By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
Les Payne ought to know better. Yet Payne, a Newsday editor and one of the country's leading black journalists, recently complained about how the media are lavishing praise on ... John McCain. Are you kidding me?
Payne, a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, recently appeared at the Unity: Journalists of Color convention in Chicago.
According to Star colleague Steve Penn, Payne said:
"There’s no question that the mainstream journalists almost worship and love McCain. They cheer for him all the time."
What a laughable statement.
Even staunch Obama supporters would have to acknowledge that the Illinois senator has been the darling of much of the media for months.
He's been portrayed as the fresh agent of change, the person who stood up to the Clinton machine and won, the Democrat who will bridge the gap between whites and blacks while winning back the White House in November.
McCain, meanwhile, has been portrayed as an old man out of touch with technology, fumbling around to get his presidential campaign in gear, a Republican who will suffer the consequences of the disastrous George Bush presidency.
Sure, Obama's media coverage has toughened up as he has gotten closer to his goal of being president. Meanwhile, though, the media's coverage of McCain hasn't become any softer.
Payne has his right to claim the media are bending over backward to cover McCain in glory. He's just flat out wrong.
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non-issue
no one's compelled to do it.
So, they should have the right to attend - for free-
and not give up anything for it? This is smart for the Obama campaign to ask people to volunteer in order to get the tickets. It compels people to act and engage in our democracy. Where is the problem? If the people you mentioned don't want to give up 4 hours to volunteer for Obama -- they certainly don't have to --- there are an infinite number of people out there who do want to volunteer for a ticket and the Obama campaign is wise to tap into that people power. It is what got him the nomination and it is what is needed to win the presidency. It's not shady or nefarious, it is smart community organizing.
seems like
if this is the worst Grinch can dig up on Obama, it's all over.
I'd be more interested to hear some positive arguments for what McCain can and will do for our country, because the impotent attacks on Obama are, frankly, boring.
I see Iraq is demanding a firm timetable for U.S. withdrawal. What does McCain say to that?
What are McCain's positions on issues that impact Americans? How will he improve healthcare for the uninsured?
Does he feel our pain with rising energy prices as he has to pay to heat and cool six homes?
Do he and his wife relate to the credit crisis impacting millions of Americans as they carry a six-figure debt on their credit cards?
Has the guy learned how to use the internet yet?
Down home couple?
What planet do you live on? John McCain showed up at the rally in $500 loafers and they have at least 8 homes. How do you figure that they are "down home"? For chrissakes, I would have thought that you would be smart enough not to fall for that mega-millionaire acting like a "regular guy" stuff again after you swallowed it hook, line, and sinker from the faux cowboy who grew up in Maine.
Nope. I asked a hypothetical
Nope. I asked a hypothetical question (obviously not stated as fact, was it?) to determine whether you personally felt it was okay for Him to force people to volunteer - it is refreshing to see your reply, since you apparently agree that forced volunteering would be wrong.
But then, why isn't it wrong for him to compel those who thought they were getting tickets without strings to hear Him speak in Denver to now give up 6-12 or even more hours of their life in service to Him?
If I was dumb or ignorant enough to be supporting him, I'd hope I'd have enough brains to realize the arrogance He is displaying with this after-the-fact requirement. Seems like some Democrats ARE getting it, as the Denver ABC article shows - good for them. Naturally his campaign is spinning it - that's natural.
p.s. Note - I do not consider all those supporting Him to be dumb or ignorant. The others could be leftists, liberals, communists, enviro-Nazis, psychotics, people who want more government entitlements, socialists, or those unable to see through this clown. While I also think the Republicans have completely failed the conservatives with the McCain pick, I consider him less harmful to this country than the Messiah.
Obama talks about national service.
No question that he wants to encourage young people to volunteer for national service. What is so wrong with that? It won't be forced, it will be optional, and it will be a vital resource for thousands of programs across this country that need help.
Where is the downside? Or do you just like running around scaring people into thinking that it will be mandatory?
No problem. And if you'd
No problem. And if you'd read it, you'd see it was the DEMOCRATS who were complaining about it. I suppose forced 'volunteerism' is somehow a slick political move now? I also assume that if Obama gets elected and forces people of a certain age to volunteer 200 hours of community service for one year (for example, off the top of my head), you would support this?
The beauty here is that the people had already applied to listen to this bozo and there was no such forced labor requirement - it was added later. Also, aren't you SHOCKED that he already wasn't overflowing with true volunteer requests?
p.s. As pointed out by Malkin, the Germans in Berlin weren't forced to volunteer to listen to this dip - lol!
Oh, no! Obama wants people to help get him elected.
Shocking! Thanks for breaking this huge story, Grinch.
More on the Obama Messiah
Question - when you are compelled to do something, it cannot be called 'volunteering', especially when it is done AFTER people had qualified for the tickets. But, I personally find it hilarious that Obama supporters are mad about this - I would have thought they could have seen it coming and/or they would be delighted to donate a measly 6-12 hours of their personal time helping their Messiah's campaign. He wants to give $1,000 back out of 'windfall oil profits' but wants to force people coming to his speech to donate their time to Him.
Michelle Malkin: Obama’s mandatory volunteerism starts NOW!
[=blue]Denver ABC 7: Required To Volunteer? Obama Ticket Giveaway Causes Confusion[]
Excerpt:
The Obama campaign has begun notifying people who got tickets for the big acceptance speech at Invesco Field the final night of the convention.
Many of those who received tickets told 7NEWS they have come with a caveat.
Those viewers said the campaign told them they must volunteer six hours for the campaign by Friday in order to get a ticket.
“I got a call that if I want the tickets I have to volunteer two shifts of three hours apiece — for one ticket. If I want two tickets, then it’s four shifts of two hours apiece,” said Berenice Christensen.
Another 7NEWS viewer sent an e-mail that said, “I received a call Monday saying I could ‘qualify’ for the tickets if I do 12 hours of volunteer work for the Obama campaign between now and Friday the 15th.”
The viewer e-mail goes on, “To work 40 hours at my job, get to and from work, get to and from the campaign office and complete the 12 hours in three days would be next to impossible.”
Please, get your facts straight.
A study of media stories over recent months shows that more than 70% of Obama stories in the news are negative -- not positive.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/27/213129/916/411/557932
You read it right: tougher on the Democrat.
During the evening news, the majority of statements from reporters and anchors on all three networks are neutral, the center found. And when network news people ventured opinions in recent weeks, 28% of the statements were positive for Obama and 72% negative.
Network reporting also tilted against McCain, but far less dramatically, with 43% of the statements positive and 57% negative, according to the Washington-based media center.
But, hey --- don't let the facts get in the way of your argument! I'm sure you'll want to retract your marginally racist and factually deficient column now.
McCain bragged about his love affair with the media in 2000 and has talked openly about his efforts to court them. Remember the big vacation weekend at the McCain ranch a few months ago? When he treated the media to an "off-the-record" weekend of maverick BBQ and beer?
On a side --- McCain isn't "portrayed" as a bumbling old man who is out of touch with technology -- he IS old (oldest to run for President) and he has admitted that until recently (when he started getting so much flak about out) he has never even turned on a computer or been on the Internet. And this is someone that you want to lead us into a technology-driven future?