Obama went bowling! Disaster!!!

[Vympel]

The US media establishment, in a nutshell

In the past two weeks, the following events transpired. A Department of Justice memo, authored by John Yoo, was released which authorized torture and presidential lawbreaking. It was revealed that the Bush administration declared the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to be inapplicable to "domestic military operations" within the U.S. The U.S. Attorney General appears to have fabricated a key event leading to the 9/11 attacks and made patently false statements about surveillance laws and related lawsuits. Barack Obama went bowling in Pennsylvania and had a low score.

Here are the number of times, according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media over the past thirty days:

"Yoo and torture" - 102

"Mukasey and 9/11" -- 73

"Yoo and Fourth Amendment" -- 16

"Obama and bowling" -- 1,043

"Obama and Wright" -- More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)

"Obama and patriotism" - 1,607

"Clinton and Lewinsky" -- 1,079

And as Eric Boehlert documents, even Iraq -- that little five-year U.S. occupation with no end in sight -- has been virtually written out of the media narrative in favor of mindless, stupid, vapid chatter of the type referenced above. "The Clintons are Rich!!!!" will undoubtedly soon be at the top of this heap within a matter of a day or two.

"Media critic" Howie Kurtz in the Washington Post today devoted pages of his column to Obama's bowling and eating habits and how that shows he's not a regular guy but an Arrogant Elitist, compiling an endless string of similar chatter about this from Karl Rove, Maureen Dowd, Walter Shapiro and Ann Althouse. Bloomberg's Margaret Carlson devoted her whole column this week to arguing that, along with Wright, Obama's bowling was his biggest mistake, a "real doozy."

Obama's bowling has provided almost a full week of programming on MSNBC. Gail Collins, in The New York Times, today observed that Obama went bowling "with disastrous consequences." And, as always, they take their personality-based fixations from the Right, who have been promoting the Obama is an Arrogant, Exotic, Elitist Freak narrative for some time. In a typically cliched and slimy article, Time's Joe Klein this week explored what the headline called Obama's "Patriotism Problem," where we learn that "this is a chronic disease among Democrats, who tend to talk more about what's wrong with America than what's right." He trotted it all out -- the bowling, the lapel pin, Obama's angry, America-hating wife, "his Islamic-sounding name."

Needless to say, these serious and accomplished political journalists are only focusing on these stupid and trivial matters because this is what the Regular Folk care about. They speak for the Regular People, and what the Regular People care about is not Iraq or the looming recession or health care or lobbyist control of our government or anything that would strain the brain of these reporters. What those nice little Regular Folk care about is whether Obama is Regular Folk just like them, whether he can bowl and wants to gorge himself with junk food.

Our nation's coddled, insulated journalist class reaches these conclusions about what Regular Folk think using the most self-referential, self-absorbed thought process imaginable. The proof that the Regular People are interested in these things is that . . . the journalists themselves chatter about it endlessly. In Great American Hypocrites, I described the process as follows in the context of examining the three-week-long media obsession with John Edwards' haircut (to the exclusion of a whole array of revelations about what the government was doing or planning to do) and how they justified that coverage:

Most certainly, the press will pretend to be above it all ("this is not something that we, the sophisticated political journalists, care about, of course"). But they yammer about Drudge-promoted gossip endlessly, and then insist that their own chattering is proof that it is an important story that people care about. And because they conclude that "people" (i.e., them) are concerned with the story, they keep chirping about it, which in turn fuels their belief that the story is important. It is an endless loop of self-referential narcissism -- whatever they endlessly sputter is what "the people" care about, and therefore they must keep harping on it, because their chatter is proof of its importance.

They don't need Drudge to rule their world any longer because they are Matt Drudge now.

