From Newspaper Editors, McCain gets doughnuts, Obama is likened to a terrorist

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: For Obama and McCain, the Bitter and the Sweet
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, April 15, 2008; Page A03


Associated Press Chairman Dean Singleton, seated, was very sorry for commingling the names of the candidate and the terrorist. (Charles Dharapak/AP)

So much for the liberal media.

John McCain and Barack Obama both appeared before the nation's newspaper editors yesterday. The putative Republican presidential nominee was given a box of doughnuts and a standing ovation. The likely Democratic nominee was likened to a terrorist. At a luncheon for the editors hosted by the Associated Press, AP Chairman Dean Singleton quizzed Obama about whether he would send more troops to Afghanistan, where "Obama bin Laden is still at large?"

"I think that was Osama bin Laden," the candidate answered.

"If I did that, I'm so sorry!" Singleton said.

"This," Obama told the editors, is "part of the exercise that I've been going through over the last 15 months."

Bitter, are we?

The past few days have left a bad taste in the mouth of the Democratic front-runner. In his worst gaffe of the campaign, he asserted (in San Francisco!) that Middle Americans have turned to God and guns and against immigrants because they are "bitter" about their economic lot....To shed the elitist label and regain his common-man credentials, Obama picked an inauspicious venue -- the annual gathering of the media elite, the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The result is likely to make the Democrat even more bitter. On the same day, the two media darlings of the presidential election cycle came to address their base -- and McCain easily bested his likely opponent.

McCain's moderators, the AP's Ron Fournier and Liz Sidoti, greeted McCain with a box of Dunkin' Donuts. "We spend quite a bit of time with you on the back of the Straight Talk Express asking you questions, and what we've decided to do today was invite everyone else along on the ride," Sidoti explained. "We even brought you your favorite treat." McCain opened the offering. "Oh, yes, with sprinkles!" he said....

The dueling appearances by McCain and Obama nicely captured the current dynamic in the presidential cycle. McCain, his nomination secure, had the luxury to joke and pander. Obama, wounded by the Democrats' internecine fighting, was defensive and somber....

***

McCain got a standing ovation -- an honor Obama did not receive when his turn came two hours later.

The room and crowd were larger for Obama. The atmosphere was colder (this time, editors had to pass through metal detectors) and more formal (wine on each table and flowers on the dais). And the candidate was uncharacteristically flat. "I know that I've kept a lot of you guys busy this weekend with the comments I made last week. Some of you might even be a little bitter about that," he joked, before plodding his way through an earnest apology ("I regret some of the words I chose"), an angry countercharge ("If I had to carry the banner for eight years of George Bush's failures, I'd be looking for something else to talk about, too") and a recitation of his commoner bona fides ("My mother had to use food stamps at one point").

But the combination failed to change the subject. The first question: "Can a Democrat talk about guns, God and immigration without getting in trouble?"...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041402633.html?hpid=topnews

[islandmkl]

1. old-school MSM not warmed up to Obama?....

what a f***ing surprise...

hey, dana, the sky is not falling....

[MessiahRp]

2. This proves that the media is in the bag (ONCE AGAIN) against our nominee

I am at the point where every fucking poll they have that has McCain even CLOSE is a fucking lie meant to perpetuate this belief that it is close enough for him to win so they can effectively STEAL THIS ELECTION.

It's time to grab a big fucking stick and Teddy Roosevelt these corporations.

Rp

[jbnow]

3. My is that a snotty article! I watched the Q&A

and while I can believe McCain's might have been warmer Obama's was not cold, nor was he flat. There was laughter, smiles, applause.

This reminds me of the difference between ABC reporting of the Obama Bin Laden incident and Fox's on the google news page.

ABC said that "Obama, clearly agitated interrupted" him to correct him to correct the name and then the guy apologized profusely or something. I had just seen it and that was so far off!

FOX's blurb was Obama was smiling as he corrected the name and about him drawing laughter and applause. Fox!

Obama did not interrupt the question. He corrected after the question and what he interrupted was the aplogy the apology, telling him it was OK.

This guy says "Bitter are we?" Obama was laughing gently. After he said "This," Obama told the editors, is "part of the exercise that I've been going through over the last 15 months." the rest of the sentence was that's what made it such a marvel (that wasn't the word though) that he was up here now. (He often jokes about his name.) He was completely good natured and drew applause again.

I didn't see the speech but the Q&A wasn't flat. Sometimes he was serious, sometimes reflective, sometimes funny.

I know I am biased but that means I'd notice a bad response or flat performance all the more. I have to check out what Dana Milbank has written about him before...because this sure was not objective.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Thanks, jbnow. I saw only the "bin Laden" snippet, and, I agree...

Obama was certainly not "clearly agitated."

I think Milbank is fairly equal opportunity in his snottiness. I know he really goes after Clinton, with Olbermann, on "Countdown."

[jbnow]

5. You're right, he is snide toward both of them

He doesn't say good things about the Clinton campaign, but takes a special delight in presenting Obama in bad light. He misrepresents both of them but does present important news like "Obama Has "Dainty, Girlish" Bowling Style"

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Oh, yeah -- I think I posted that from Media Matters myself! nt