The lively Electric City Weblog had a post the other day under the headline "Mainstream media Obama worship." The post said that Time and Newsweek had devoted at least 30 covers (upgraded in comments to 39) to Obama between them over the past four years. The post seemed to argue that the number was not only excessive but amounted to out-and-out worship of "The Messiah."
As I have often stated, I object strongly to the whole "Messiah" trope because it is stupid, and because it makes every discussion in which it is used stupider than it would otherwise be. So in comments I asked three questions:
1. What would the journalistically correct number of cover stories have been, considering Obama was barely a national figure when he entered, and then won, the longest and, to my mind, most interesting presidential race in many decades? And that he subsequently entered the office confronted by a range of problems that may be as serious as those that have faced any incoming president since Franklin D. Roosevelt?
2. How many covers more than the journalistically correct number does an MSM publication have to print to move from imbalance to worship?
3. If Obama really is the Messiah, as the post claims, then are 39 covers enough? My journalistic instincts, withered though they may be, tell me that if the Messiah were in fact to come to earth and somehow managed to get elected president of the United States, that would be worth the front cover just about every single week until, well, kingdom come. So the MSM either really don't believe Obama is the Messiah or, if they do, they are sadly underplaying the most significant news story of the last two millennia. Probably they are guilty of anti-religious bias.
No reply so far. Electric City must be too busy contemplating secession from Messiahland. I hope Satan can find room.
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3 comments:
Holy Mackerel David, I agree with you on two posts in a row. Even the irony is right on. One of us is mellowing, or maybe both of us. Good work.
Blasphemy!
You must give proper credence to The Messiah, The Protector of the Poor, His Worship, His Holiness, the Chosen One, President Obama, or you will be on a DHS watch list!
If you don't see the culture of 'Obama Worship' you must be too busy to turn on the news, especially MSNBC.
Be careful about the secession idea (it comes up in the AZ leg from time to time, and a couple of years ago there were enough wingnuts in the House to get it passed in that chamber; fortunately, cooler heads in the Senate prevailed and the idea died there). The Guv in Texas was talking secession at one of the "tea parties" and some folks were perfectly willing to reply, "Don't let the door hit you in the keister on the way out." (If we could just let them take New York City with them...)
The Guv of the Great State (Rick Perry, who got the office when Dubya got a promotion thanks to the Supreme Court) is facing a serious primary challenge next year by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. He also mentioned the little-known clause in the annexation treaty that brought the Republic of Texas into the Union that would allow it to split into five states. However, I believe that the point is moot, since the land covered by the Republic is all or part of five states already: Texas (of course), Oklahoma (the panhandle), Kansas (the western part of the state), Colorado (most of southeast CO), and New Mexico (the eastern half).
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