Sorry folks, this is not about us, it's not about Karl Rove, it's not about Obama, nor is it about McCain.
It's about News Corporation. It about General Electric. It's about Viacom. It's about Disney. It's about Time Warner.
Barack knows this. This is why he said the following, as reported by The Politico:
"I think it was Roger Ailes of Fox News who said that the media basically covers four things," said Obama, who held a private meeting with Ailes and Rupert Murdoch in June to clear the air on Fox's coverage, only to see Murdoch's New York Post issue an early, strong endorsement of McCain this month. "[The media] cover polls, scandals, gaffes and attacks. Those are the four things they cover. And so it is very hard to get a focus on the issues."
Here's how we are getting played, folks.
The media is making this election about everything except real issues.
In a year in which the issues favor the Democrats, it's to the Republicans' interest to have the focus on anything but the economy, foreign policy, etc.
Some in the media have been justifiably critical of McCain and Palin's numerous lies.
But even critical coverage of the GOP ticket still favors the GOP ticket.
Why?
Because every ounce of media oxygen that goes to bullshit triviality instead of the issues helps the Republicans and hurts the Democrats.
The media is structuring the narratives on the GOP's turf.
One might counter by noting that the traditional media has been increasingly fact checking McPalin's flagrant bullshit. Fair enough. But when we praise the media for doing its job once in a while, we miss the larger point that by ignoring the issues, they structurally bias elections towards the Rovians.
It kills me when the pundits then concern troll, "Why isn't Obama doing better?"
He isn't doing better because you asswipes don't cover the issues.
The public is not blameless in this, of course. They reward tabloid journalism with ratings and so there is financial incentive for the media behave this way. But I think the traditional media takes it too far. One might think that in such an important election, there might be some discussion of the issues. But the media barons don't love their country nor do they treasure the 1st amendment privileges they enjoy to give the country the truth unvarnished and unfiltered.
Obama hates this crap, I am sure. He has tried to transcend it. But the corporate media holds sway over too many low information voters and so he has to play these bullshit games. He can offer the best policy proposals in the world, delivered in the most eloquent and inspiring way possible. He can display the temperament and vision to be President over and over. But if the media barons edit it all out, then only the motivated information seekers know the truth. The rest get lost in the trivial crossfire about who called what a pig.
So Rove & Co are playing this country, ruining it...but it really isn't because they are all that brilliant. It's because their true base - corporate America - controls how most casual voters see politics.
So what does Obama "need to do?"
Bypass them as much as he can. Find some way, any way to get issue distinctions to breakthrough to the voters.