The traveling circus

Media are not given to introspection. But their coverage of Barack Obama’s World Tour is so excessive, even they’re noticing. Okay….some of them.

CNN’s Lou Dobbs, Jack McCafferty and Howard Kurtz called it an “extravaganza” in the early going (see post below).

Fox News had an interview this morning with Eric Dezenhall, author of “Damage Control” about the topic. He said ‘the press is caught up in their own role in this historic moment as much Obama’s role in it, they want to be part of making history themselves.’ He said “there’s a certain amount of political tribalism going on here”, when a group collectively decides “who we like, who we don’t like”. That all rings true, and seems to be stating the obvious.

Fox News’ contributors made similar points on Brit Hume’s Special Report in the evening. Fred Barnes: “Look, Obama’s more interesting than John McCain”, he’s “more liberal, more cool”. So this media hyperdrive is understandable. Mort Kondracke: “They’re more biased now than…ever. McCain used to be lionized by the press, and now he can’t figure out how to get their attention. You’d think the media would at least TRY to recover somehow.”

Charles Krauthammer says the “infatuation” with Obama is over his style: “he’s elegant and smooth”….and, Hume reminded them, he hit that three point jumper in the gym on live tv on a military base in front of the media.

But the finesse stops when you stroke the message, Krauthammer notes, and on that he’s getting too much of a pass. On the serious position changes Obama has made, Krauthammer believes he considers himself “unerring” (and, actually, unchanging) “and if you find a change in his position, you weren’t listening”. His campaign has creatively turned the tables on critics, so Obama goes unchallenged.

“His treatment by the media is not presidential,” concluded Krauthammer. “It’s papal. He has been given infallibility.”

Not by all media. But it seems that way right now.