A second second big state governor tells the truth about the press. WaPo:
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is the latest supporter of Hillary Clinton to accuse the media of bias in its coverage of the Democratic nomination battle.
At a dinner with Washington Post reporters and editors, Strickland called the coverage "almost shocking at times" and unfair it the treatment of both candidate Clinton and her husband, the former president.
Quite frankly, some of the people that I had most previously admired as commentators I have a remarkably different opinion toward right now," Strickland said.
Yeppers.
Strickland was the second big-state governor and Clinton supporter to sound off about the press at the convention. On Sunday, at a panel hosted by Harvard's Shorenstein Center, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell called coverage of Barack Obama's campaign "embarrassing"
"He is running for the most important office in the world," Rendell said. "He basically got a free pass." Rendell also described MSNBC derisively as "the official network of the Obama campaign."
Strickland was one of Clinton's strongest supporters and helped her carry the Ohio primary in March. In his critique, he did not single out any commentators by name. But he was sharply critical of the treatment Clinton got at two debates just before the Ohio primary, noting that she was repeatedly asked questions first, giving Obama the benefit of being able to shape his answer in response to hers.
Here, we may contrast the haka after McCain and Obama both appeared at Saddleback....
He recalled that Clinton had raised the issue during the Cleveland debate. "Then she was mocked for bringing it up, referred to as whining," he said. "I think it was very legitimate."
Strickland said he was troubled by innuendo in coverage of the campaign and particularly the focus on both Hillary and Bill Clinton. "I mean she was the candidate, for God's sake, he wasn't."
He also said he has heard complaints from Clinton supporters about the failure of the Democratic National Committee "for not being more direct in calling attention" to the problem.
I'll bet he has.
Both Rendell and Strickland are big state governors, whose states both went for Hillary in genuine secret ballot primary elections -- and very successful politicians. That can only mean they think these rather off-message remarks defending Hillary will help them at home; another challenge for Obama. Yes?
NOTE See this statement from Strickland when he took himself out of the running for VP:
Strickland did say he is committed to helping Obama win his pivotal state in November. Asked what Obama's chances are, the governor replied, "I would say somewhere around 5 in a scale of 1 to 10. I think it's, I just think it's a challenge because of the nature of our state."
50/50, eh?
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If I were a gambler, I’d
If I were a gambler, I'd wager that Ohio goes strongly McCain while Pennsylvania will swing weekly for McCain or Obama, depending on how many voters turn out in Philadelphia. I have to admit to some perverse amusement that the swing-state governors are speaking out. Then again, Rendell has nothing to lose - he can't run for another term. Strickland might be taking a bigger risk, but given the demographics of Ohio, I doubt it.
They Are Protecting
In the case that Obama fails to win the presidency, I think they've made the decision that they will try to pre-empt the narrative already out there that it will be Hillary's fault if he loses. They are protecting her from this potential scapegoating, though, I think this is a bit too little too late. The narrative that it's her fault that Obama isn't doing better started soon after Super Tuesday, and it's only gotten louder and found more ground in recent weeks.
BTW, Michigan is in trouble for Obama, as well. The latest poll shows him 43% v 41% against McCain. The one just before that showed a 7% gap for Obama, but it's getting clearer that this blue state is wavering, mightily.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Narrative: Blame the Woman
Marie Cocco again hits the nail on the head.
Wow, these are two amazing developments so close to the
convention. Two heavy weight governors of two critical states, Ohio and Pennsylvania, telling it like it is about the primaries.
I love this job!
I love this job!
When you send the message that Clinton supporters
aren't welcome in the Obama party, you eliminate the incentive to fall in line.
I like how Ed & Ted waited until they were in the national spotlight to speak up.
Otherwise they would have already been sitting down (under the bus)
------------------------------------------------
“Payback is a PUMA”
x
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“I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat.” - Will Rogers
No One...
No one is going to remember this, because it will be under-reported. I didn't hear anything about this on the television, today.
But, we've always been at war with Eastasia...
Tinfoil on my head
You know, like Muldur, I really want to believe.
But I can't help wondering if Strickland and Rendell have been sent out as tentative unity ambassadors trying to woo us back to the fold. Ed, in particular, was the author of HOUND, 'member? (although the HOUND manifesto disappeared rather quickly from the PA Dem. Party site).
They're both long-time politicians, so maybe it's 3 aims at once -- genuine feeling, trying to protect Hillary in advance, and still trying to make up for the appalling lack during the primaries. Where were these guys then? Rendell did try to squash the delegates petition for Hillary.
Cynthia Ruccia, one of the founders of The New Agenda, has been on tv and radio saying that Dean called her recently asking what the Dems could do to attract the PUMAs-JSNDers-mindcontrol-resisters, particularly with regard to the anger over sexism. Ruccia told him at this point, nothing. But it seems they've finally noticed (4 months late) that they might have a problem with how Clinton was treated.
It's probably just an effect of this long, nasty campaign and the divisive treatment at the hands of the Obamacans!, but I'm hard pressed to feel the love now. Better that something is said, late, better still if they're trying to plant the anti-IACF bug, but having fallen for the Dems' bullsh*t that they gave a damn about my concerns for 24 years, I just can't buy it now.
But I sure would like to.
Reasonable men adapt themselves to their environment; unreasonable men try to adapt their environment to themselves. Thus all progress is the result of the efforts of unreasonable men. -- George Bernard Shaw
Woodruff's comments
What do you think the best way to address this is? Writing to PBS? I send them money every year because they are supposed to have standards.
If the only way to get their attention...
... is not to give money, then don't give money. Leah would disagree, because of the good that PBS does. So reduce your contribution, but be sure to tell them why.
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi