Once again we get a chilling insight into how things will operate in an Obama administration. It seems that reporters who disagree with either Joe Biden or Barack Obama or who offer dissent in any way will be denied access to the candidate.
Today we learned that reporters from three newspapers that endorsed John McCain for President have been removed from the campaign plane of Barack Obama. According to reports, these journalists are being replaced by representatives of African American magazines such as Jet and Essence.
The idea is for the African American reporters to be allowed to document the historic nature of the election of the first black President. In addition, documentary filmmakers and sympathetic journalists like Maureen Dowd of the New York Times will now be provided prime seats on the campaign plane.
Today’s announcement should send a chill down the spine of real journalists across America. The problem is that there are very few real journalists still operating in this country. In this campaign, we have sadly seen objectivity replaced by Obama cheerleading. Independent researchers have documented that Obama has received much more favorable coverage than McCain. Compounding the problem of liberal reporting is a fear that some truly objective reporters may have about offering real analysis of Obama and his platform. These reporters are worried that if they offer any perceived criticism of Obama or Biden, they will be denied access to the upcoming administration.
The announcement today comes just a week after television reporter Barbara West and her Orlando television station were denied future interviews with the campaign after she had the audacity to ask tough questions to Joe Biden. The campaign did not appreciate finally receiving tough questions, so the station has been frozen out by the Obama campaign. It is sad that it took a local reporter to finally ask Joe Biden some tough questions, but that is the state of journalism today.
What will happen if Obama is elected President? Will he only allow questions from friendly reporters at White House news conferences? We should be worried about whether he will give reporters any access at all. While Sarah Palin has given numerous interviews, Joe Biden has not talked to the press since early September. His numerous gaffes were too embarrassing to the campaign, so he has been totally shut down.
Today, we have been given a disturbing foreshadowing of what an Obama administration will look like. It is essential that the news media act independently and are not inhibited from asking tough questions to the President.
It is quite obvious that Obama does not like dissent of any sort. This type of attitude is scary and not in keeping with a system of government that depends on checks and balances. When the media is no longer a check on the power of the Presidency, we are in trouble. It could be our future if Barack Obama is elected President of the United States.
Jeff Crouere is the Host of “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the Political Analyst for WGNO-TV ABC26 and the Political Editor for NewOrleans.com. For more information, visit his web site at RingsidePolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
Well, in a couple of months he will be in...... It appears that his tactic to placate the mob worked....... But I don't see where it really matters, a person generally needs a job in order to be able to pay taxes......... Written by
on 11/5/2008
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Obama has been very specific Sid - for example he said no one with an income under $250,000 per year will see their taxes increase. Pretty durn specific to me there Bud. It's a lie of course... but nevertheless... it is "specific." Written by kpf
on 11/4/2008
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Obama and specifics? You must be joking. Written by Sid
on 11/4/2008
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Not hard to answer. Obama won the Democratic nomination because Hillary Clinton did not run as good a campaign as he has, thinking that she would win in New Hampshire and that it would be nearly all over for her after that and that she would walk in. Obama has been leading in the general election so far in no small part because McCain has also not run a campaign best described as erratic. BTW Obama for his part has been willing to talk in specifics about what he would like to do, even though some people appear to be unwilling to take him at his word, while McCain has largely said "vote for me because the other guy is scary..." and left it at that. In a year when change is the watchword a very questionable strategy. Written by Moderate Independent Voice
on 11/2/2008
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Come now, dears, is it not clear by now that questions must be asked how a first term senator, with little experience, but with charisma and charm, has now become the candidate to beat in this important election? If you look carefully, you would be aksing a lot more questions. There is no doubt why these reporters were removed and others put in their place by this well oiled machine. Ask where the money comes from to create such a campaign. Questions are not answered but the glamor routine has become the sole and only reason for the possible election of Obama, not his credentials. Written by RhettsWife
on 11/1/2008
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You seem to forget that access to Sarah Palin was denied for some time after she was chosen to be McCain's running mate. You apparently have no problem being a cheerleader for McCain. It's quite a jump from discussing who gets a seat on Obama's plane to saying he does not tolerate dissent. That's intellectually dishonest. Written by David Quidd
on 11/1/2008
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I don't know, seems like the same tactics Piyush uses actually, only in a particular instance I know of, the media refuses to be any kind of a 'check' or a balance period...... So actually Jeff, I would wonder and ask you: "What good is the media in its current form anyways aside from a place to find out who is the latest 'stiff' Paris Hilton may or may not be humping?" Written by
on 11/1/2008
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Where was this complaining when the media were crucifying Al Gore over the most meaningless and often patently false BS, e.g. that Gore had claimed to have invented the internet? see www.DailyHowler.com Written by Moderate Independent Voice
on 11/1/2008
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*************When the media is no longer a check on the power of the Presidency, we are in trouble. ********************************* How about the last 8 years. Open your eyes we are in trouble. and it has nothing to do with the guy who wants to be president.
Jeff, Your'e so pathetic as a wanna be journalist it's pitiful. Even if this were true, would this be news? Does this even matter to people who have lives bigger then you? Whos mind are you trying to change about Barack Obama. Not the people who already voted for him, or the ones who or going to vote for him. And surely the people who aren't going to vote for him anyway, would find this of little interest as well. Who are you pandering to Jeff? Do you ever think before you write? I already voted for Barack Obama, I don't care. And just tell me that the folks on here that are not voting for him care about your whiny little stories? Grow up Jeff. To think that you are joking would be senseless. To think that you're serious just makes you look like an idiot. Written by Al
on 10/31/2008
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McCain has done similar, but if mccain kicked off black reporters who worked for a paper that endorsed obama to replace them with reporters from exclusively white magazines............he would be toast. Written by Not Quite the Same Standard
on 10/31/2008
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"Today’s announcement should send a chill down the spine of real journalists across America." And by "real journalists" you mean what Nancy Pfotenhauer meant by "real Virginia." You mean quite simply, those who think as you do. Nothing less, and nothing more. Written by Elvis
on 10/31/2008
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Pot, meet kettle. Jeff Sarah Palin has never actually held a press conference. "Joe" the "Plumber" has held more press conferences than her.
The Obama campaign kicked off "reporters" from right wing tabloids like the Washington Times. They did not kick off any reputable news organizations.
The McCain campaign, additionaly, kicked off Joe Klein and serveral other reporters. Fine, he is an oppinion columnist who has been critical of their campaign. How is this any different than Obama's people kicking off those rags, except for the fact that Joe Klein is a better writer than anyone on the staff of thos tabloids. Written by Mike
on 10/31/2008
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You're really off your meds now, Jeff. At least Obama is giving some of those people you otherwise defame as the "elitist media" a ride on his campaign jet. How many of them get even a single word with Sarah Palin, even if they crawl to her on hands and knees. You're really pathetic, because I don't believe that you're so gullible as to believe what you're writing. You're just trying to manipulate others. Sad, very sad. Written by David (neither Vitter nor Duke)
on 10/31/2008
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Those censorship tactics by political politicos sure are a troublesome ploy… Written by
on 10/31/2008
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Once again we get a chilling insight into how things will operate in an Obama administration. It seems that reporters who disagree with either Joe Biden or Barack Obama or who offer dissent in any way will be denied access to the candidate. 
