Clinton Drawing Harsher Scrutiny Than Obama

http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-clinton1221.artdec21,0,4647592.story

Clinton Drawing Harsher Scrutiny Than Obama, Some In Press Say
His Campaign Denies Assertion

By HOWARD KURTZ | Washington Post
December 21, 2007

DES MOINES — - After weeks of bad news, Hillary Clinton and her strategists hoped that winning the endorsement of Iowa's largest newspaper last weekend might produce a modest bump in their press coverage.
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"She's just held to a different standard in every respect," said Mark Halperin, Time's editor at large. "The press rooted for Obama to go negative, and when he did, he was applauded. When she does it, it's treated as this huge violation of propriety." Newsweek's Howard Fineman said Obama's coverage is the buzz of the presidential campaign. "While they don't say so publicly because it's risky to complain, a lot of operatives from other campaigns say he's getting a free ride, that people aren't tough enough on Obama," Fineman said.
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"Slipping Away?" said a headline on ABC's "Good Morning America."
"Hillary Clinton's campaign is teetering on the brink," Fineman wrote in Newsweek.
CBS's Jim Axelrod said her operation is "reeling."
The Los Angeles Times said she is facing her "most serious crisis."
And a banner headline on the Drudge Report asked, "Is It the End?"


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The Illinois senator's fundraising receives far less press attention than Clinton's. When The Washington Post reported last month that Obama used a political action committee to hand more than $180,000 to Democratic groups and candidates in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the suggestion that he might be buying support received no attention on the network newscasts.

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Obama did undergo something of a press audit earlier this year, with stories focusing on his record in the Illinois Senate and his ties to indicted fundraiser Tony Rezko. But his recent rise in the polls has not brought the kind of full-time frisking being visited on the hottest Republican, Mike Huckabee.

In an online posting Monday, ABC reported that an Obama volunteer wearing a press pass asked the candidate a friendly question about tax policy at an Iowa event. But several of the assembled reporters huddled and concluded that it was not a story, one of them said.

Clinton faced a storm of press criticism over a similar planted question.

God forbid you get called a racist.

no, seriously, of course she is. And she weathers it much better than Obama -- who's apparently too sensitive and delicate to withstand criticism or (gasp!) tough questions about his distressingly thin record -- does. When people talk about experience, withstanding an onslaught of negative press is just as important as all the other qualities we look for in a President. Doesn't throw her either off her game or her goal. And when you're in the Oval Office, it can't.

Program on TV, any one with a brain would conclude the Media
has conspired to prop up and push Obama, diminish Hilary and
ignore Edwards. The ways they frame discussion tells
it all. Not just one channel--not just one show. They
appear in unison.

Very similar to way they propped up GWB and pushed his candidacy
diminished Gore in 2000.

When you observe something over and over you begin to form
conclusions.

...it's treated as this huge violation of propriety."

That is the major unwritten story summed up neatly. The media wanted a fight, Clinton wanted to stay above it (because she was way ahead as long as everyone stayed nice). The media egged on and encouraged other candidates to attack Clinton and gave them positive press when they did. When Clinton started fighting back she got negative press for it.

Voila! Now the media has the horse race that they wanted all along. And they are loving and profiting from it every minute.

People seem to forget that the press shamlesly and endlessly have repeated the mantra that if Hillary wants the nomination, she's got it.And the press has treated every other candidate as also-rans.

She's been called the main contender since at least 2000. REemember all the rush in 2004 to determine if she would run, with the assumption that if she had chosen to run she'd automatically be the leader?

What the press has done to Biden, Richardson, Dodd and Kucinich and -- at times Edwards -- is far worse that what they have done to Hillary. They have ignored and dismissed them since the beginning.

So I don't have a lot of sympathy for the argument that Hillary is being mistreated.

They cover politics like a reality TV show or World Championship Wrestling. They set up someone big time then find an underdog up and coming challenger to take them on. Politics as entertainment, political coverage with a pre determined script. Sometimes Candidate A seems to benefit, sometimes Candidate B, often canidates D, E, and F are dropped out of the script completely because they might clutter the plot line.

I was pointing out that the mistreatment and distortions in the coverage of Hillary is no worse than the shameful way they cover all of the candidates and the electoral process itself.

But everyone always knew that. That was simply an acknowledgment of facts on the ground. Back in 2004 when Clinton repeatedly said that she was not going to run for President (she honored a pledge she made to NY's voters wehen she was elected - unlike some others) for the longest time in 2003 she led whatever poll of Democrats that included her name. But no one has gotten pounded by the press harder and longer than Hillary Clinton.

I know thqt the cards are always stacked against those who do not get the special media seal of approval, I've been a Clark supporter for 4 years for heaven's sake - I have seen plenty of evidence of that. But the media did not "make" Hillary Clinton in the same way that it contributed to "making" Obama flash like a shooting star across media heaven after about one year in the U.S. Senate under his belt. Edwards is a more complex topic, he has gotten his best press both times around the block right before the Iowa caucuses, and gets looked over a lot prior to them. Biden, Richardson, Dodd? Pfft. No good story lines there.

Even her decision to run at all was treated as an illegitimate coup attempt. She's followed constantly and even the slightest mistake is big news. The media treats her like a hate worthy celebrity. Obama and Edwards barely get knocked at all.

ObamaNation is convinced that if nominated, the GOP will run a nice polite campaign that never mentions any of Obama's negatives.
Good luck to them on that.

same with Biden. That's the problem with this primary coverage, the story line is written in a very biased way no matter what.

He's actually still talking about the issues. I like Biden too.

Hillary's opposition is the press more than the other candidates.

Edwards is ignored by the press and the other candidates.

The press has formed a flying wedge to protect Obama and propel him toward the goal line.

That scary phenomena known as 'Clinton hatred' has fueled the career of dozens and dozens of wingnuts.
Whole magazines and networks have been founded on it, and almost every 'established' news outlets has made money by lying about her.

'Journalists' know there is no downside to bashing Hillary because her enemies are the plutocrats who own everything. Conversely, there is no upside to bashing Obama or the others -- no money to be made in it -- because, I assume, the powers-that-be do not really fear them.

your message gets carried more effectively. Not sure if Obama can be blamed because the media doesn't fawn over Hillary. That's her and her communications staff problem.

don't hate the player, hate the game.

I hope that SOB Chris Matthews reads this. When Clinton tried to keep the focus on the GOP, they said she was aloof, and accused her of running a general election campaign, and then when the joint Edwards/Obama attacks were too much to be ignored and she fought back, she gets accused of going negative.

:rofl:

Cry me a river.... they deserve the scrutiny after Bill and Hillary's "Pile On" whining, negative campaigning, swift boating attacks on Obama.

Playing the victim card again. :eyes:

This "media done us wrong" ploy is usually reserved for the likes of Dick Cheney and Dubya.