Barack Obama built his campaign around an Only in America character story that sells well to the editorial boards and the broader media. He has used that story, either consciously or out of necessity, to flatter pundit's post-racial, post-partisan sophistication and shield himself from criticism, all the while feeding the deep loathing many in the media have for Hillary Clinton, for Democratic politicians and for Democrats generally. His theory seems to have been that he could beat the Republicans and the media using their rules.
But Barack Obama is still a Democrat, so it was inevitable that if he became our standard-bearer the media would turn on him. Now that the media has begun to turn on him, and the Republicans have begun to crank up their campaign machine, Obama is left with a damaged Democratic coalition and few arguments, allies or political resources to make a case for his candidacy.
The roots of left blogistan lie in a critique of the media. Some of the early, groundbreaking sites, like Media Whores Online, The Daily Howler and MoveOn, gained popularity by revealing the hypocrisy of the media and how it deeply opposes progressive politics. Atrios's Eschaton is the most popular remaining blog that continues this critique. The critique is largely of the vacuity of discourse in the political media. The media's intense focus on "character" rather than on issues that make a difference in voter's lives. But this is nothing new, Democratic strategists have known since at least the '70s that elections which turn on character favor Republicans while elections centered on policy favor Democrats. Character attacks -- flag lapel pins, snipers, do anything to win -- are inherently divisive, they distract voters from the problems with Republican policies giving them an advantage. John McCain has adopted much of the language Obama has used -- unity, reform, corrupt Washington, character -- and used it to bash Obama and obscure the emptiness and divisiveness of his own policies. As with Obama, the media laps it up, but because McCain's policies serve their interests they will never turn on him.
Obama is now discovering that the playing field is not level. The media is not our friend, and we cannot slip progressive policies in under cover of unity, transformation and an appealing speech. Progressives have to win on the strength of our ideas, trying to win on "character" only divides the electorate and defeats us. Obama tried to win as a media darling, but he and the Democratic party are discovering that he is more likely to lose at the hand of the media.
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