The Media Creation that is Obama

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I have been having this uncomfortable feeling about Obama for a long time. It came to a head not too long ago, when I was reading comparisons with JFK. As far as I have been concerned, JFK has always been "all sizzle, no steak". He was the first political media darling, and was played up like a rock star.

I reacted when I heard similar things being said about Obama. I was put off by the "groupiness" that I observed on A2K. The adoration of this man was far greater than anything that he deserved. He is being treated as a savior, the person who, single handed, will cure all the country's ills, with verve and dash. He is being presented here as Superman, minus the cape.

Well, now someone has put into words, with what to me was a discomfort that I had difficulty elucidating verbally. Charles Krauthammer, as they said many years ago, is "telling it like it is". I find it very frightening.

Quote:

There's no better path to success than getting people to buy a free commodity. Like the genius who figured out how to get people to pay for water: bottle it (Aquafina was revealed to be nothing more than reprocessed tap water) and charge more than they pay for gasoline. Or consider how Google found a way to sell dictionary nouns-- boat, shoe, clock -- by charging advertisers zillions to be listed whenever the word is searched.

And now, in the most amazing trick of all, a silver-tongued freshman senator has found a way to sell hope. To get it, you need only give him your vote. Barack Obama is getting millions.

This kind of sale is hardly new. Organized religion has been offering a similar commodity -- salvation -- for millennia. Which is why the Obama campaign has the feel of a religious revival with, as writer James Wolcott observed, a "salvational fervor" and "idealistic zeal divorced from any particular policy or cause and chariot-driven by pure euphoria."

"We are the hope of the future," sayeth Obama. We can "remake this world as it should be." Believe in me and I shall redeem not just you but your country -- nay, we can become "a hymn that will heal this nation, repair this world, and make this time different than all the rest

Quote:

Obama has an astonishingly empty paper trail. He's going around issuing promissory notes on the future that he can't possibly redeem. Promises to heal the world with negotiations with the likes of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Promises to transcend the conundrums of entitlement reform that require real and painful trade-offs and that have eluded solution for a generation. Promises to fund his other promises by a rapid withdrawal from an unpopular war -- with the hope, I suppose, that the (presumed) resulting increase in American prestige would compensate for the chaos to follow.

Democrats are worried that the Obama spell will break between the time of his nomination and the time of the election, and deny them the White House. My guess is that he can maintain the spell just past Inauguration Day. After which will come the awakening. It will be rude.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/14/AR2008021403105.html

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IMO, the media creation is that Obama is all hat and no cattle. That just doesn't square with the facts.

A quick sample -- I'm sure you know that I could come up with much more upon request:

Andrew Sullivan wrote:

Obama's substance

A reader points me toward this post by Hilzoy from October 2006 about some of Obama's wonkier endeavors:

...my little data point is: while Obama has not proposed his Cosmic Plan for World Peace, he has proposed a lot of interesting legislation on important but undercovered topics. I can't remember another freshman Senator who so routinely pops up when I'm doing research on some non-sexy but important topic, and pops up because he has proposed something genuinely good. Since I think that American politics doesn't do nearly enough to reward people who take a patient, craftsmanlike attitude towards legislation, caring as much about fixing the parts that no one will notice until they go wrong as about the flashy parts, I wanted to say this.

She lists some of the legislation. Hilzoy is also currently sifting through Obama's and Clinton's legislative records to see what they have actually accomplished while in the Senate. As far as his speechmaking goes, here is a post of mine from early January listing some of his more substantive policy speeches.

On this note, Ezra Klein has a novel idea:

.
..presumably, the way to figure out if [Obama] was talking about policy was not to evaluate whether his speech was longer and more boring than his other speeches, but to examine the actual statements he offered and ask some experts how the proffered solutions might fare.

When all else fails.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/02/obama-and-subst.html

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Just one more for now, from an article generally critical of Obama:

Quote:

One media narrative that seems to be taking root is of Obama as the candidate of lofty rhetoric and Clinton as the maven of pedestrian policy talk. At a rally at Furman University here Tuesday, Obama brought the audience to several peaks, raising his voice over the applause while describing how his days as a community organizer "taught me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things" and how "the dream that so many generations fought for feels like it is slipping away."

