Politico’s Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen (VandeAllen) must have recently woke up feeling a little dirty about themselves and their chosen profession. Maybe it was due to Obama not leaving any money on the dresser this weekend. Whatever the motivation, it is fun to read their long, rambling rationalization for why they, their awful publication, and the media as a whole have spent the last four years willingly assuming the position of Obama’s footstool.
What we obviously have here is a case of Battered Media Syndrome. The media obediently adore, ferociously protect, and do everything Barack tells them to do. But right now the media are feeling a little taken for granted — battered, if you will. But rather than stand up for themselves, the boys at Politico have composed a love letter to Obama, that says in so many words: You only treat us bad because you’re so amazing!
It’s 1800 words, but the first few paragraphs say it all:
Barack Obama is a master at limiting, shaping and manipulating media coverage of himself and his White House.
Not for the reason that conservatives suspect: namely, that a liberal press willingly and eagerly allows itself to get manipulated. Instead, the mastery mostly flows from a White House that has taken old tricks for shaping coverage (staged leaks, friendly interviews) and put them on steroids using new ones (social media, content creation, precision targeting). …
The results are transformational. With more technology, and fewer resources at many media companies, the balance of power between the White House and press has tipped unmistakably toward the government. This is an arguably dangerous development, and one that the Obama White House — fluent in digital media and no fan of the mainstream press — has exploited cleverly and ruthlessly.
The biggest lie VandeAllen telsl — and it’s a major-league whopper — is assuming a pose of helplessness: It’s not our fault we suck, Conservatives. It’s just that we’re powerless before Obama’s awesomeness!
As we all know, the media are far from helpless; Politico is far from helpless; VandeAllen is far from helpless. Apparently, though, something brought on a wave of shame, and as a response to all this self-revulsion, VendeAllen has decided to craft a public excuse for the media that claims the institution is a victim, not an accomplice.
The truth, however, is that when it really wants something, there’s nothing the media can’t get. All that’s required is coordinated Narrative pressure that says, “Do this, or you will pay a political price.” The media do this all the time … to Republicans. The recipe is simple and startlingly effective:
1. The media decide they want something, like for Mitt Romney to stop criticizing Obama about Libya.
2. The media as a whole coordinate a Narrative that mercilessly whack-a-moles Mitt Romney every time he brings up Libya.
3. Mitt Romney shuts up about Libya.
Another example:
1. The media decide they want something, like to help Obama win re-election.
2. At the very same time the media choose to ignore the scandals around high-profile Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr., they decide to hang around Mitt Romney’s neck one stupid statement about abortion made by some nobody-Republican in Missouri.
3. Using this statement, the media as a whole coordinate a months-long War-On-Women Narrative that mercilessly punishes Romney and the GOP for something they didn’t say and immediately repudiated.
Through the power of a coordinated Narrative, time and again, we’ve seen the media get what they want, when they want. What we never see, though, is this Narrative turned against Obama. But I can’t begin to count how many times this Narrative has been used to protect Obama.
Whether it’s the Libya cover-up, the state of the economy, the BP oil spill, or whatever battle he might be in with the GOP at the time, the media are brutally effective at muscling up Narratives that punish Obama’s critics, and magically turn bad economic news into good.
Nothing, however, proves VandeAllen’s lie more than the one time the media actually did pressure Obama into doing something: coming out in favor of same-sex marriage. Contrary to the mythology, it was not Vice President Joe Biden who forced Obama’s hand on the issue. It was the media. After Biden told ABC News he supported same-sex marriage, the media pounded Obama to stop lying about his opposition to it. Finally, he was forced to do exactly that.
Same-sex marriage is an issue the media are desperate to advance, so the media summoned their power to force Obama’s hand. Unfortunately for America, another issue the media are desperate to advance is Obama himself.
The thing is this, though, it’s all a ruse, a scam, a hustle, a racket. If the media admit they are part of the Democratic Party, that’s the day they begin to lose power. The shield of objectivity must be protected at all costs, even if it means having VandeAllen hold the media up for ridicule as a weak, helpless victim. But all you need do is look around to see the truth…
Millions are suffering in Obama’s failed economy, but the media are talking instead about the divisive social issues Obama wants to talk about (gun control, immigration).
Four Americans died in Libya; the unanswered questions are legion. But it’s those who demand answers that feel the power of the media, not those who refuse to answer.
The media have plenty of power to get what it wants from Obama. But what the media want is to protect their lover; even a lover who treats them like the prostitutes they are.
Someday the very same “journalists” selling this country out will no longer be in a position to write the first draft of history. We just have to hope Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and the rest live long enough to read an objective history written about their appalling behavior in the Age of Obama.
If the media are feeling dirty and used now, just wait.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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