Every day, it becomes more difficult to blame George Bush, Dick Cheney and comrades for their seven years (and counting) of crimes, corruption and destruction of our political values. Think about it this way: if you were a high government official and watched as -- all in a couple of weeks time -- it is revealed, right out in the open, that you suspended the Fourth Amendment, authorized torture, proclaimed yourself empowered to break the law, and sent the nation's top law enforcement officer to lie blatantly about how and why the 9/11 attacks happened so that you could acquire still more unchecked spying power and get rid of lawsuits that would expose what you did, and the political press in this country basically ignored all of that and blathered on about Obama's bowling score and how he eats chocolate, wouldn't you also conclude that you could do anything you want, without limits, and know there will be no consequences? What would be the incentive to stop doing all of that?

UPDATE: One other point to note about all of this is that these fixations are as skewed as they are vapid. Barack Obama is an exotic elitist freak because he went to Harvard Law School and made $1 million from his book. Hillary Clinton can't possibly have any connection to the Regular Folk because her husband, who grew up dirt poor, became quite wealthy after being President. John Kerry was completely removed from the concerns of the Regular People because his second wife was rich.

By contrast, George W. Bush was a down-home, salt-of-the-earth Man of the People despite being the grandson of a U.S. Senator, the son of a President (who greatly magnified his riches in his post-presidency), and the by-product of an extremely wealthy, coddled life. Ronald Reagan was pure Americana despite spending most of his adult life as a very wealthy Hollywood actor (and converting his post-presidency into far greater riches still). And John McCain is as Regular a Guy as it gets, even though he dumped his first wife (the mother of his three children) after she was disfigured and disabled by a near-fatal car accident so that he could marry his much younger, much prettier, and extremely wealthy heiress-mistress, whose family riches then launched his political career and sustained a life of luxury for almost three decades (that's how McCain's rustic "Sedona cabin" -- i.e., his sprawling compound -- came to be).

It would be bad enough if our political press were obsessed with such trivialities. The fact that they do so in such a Republican-leader-worshiping manner makes it only that much worse, particularly given that it's this dynamic, more than anything else, that determines the outcome of our elections.

Heaven forbid that a politician talk about what's wrong with the country they want to lead as opposed to what's "right", eh? And he can't bowl!

[Gil Hamilton]

What was funny was when some of the talking heads commented that she should have stuck to basketball. Nothing like some spicy racism to go with an election.

Really, I think alot of the political parasites that harp on this should all go bowling and the ones that score over 100 will be free to continue going on about Obama's lack of four step. The rest have to actually cover the news and politics.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I love how the media and GOP always play the "You're always focusing on the bad parts!" card, as if there is even that much good to talk about now. Don't they consider that the greatness of something like... well, I can't think of anything good, but anyway, if I could, wouldn't it pale in comparison to Iraq and the economy anyway? What possible point is there in going "Yeah, we fucked up in Iraq and basically caused more harm than good and have sent our boys and girls along with what fiscal responsibility we had to its death. BUT, at least we have a minimum wage now and tax breaks, eh?".

I have thus decided the US media sucks, as does the government. I'm going to immediately make a thread on this alerting all Americans to the fact.

[Thanas]

What was funny was when some of the talking heads commented that she should have stuck to basketball. Nothing like some spicy racism to go with an election.

I am not sure that was rascism since TIME ran a huge story about Obama a while back in which among other things (TIME really loves Obama) they lauded his smart basketball playing and atheleticism. I assume the anchor was familiar with that piece and thought the audience was as well.

[RedImperator]

I suppose it's a testament to NPR and Keith Olbermann (my primary MSM news sources) that I was just barely aware that Obama went bowling at all.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I suppose it's a testament to NPR and Keith Olbermann (my primary MSM news sources) that I was just barely aware that Obama went bowling at all.

You're happy you missed out on such an important story? Now that IS weird. You won't be properly informed when the election comes and the country will be ruined for it.

[Mr Bean]

I suppose it's a testament to NPR and Keith Olbermann (my primary MSM news sources) that I was just barely aware that Obama went bowling at all.

You're happy you missed out on such an important story? Now that IS weird. You won't be properly informed when the election comes and the country will be ruined for it.

