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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Does media prefer Obama?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Does the media prefer Barack Obama?
Hillary Clinton clearly thinks so. In Tuesday night’s debate — the last before next week’s make-or-break primaries in Ohio and Texas — she reacted testily to a question posed by MSNBC’s Brian Williams about the North American Free Trade Agreement, one of the few real achievements of the Clinton Administration. Clinton, in that instance, persuaded Congress to approve an important trade agreement over the objections of liberals and others in organized labor.
The question was asked first of Hillary Clinton. “Well, here’s another important topic,” said Williams, “and that’s NAFTA, especially where we’re sitting here tonight [in Cleveland, Ohio]. And this is a tough one, depending on who you ask.
“The Houston Chronicle has called it a ‘big win’ for Texas, but Ohio Democratic Senator [Sherrod] Brown, your colleagues in the Senate, has called it a ‘job-killing’ trade agreement.
“Senator Clinton, you’ve campaigned in south Texas. You’ve campaigned here in Ohio. Who’s right?”
Clinton responded:
” Well, could I just point out that, in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time? And I don’t mind. You know, I’ll be happy to field them, but I do find it curious. And if anybody saw ‘Saturday Night Live,’ you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he’s comfortable and needs another pillow.” She was referring to a skit last weekend that had television journalists fawning over Obama.
“I just find it kind of curious,” Hillary continued, “that I keep getting the first question on all of these issues, but I’m happy to answer it. You know, I have been a critic of NAFTA from the very beginning. I didn’t have a public position on it because I was part of the administration. But when I started running for the Senate, I have been a critic.”
The suggestion that the media caters to Obama was advanced earlier in the day by campaign supporters. Howard Wolfson, a top Clinton adviser, said that “the press has largely applauded” Obama “every time” his campaign launches pesonal attacks on Hillary. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says the media has “relished” Hillary’s slide.
I do wonder. During the primary season, I often keep a television on, switching channels from time to time. The sound is off until I happen to notice something interesting. Here lately, with the field down to two candidates, it appears far more balanced — that is, when I look up and the story is political, I’m as likely to see Hillary as Obama. But during that critical period when the Democratic and Republican field was crowded, Obama did seem to be the candidate most often featured by cable channels and the networks. It’s just an impression, but long before Hillary spoke out, I’d asked colleagues to observe the muted television to see if they reached the same conclusion. So far they’ve not reported back.
You report, you decide: Does the media prefer Obama?
