MSM and New Media Treatment of the Obamas

[javero]

Posted: 7/19/16 at 11:35am

Fair and balanced, abominable, puffery, or somewhere in between?

Picking backing up where we left off...

javero said: "I agree that the name-calling is childish and divisive.  Gender and race-issues are thorny subjects to tackle.  It's just that I'm slightly bothered by any perceived attempt to discount the accomplishments of a marginalized community anywhere.  To date, there has never been a woman sworn in a POTUS and to my knowledge only one POTUS has ever identified as non-white.  The UK, Germany, Slovenia, Argentina, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Chile have elected a women to lead their governments at least once.  I'm not altogether certain how those nations deal with their respective color lines though.  An accident of birth should never impede an individual's progress in a civilized society. 

petra said: "you are right Javero, it also works at least in the case of this President, the other way. The Media and Hollywood let him off the hook on things they would not anyone else. Because they are afraid of being called racist.

[javero]

Posted: 7/19/16 at 12:20pm

I can only agree in part, Petra.  The one charge that I level against the MSM in this regard is that they were not honest brokers.  They took it upon themselves to defend the Obamas against the virulent and heinous editorials and commentaries from the right that began before Obama was even sworn even.  There were untold depictions in print of Mrs Obama as a primate and description of both as moochers.  Rush Limbaugh and those of his ilk completely belittled the POTUS at the start of his tenure for being a gasp...community organizer and Jr Senator, as if those positions were something to be ashamed of.  The more seasoned members of the MSM lived through the 60s and recognized all the signs early on.  It wasn't their place to take sides, but they didn't want to relive the 60s in response to the nation electing someone of Obama's distinction as POTUS.  Mitch McConnell's stupidity did NOT help matters one bit.  Once again, I suggest we cannot separate Obama from his heritage out of mere comfort.

Furthermore, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aka ACA or ObamaCare is a largely popular program, warts and all.  His opposition afforded no plausible alternatives.  Obstructionism and leading are not the same thing.  They simply dug in their heels and were hell bent on making Obama a one-term president arguably due to their unbridled Obama-envy.  It's an open secret that every US Senator wishes to take up residence at 1600 Penn Ave someday.

I'm certain that each president before Obama faced his own set of challenges before and after the swearing in ceremony.  But, let's be neither naive nor disingenuous.  Obama is a singularity.  That singularity both terrified (and enraged) the far right while intoxicating the far left (including the Hollywood elite) for a minute, until the novelty wore off.  The far right & left's respective press agents embedded in the MSM and simply did the bidding of the two extremes.  I've all but given up on finding objective journalism.  History will be the judge of Obama's presidency.

Updated On: 7/19/16 at 12:20 PM

[Petralicious]

Posted: 7/19/16 at 2:05pm

I will agree with most of what you said, Javero.They never went after him like they have Bush Rubio or even Hilary.  Saturday Night Live who coddled Obama along with most of the other late night shows did a great skit where he and Ms Rodham-Clinton were being interviewed or at a debate and they hammer Hilary with these intense questions, and accusations.  meanwhile they were asking Obama if he was comfortable, what his favorite color was and if he needed pillow.  Even today most of criticism of him is mostly about silly stuff like his ears or that Michelle bully him

[javero]

Posted: 7/19/16 at 4:05pm

Perhaps the MSM finds him more affable than one of the three, less dogmatic than another, and less guarded than the third.  According to some, Obama's biggest knock is his arrogance.  What some characterize as arrogance, others see as a healthy dose of self-confidence, a trait that used to make a typically male politico appear "presidential".  Perhaps, he'd be better served by brandishing a rifle from the Truman Balcony or shooting a member of his hunting party in the face.  For your enjoyment are 13 photos of Presidents Packing heat. And let's not forget that a speaker at the RNC convention assailed Obama for allegedly being a Muslim which I suspect surpasses any trivialities like his ears or veiled attempt to label him "henpecked".