Why does the media love Obama so overwhelmingly?

[Reaganfan]

Most people hadn't even heard of Obama until July 2004...and now the media is helping push him to the White House.

I noticed little things at first. For example, CNN.COM didn't make a banner for McCain or Hillary's announcements....yet did so for Obama:


It's not just because Obama is a liberal...because they obviously chose him over Hillary as the media favorite.

Why?

[WalterMitty]

because he is the greatest.  ever.

[exopolitician]

I dont think any media outlet has any bias towards anyone currently. But I havnt been watching any news or looking at any websites for a while....so what do I know I guess.

[© tweed]

this is obviously why the media refused to stop talking about Jeremiah Wright and also why Michelle Obama's "really proud of my country" STILL won't get off the airwaves.

MSM talks about what sells.  period.

[Torie]

Being "exotic" helps.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

He's history making - he's black.  And  he's very charasmatic and likeable.  He appeals to average people who watch TV news to get their news.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

He's a Democrat. The Democrats always tend to secure the love of the media over the Republicans. 93% of the media identify as Democrats anyway, so it make sense.

[Democratic Hawk]

He's a Democrat. The Democrats always tend to secure the love of the media over the Republicans. 93% of the media identify as Democrats anyway, so it make sense.

Only in 2008, it's a Democrat vs the media's favorite GOP pin-up boy

Dave

[© tweed]

93% of the media identify as Democrats anyway

source?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

He's history making - he's black.  And  he's very charasmatic and likeable.  He appeals to average people who watch TV news to get their news.

My my, we're getting reasonable and sensible as we get older.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

He's history making - he's black.  And  he's very charasmatic and likeable.  He appeals to average people who watch TV news to get their news.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Stranger in a strange land]

He's history making - he's black.  And  he's very charasmatic and likeable.  He appeals to average people who watch TV news to get their news.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Obama rallies are fun. He generates real enthusiasm and energy, and he's an excellent orator, easily the best since Reagan.

[memphis]

Both candidates this year are media darlings. Quite a change from four years ago.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

He's history making - he's black.  And  he's very charasmatic and likeable.  He appeals to average people who watch TV news to get their news.

My my, we're getting reasonable and sensible as we get older.

Are you actually agreeing with me, or being sarcastic?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

He's history making - he's black.  And  he's very charasmatic and likeable.  He appeals to average people who watch TV news to get their news.

My my, we're getting reasonable and sensible as we get older.

Are you actually agreeing with me, or being sarcastic?

I don't agree with Mike's slightly melodramatic questioning - but I do agree with your answer.

[Democratic Hawk]

It's not just the US media. The Thursday after Obama secured the nomination, The Sun had a glowing editorial. It's a center-right populist tabloid owned by Rupert Murdoch. Not something I'd normally buy but the coverage was so positive I couldn't resist

The center-left tabloid Daily Mirror was disappointing; it focused on Clinton losing rather than Obama winning complete with a scathing commentary on Clinton courtesy of Christopher Hitchens

Apparently, Obama has a 74% approval rating in the UK; McCain's is 42%. No doubt as to where our electoral votes would be going were we the 51st state

I must admit that such is the appalling state of British politics I'm not paying much attention to what the papers are saying at all; indeed, right now, it's the thought of an Obama victory that is, politically, giving me the reason to live . Part of me is going to miss Bush once he's gone

Dave

[ChrisFromNJ]

When is the last time McCain got a tough headline from the media?

During the Keating Five Scandal?

[Democratic Hawk]

When is the last time McCain got a tough headline from the media?

During the Keating Five Scandal?

And he's been playing the media like a fiddle ever since

Dave

[The Mikado]

He's a more interesting story than John McCain.

[Reaganfan]

He's a more interesting story than John McCain.

I doubt that.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

He's a more interesting story than John McCain.

We'll yeah.

USA Today

A Day in the Life of Being McCain

7:30 McCain wakes up
8:00 McCain eats donuts
8:10 McCain talks about how excited he was about eating donuts
8:15 McCain takes a nap
10:30 McCain wakes up from nap
11:00 McCain, forgetting that he just did so says that he's tired and wants to take a nap.
11:02 McCain takes another nap
11:30 McCain dreams about donuts with sprinkles
4:00 McCain wakes up
5:00 Press conference
6:00 Dinner
7:00 Nap
8:00 Snack - more donuts
9:00 McCain goes to bed

[prometheus]

He's an eloquent and electrifying speaker.  Members of the media do tend to be more liberal than the American people, so they are particularly attracted to his rhetoric.  He has a gripping personal narrative that can serve as a metaphor for the U.S. moving beyond race.  I mean seriously, he's the sort of politician you expect from Hollywood or The West Wing, not Washington.  At least on the surface.

However, I will add the caveat that Obama scandals do not disappear from the media.  Wright, bittergate, Ayers, Rezko, that vetter guy with a crooked loan... the Boston Globe (!) ripped him on backing out of public financing and I get the feeling that something similar is coming on wiretapping.  Plus they never stop talking about the Muslim thing, or even flag pins.  Compare this to McCain- no Keating Five mentions and c***gate and blond lobbyist friend-gate disappeared nearly instantly from the media.

So the media loves Obama, but they also love to spread nasty rumors about him.

[ChrisFromNJ]

When is the last time McCain got a tough headline from the media?

During the Keating Five Scandal?

And he's been playing the media like a fiddle ever since

Dave

John McCain should not bite the hand that feeds him..

[Iosif is a COTHO]

It's called charisma. Since the dawn of politics, charismatic politicians always get more attention. If the Republicans didn't pick someone with the charisma of a local bank manager, they'd be getting a lot of attention too.

[Lunar]

The media loves Obama overwhelmingly for the same reason the forum does, demographics.

Educated, white, high-information (politically savvy) liberals, like most forumites here, truly find him appealing for a dozen reasons.  For people who follow politics, he has generally been running a different, atypical campaign that generates a lot of excitement about the future. Sometimes he openly stoops into pandering/generic politician mode, but he is usually able to recoil back into his "new and cool" mode shortly after.  He also opposed the Iraq War and is very hip, empathetic, and impressively intelligent.