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The Politico has run an analysis on the claims of media bias in favor of Obama. The conclusions they came to are interesting. Basicly they used a Pew Research group study as a starting point which said that over the last two monthes Obama has recieved more positive press than negative and McCain has recieved more negative press than positive.
After admiting that most reporters they know do lean left, the authors then point out three factors that lead to charges of media bias in this election. 1) People who tend to charge media bias have strong opinions of their own. 2) The media thrives on scandle and conflict. Obma has been very good at running a tight ship throughout the campaign. 3) This is likely to be the most controversial, but the authors contend that things that normally would make the news about Obama have been ignored for fear that they might be percieved as racial motivated, such as Jerimiah Wright.
I completely agree with the authors. All you have to do is listen to NASCAR radio to realize that a certain segment of people will never be happy until the playing field is strongly tilted in favor of their guy. Any attempt to present a level playing field will be seen as penalizing their favorite. And Obama has been very good about staying on message and making the media report about his campaign on his terms. He is very Rovian in that aspect. I don't work in a newsroom so I can't comment on the third point they raise, but I would like to think we moved past that. Anyway, what do you think?
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And then there is this...
Introduction: The LA Times is holding a video that shows Barack Obama celebrating with a group of Palestinians who are openly hostile towards Israel. Barack Obama even gives a toast to a former PLO operative at this celebration. If the American public saw this side of Barack Obama he would never be elected president.
But, the media refuses to release this video.
LA Times writer Peter Wallsten wrote about Barack Obama's close association with former Palestinian operative Rashid Khalidi back in April.
Wallsten discussed a dinner held back in 2003 in honor of Khalidi, a critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian rights.
Barack Obama has denied his close association with Khalidi, too.
According to Wallsten the evening not surprisingly turned into a classic Jew-bash:
"During the dinner a young Palestinian American recited a poem accusing the Israeli government of terrorism in its treatment of Palestinians and sharply criticizing U.S. support of Israel. If Palestinians cannot secure their own land, she said, "then you will never see a day of peace."
One speaker likened "Zionist settlers on the West Bank" to Osama bin Laden, saying both had been "blinded by ideology."
Barack Obama also praised the former PLO operative during the event.
And, Obama confessed that his family often shared dinner with the Khalidis:
His many talks with the Khalidis, Obama said, had been "consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases... It's for that reason that I'm hoping that, for many years to come, we continue that conversation -- a conversation that is necessary not just around Mona and Rashid's dinner table," but around "this entire world."
...The event was videotaped, and a copy of the tape was obtained by The Times.
Khalidi and the Obamas were great friends in Chicago and often shared meals together.
By the way, Khalidi was also best friends with Bill Ayers.
Terrorist Bill Ayers--- Barack Obama--- Jew-hater Rashid Khalidi
On Wednesday I talked with Peter Wallsten from the Los Angeles Times about the article on Obama and Khalidi:
Wallston was one of the few mainstream media reporters to report on this radical Obama associate.
Wallston said that the article was written after he watched video taken at the Khalidi going away party. When I asked him about the video he said that as far as he was concerned he was through with the story.
I asked him if he was planning on releasing this video of Obama toasting the radical Khalidi at this Jew-bash. He told me he was not releasing the video. He also would not comment on his source for the video. Wallston also said he did not know if Khalidi's good friend Bill Ayers was at the event or not.
So, there you have it.
The LA Times has video of Obama toasting a former PLO operative at a Jew-bash but will not release the video.
This is outrageous.
Obviously, this video would do great damage to Obama who struggles with Jewish voters due to his circle of close anti-Semitic friends.
Maybe this is the reason it is not being released?
More on Khalidi---
Not only does Barack Obama's church of 20 years support Hamas and Hezbollah but Barack Obama also has a longtime close friendship and financial association with suspected former PLO operative and Israel hater Rashid Khalidi.
Earlier this month Sean Hannity dared to report on Barack and Michelle Obama's radical associate and friend, Rashid Khalidi:
Barack Obama funnelled thousands of dollars of cash to Rashidi's anti-Israel Foundation through his work on the Woods Fund.
