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Sun Expanded Coverage
(The Sun has gone on the road to listen to voters and talk to political leaders around the West. Reporters will examine the economic, cultural and demographic forces re-shaping the region as they drive to Denver for the first of the two major party conventions the Sun will cover.)
Announcing Biden in the middle of the night going into a Saturday seemed strange -- note my post Thursday about how people consume less media on Saturday than any other day of the week.
But there's a reason I'm not a political consultant. I wouldn't be a very good one, obviously.
Check out Ben Smith's analysis:
"One reason for a relatively late rollout, as I mentioned yesterday, is that there's simply no honeymoon in the current media cycle. What used to be considered second-day coverage popped the moment Biden was announced -- revisiting Biden's weaknesses, exploring the oppo, wondering about Obama's timing -- as did the McCain ad, above, taking Biden's harshest words about Obama's readiness and his kindest about McCain.
I'm not sure this was deliberate, but a lot of the instant negatives are now burning themselves out late Friday night and early Saturday morning -- when few people are consuming media."
In an odd way, Obama's team knew the withering press would come no matter who he picked (unless it was someone totally out of the blue, like a Republican, though that offered its own longer term problem of losing his base.) So why not let the pack have their fun with their insta-"tough" analysis. And then the pack punches itself out early Saturday, and then is forced to cover the rosy glow of the two of them together at the Illinois event.
Am I resentful they treat the press this way? Not really. You get what you deserve. Think of how useful it may have been to examine a policy issue in detail and the differences between the candidates on it, or if you prefer, go to a battleground state and do some on the ground reporting. Instead, they all wagged their tails at the VP choice all week and then got all excited because they were three minutes ahead of the competition on the story.
3 a.m. was not accident. It was, hey Hillary, in your eye, your phone didn't ring. That was not necessary or cute.
"Think of how useful it may have been to examine a policy issue in detail and the differences between the candidates on it ..."
Yes, how "useful" that would be. Instead we've had over the past two presidential election cycles (e.g.) OHMYGOD HE'S WEARING EARTHTONES and OHMYGOD HOW MUCH DID HIS HAIRCUT COST and OHMYGOD WHAT DID HIS WIFE SAY etc. etc. ad nauseum.
Oddly, though, these OHMYGOD ISSUES are only earth-shattering when they concern those with "D"s after their names. Those who have "R"s after their names can (e.g.) be a drug addict for most of their first 40 years with nary a peep from the "fourth estate"; can go AWOL for more than a year and still have the aforementioned "fourth estate" cream their collective pants when he "lands" a fighter jet on a carrier (MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! WOO HOO!); etc. etc. etc.
So yeah, that WOULD have been useful, Patrick. FWIW, you'd no doubt be a damn sight better than the punditry that's been foisted on us today.
The media gets what it deserves.
Look at the crap the AP chief wrote and put out there this morning. Another GOP media wh*re.
OMYGOD.....Obama has a brother that lives in a shack and on $1 a month.
FIrst we get Barack HUSSEIN Obama - scary Muslim sounding name and now the VP name of BIDEN - the combined ticket is just too scary for me - too damn close to BinLaden and the Hussein name is just way too Muslim sounding...not to mention what the heck kind of name is Barack and Obama for that matter? Be very afraid America!
The comment boxes...exhaulting the trivial again...
Wow, Nance, your irrelevance has reached new heights.
Back to the story at hand: Obama didn't need a week-long roll-out with Biden. He's an easy choice and well-known. Had it been Kaine, Sebelius or Edwards the biographical stuff would have had to take precedent prior to the convention.
With the week-long media blitz next week at the convention, why bother an early reveal? They earned a week's worth of anticipation leading up to the convention.
McCain won't have that luxury. He has to wait until the Dem's convention is finished before he announces, or his choice (please let it be magic underwear Mittens!) will be drowned in the DNC frenzy.
I guess that you think it is irrelevant that Obama has a brother that lives on $1 a month in a shack.
