So we've all been complaining for months that the press is giving John McCain pass after pass after pass in the news. He says stupid, inane things and no one catches them or cares to talk about them (save the "100 years in Iraq" nugget of gold he gave us all). We (Kossacks and netizens, etc) all watch him closely, listen to what he actually says - and bellow from our supposedly lonely mountaintop that McSame "is a dipshit" - "is senile" - "is flip flopping like a live salmon in a dry boat" ad nauseum.
But something I have been noticing lately, in the news outlets I do pay attention to - and Fox Spews is not one of them - that Obama has been getting all the air time. By a wide margin, everything Obama does and says is covered, and McSame's name is mentioned, but footage of him is not aired, pictured of him are not featured.
Let's take the opening 1/2 hour of the Today Show this morning as an example. I like to use the Today Show as an example because it's stupendously popular and folks who aren't political junkies like we Kossacks watch it (vs. the seeming Kossack fave Morning Joe).
The lead stories were Obama and nothing but. The Jesse Jackson hot mike gaffe was the biggie. Did it hurt or help Obama? Andrea Mitchell took us and Meredith Viera through the video of it (which is not posted on their site at the moment). I have confidence you can find the video of Jackson whispering on that sneaky Fox's hot mike on your own.
Then next went over Obama's "almost gaffe" when he had to go back to the mike, after the end of his speech, stop the Stevie Wonder, and remind folks to help retire Clinton's debt. Why this is a top story on the Today Show makes me sad for the state of big media (probably like a lot of you). I watched the video thinking, "Are you kidding? So he forgot. Dude's kinda busy right now, has a lot of shit on his mind. Hell, I can barely remember my own damn wedding anniversary, let alone having to remember entire speeches to give to hundreds of people, day after day, town after town, news cycle after news cycle. He should get kudos for remembering after 1/2 a minute, and actually stopping glad handing, cutting the music, and making a point of going back and doing what he's supposed to do! For Chrissake! How is this news??!!"
Then Matt brought in Prof. Michael Eric Dyson about Jackson's gaffe, and they broke it all down for us, as it pertains to black culture and the election. They consulted with our beloved Chuck Todd about it (but more on him later).
McCain was only ever referred to tangentially in all of this. "Oh, and that other guy" kinda stuff. Any and all footage was Obama.
They turned it back to Meredith and Chuck Todd (this is that aforementioned later). And his groovy new electoral map and pen screen. And the two of them took us through the polls and information verbally and on the pretty map. No footage of either candidate as I recall (but I hadn't had my green tea yet, so forgive any memory lapses). The talk was about how Obama has quite a variety of ways to get from his current estimate of 210 electoral votes to the magic 270, whereas McSame HAS to win Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania or Florida to get there from his current 189. Basically, Obama has it way easier, based on the poll numbers, while McSame better work it hard and maybe pray a little. And lots of speculation on the undecided states. Chuch said that Wisconsin really should be Obama blue, and lots of formerly red states are undecided orange now (is that a nod to the big Orange here? Did Chuck pick that color on purpose because Kos flatters him so much? //adjust tin foil. HE loves us, he really does!)So, here again, Obama heavy, McSame lite.
So, this all boils down to a question. Sure the MSM gives that nice old man John a pass on lots of stuff - but are they giving him a pass altogether? Are they ignoring his ass because, IMHO, 1/7th of Americans couldn't pick McSame out of a police line-up of swaying, old, partially-haired, creepy-toothed white guys? Are they not showing footage of him because what he says most of the time is unintelligible and contextually confusing? Do they show us foot after foot after footage of Obama because he fuckin' rocks, speaks well, and that's who people want to see right now? And (may lightning not strike me) the MSM is slanting liberal this year because they can tell which horse is pulling ahead of the pack, and they're nothing if not "everyone loves a winner?"
Now, I don't believe the MSM or any other news outlet slants one way or the other usually, contrary to what so many in the blogosphere love to rant about (save Fox - they don't count, you know why). I'm of the camp that the MSM slants towards conflict - whoever, whenever and whatever is creating it. Conflict sells. Fear and exaggeration work to keep people's attention during their morning coffee or happy hour cocktail. What's popular with the citizens sells. IF this weren't true, most folks would say "Paris Hilton, who?"
My theory today is, and since I won't be governing anything save my 2200 square foot house and .87 acre plot on the planet, I reserve the right to change it at any time without being called a flip-flopper, that the MSM is slanting towards Obama for many of the above reasons. He's hotter than shit right now. He's on the cover of bleeding Rolling Stone this week, without text even. And I know that McCain is a terrible speaker, so maybe, just maybe, they don't want to show footage of him because it's boring, confusing and doesn't appeal to couch potatoes or stay at home parents - and they want Obama to win. So ignore that old guy, gimme more footage of Obama. Then a little more, please, sir.
So what do you think? Pretty poll below - I know how much we all love them!