It’s not “hype” if it’s actually happening
When will the media honeymoon with Sen. Obama finally end? Is some of this Obama buzz unwarranted? Could he be overrated?
No, those aren’t questions drawn from Tom Delay’s “blog.” They’re from MSNBC anchor Amy Robach’s December 18 interview with U.S. News & World Report chief White House correspondent Kenneth T. Walsh. Ironically, as Media Matters for America notes, Robach’s quest for the end of the “honeymoon” comes amidst a parade of talking heads — several on MSNBC — who can’t seem to take enough potshots at Sen. Obama. If their segment isn’t devoted to his middle name or how his last name is “only one little consanant” away from Osama, then it’s focused on a joke he made about his ears. And of course there’s always Jeff Greenfield’s “sartorial timebomb” buffonery. This is a honeymoon? Can’t wait to see what the marriage will be like.
There’s no doubt Sen. Obama has received a boatload of media coverage lately, and much of it positive, but there’s a reason for that: very suddenly and with little warning, he has captured the imagination of the Democratic base. It is fundamentally a good-news story; reporting on his skyrocketing popularity is not a media “honeymoon.” It’s not him getting a pass — it’s what’s happening in the world of politics.
Out of practically nowhere, a viable presidential candidate has emerged and is steadily gaining the trust of a large group of Americans. Add to this the historically significant fact that he is black, that he receives ringing endorsements from both sides of the aisle, and that he is poised to lead to the White House a party that these same media pundits were pronouncing defunct just two short years ago, and you’ve got yourself a legitimate news story.
In the name of “balance,” of course, Sen. Obama’s coverage has been as peppered with snarky jabs and detractions as that of any other rising political star. But assuming the media does its job and reports the news, asking when the honeymoon will end is as pointless as asking when his support will become less enthusiastic. And I’m not a betting man, but I’m going to have to go with “not anytime soon” on that one.
