When Katie Couric, to her credit, did try to direct pointed, uncomfortable questions his way, he dodged. She was left to follow him around, waiting for her pat on the head and a bowl of warm milk. He and his handlers outsmarted her. That is no slam on her. He and his handlers have outsmarted everyone.
On his trip abroad, his “Barack Does the World” tour, he spoke in Germany before and estimated quarter of a million people. Why? That was my question. Why would a quarter of a million people come to hear a man who does not speak their language? I wondered if Katie Couric had asked that question, or if she could possibly even know the answer.
Apparently it went over her head and the heads of all the other news media darlings accompanying the Senator. Perhaps for the news anchors, this is their version of the “Hell Freezes Over” tour, which reunites some anchors that swore never to work together again. Maybe I'm wrong about that. Oh well, that is just an added pondering from me today, probably irrelevant.