And that's the damnist thing about it, except for the lone voice crying in the wildness, it's not just the norm, it's the standard. Centrists like NPR(Which has a bad habit of "gasp" getting two actual experts from both sides of an issue when it's warranted) and Keith Olbermann who acutaly qualifies as an Independent unlike the Neo-Con Hard Right Republican's fantasy brigade at Fox News or even the standard Battered wife Republcian's like Tucker and Joe Scarborough on MSNBC.


In other words all three Networks have become thoroughly turned to the right, over the past twelve years now. Ever since this Newt Gingrich activities things have gone further and further and further right until we are at the point when people who would have had been called "A Far Right Republican" are now called "Independants" why? Because the view has been slanted so far right in the media's mind, anyone who does not wave the flag 24/7 and masturbate to pitches of Reagan each night must be a Democrat.

[Darth Raptor]

What was funny was when some of the talking heads commented that she should have stuck to basketball. Nothing like some spicy racism to go with an election.

Was that Chris "Fuck Crazy" Matthews by any chance?

[Ford Prefect]

They mentioned that Obama went bowling more than thirty times a day? I know the American media is basically a festering morass of shit, but I didn't think it was that bad. I am not pleased to be proven wrong.

[Patrick Degan]

So what was the problem? Obama not managing to bowl at least a 150?

[Darth Wong]

But of course Obama's bowling is important. The MSM has run stories before, in which they praised George W. Bush for his active outdoor lifestyle and his enthusiasm for major league baseball. The media seems to be absolutely rudderless when it comes to determining what is and isn't an important trait in a president. Those things sound more like stuff that you list on an eHarmony profile.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Clearly we cannot allow the tragedy of poor-bowlers in the Oval Office to continue. I give you the next President of the United States:

[brianeyci]

I can imagine the attack ads now.

But Republicans will. Last week, over drinks, one Republican strategist not affiliated with the McCain campaign mused about how an independent advertising effort against Obama might work. “Barack Obama: He’s not who you think he is” would be the theme. The supporting evidence would come from his left-wing voting record in Illinois and Washington, spiced up with fun video clips of Reverend Wright.

Barack Obama: He's not who you think he is. He's a liberal nutjob, has a crazy pastor, and he can't bowl over 240. Republicans are creaming themselves thinking that due to this and the Wright "controversy", McCain is now on even footing with Obama, even though the electorate has an astonishingly short memory and the election is in November. Yes, the bowling too: McCain is the guy you want to have beers with and go bowling, the guy you can watch Simpsons and the Superbowl with, while Obama is an "asshole" and has "nothing good to say about America."

They're having an orgy about how they've finally got ammo on Obama. Well news to them: not all ammo is the same, and it doesn't matter if you've got ammo if your aim blows balls. Americans will shock the chickenhawks when they send Obama to the White House.

[Darth Wong]

I don't know why you're so confident. I have no faith whatsoever in the American voting populace to exhibit any more collective intelligence than the average lab rat. There may be intelligent individuals in that mass of gut reactions, superstitions, and fear-driven spasms, but as a collective group, I have zero confidence in them. I could totally see them voting in McCain because at the end of the day, they're just not comfortable with the idea of upsetting the status quo.

[brianeyci]

I don't know why you're so confident. I have no faith whatsoever in the American voting populace to exhibit any more collective intelligence than the average lab rat. There may be intelligent individuals in that mass of gut reactions, superstitions, and fear-driven spasms, but as a collective group, I have zero confidence in them. I could totally see them voting in McCain because at the end of the day, they're just not comfortable with the idea of upsetting the status quo.

The strategy of painting Obama as a liberal seems rather retarded. Anybody who isn't on his side already thinks he's a liberal, and anybody who's on his side knows he's a liberal. I also think the Wright thing will backfire if they try it: since so many Americans go to church, they have a crazy fucking pastor too and they will relate to Obama having one. If Obama sucks at bowling, so what: many people suck at bowling, and the very fact that he's bowling at all gives him a connection as long as it isn't a Dukakis moment.

Put it another way: you may be right McCain has a chance, but not with the strategy I quoted.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Exactly. Enter Walter Sobchak. Vietnam veteran. Patriot. Comfortable with firearms. Tough on child abuse. Good bowler. And as he would say, "This isn't 'Nam, there are rules."

