It's human nature to look for the easy way out.(*) Why should reporters be any different?(*) The media has gotten used to well-worn, comfortable ways of "reporting" on presidential elections.(*) They accept, and repeat, over and over, the Republican meme that Democrats are elite latte drinkers, out of touch with ordinary Americans, while Republican candidates, no matter how privileged and wealthy, are presented as men (they've always been men) of the people.(*) It's a lot easier than thinking critically and maybe it's more fun to talk about Obama's bowling score than it is to discuss the war in Iraq, health care, or the economy.
A Bloomberg piece yesterday, entitled "Obama's Record Has Republicans Dusting off "Liberal" Attacks", is a case in point.(*) This isn't reporting, it's a hackneyed piece of stenography, not much different than something McCain's press shop would write up if given the opportunity.
The Bloomberg piece presents all the old, tired Republican talking points we've heard for 30 years, but refuses to actually comment on whether a single one is actually accurate.(*) Republicans understand very well that, whatever they say, the media will report it without pointing out if it's unsupported by the facts.(*) At worst, the media will give a Democratic representative the opportunity to rebut–in this piece, Democrats are given a couple of sentences.
A real reporter would note that calling Obama "out of step with mainstream Americans" is contradicted by actual evidence.(*) The Bloomberg piece notes that Obama supports civil unions for same-sex couples (not gay marriage).(*) It(*)fails to observe(*)that Obama is on the same page as a majority of Americans here.(*) In the battleground state of Pennsylvania, a whopping 2/3 agree with Obama on civil unions.(*) The Bloomberg scribe didn't bother to look up any of the numbers and simply repeated back the Republican talking point that Obama is out of touch.
Same thing on abortion–Obama's view, which adheres to the Roe v. Wade ruling, is supported by a majority of Americans, who want abortion to be legal in all or most cases.
Ditto on gays in the military: polls show the majority of Americans are with Obama on this issue.
The piece notes that "Obama's campaign said he is in line with the majority of Americans…" (emphasis added).(*)(*)That's classic lazy reporting–the Republicans say Democrats eat babies, Democrats say they don't–you decide who's right.(*) Rather than actually presenting polling that shows(*)the Republican attacks are(*)incorrect, the piece simply says, Republicans call Obama out of touch, Obama says he's not, you decide who's right.
Obama's views don't line up with the majority on every single issue, but it is simply wrong to say he is out of touch with Americans on issues like gay rights and(*)abortion.(*) He is very much in the mainstream–as he is on central(*)issues like the war in Iraq(*)and health care.(*) McCain is the one who holds extreme views on issues like Iraq, reproductive rights, health care, and civil unions.(*) But the press prefers to call McCain a maverick when he deviates from the mainstream, while Obama gets the "out of touch" label.
Is it too much to ask reporters to do some real reporting this election year?(*)
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