I never would have dreamed that this article would come from a left leaning rag like Newsweek, but lo and behold here it is. Finally someone on the left sees the light and dropped the kool aid long enough to see that the media is failing the American people because of its infatuation with Obama.

Now if only more would put the kool aid down.

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The Obama infatuation is a great unreported story of our time. Has any recent president basked in so much favorable media coverage? Well, maybe John Kennedy for a moment, but no president since. On the whole, this is not healthy for America.

Our political system works best when a president faces checks on his power. But the main checks on Obama are modest. They come from congressional Democrats, who largely share his goals if not always his means. The leaderless and confused Republicans don't provide effective opposition. And the press—on domestic, if not foreign, policy—has so far largely abdicated its role as skeptical observer.

Obama has inspired a collective fawning. What started in the campaign (the chief victim was Hillary Clinton, not John McCain) has continued, as a study by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism shows. It concludes: "President Barack Obama has enjoyed substantially more positive media coverage than either Bill Clinton or George W. Bush during their first months in the White House."

The Media?s Obama Infatuation | Newsweek Voices - Robert J. Samuelson | Newsweek.com

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And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

John F. Kennedy January 20th 1960

Brian Williams bows before the messiah, does a commercial for The Tonight Show and we are suppose to take this guy seriously as president and NBC News as being anything but bias? GIMME A FRIGGIN BREAK! What more proof does anyone need to see the media is totally in the tank for Obama.

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The Tonight Show With … President Obama?
By Jim Rutenberg

NBC was clearly thrilled to have enough access to President Obama to base a two-part, prime-time special on it all this week (Part II runs Wednesday night.)

Mr. Obama, however, went even one step further for the network – participating in a spoof interview segment for “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” during his formal question-and-answer session with the NBC News anchor Brian Williams at the White House.

In the segment, shown on “Tonight” late Tuesday, Mr. Williams asked Mr. Obama whether he almost canceled his overseas trip this week “to stay and watch” Mr. O’Brien’s “first week as host of ‘The Tonight Show.’’’

Mr. Obama was fully game and, referring to Mr. O’Brien’s succession this week of the former “Tonight” host Jay Leno, joked, “This is something we discussed several times in the Oval Office, how to manage this transition between Leno and Conan. And I think he’s up to the task. But I just want him to know that there is not going to any bailout coming out from Washington if he screws it up.”

There was a time when such cross promotion between a network news division and its corporate entertainment sibling – during a presidential interview, no less — would have caused rebellion in the newsroom. It will be interesting to see what reaction, if any, there will be to this bit of stunt programming at NBC News.

It will also be interesting to see if there is any political blowback, especially from those who believe that some in the news media are too chummy with the president and his administration.

The Tonight Show With … President Obama? - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

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And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

John F. Kennedy January 20th 1960

Same thing happened with JFK. They are young and easy on the eyes. Also they both are articulate. To someone who studied journalism for a career, it's probably refreshing.
It's kind of like the pretty girl gets the attention. Human nature is what I chalk it up to.
By the same token it doesn't make him any better or worse as a Prez.

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When you watch his sound bites, at least he doesn't look like a complete ass like Bush often did. But then again, you have to think he's blowing smoke a lot of the time. They all do. His just sounds better.

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Even if you hold the minority opinion, stick to your guns and go against the flow if that's what you truly believe. (CnRedd)

McCain was once well known as the media darling and even said so! So what happened??? I've been around the political block many times and this I know.Being the media's darling can be finite...screw up too much and they will turn on you! If Obama's approval goes below 25% the media will throw Obama under the bus and they will never look back.

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The Pessimist complains about the wind.
The Optimist expects it to change.
The Realist adjust the sails - William A. Ward

The media has had a lot of practice failing this country the last 8 years with the previous Administration. They no longer believe in investigative journalism to get at the truth of important issues. They just run with whatever Cheney lie they happen to be hearing at that point in time. So I'm not surprized.

You, on the other hand, have no place to talk about this subject. You said nothing about the media's complicity in Bush's war crimes then, so you have no place to talk about this issue now. Pick another topic to get angry about. Unless you think hypocrisy is a good thing.

Well, Obama is the first black president in a country that has oppressed the black minority for the entirety of its existence, and he's a well received public speaker following in the wake of a mumbling hack. He's bound to generate infatuation in the media. The infatuation will fade, probably before he completes his first term, probably in less than a year or two.

He's a mediocre president (better than Bush, not a difficult task, but not that exceptional) and very typical politician, telling people what they want to hear, promising them the moon, delivering them a hunk of cheese... except for the whole "America's first black president" label, he's rather bland - an easily forgotten character.

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"Power always has to be kept in check; power exercised in secret, especially under the cloak of national security, is doubly dangerous."
-William Proxmire



“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” - Mark Twain

The media never liked Bush or Cheney, and gave them little favorable coverage from the start. That should be obvious, but since it's in the article and since you obviously didn't bother to read the article you have no place to talk about this subject.

I see. When you don't agree with someone your solution is to shut them up and blabber on about your opinions based in ignorance. Sweet...

It is quite remarkable that Newsweek allowed this story to run, but I don't believe that means they're going to actually put down the kool aid.

I will tell you though in my neck of the woods more and more people are grumbling about the runaway deficit spending. The seeds of Obama's undoing have been planted...

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Dudes ... you're just NOT THAT MUCH ****ING SMARTER than all of us. GET OVER YOURSELVES!
-- Me, to President Obama and the rest of his self-loving amateur staff.

Point well made... And by this time next year I doubt his approval record will be as high as it is now.

And I base that on the spending when others are saying enough and Git Mo. There are a lot of other things he is trying to do that might create blow back, which he will bear the blunt for.

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"There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation... One is by sword... The other is by debt."

John Adams 1826

His only hope is the economy...if the figures continue to improve,all bets are off.That is why so many people want him to fail,they are even willing to endure continued recession (IF) that prevents his 2nd term.

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The Pessimist complains about the wind.
The Optimist expects it to change.
The Realist adjust the sails - William A. Ward