The World is "In the Tank" for Barack Obama

Photo from source, Reuters

One of the most over-used, and usually unprovable allegations during the primaries and presidential campaign was that the media was "in the tank" for Barack Obama. Positive and negative stories about each candidate were weighted and tabulated, and when Obama would have a higher "positive" score, charges of bias were lobbed.

It's not exactly a scientific theory. John McCain and Sarah Palin generated many negative stories by saying and doing negative things. But that isn't factored in. So the media (particularly MSNBC, if the theory is to be believed) were "in the tank." The story excerpted below does not try--at least I don't see it--to make such charges. But the way the headline was listed on The Drudge Report makes it seem that way. And I have no doubt that the rabid right sees it that way too.

But the fact is, George W. Bush's 2005 inauguration was not a major news making event. Half the country (and possibly more than half of the world) were seriously bummed about the event. It presented no particular change, and made no history. So it is no surprise that Obama's inauguration generated much more interest. It would be surprising if it hadn't.

[Excerpt]

Obama inauguration got unprecedented news coverage

President Barack Obama's inauguration generated an unprecedented 35,000 stories in the world's major newspapers, television and radio broadcasts over the past day -- about 35 times more than the last presidential swearing-in -- a monitoring group said on Wednesday. . .

Read more at: Reuters