But the address was saturated with proposals. Obama called for tax rebates; a one-time boost in Social Security checks; extending unemployment insurance; mortgage aid for those facing foreclosure; raising the minimum wage; protecting pensions; and college tuition credits. And that was before he got to his support for solar and wind power and biodiesel fuel. (There was no discussion of how he would pay for all this, other than to say his health-care plan would be partly financed by ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.)

How, then, has Obama been saddled with an image of being long on inspiration and short on details? The answer is that journalists are not accustomed to covering a candidate who moves crowds the way Obama does, who uses speech cadences and rhythm like Martin Luther King Jr. without making his talk explicitly about race. Sen. Clinton already owned the policy-wonk slot, so by default, Obama was cast as the poetic one.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/27/AR2008012702160_2.html

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Thank you, Sozobe, for offsetting that propaganda piece written by Krauthaumer and submitted by Phoenix as "the way it is". It's weird how I can find hundreds of dozens of boring, practical, non-messiah-like proposals and policy pieces by Obama without hardly looking, but some folks are still peddling that pap about him not offering anything but empty words.

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Phoenix
Phoenix, I've been uncomfortable with Barack Obama from the beginning of his campaign. I spotted "organizer" tactics, having been a professional organizer myself. Then, as the Media began making him a saint, I felt uneasy about the "cult" factor surrounding Obama through his creation or, more likely, the Media's doing. I always distrust the super star creation by the Media, whose agenda is self-interest, not what is best for the country.

Sadly, I have a feeling that we are seeing the creation of a Democratic George Bush, strong on charisma, weak on governing experience. That's what Karl Rove saw in Bush when they first met. I don't want to repeat the Republican mistake. Obama is not the idiot Bush is, but he is not ready for prime time presidency in the dangerous world we live in today.

My first choice for president was Senator Joseph Biden, as the best candidate for our country---and the world. He has what it takes to be a good president in these dangerous times. When he ended his campaign, I voted for Hillary Clinton for the same reasons that I supported Biden. I've never felt Barack Obama had those Biden qualities.

I understand that people want to end the divisive politics and work together to solve our problems. Obama is a wonderful man and would be great pursuing those goals, but he's no Joe Biden---nor Hillary Clinton. He certainly is no John Kennedy. Obama is young. Maybe in eight years (if I'm still alive), I will support Barack Obama when he is ready for being president.

I never voted for Bill Clinton for president. But Hillary is smarter and more experienced than Bill. She would make a better president than Bill was. I like Michele Obama a lot and would prefer her any day over Bill Clinton, whom I also like despite his male flaws.

If I can't have president Joe Biden, I will settle for president Hillary Clinton. For the common good of my country.

BBB

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snood wrote:

Thank you, Sozobe, for offsetting that propaganda piece written by Krauthaumer and submitted by Phoenix as "the way it is". It's weird how I can find hundreds of dozens of boring, practical, non-messiah-like proposals and policy pieces by Obama without hardly looking, but some folks are still peddling that pap about him not offering anything but empty words.

post a few if you will

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Re: Phoenix

BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:

Phoenix, I've been uncomfortable with Barack Obama from the beginning of his campaign. I spotted "organizer" tactics, having been a professional organizer myself.

This is bad?

Quote:

Then, as the Media began making him a saint, I felt uneasy about the "cult" factor surrounding Obama through his creation or, more likely, the Media's doing. I always distrust the super star creation by the Media, whose agenda is self-interest, not what is best for the country.

Even if that is the case, is that a reason not to vote for Obama? Isn't that a reason to research and come to one's own conclusions based on that research?

Quote:

Sadly, I have a feeling that we are seeing the creation of a Democratic George Bush, strong on charisma, weak on governing experience.

