How Can Either HIllary/Obama Beat Rupert Murdock?

This election is similar to the 2004 election in that it underscores the active role the media is taking in undermining the Demoratice Presidential hopefuls. There is a bias against Obama at the moment with some of the networks looking like the Wright show with their heavy coverage of him, but my thought is that this is only because Obama is leading at the moment. If it was Hillary, then Fox News/ABC News would be focusing on Hillary Clinton and baking cookies comments and affiliations with Marc Rich. All the while the media ignores John McCain and:

9. McCain's lack of diffferences with the Bush admministration.
8. McCain's lack of a real health policy.
7. McCain's lack of difference in a war policy.
6. McCain's history as a member of the Keating Five.
5. McCain's flip flops on issues like tax cuts, torture, and campaign reform/
4. McCain abandonment of his first wife, a model, after she was disfigured.
3. McCain's wife's refusal to release her tax returns.
2. McCain's endorsement from radical religious zealots.

1. McCain's long history and ties with the Hensley family (Cindy McCain's family), which is studiously ignored by the networks. This history is detailed here:

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-02-17/news/haunted-by-spirits/full

If the media were unbiased, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel to go after McCain. However, it isn't. Instead, the media is beating the talking point of the moment into the ground, the Wright sermons. Has anything new taken place? No. Just repeating Wright sermon over and over and over again. Is this an accident? No. In other words, the Republicans would be screaming to dump McCain if the media latched onto any of the history that directly surrounds John McCain.

Hillary supporters would like to think that they are immune, and that the reason why the media is focusing on Obama is because the media has grown tired of beating up on Hillary. However, the only reason why Hillary is not getting beaten up is because she is not leading at the moment. If she were the leader, then we would be getting the same thing in reverse with endless repetition about Americans wanting a change from 20 years of Bush and Clinton.

That would be one of the talking points being beaten to death, "Its time for change from 20 years of Bush and Clinton." Yes, it lacks substance, but are the headlines about substance?

The question then is how can either Hillary or Obama overcome the overwhelming media bias against the Democrat nominee as epitomized by Fox? Italy has Silvio Berlusconi, its Prime Minster and media mogul using his media empire to control government. Rupert Murdock is America's Silvio Berlusconi, but he is more subtle in that he does not actually run for office, but the bias is the same if not worse.

Remember in 2004 when shortly before the general election ABC affiliates in the key battleground states showed "Stolen Honor," which was a right wing propaganda film attacking John Kerry? Neither Hillary nor Obama have the budget to take on the media when the media decides to drop the pretence and bury them.

But you really never get to here them, because the headline and the topic for discussion is a soundbite or snippet. For example, the ABC debate that Hillary "won" was dominated by Wright-gate and Sniper-gate. Part of the problem is that journalism in the Fox era has degenerated into tabloid coverage that is easily manipulated. It is easy to focus on and repeat salacious allegations, because it is cheap and does not require analysis. Do they political pundits have any special policy training? For the most part, they are not professional economists, foreign policy gurus or military generals. Instead, they focus on the politicial fluff they know, which elevates this junk above issues that really matter. In other words, there simply is no attempt to discuss how this election has a real and pragmatic affect on people's lives. Will sniper-gate or Hillarty's backstabbing comments regarding moveon.org affect Americans on a day to day basis? No. Will a Wright sermon have any affect on the members of the military who are figting and dying in Iraq? No.

The focus on these small issues trivializes the real issues of the war, economy and the environment. So, why does Fox focus on the side issues? Because in a discussion regarding the real issues, McCain gets destroyed by either Hillary or Obama. This illustrates the power of Rupert Murdoch. Rupert might be chumming up to Hillary in that picture, but he will throw her under the bus the moment it appears she might secure the nomination.