CJR.ORG — February 28, 2008
“I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president.” Can we finally, finally, without any second thoughts, take Michael Bloomberg at his word? The man has been trying to get the press to understand for a long time that he is not running for president, but journalists [...]
Entries from February 2008
February 28, 2008
President Bloomberg: RIP
February 26, 2008
Stengel’s Wrong About Endorsements
CJR.ORG — February 26, 2008
Every election cycle, it seems, someone emerges to criticize the fact that newspaper editorial boards endorse presidential candidates. This year’s critic is Richard Stengel, Time’s managing editor. In an editorial in this week’s issue, he laments the fact that in 2004, 418 newspapers ran endorsement (29 percent of all American papers) [...]
February 22, 2008
Follow the Money
CJR.ORG — February 22, 2008
While everyone is still busy poring over the other day’s New York Times pseudo-kinda-exposé of John McCain, I was fascinated this morning by another multi-bylined piece in my hometown paper. This one was about Hillary Clinton’s campaign-spending habits. And it was fairly damning. Highlights included the $25,000 for luxury hotel rooms [...]
February 20, 2008
A Man Made of Teflon and Rubber
CJR.ORG — February 20, 2008
Has the press been too easy on Barack Obama? With his increasingly impressive wins and the talk last night already turning to the general election and a presumed match-up between him and John McCain, it’s a question journalists are bound to ask themselves. But it’s also a question only journalists would [...]
February 18, 2008
“Not Voting With Their People”?
CJR.ORG — February 18, 2008
Yesterday’s story in the New York Times about how the hunt for superdelegates is proceeding on the Democratic side gave away the paper’s own position on a question that will be critical in the near future of the campaign. The piece focused on the three hundred or so undecided superdelegates and [...]
February 17, 2008
A Mention in The Washington Post
A mention of one of my posts from South Carolina in Jim Hoagland’s February 17, 2008 column in the Washington Post:
This began to register with me when I tuned in to Obama’s soaring, magnificent victory speech in South Carolina on Jan. 26. His mastery was impressive. And so was that of his image managers, [...]
February 13, 2008
Obama Sells His Narrative
CJR.ORG — February 13, 2008
The accolades for Obama couldn’t have scaled higher heights last night. At one point on CNN, Donna Brazile pronounced him “a metaphysical force in American politics.” Praise was heaped upon praise, and it’s no wonder. As the race has narrowed, it’s impossible not to be struck by the contrast between an [...]
February 11, 2008
Fighting Words
CJR.ORG — February 11, 2008
Gwen Ifill had an interesting point yesterday on Meet the Press about what could pivot the tight Democratic election one way or the other. She was referring, initially, to Bill Clinton, but the point is actually just as applicable to how the press covers the two candidates:
February 6, 2008
Who Understands Our Electoral System?
CJR.ORG — February 6, 2008
It’s all about the delegates. The political mavens watching the Super Tuesday returns last night knew that the number allocated to each candidate would be the most significant indicator of the race’s direction, and the only possible answer to that nagging but nonetheless necessary question: who won?
Reality presented a bit of [...]
February 4, 2008
Who You Gonna Call?
CJR.ORG — February 4, 2008
One of our election cycle pet peeves has been the free pass candidates are sometimes given when they make claims about themselves or their opponents that are patently false. The daily news cycle just spins too fast. A new narrative quickly supplants yesterday’s. And the lies (white though they may be [...]
