US Elections 2008 - As the US Press continues to swoon over Obama, Hillary beats him in Indiana - neighbor state to his home state of Illinois
The US Press said that Hillary Clinton had to win with double digit figures in Pennsylvania to make a dent in Obama's political fortunes. When she did the Press said the double digit numbers should have been higher. On Indiana they said that Hillary could not win, because after all it was the neighboring state of Illinois, Obama's home State. When she won last night, they said she barely squeaked by, while Obama's win in Nort Carolina was labeled a decisive, big win, even though he did not win as expected with double digit numbers.
The editor-in-chief of the liberal online magazine Salon, Joan Walsh, says her colleagues in the media simply “hate” Hillary Clinton — while they’re “swooning” over her Democratic presidential rival Barack Obama. Appearing on CNN on Sunday, Walsh said: "I was struck when I got to Iowa and New Hampshire in January by how our media colleagues were just swooning over Barack Obama. That is not too strong a word. They were swooning and they hate, hate Hillary Clinton, most of them.” Walsh added: “Hate is also not too strong a word. There is such a double standard.”
Independent political experts say that the real issue that dogs Obama now and probably also will if he manages to get the nomination, certainly not a given, regardless if he is the "favorite" of the US Press, is race. That in any season is most important for a politician, especially a black politician like Obama who has worked tirelessly to sell white voters on his non-racial message of unity, harmony, and hope. Obama is no different than other inexperienced politicians who get blind-sided by damaging and hurtful allegations and associations, like Obama with his own pastor Jeremiah Wright. They panic, do their public mea culpas, and hope and pray that it all blows over. It never does. Obama does not have the nomination all sown up, regardless of how deeply the US corporate Press loves him.
Democratic party leaders can read statistics like anyone else. Polls are showing that Hillary can beat McCain 47-41 while Obama loses by 5 percentage points. Three new Quinnipiac University polls out of Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania show Clinton matching up stronger against McCain than Obama. In Florida and Ohio specifically, Clinton beats McCain handedly while Obama ties the Arizona senator. In Florida, Clinton beats McCain by 8 points (49 to 41 percent) while Obama trails by 1 point (44 to 43 percent) In Ohio, Clinton is up 10 points over McCain (48-38 percent) while Obama is again down 1 point. (43 to 42 percent). Clinton and Obama both beat McCain in Pennsylvania, though Clinton does so by a wider margin. (Clinton bests McCain by 14 points there, Obama beats McCain by 9 points.)McCain trailed 45-46 percent when placed by pollsters against Clinton, but led 46-45 percent when against Obama.
One can only feel disgust for the corporate media, who make millions of dollars manipulating public opinion for reasons which have nothing to do with democracy or the free press. On the other hand we tip our hats to the many small, independent, local, and regional newspapers editors in the US from Cutler, Maine to Paia, Hawaii, who still consider the main purpose of the Press is to be an innovator, a school and an objective reviewer and reporter of facts and figures.
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