In addition to what I've already posted, here's more on his time in the state senate:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010303303.html

First paragraph:

Quote:

People who complain that Barack Obama lacks experience must be unaware of his legislative achievements. One reason these accomplishments are unfamiliar is that the media have not devoted enough attention to Obama's bills and the effort required to pass them, ignoring impressive, hard evidence of his character and ability.

Quote:

But Hillary is smarter and more experienced than Bill.

That's definitely another media line, but I'm just not so sure that it's true. I wrote this on the Obama '08 thread:

Quote:

Let's take one example of nitty-gritty detail work -- actually reading the 2002 Iraq NIE before deciding whether to vote to authorize the Iraq invasion. Hillary didn't do it, even though she was strenuously urged to by senators who DID read the whole thing, and who pointed out that the whole thing added details that were more damning than the abbreviated version most people satisfied themselves with. She didn't even have staff with clearance who could have read it and briefed her on it.

This really cuts to the heart of what is supposed to be her strength. Why did this person who is supposed to be so good at nitty-gritty detail work fail to read the whole NIE? Even though she was strenuously urged to? I can't think of an answer that reflects well on her. This was a huge decision, and she not only botched the conclusion, she botched the way she reached that conclusion.

Let me make something abundantly clear:

I do not think Obama is a saint.

I do not think he's a messiah.

I do not think he's a savior.

I do not think he's perfect, by any stretch of the imagination.

I DO think he has a lot of good ideas; an impressive ability to connect with people; a demonstrated ability to make his good ideas come to fruition; and a better chance than Hillary at beating McCain in a general election (borne out by recent head-to-head polls).

I think he is ill-served by the meme that he's all about empty inspiration and will contradict it when I see it.

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Krauthammer is a conservative/neoconservative commentator.

I would be surprised if he had had a different opinion.

Thanks, soz, for your "collection"!

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Re: Phoenix

BumbleBeeBoogie wrote:

My first choice for president was Senator Joseph Biden, as the best candidate for our country---and the world. He has what it takes to be a good president in these dangerous times.

Yes, I thought Biden was the man, but we've seen the last of non-telegenic presidents. Dole was a great candidate. Lots of experience, willing to work across the aisle, war hero, etc. He never had a chance. Same with Biden (and Gore and Kerry).

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The "no substance" thing against Obama is being used in much the same way as the "scream" was used against Howard Dean. Insidious, but effective.

Politics can be cruel.

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Talking points. No one knows what the hell is going on. It all boils down to talking points.

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Should obama get the nomination Biden is my write in candidate.

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Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

post a few if you will

He asked!

JANESVILLE, WI - Following a tour of the Janesville General Motors Assembly Plant this morning, Senator Barack Obama will deliver a major economic policy address where he will lay out his comprehensive agenda to restore economic balance and fairness, reclaim the American dream, and create millions of new jobs.

Obama's comprehensive agenda to restore fairness and balance to the economy and restore our prosperity includes:

· Protecting Homeowners: Obama has proposed a fund to offer direct relief to victims of mortgage fraud and would ease the burden on struggling homeowners by offering a tax credit to low- and middle-income Americans that would cover ten percent of their mortgage interest payment every year.

· Combating Fraud: Obama would institute tough new penalties for those who commit mortgage fraud, and create a uniform HOME SCORE that would allow consumers to compare various mortgage products so that they can determine which mortgage best fits their needs and financial situation.

· Middle-Class Tax Cut - Obama is the only candidate to propose a middle-class tax cut that will provide relief to 95% of working Americans -- $1,000 per working family. He'll also eliminate income taxes for any senior making less than $50,000.

· Affordable Health Care - Obama's universal health care plan cuts costs more than any other plan in this race - it will save the typical family up to $2500 on their premiums.

· Making College Affordable - Obama will provide the middle class a fully refundable tax credit worth $4,000 for tuition and fees every year, which would cover two-thirds of the tuition at the average public college or university.

