Is the election overdramatized by the media?

"Clinton Campaign Chief Strategist Steps Down" --Fox News

1. "Penn, who had already caused ample frustration among other campaign officials over his decision to stress Clinton’s inevitability over her ability to get results, quit after the campaign expressed dismay at his meetings with the Colombian government over promotion of a U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement."

"Polls of Polls: Race Tightens in Pennsylvania"--CNN Political Ticker blog

1. "A decisive win in Pennsylvania's April 22 primary vote is seen as crucial for Clinton as she seeks to finish the primary season with enough momementum to convince the party's undecided superdelegates to give her the nomination."

"Obama Campaign Sign Defaced with Swastika"--Fox News: AP

1. "INDIANA, Pa. — State police say a swastika was spray painted on a campaign sign for Sen. Barack Obama in an Indiana County couple’s yard.

   Kamal Youssef and his wife, Maria, say they found the defaced sign on Saturday.

   Police and an Obama campaign official say it appears to be an isolated incident."

"Obama Seeks to Affirm His Patriotism"--NPR: AP

1. "Such patriotic statements could be an effort to reassure voters wondering about whether he truly loves the country."

"Mark Penn Gets Run Over on the Way to the White House"--Advertising Age

1. "But it's not just in the strategy department where Mr. Penn has come up short. Mr. Penn, who is the CEO of PR giant Burson-Marsteller, has been a frequent spokesman for the campaign, and, it suffices to say, he is no James Carville. Sure, he has the adjective "rumpled" attached to him as though it's his middle name, and he's by definition wonky, but others have overcome those deficiencies to act as articulate, even charming frontmen for their campaigns. Mr. Penn comes off as smart but awkward and, at times, smarmy."

"McCain says he'll take Secret Service protection"--Fox News: Politics

1. "McCain relishes his personal contact with voters on the campaign trail and has said Secret Service protection would constrain his political and personal style.
2. "One security expert who served in the Secret Service in the administrations of presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter said McCain's decision to go without protection put others at risk. I think it is a little selfish," said Jack McGeorge. "He is a senator. He is a public figure. And it is not about him."
3. "Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama got a security detail last May, earlier than any other candidate ever has, except for his Democratic rival Sen. Hilary Clinton, who has had Secret Service protection since her husband, Bill Clinton, was president."
   

March 2nd-March 6th: The race surges on

March 2nd Headlines:

"Obama Backers Urge Clinton to Exit if She Loses"
-NY Times

"Dean hits McCain's Integrity:'He doesn't seem to have any'"
-CNN Political Ticker

"For some mixed-race couples, Barack Obama is a symbol of acceptance"
-Dallas News

March 3rd Headlines:

"Democrats fight for crucial votes"
-BBC news

"A harder look at Obama post-'SNL'"
-Yahoo News

March 4th:

"Another Big Tuesday looms for Obama, Clinton"
-CNN news

March 5th:

"Behind the scenes at Clinton's gr0und zero"
-CNN news

March 6th:

"Clinton's Collatoral Damage"
-Time online (in partnership w/CNN)

Oh shame on McCain!

According to the NY Times headline, "For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses its Own Risk" they focused on McCain's past in which speculations assume he had a "romantic relationship" with a female lobbyist, Viki Iseman, eight years ago. Apparently during their relationship, her client had often done business before the Senate committee. After that, he had gotten involved in the Keating Five Scandal therefore reflecting negatively on his political image.

"But the concerns about Mr. McCain’s relationship with Ms. Iseman underscored an enduring paradox of his post-Keating career. Even as he has vowed to hold himself to the highest ethical standards, his confidence in his own integrity has sometimes seemed to blind him to potentially embarrassing conflicts of interest." -NY Times

The NY Times also mentions, "Mr. McCain promised, for example, never to fly directly from Washington to Phoenix, his hometown, to avoid the impression of self-interest because he sponsored a law that opened the route nearly a decade ago. But like other lawmakers, he often flew on the corporate jets of business executives seeking his support, including the media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Michael R. Bloomberg and Lowell W. Paxson, Ms. Iseman’s client. (Last year he voted to end the practice.)"