All of the McCain manliness, none of the senility. Vote Sobchak '08.

[Guardsman Bass]

This is what happens when you have basically an insane amount of election coverage and "political analysts" perpetually on standby for any news bits about the campaigns (no matter how stupid), whose "expertise" is solely in "horse race issues" (like campaign tactics, image, and so forth), in a period in which there is very little such news. I can't imagine how Chris Matthews and his ilk are coping.

[The Spartan]

I also think the Wright thing will backfire if they try it: since so many Americans go to church, they have a crazy fucking pastor too and they will relate to Obama having one.

You might need to rethink that brian. Not everyone's pastor says things that people find to be crazy, what makes it worse is that because he's black and he's saying "unpatriotic" things it makes more than a few people uncomfortable and not all of those people are gauranteed Republican voters, even swing voters who might have otherwise voted for Obama. Remember, this is America, it's "normal" to condemn gays, but don't you dare speak out against America or say that things aren't just peachy. (Nevermind that lynching is something that occured within living memory...)

That all said, I'm still relatively optimistic that Obama will get the presidency once The Bitch realizes she's not going to be president, ever, and has got to quit.

[Glocksman]

I don't know why you're so confident. I have no faith whatsoever in the American voting populace to exhibit any more collective intelligence than the average lab rat. There may be intelligent individuals in that mass of gut reactions, superstitions, and fear-driven spasms, but as a collective group, I have zero confidence in them. I could totally see them voting in McCain because at the end of the day, they're just not comfortable with the idea of upsetting the status quo.

A lot will depend upon the economy.
If it tanks worse than it already has, then McCain has a long uphill climb as immediate pocketbook concerns have a wonderful way of focusing one's attention.

Personally if I were the Democratic nominee, I'd be playing that audio clip of McCain admitting he knows little about economics with a video backdrop of shuttered factories and unemployment lines.
And to top it off, add in audio from Reagan's 1980 campaign where he asked 'are you better off now than you were four years ago?' just to watch McCain's head explode.

[Mr Bean]

This is what happens when you have basically an insane amount of election coverage and "political analysts" perpetually on standby for any news bits about the campaigns (no matter how stupid), whose "expertise" is solely in "horse race issues" (like campaign tactics, image, and so forth), in a period in which there is very little such news. I can't imagine how Chris Matthews and his ilk are coping.

'
Godamn it there is fucking news, we have a dozen blockbuster stories about Bush every other day, but I guess that's old hat, who cares if our commander in chief is wiping his arse with the bill of rights and laughing at it even as he is now attempting to get as many cronies of his as possible in the Goverment before time runs out for him, after all who cares about that?


But Bowling? wow what a story!

[Guardsman Bass]

This is what happens when you have basically an insane amount of election coverage and "political analysts" perpetually on standby for any news bits about the campaigns (no matter how stupid), whose "expertise" is solely in "horse race issues" (like campaign tactics, image, and so forth), in a period in which there is very little such news. I can't imagine how Chris Matthews and his ilk are coping.

'
Godamn it there is fucking news, we have a dozen blockbuster stories about Bush every other day, but I guess that's old hat, who cares if our commander in chief is wiping his arse with the bill of rights and laughing at it even as he is now attempting to get as many cronies of his as possible in the Goverment before time runs out for him, after all who cares about that?


But Bowling? wow what a story!

Like I said, it's because the cable networks all brought in whole hosts of "political analysts" whose entire purpose is to give off horse-race analysis of every campaign-related event. They don't tend to work well on serious stories, so when there is a paucity of campaign news, they just focus harder and harder on what remains.

[Qwerty 42]

I really don't understand why people would think that Obama not being so hot at bowling means he doesn't understand the sport. Like was pointed out by Wong, Bush is a fan of baseball.

He might very well suck at baseball, does that make him any less of a fan? There's so much fundamentally wrong with the article that this is splitting hairs, but come on.