Good for you!
jfnance32, why are you still whining about Barack Obama's brother? I told you yesterday that George Obama was interviewed on CNN and he said he loved living in Kenya, didn't want to move and was very proud of Barack. Today you say OHMYGOD like you just learned this, but you were repeating the same non-issue yesterday. I agree, you love the irrelevent stuff.
It seems you are just repeating what you hear on Rush Limbaugh. Yesterday you repeated the lie that Obama was on a private beach on Hawaii... when there are NO PRIVATE BEACHES on Hawaii. State law mandates that all beaches are public.
Maybe you should do a little bit of research into your repeated talking points. If you're going to attack someone, at least make a little effort to get it right. LOL!
azsk8fan, I can't help that you are "scared" by such nonsense as someone's name. That's silly. You should get out more.
Did you hear Biden's speech today? He got a lot of good punches in about McCain and his seven dinner tables. The republicans around here seem to be attacking him already. They are showing just how scared they are!
I guess Obama supporters care less about Obama's brother who is living on $1 a month in a shack.
If he's happy, I'm happy. Why aren't you happy?
I guess you need to spend more time on a private beach in Hawaii! LOL!
I guess you are happy that Obama has a brother that is living on $1 a month in a shack.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/22/b...
" Unlike his grandmother in Kogela, in Western Kenya, George Obama had received little attention from the media.
"But reports surfaced in the past few days, springing from an Italian Vanity Fair article saying George Obama is living in a shack and "earning less than a dollar a day."
"The reports left him angry."
"I was brought up well. I live well even now," he said. "The magazines, they have exaggerated everything."
"I think I kind of like it here. There are some challenges, but maybe it is just like where you come from, there are the same challenges," Obama said."
"Obama, who is in his mid-20s, is learning to become a mechanic and is active in youth groups in Huruma. He said he tries to help the community as much as he can."
"At least one of his neighbors feels that perhaps the candidate should help the brother."
"I would like Obama to visit his brother to see how he is living, to improve his way of life," said Emelda Negei, who runs a small dispensary near Obama's house."
"But George Obama will have none of it. He draws inspiration from his famous half-brother. He acknowledges that he is biased but said he knows that his half-brother will be the next president."
"Because he wants to be [president]," he said. "I think in life, what you want is what you are supposed to get."
Jfnance32, you continue to recite stuff that just isn't true. I told you about this yesterday. You should watch the video interview with George Obama. If you are so concerned about his condition, maybe you should send him money? He seems to be a very proud man, who admires his half-brother.
Between this and your lies about Hawaii and everything, I think you are being kinda deseperate. But ok, if you want to be outraged that George Obama is a happy guy, go right ahead!
The 3:00 AM text message release was a direct dig by the Obama team at Hillary.
It was to make fun of Hillary's 3:00 AM phone call ad against Obama.
I am sure that Hillary folk are just laughing and having a good over this joke.
Just a FYI, Obama has a brother that lives on $1 a month and in a shack.
This is a State that does not always vote its interest. It would not surprise me if it does it again. You may loose your home this time around, not just your job. You wanna vote for McSame. Make haste!
Finally the Junior Senator has a much needed gray haired dude for a mentor and the American voters, unlike the media pundits, have known all along, that this election is NOT about the economy stupid. Its about Obamas credentials for the job and his 4 years of inexperience as the Junior Senator Barack Hussein Obama. It is not the time for, another equal opportunity on the job training program. …PS Canada has had universal (socialized) health care for more than 20 years, with the results being a very serious backlog for services and very, very costly to the taxpayers. Keep smiling....
What Americans Do Not Need, is 4 more years of not allowing a vote on drilling for American oil; Americans can not afford 4 more years of an equal opportunity on the job training program, or 4 more years of Senate hearings on steroids under Pelosi and dems, or 4 more years of democrats with Nancy Pelosi`s no action for Americans. Combine these with the incredibly bad judgment and inexperience of the Junior Senator Barack Hussein Obama and his gray hair mentor shoot from the lip Biden, who represents NO CHANGE for the American people... Keep smiling.