Barack Obama, Olbermann: 'spin' politics

Olbermann, for all of his faults, is asking the questions that need to be asked--while others hide behind personality journalism, too afraid to raise the issues that need to be addressed. We've seen this before, with tragic results:

From:
Head of State
http://tinyurl.com/55atsk

Monday, September 08, 2008
Fear and the Result of Our Decisions: Media, Palin and Iraq

I recall keenly the days of the run-up to the Iraq war. How many journalists--including those I knew and admired--drew back from criticism of obvious gaps and flaws in the logic leading to the conflict; who, despite stories of critical importance for the future of the nation hanging before them, left them hanging in the group-reinforced fear that they would be accused of a lack of patriotism if they were to report them.

And so they were left to be reported long after--in books looking back at the clear issues, landmark errors, and trail of missed opportunities that has led to the fatal outcomes we now see before us.

The issues were there at the time. To be reported.

They were not.

Today, they are again being cowed, by an equally powerful fear of unnecessary intimidation and restraint, the consequences of which stretch far beyond those that we have seen in Iraq.

At a time when we are at war, the economy in shambles, when today Fannie and Freddie Mac are, for the first time in their history, in effect being nationalized, we are being swept by emotion and fear--career fear--into ignoring a situation that would likely send us tumbling into the unknown.

For the short-term fear that each journalist feels, in being perceived as "unpatriotic" to vague, manifest threats regarding gender--they fail to report issues that have nothing to do with gender: the preparedness of a candidate for Vice President of the United States, running alongside an elderly and chronically ill Presidential candidate.

Instead--just as in the run-up to Iraq--each is making the easier choice--to join the risk-averse chorus of personality pieces, each, in the same diffusion of responsibility that had such a major role in leading us into the war in Iraq, taking the route that leads away from fact, regardless of gender.

As in Iraq, reporting fact--regardless of pressure for a mindless conformity and silence--represented actual patriotism, providing the nation with the information it needed to make a reliable and authentic decision, so reporting the facts here--regardless of pressure for an unthinking conformity represents a true balance, a true equality, a true lack of bias.

This is a time of difficult decisions. However, those decisions--your decisions--matter. We have seen this.

Report it. Don't be cowed.

Cite:
Head of State
http://tinyurl.com/55atsk

Keith takes 'fluff' to a new level in this ad...

oh wait!

This wasn't a campaign ad, It was supposed to be an 'interview'.

I wish Barack would just say that it is what it is, a racist comment. Same with all the salvo's against "community organizing". It's a dog whistle to remind people that Obama is black and that Republican's run a disgusting campaign. The analogy is the Bulls vs Knicks in the 90's. The only way the Knicks could win was by roughing up the Bulls finesse. There were so many fouls that the refs could not call all of them and the game became ugly.

How many orgasms did Olberman? He definetly is not fair and objective.

Excellent interview. I am very impressed with Keith Olbermann and hopes he receives greater exposure, i.e. NBC anchor.

Mr. Olbermann is the rare unbiased news correspondent.

Dr. Tyrone F. Price

The change that McCain wants is to bash the intellectuals and any one that has European ideas[ap].Maybe you look different "foreign" I believe is the code word,your not a hockey mom ,soccer mom, NASCAR dad, you live in a city and your educated, you have a world view and think it takes a village to help raise your family,-ie schools, extended family, neighbors, friends, then your some how bad or on the fringe maybe even evil, dose that not give you that warm fuzzy feeling? Well be afraid very afraid.The right wing "Conservative" brings something else to mind,Germany a wounded war veteran who wrote a book and was a God fearing right winger who found his country receptive because of their plight after a bitter war and bad economic times. The intellectuals, the educated, foreigners,ones that were liberal,and folks that didn't "share their values" NOT LIKE US. The Jews fit the bill, different religion, businessmen, intellectuals, liberal, not like us- them. This right wing conservative group with it's leader invoked Gods name and went on a crusade to right many perceived wrongs and to settle old scores. The church blessed them and their weapons and they went out in Gods name to make the world in their image and well you know the rest.Fiction? Not hardly religion has no place in politics.there is a reason for separation of church and state It seems that to be a Christian now we have to wrap our selves in the flag and if you don't you're bad,or unpatriotic, un American. But if You are a true Christian the Christ said give Caesars things to Caesar, and that His Kingdom was no part of this world he was not involved in politics. You don't have to be a Christian to be a patriot or pick up a gun or join the military to be a patriot just like wrapping your self in the flag and the bible makes a bad person good or a patriot because it doesn't. That man in Germany was wrapped in his flag and the bible and was blessed by the church was he a good man? I guess not but his followers thought so they were convinced by the dogma of the crusade and that evil was across the street, next door, the next country, folks not like them, and if those evil doers were dehumanized they were-are easy to kill. I guess the Christian right forgot the 10 commandments, pick it up its a good read

Barack Obama should not talk about "earmarks"!

In his 150 days of working in the Senate he requested one billion dollars in "earmarks". Including one million dollars for his wife's employer.

John McCain in his many years in office has requested zero taxpayer dollars in "eamarks".

Would someone please tell me where this "billion dollars in earmarks" came from? It's all BS, I think their lumping together every federal program that's been approved by congress. Things like the water conservation bill, education, social security, Medicare, and anything else they can think of. Earmarks maybe?, but at least their not 27 million in pork for a town with 6,000 residents.