In 2000, Rashid Khalidi, a former PLO operative who justified Palestinian terrorism as contributing to "political enlightenment," threw a fundraiser for his friend Barack Obama.
Although he is described as a former PLO operative, via Free Republic, this is what Rashid Khalidi has to say about Palestinian terrorism against Jews-- he said anti-Israel violence contributed to "political enlightenment":
On Palestinian violence. Khalidi glorifies anti-Israel violence as contributing to “political enlightenment”[vii] and unsurprisingly admires those who carry it out. His loyalty to Palestinian terrorist groups run so deep that he actually dedicated his 1986 valentine to the PLO, Under Siege, to “those who gave their lives . . . in defense of the cause of Palestine and independence of Lebanon.”[viii] The book whitewashes PLO violence against Israelis and Lebanese, as well as the Syrian occupation.
Khalidi and Ayers were practically best friends.
And, both Ayers and Obama signed the commemorative book given to Khalidi at his going away party:
In Chicago, the Khalidis founded the Arab American Action Network, and Mona Khalidi served as its president. A big farewell dinner was held in their honor by AAAN with a commemorative book filled with testimonials from their friends and political allies. These included the left wing anti-war group Not In My Name, the Electronic Intifada, and the ex-Weatherman domestic terrorists Bernadine Dohrn and Bill Ayers. (There were also testimonials from then-state Senator Barack Obama and the mayor of Chicago.)
It's hard to imagine that the LA Times would hold onto a video of Sarah Palin praising an anti-Semitic radical and former PLO operative...
But, that is today's mainstream media.
Tom Maguire has more on this radical friend of Barack and Michelle Obama.
Previously:
** Obama's Fancied the Chicago Terror Gang-- Partied With Bombers & Former PLO Operative
** Jewish Voters Confront Barack Obama On His Close Association with Former PLO Operative Rashid Khalidi
** LA Times Won't Release Video of Obama Publicly Praising Former PLO Operative & Jew Hater
Media Refuses to Release Video of Obama Toasting & Praising Close Friend Rashid Khalidi--
UPDATE: There's more-- Debbie Schlussel gave Wallsten information.
This would kill obama's support in the Jewish community.
Same answer as before. "The Media" isn't a monolithic block. CNN is left-leaning; so is Time magazine. Conservative Thinker is extreme right-leaning; so are the majority of political talk radio shows. What people mean when they scream about the "liberal media" are newspapers (except the ones that aren't, like the Wall Street Journal) and TV news shows (except the ones that aren't, like Fox News). What they never mention are the "conservative media" of the internet (except the sites that aren't, like Daily Kos zoo) and radio (except the one's that aren't, like the BBC).
And besides, it's a free market economy. If conservatives are so fed up over "liberal bias" on shows, why don't they put their money where their mouths are and support conservative news shows? Enough support, and the tide shifts. The fact that it hasn't means that condservatives would rather stick with radio and the internet, but scream loudly about the news shows and papers so as to make themselves look like victims of some kind of conspiracy of oppression.
And then there is this... This would kill obama's support in the Jewish community.
Unless, of course, they fail to equate anti-Zionism with anti-semitism. That tidbit is on a par with the fact that Al Qaida endorses McCain, feeling that an Obama presidency will hurt recruitment.
Yes. (answering the question posed by the OP.)
Today's yahoo news headline:
"Obama's prime-time ad skips over budget realities."
The opening states, "Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was less than upfront in his half-hour commercial Wednesday night about the costs of his programs and the crushing budget pressures he would face in office. Obama's assertion that 'I've offered spending cuts above and beyond' the expense of his promises is accepted only by his partisans. His vow to save money by "eliminating programs that don't work" masks his failure throughout the campaign to specify what those programs are — beyond the withdrawal of troops from Iraq."
[sarcasm]Obviously, "the media" are a monolithic bloc rooting for a cult of personality and would never question anything Obama says.[/end sarcasm]
