McCain Takes On The Press

Wednesday July 23, 2008
by James A. Bridge

Senator John McCain yesterday squared off against his biggest obstacle to the Presidency--the mainstream media of the United States of America.

The Media Is In Love campaign is a brilliant move in a campaign that has been dragged into the shadows by the editors, publishers and producers of every stripe of the media. Both print and broadcast media have isolated the McCain campaign while chasing after Barack Obama where ever he goes, trumpeting whatever he says. The happy, light slap at the media was done with a call to supporters to vote for one of two videos he will run as adverts: "The Media Is In Love With Barack", version one to the music "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", version two, "My Eyes Adored You," both played to identical snippets of Press Icons not only pandering to Senator Obama, but offering words of worship, devotion, and outright infatuation.

Infatuation means, from the Latin: "in a foolish state." And how foolish they all seem, our so-called "news" purveyors.

Brian Williams and Chris Matthews lead the pack of nowhere-near-unbiased media giants as they utter their disgraceful, auto-hypnotic revelations about personal affinity for the mere presence of Barack Obama, and the sound of his voice. Williams: "It's hard to be objective." Matthews, when not weeping about how much he is moved by Obama, says he "feels a thrill coming up his leg." He says he doesn't get it too often. (I'll reserve further comment on that.)

The McCain Press-attack campaign is perfectly timed. Ohio polls reveal that 51 percent of Ohioans think that reporters are trying to get Obama elected. (From Rasmussen Reports (http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/ohio/election_2008_ohio_presidential_election ) The buzz on the street is that the Press is disgracing itself in ignoring all the issues, while centering only on their perceived charisma of the Democratic Party's presumptive Nominee.

So enamored of him are they that they miss the obvious. Barack Obama has lounged in his journeys to Afghanistan and Iraq upon the soft pillow of a fawning media circus, while, without their taking any notice, he has reversed prior positions, and has controverted the stated Iraq/Afghanistan War policy of Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean and of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA, D 8th) and Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV, D).

Now THAT is big news--"Obama Changes Foreign Policy Position of Democratic Party"..."An Adventure No Longer, Iraq Praises Bush's Iraq Success"..."Obama Will Fight al-Quaeda In Afghanistan."

Will we see it today or this week in print or on the air? Will we hear it on the radio?

(My eyes adored you....)

What is that you're humming, Brian? Chris? No, I doubt we'll see the Press rip at this newly opened seam in the Democratic Party's rhetoric about the War Against Terror.

This is no surprise, though, at this point. The Press have generally refused to either tug at the ugly baggage around the junior Senator form Illinois or press him on his own constant flip-flopping on issues.

Those issues are important ones.

On Iraq: He told the world that the troop surge wouldn't work and that the troops must come home, yet while in Iraq, he praises its success, and tells us that we must move those troops on to Afghanistan.

On Jerusalem: He tells Israelis that Jerusalem will never be divided; as soon as he is off Israeli soil, he comes off that position, calling it "unfortunate wording".

On Iran: "After all, Peru, North Korea and Iran, they're all tiny countries. They don't pose much of a threat to us." THREE DAYS LATER: "I have always said that Iran is a serious threat to the security of this country."

On ignoring--or not noticing--over 20 years the racism of his own close friend and pastor, Reverend Wright. On his friendship with self-confessed Weather Underground bomber William Ayers. On the sweetheart real estate deal he got from convicted contractor Tony Rezko, guilty on 16 counts of fraud and money laundering.

The McCain Campaign used a good bit of humor to challenge the swooning, clearly Obama-biased mainstream media to do their jobs. REPORT THE NEWS. BE OBJECTIVE. ASK TOUGH QUESTIONS.

We demand it. We deserve it. Well done, Senator McCain.