From here, I checked the Fox news politics section and read this headline, "Newspaper Revisits Old Rumors in New McCain File" where they describe these rumors came to surface 2 months ago and that the senior officials of McCain denied to Fox news that McCain had done nothing wrong.

When I saw the name Rupert Murdoch bunched with media moguls seeking McCain's support, it made me check out Fox news' politics section and finding it also was focusing on these dug up rumors. It's obvious though that the 4 page paper on these rumors from the NY Times is much more elaborated and perhaps exaggerated, whereas the Fox News site was only 1 page describing the heated retaliation of McCain's campaign at the NY Times. The overall tone of Fox News was neutral in contrast to the NY Times more harsher perspective on McCain.

McCain campaign communications director Jill Hazelbaker's response to the NY Times article,
“Americans are sick and tired of this kind of gutter politics, and there is nothing in this story to suggest that John McCain has ever violated the principles that have guided his career.”
Do you think this statement resonates truth?

I also scoped out CNN and BBC News kind of expecting they had this story as their feature. It was not. Both had focused on Hilary Clinton and what her next move will be in order to stay in the election race.
"Clinton looks to stop Obama in aftermath of 10 losses"--CNN
"Wounded Clinton eyes big contests"--BBC news

Perhaps CNN and BBC News knew what was more important in regards to the election campaign of the primaries and smartly chose to focus on the Democratic primaries. I think bringing up past "scandals" make headlines, but I think it was a cheap shot from the NY Times.

The 3 prominent primary candidates

"Obama camp cries foul over Clinton stance in Florida"

"Barack Obama's campaign criticized Hillary Clinton for wanting Florida and Michigan delegates to be included." -Miami Herald

"Romney Endorses McCain campaign" --BBC News

"Obama wins primaries clean sweep" --BBC news

McCain and Romney: Republicans unite to beat Obama and Clinton

"Cheers, boos for McCain at Conservative gathering"--CNN

"McCain Seeks to Lock Down Conservative Support After Romney Exits"--FOX News online

"McCain all but Clinches; Romney Departs"--The Times Tribune

"Romney is Out; McCain Emerges as G.O.P. Choice"--NY Times

"McCain Pleas as Romney Withrdraws"--BBC News/Americas

Essentially, Romney announced his withdraw from the campaign b/c he didn't want him being in the election lower the Republicans chances against Clinton and Obama. So McCain stepped up and spoke to the same conservative group that Romney just spoke with and was "booed" and "jeered" at when he announced his plan with illegal immigration. Huckabee and Paul are still running though they're lagging behind--they're still in sight for the public eye. It is said that McCain had spoken to Romney on the phone planning to unite their groups to be one so they can fight against Obama and Clinton. What a battle!

Obama's Superbowl Appearance

"Obama to run ad during Superbowl"--Yahoo

With the Super Bowl being played two days before Super Tuesday, speculation had been growing about which campaign, if any, would take the plunge and make a pitch to such a huge television audience. More than 90 million viewers are expected to watch the New England Patriots take on the New York Giants.

"Don't Screw up, Democrats, Barack Obama is your Man." --Times Online
Here, it describes Obama gaining ground on Clinton, and others saying Clinton is ahead. Does it matter who's in the lead, or should the public be more concerned with the issues they're debating?

"Grateful Dead to reunite for Obama Concert"--Reuters

"They have agreed to reunite for this one-time-only event in order to lend support to Senator Obama leading into the crucial 'Super-Tuesday' series of primaries held on Tuesday, February 5th," the band said in a statement.

Barack, he's the man of the media. I was super impressed with this news. The Grateful Dead has a huge fan base and them being behind Obama certainly will reach and effect an enormous part of the country...the "dead-heads."

Primaries for 2008 Election

"With Clinton weakening, gang of four ready to pounce" from Squirmelicious blog.

"Clinton Aims Barbs at Obama, McCain"--Wall Street Journal.

As I was perusing various headlines about Clinton vs. Obama I was getting the sense that from some sources like USA Today or Fox, the headlines seem to over-emphasize on the actual fight and competition. And then there's the ones that are pretty basic. The LA Times described Clinton's pull in California without any biased tone. However, I found I comment from somebody describing Clinton vs. Obama.

"The media has endorsed Barack Obama.

But the PEOPLE endorse Hillary Clinton.

THAT says it all !!"

Is this statement true?