Yeah, Obama has ZERO cred on the subject of earmarks--he quickly became one of the WORST abusers. The choice is clear, but people's heads aren't after drinking the kool-aid.

I love the swamp going into high gear in attacking their chosen ones opponents. WHere are the articles telling of Obamas lies on lobbyists. David Axelrod, Obamas campaign manager is a LOBBYIST idiots. Obama has 29 lobbyists working on his campaign and he has taken $50 mil from lobbyists for his own presidential campaign. To top it all Obamas running mate BIdens son is a lobbyist who lobbies his own father. Also Biden fights on the Senate floor for Iran lobbysts. Biden has taken millions from the lobbying arm of the Iranian gov. WHere are those stories. I have no problems with challenging and vetting Palin and McCain but lets do it to both. I understand vetting Obama and Biden doesnt fit with the Swamp agenda but after watching Olberman and Mathews demotion you would think journalists would learn that people want both sides covered the same and are not going to stand for having Frank James be the Rush Limabugh of the Obama campaign. It is becoming a joke. Obamas pastor was not talked about for 19 months. The press knew all about him for 19 months but decided it wasnt important yet I know everything about Sarah Palin in 3 days. This is a joke and 2008 is the year that journalism died im America.

You know who's a registered lobbyist? OBAMA's campaign manager, David Axelrod. Can you believe this empty suit is casting stones at Rick Davis while he employs Axelrod who secured for ComEd the biggest lobbying contract in the history of the state of New York as his campaign manager. http://www.newsweek.com/id/138519
It is amazing to me how much the empty suit screws up every day. Clearly not ready for primetime.

McCain and the GOP still want to play got-cha politics — Old-time Party Politics, which most Americans are weary and growing tired of. The GOP lead us into a Pretend and Fake war, the Iraq invasion. The Real war was and is in Afghanistan where Bin Ladin is hiding today. That is not change you can believe in. Most Americans want Truth and Authenticity. We don’t want to be led into a fake war for oil! We don’t want our young men and women dying for oil and a fake war that should have never been authorized. John McCain likes to say he is good on national security, yet he voted Yes to authorize the fake war the Iraq War. What we need desperately today is more honesty by our politicians in this nation instead of the politics of Got-cha, Lies and the tearing down of one’s opponent through dishonesty. The debate should be about the real issues, not pretend wars or personal attacks and or empty and false slogans because it does nothing for the day to day lives of American people.

The Republican operatives have belittled and berated Barack Obama as just speeches, however, Barack has over 20 years of experience in public service, plus a Natural Talent to organize and get things done, as evidenced by the successful running of his Campaign. Barack Obama has an innate judgment as evidenced by his speaking out against the Iraq war when it was not popular because he had the intelligence and common sense to know that the real was was in Afghanistan not Iraq. Bin Ladin did and does not live in Iraq. Barack Obama has the ability to inspire people to unite in a common cause to bring about the Necessary Changes we need today. Because if we do not unite for change, for true democracy, together we will all go down with the ship and be united anyway but in a negative way and not a positive way.

We definitely need a change in the way our politicians campaign which as to date, tears down one’s opponent through lies and dishonesty which only tears the country down and puts a bad taste in our mouths, though each candidate has the right to point out true policy differences. We should demand honesty and integrity from our politicians and stop letting them lead us down a yellow brick road of illusion, misstatements, lies and dirty political maneuvering!

Barack Obama’s message has been throughout that all children are Everybody’s Children, and that we must change the “mindset” for going into wars. He tells us that in order for us to make it as a society and solve our problems, that we must stop being divisive: gays against straight, Muslims, Jews, Palestinians, Christians must unite and respect one another’s religions. That will be his greatest gift to humanity at this time — the ability to see each other as ourselves — or together we can go down with the ship. Everyday he risks his life. He is not running because he has a thirst for power. He offers up his life for his love of humanity and to its next stage of evolution. We should embrace this gift and offer up our prayers that he can finish his mission, his high calling. We must stopped being fooled by politicians who only has the best interest of their pocketbooks and big corporations and not the pocket books of everyday average citizens. It should not take 10 years for the minimum wage to be increased, there is no justification for that. That should tell you there that politicians who vote no for an increase care nothing about your day to day struggles. And you have to ask yourself “What has the GOP done for me lately”? The years when the American Dream was thriving, they were years when there was Democratic Presidents and Congress. That is the true party of the people. If we are to get back to the American dream again we must put in office that party who has always been inclusive and the people’s champion. That party is the Democratic Party.

And lastly we must not listen to those who refuse to understand the changing of the old order, and the awakening of humanity to the new possibilities. We need a complete purification of the political and economical arenas which would be of the greatest value in bringing back Americas greatness and strength.

Olbermann was fired from his anchor job at MSNBC because he was too biased for Obama. Apparently that makes him a hero to the Swamp writers. How did the Swamp get so much into the tank for Obama anyway? And why do the editors allow it instead of insisting on some semblance of balanced reporting?

Vinny, you won't get any honest reporting here in the Swamp or from the Chicago Tribune. This newspaper is as corrupt as Al Capone at his worst.
And, I love the comment about Olbermann being nonbiased. I hope that Dr. Price is being tongue-in-cheek. Olabermann has no objectivity at all. None. It's one reason he probably was demoted.

Danforth (bruce),

This is a blog, not a propaganda piece for the Republican-owed press. Your media-bias rant is a dog that don't hunt.