Barack Obama and his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media

This column from the UK’s Times Online about the media’s admiration of Barack Obama is a MUST READ.

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

…

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”

Absolutely hilarious.  And regrettably true.

James Taranto pointed out that on a recent episode of Wolf Blitzer’s broadcast a group of panelists were discussing the media’s fawning over the Messiah.  The broadcast was then interrupted with a news bulletin announcing that Obama’s plane safely landed.  Now that’s newsworthy!

John McCain’s campaign has responded lightheartedly to the love affair with Obama.  They produced this video showing clips of media personalities gushing over him in a most audacious manner:

They also released fake press passes calling the media members left behind in the US to cover his campaign while the headliners were touring the world with The Great One the “JV Squad.”

That the media is left of center should not surprise anyone, although there are some individuals in this country who are so far left that they think the media tilts right.  I think the best measure for how people really feel is how they use their money.  The media overwhelmingly gives their money to Democrats.  That says it all.

Here in Huntsville we have a little group called North Alabama Media Reform.  In a nutshell their idea of reforming the media is to have more government intrusion and control of content.  Sounds fantastic.  Someone sent me a couple of emails from the group today that are truly hilarious.  Here is the first:

The head of the Associated Press’s bureau office in Washington DC writes only positive things about John McCain but writes “hit pieces” on Obama. The guy’s name is Ron Fournier. Liz Sidoti seems to have a thing for McCain too. Beware when you read any AP articles by these reporters … the Huntsville Times carries some AP articles. — Linda

The email includes the text of this article by Media Matters – you know, the scrupulously non-partisan media analysis organization.

What is amusing is that despite the fact that members of the media already overwhelming favor Democrats and that the whole global media is in bed with Barack Obama this lady is upset that there might actually be one or two journalists who may lean towards McCain.  We can’t have that!  There must be unwavering uniformity of opinion in favor of the Savior.  I wonder if these so-called media reformers have complained about the less than objective reporting on their party’s candidate.  Actually, I don’t wonder.

A reply to the previous email from the group’s mailing list was even better:

Linda, I bristled immediately when I read that sentence. You can ALWAYS expect one of them in a John Ehinger editorial. I was reading down the article knowing full well it was coming – and by golly, it sprang out at me: “Siegelman working the situation to his own benefit.” Why did he feel it necessary to put that in. My God. Who is he afraid of?

If Ehinger were facing prison as Siegelman is, I believe he’d seek out the truth especially if the “benefit” keeps him from going back to the bleak, lonely walls of prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

While overtly playing to Siegelman’s enemies in the past, Ehinger’s now trying to slip under the wire with an editorial like this morning’s. Too, the Rupert Murdock-controlled Huntsville Times is beginning to look foolish and ridiculous when the independent news sources, as well as the biggies, Time, 60 Minutes, New York Times, Harpers Magazine are telling Siegelman’s story – and they aren’t. Not reporting the news fairly and objectively is a major factor in the bringing down of a good man.

If you don’t stand for something, then you stand for nothing. Qualifying remarks like John Ehinger specializes in, negates anything else that is good, true and accurate in an article. The truth doesn’t need qualifying.

John needs to go back and take Editorializing 101.

The author is correct that Ehinger often does straddle both sides of an issue.  Some might call it displaying objectivity.  And he is 100% right that Siegelman is working the left wing media to his benefit – instead of trying to win in a court of law.  I think it is a testament to the weakness of his case.  He most certainly isn’t seeking out the truth.  But the funny part is that the author reflexively assumed that the Huntsville Times is controlled by Rupert “Murdock” [sic].  The paper is actually owned by Advance Publications and has nothing to do with Rupert Murdoch.  The seething hatred for all things Bush, Rove, and Fox News is unbelievable.  As if Murdoch would personally control the day to day editorial content of a relatively small fish like the Huntsville Times if he were the owner!

I’ll close with another line from the Times Online piece:

He travelled fleet of foot and light of camel, with a small retinue that consisted only of his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media.

Loyal indeed.