I’m not sure what the hell the Associated Press is doing publishing this story, but it clearly reads as if someone took an RNC talking points sheet and turned it into something supposed to look like a news story. Clearly, since John Solomon works at the Washington Post, they had to find some other hack to write their piece. The problem with the piece is that it was clearly written and researched, almost like an opposition research piece, then asked opponents and supporters for comment. He then took an eight year state senate record and highlighted controversies that would make him appear “liberal” and would cause controversy. This isn’t journalism, but a hack piece meant to attack Obama.
And I’m not the only one noticing, either.
I’ve got no problems with compare and contrast pieces, or hell, even real investigative journalism. I mean, that’s what bloggers and new media are good for. But Solomon is always at the heals of Democrats trying to find scandal and controversy where it doesn’t exist — and then misrepresents the truth. See TPM Muckraker for more.
I’m cautious on Obama. His house purchase deal with idicted Chicago government fund raiser and kickback guy Antoin “Tony the Fixer” Rezko did not get much attention outside Chicago and is not a big deal there but may not play well in Iowa and New England.
I don’t trust Obama’s political instincts and don’t appreciate the way he puffs himself up by repeated tired, false Republican-promoted stereotypes about other Democrats.
That said, the AP piece is ridiculous. They should be ashamed to be stenographers for someone else’s hit piece.
Let this be a reminder to all Democrats that just because Obama seems like a media darling today, he too will be attacked brutally and unfairly if he ends up on our ticket.
I have to disagree with the wise Desmoinedem on Obama. I think Obama’s political instincts are right on the money. He sees what most of us partisan activists don’t. Most voters in this country are sick and tired of the Clinton/Bush era polarization. There is some truth behind many of those old R stereotypes about D’s, and painting R’s as inherently evil and 100% wrong on all issues is mindless partisanship. I find it amazing that D’s haven’t done any serious re-evaluating after so many years out of power. We were able to win only as the lesser of two evils after W’s Iraq gamble completely tanked.
I believe Obama-mania is due to the fact that he’s saying the kinds of things voters are craving for. Could he deliver as president? I don’t know. But at least he’s saying the right things.
I do have the obvious concerns about Obama. Lack of experience, not really battle-tested, closet may not have been searched very thoroughly for juicy scandals. But no candidate is perfect. And that’s why we have primaries.
I’m tired of Obama being the media darling. It’s basically hands-off on Obama. Hillary Clinton appears to get the highest negative coverage and John Edwards is mostly ignored. He has to fight for media coverage and go non-stop. While Obama gets his rest, exercise and herbal teas. I’m also tired of Obama’s boasting about his anti-war stance. He was not in the senate when his anti-war stance would have mattered. More disturbing he lacked back bone and was conveniently absent during the Iran vote. While the three other democratic presidential candidates took time off from their campaigns and voted.