· Easing the Burden on Working Families - For mothers and fathers who are juggling work and parenting, Obama will expand the child care tax credit for people earning less than $50,000 a year, and he'll double spending on quality afterschool programs. He will also expand the Family Medical Leave Act to include more businesses and millions more workers; and change a system that's stacked against working parents by requiring every employer to provide seven paid sick days a year, so that they can be home with their child if they are sick.

· A Secure Retirement - Obama will require employers to enroll every worker in a direct deposit retirement account that places a small percentage of each paycheck into savings. Workers would be able to retain this account even if they change jobs, and the federal government will match the savings for working families.

· A Credit Card Bill of Rights - Obama will institute a five-star rating system to inform consumers about the level of risk involved in every credit card and establish a Credit Card Bill of Rights that will ban unilateral changes to a credit card agreement; ban rate changes to debt that's already incurred; and ban interest on fees.

· Reforming Bankruptcy Laws - Obama will reform bankruptcy laws to make sure that those who can demonstrate they went bankrupt because of medical expenses can relieve their debt and get back on their feet.

· Rebuilding our Infrastructure - Obama would create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over ten years. This investment generate nearly two million new jobs - many of them in the construction industry that's been hard hit by this housing crisis.

· Trade that Works for Workers - Obama will end tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas and give breaks to companies who create good jobs with decent wages here in America.

· Millions of New Green Jobs -- Obama's energy plan will invest $150 billion over ten years to establish a green energy sector that will create millions of new jobs over the next two decades - jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced. He will also provide funding to help manufacturers convert to green technology and help workers learn the skills they need for these jobs.

Senator Obama's comprehensive agenda to restore fairness and balance to the economy and restore our prosperity can be viewed in full (PDF)HERE

Barack Obama has been fighting for the needs of working Americans for over twenty-five years. He began his career in the shadow of a closed steel mill on the South Side of Chicago, where he brought a community together to provide job training to the jobless and set up after school programs for children. In Illinois, he brought Democrats and Republicans together to expand health insurance for 150,000 children and parents, and he led the fight to provide $100 million in tax relief for working families and the working poor.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/Cmzm

I grabbed that because it was on the front page. I was on my way to this:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Just click "continue reading" for each one.

Or I can keep spamming up the thread with copies and pastes -- will do so if Phoenix wants me to.

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Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

Should obama get the nomination Biden is my write in candidate.

Shut the hell up. Why don't you just go with Leiberman?

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Gus

gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:
Should obama get the nomination Biden is my write in candidate.

Shut the hell up. Why don't you just go with Leiberman?

I despise Leiberman. Grumpy this morning, Gus?

BBB

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:
Should obama get the nomination Biden is my write in candidate.

Shut the hell up. Why don't you just go with Leiberman?

I never thought you could hurt me so badly Gus. This just breaks my heart.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

The "no substance" thing against Obama is being used in much the same way as the "scream" was used against Howard Dean. Insidious, but effective.

Politics can be cruel.

Yea; but it must not be too effective. Obama is even winning over some of McCain would be supporters; the independents and moderates-with good reason in my judgement based on researching Obama myself in deciding between Hillary and Obama.

As far as I am aware; Phoenix was between a rock and hard place in the race from beginning because she don't trust democrats on security or on some other social programs (if I got that right) so I don't really buy this no substance stuff on Obama from her in the first place. No offense.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:
Should obama get the nomination Biden is my write in candidate.

Shut the hell up. Why don't you just go with Leiberman?

well because Lieberman is a jew. as I've already been exposed as a racist by the Obama priesthood..... wouldn't it follow I'm also anti semitic? Laughing

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Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

gustavratzenhofer wrote:
Bi-Polar Bear wrote:
Should obama get the nomination Biden is my write in candidate.

Shut the hell up. Why don't you just go with Leiberman?

well because Lieberman is a jew. as I've already been exposed as a racist by the Obama priesthood..... wouldn't it follow I'm also anti semitic?

Really, why don't you just change your avatar to a swastika-emblazoned Confederate flag?

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I do a lot of bar mitzvas.... can't be so blatant. :wink:

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The Media Creation that is Obama

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