Barack Obama’s Arrogant Campaign Risks a Stunning Loss
An open letter to Bonnie Erbe:
Ms. Erbe, “enigmatic,” and, “messiahlike candidate” are the terms used by Senator Obama’s detractors to further their message that he is elite and/or out of touch, not (unless I’ve missed something) the descriptions of the Democratic Party leaders to which you ascribe them.
Senator McCain’s startling choice of an enigmatic, obscure running mate dominated the coverage by the commercial media, while millions of voters yearned for insight into who Palin was (or is) and what the basis was for McCain’s decision… but all we got was echoes of the Republican talking points.
She’s been sequestered for coaching, cloistered with the likes of Joe Lieberman, yet fumbles in a revealing way when asked about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in the wake of the news Sunday that both were being taken over, (Palin said they had “gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers.”) Maybe foreclosures aren’t a big enough deal in Alaska that the Governor should know Freddie and Fannie are privately held, or that taxpayers are NOW holding the bag, but I expect more from a VP candidate. I don’t see that she has any bona fide experience in foreign affairs, that she strengthens McCain’s admitted weakness on the economy, or that her resume better qualifies her as VP than Tim Kaine’s would have, yet commerical media take Karl Rove’s word for it that she’s got what it takes despite disparaging Kaine’s?
Your article purports to be about how the Democrats might blow the election? They might lose if journalists don’t do their best to report objectively and follow the money. They might lose if you echo GOP talking-points, while ignoring that McCain’s statement about running a different kind of campaign not based on attacks is indicative that he’s either not leading the GOP (based on TV ads in MN markets full of attacks and gross misrepresentation about taxes) or still playing old-school say whatever you please Rovian games. I know you’re beholden to the people who advertise in your publication(s), and that grabbing attention to boost readership is necessary to your commercial survival, I know the Matthews quote seems worth repeating (Lord knows it’s been repeated often enough) but I also expect more from professional journalists.
Give me some meat. Follow the money. Tell me which of your advertisers are contributing to and lobbying the major contenders. Tell me which TV ads McCain and the GOP are running which are flat out lies – tell me who will raise my taxes more – tell me why McCain doesn’t realize that bureaucrats already control the health care system for their own profits. That would be journalism with integrity – or it’s what I was taught to expect from ethical reporters back in civics class.
Forecasts are for weathermen. Do your job well, Ms. Erbe, and the best candidate will have the chance to do his well as President, too.
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Urbe reveals her bias in her penultimate paragraph of “advice”:
‘A good start would be for Obama to apologize to Clinton supporters for not coming to her defense during the primaries and helping her battle a torrent of sexist media criticism.’
For some Clinton supporters, Obama can just never humble himself enough; were he to lay prostrate before HRC and a coterie of her supporters – including the urbane Ms. Erbe, erstwhile host of PBS’ “To The Contrary”, a show that provides a perspective on weekly political issues from the female point-of-view – they would merely use that as one more occasion to beat him about the head and neck for having the temerity to “line-jump” in front of their anointed candidate.
The only one who has arrogance in need of check here, is the “journalist” Ms. Urbe.