I am reminded of James Carville, back in the 80s, during the Bill Clinton impeachment hearings. "This is war!!! It's a war!!!" Text will never do the sounds of the Cajun Democratic strategic mouthpiece justice. But the election of 2008 is turning out to be the same way. And just like how Republicans using Ken Starr to go after President Bill Clinton caused them a lot of grief over the last 10 years, the Democrats are starting to head down that same avenue.

If the election were held today, it would be too close to call, the biggest losers in this year's elections might not be anyone officially tied to any party, but instead, the media. The term "the media" is used as a blanket expression of all electronic and print media outlets. The truth is "the media" with over 250 television markets, between 10 and 20 national news outlets, more cable networks than are worth mentioning, major newspapers across the country, magazines, websites and professional and non professional internet bloggers, is a lot more complex. But what most of the country calls the media seems to out of sorts due to the rise of the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin.

The most obvious cardiac victim is MSNBC who has been the Obama network since earlier this year. It has gotten so bad they do not even try to hide their favoritism. With hacks like Keith Olbermann and "Mr Tingly" Chris Matthews they try and be the opposite of Fox News. The problem is they are still in with their mothership NBC News -- the house that John Chancellor, Chet Huntley, Frank McGee and Roger Mudd built. The antics of the former failed sportscaster and the goosebumped one, didnt set well with the Tom Brokaws and David Gregory the current keepers of what's left of their name, especially after the loss of the universally respected Tim Russert. So election night coverage will look more traditional with Gregory at the helm and tweedle dee and tweedle dum being commentators for the event. Good luck with that.

In the last week, ABC got the first "network" interview with GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Governor Sarah Palin. Good Ol' Charlie Gibson got to do the honors and wasted no time making his network look like they have an ax to grind. Saying to Gov. Palin in so many words, "Can you look into the camera and tell America you are ready to lead this country?" Nice Charlie. Somehow that question wasnt important when you interviewed Sen Barack Obama and discussed how his family and life is the American Dream. Looking at it objectively the junior member of the McCain-Palin ticket has as much experience as the senior member of the Obama-Biden ticket. The bigger question isnt if the VP is ready to lead, but if the person running for President is ready to lead.

Senator John McCain wants to lead and was a "guest" on ABC's The View. Barbara Walters was especially upset. McCain was seemingly polite and tried answering their questions, but wasnt allowed to finish a thought. While Barack Obama was treated with respect and was even swooned over (thats professional), McCain was treated like a wifebeater. This put McCain in a very difficult situation and made the "chicks" at The View look unprofessional especially Walters as she is the only one there with any real credibility including the right-leaning Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Cindy McCain came in later and seemed to help her husband by not taking any crap off of "the girls" and salvaging a very touchy situation. Fairly or unfairly it doesnt matter, a man cant just go on national tv and take on four women who disagree with you when they are acting irrationally. Cindy McCain can come into the situation and with one look take it over. It's just the differnce between men and women.

The cover of this weeks Newsweek promotes the feature story on Sarah Palin. Of all the pics they have at their disposal, the national news magazine picked a picture of of the Alaskan Governor toting a rifle over her shoulder. Isnt that sweet. "Hey America, here is your gun-carrying, moose-shooting, hockey mother Vice-Presidential Candidate." This was an obvious slam on Palin and the GOP. It used to be called "Yellow Journalism", now it's an acceptable procedure and an encouraged practice. Newsweek doesnt claim to be left wing, though you can fairly call it that just by reading the slanted articles. Publications like National Review and NewsMax are obvious right wing magazines and make no bones about it. The difference is Newsweek and Time, have at least twice the coverage as the others.

Barack Obama finally goes on with Fox's Bill O' Reilly. For my money, O' Reilly is the BEST interviewer in the business today. His work with Hillary Clinton was excellent and he was tough with John McCain as well. Interviewing politicans, even local ones, can be a difficult process. Politicans like to hear themselves talk and hate being pressed. What most dont realize, especially Obama, the more they are pressed the better they get at explaining and convincing others of their views in a hostile environment. Bill O' Reilly is tough but fair. I thought the Obama looked stiff and at times weak. If he cant stand up to Bill O'Reilly in a point-counter point interview, I question whether he can standup to the despots around the world. Obama is a non confrontational guy and wants people to like him. President Clinton suffered from this as well, but wasnt afraid to get his red-faced, finger-waving, squinted eyed mad-on when he need to get his point across. I havent seen that kind of passion from the new liberal messiah. 

In closing, it's not your father or your grandfather's media anymore. Anyone with Internet access and an email account can become a blogger, present company accepted, but the bias has never been more evident. Two reasons for this, agendas and ignorance. Most in the media would like to see Obama and Biden win in November. As individual private citizens they have every right to favor whoever candidate they choose. As members of the media, what they put on the air has to be fair and unbias, which it is not, and in some cases, in my opinion, is a violation of the public trust, which is inturn an FCC violation. If the traditional media outlets, who the public depends on for fair treatment of candidates and issues continue this bias treatment, they will lose. They will lose viewers, they will lose money, and most of all they will lose the most important aspect to any journalism, credibility.


TalonX