Sunday, August 03, 2008

Obama's Star Starts To Fade

Cracks have started to appear in the tightly-controlled Obama campaign, exposing the Chosen One as the product of a slick Chicago marketing machine.

For the first time, some of the respected Main Stream media have started to question Obama's self-promoted superstar status.

Questions about Obama were highlighted by the Orange Party here three month ago, while most people were starstruck. But it was the recent European tour which caused a turn in opinion.

Dana Milbank's article, in the Washington Post, captured the tone, with talk of a "presumptuous" rather than the "presumptive" candidate.

It's all a far cry from the early days, when the US Main Stream media entered into its Faustian pact with the Democrats to push for Obama, no matter what. A pact, similar to the deal struck between Blair and the Murdoch media empire back in the 90s.

Fed-up with the oppressive behaviour of Obama's spin doctors and advisors, questions were asked about his 'Audacity Of Hype World Tour'. Notably a planned publicity stunt to US troops, a well-orchestrated mass 'rally' in Berlin and the Obama camp spin over his prayer note left in Jerusalem's Wailing Wall.

Most of all, questions about a man, more interested in celebrity. As Laura Meckler and Amy Chozick in the Wall Street Journal point out.

It's all been played out in the media and for the media. For the moment, both camps are lobbing TV ads at each other, with the McCain camp hitting on celebrity and playing up the 'underdog'. Both sides playing around the race card.

But behind the scenes, journalists are frustrated that they've being denied the chance, by the Obama camp, to do what they've always done before. Hold a light up to the candidate and probe for policy and weaknesses.

Opinion polls suggest the public are starting to dislike Obama-superstar. The candidates are now neck and neck in the polls. Maybe that's sour grapes. But maybe he's getting just too big for his boots. The 'a-word' is starting to appear - arrogance.

Bearing in mind Clinton has not actually conceded defeat, only suspended her campaign, she may even keep her name in the hat at the Democratic National Convention.

The US blogsphere is rife with people digging behind the scenes. His Saudi source of funding? Links with dodgy Chicago politicians? A false declaration on his Bar application? A forged birth certificate?

Obama's downfall may be his own vanity. Some of our fawning media should take note of this shift in opinion. Politicians should heed the warning signs, before they ride too high on the back of Obamamania.

1 comment:

CKAinRedStateUSA said...

"Obama's downfall may be his own vanity."

It will be. And vanity may be putting it very lightly. How about megalomania?

"Some of our fawning media should take note of this shift in opinion."

How can they? They see no evil, hear no evil when it comes to yet another revelation of who Obama really is and the sordidness and outright lies of his background and ideologies.

"Politicians should heed the warning signs, before they ride too high on the back of Obamamania."

Likely, it's too late for those who've already jumped in that saddle. But they, too, like Obama, are so craven and full of themselves, they don't suspect consequences.