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July 24, 2008 Obama trip press frenzy backfiresMany observers considered the press frenzy over the Senator Obama trip as one more data point of evidence about media bias in favor of Obama. The shear number of references to the"historic" or "unprecedented" trip have been sickening considering that the "unprecedented" trip to Iraq was proceeded by multiple trips over the last several years by Senator McCain. However, despite the media attempt to keep the presidential race coverage one-sided, an odd thing happened on Barak's trip to Baghdad. A lot of Americans realized we are winning the war on terror. Many have made note that as the surge succeeded and the bad news blissfully began to ebb, media coverage of Iraq thinned to a trickle. We knew it, but we couldn't measure the effects of the media callousness towards our military until now. It now appears indisputable that for many Americans who don't follow the news regularly there was a serious gap in what they believed was happening in Iraq and the reality of it. Coinciding with the "Obama goes to Iraq" coverage comes a poll update by Rasmussen and released on July 23rd. And it shows that a very interesting thing happened last Monday. The number of respondent in this reoccurring poll who answered that we are winning against terrorists jumped to levels not seen in four years, to 51% - now a majority. Conversely, the number who considered al Qaeda and their ilk the victors dropped to a threadbare 16% of respondents, a new low by a wide margin. And it just so happened that this poll was conducted the same day that Obama and his media entourage hit Baghdad. Although it is not definitive, it is a strong indication that all the media hype and attention on this trip refocused the media lens on Iraq and that Americans saw a new picture there. Ironically for Obama that new picture helps McCain by decreasing the common feeling of urgency which created the mood for immediate withdrawal at any price that Obama rode to the nomination. For many who were afraid to read news about Iraq in 2008 (if they could find it) after the desperation felt in 2007, this new coverage opened their eyes. And these newly opened eyes just might be attached to ears that heard McCain claiming success and Obama dismissing our efforts in Iraq. The media attention has shown to an entirely new - admittedly previously disengaged - audience that McCain made the right call. Some portray the success of the surge in McCain's case in political terms of winning the battle but losing the war. They claim he will be a victim of his own success. They claim that his surge strategy and success in Iraq reduced the threat to our nation which negates his advantage on security issues. They might have a point. But a counter balance to that is that many Americans genuinely did not know that we have essentially won in Iraq until now. They thought that Obama was delivering the straight truth to them on Iraq. But now they know he was being less than candid. The Independents and conservative Democrats now might see that he was not telling them the truth. A picture says a thousand words and those pictures of Obama in Iraq with no body armor are telling a different story than what he has been selling to the American people. And it was a fawning media brazenly trying to tip the scales in his favor that made it happen.
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McSame is even worse, he calls us a nation of whiners
Posted by: McSame | July 24, 2008 10:29 PM
Well said.
My theory is that you can divide the country into 3 equal pieces. There's the conservatives who never truly abandoned Iraq and were quick to embrace the success of the surge; the leftists, who will hear nothing of it and secretly think losing would be good for America and the world; and the middle third.
Hopefully this has made an impression on them, but Barack is such a master of spin, and the middle group tends to be so fickle and superficial that I'm afraid it won't have the impact it should.
Time will tell. I'm dying to see him and McCain debate the issue.
Posted by: David Bueche | July 24, 2008 11:11 PM
David, there will be no debate on Iraq; McCain will stomp on Obama with this quote from an Iraqi deputy PM, which poignantly demonstrates what was won in Iraq:
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=3&id=13396
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You have been close to the office of prime minister. Do you think you would have done a better job if you were prime minister?
[Abdel-Mahdi] No, not necessarily. There is no guarantee that I would have done better than others, and herein actually lies the sweetness of democracy, which enables you to choose the person you think is best suited for the times. It is not a matter of what an individual believes. I believe in institutional and team work and I do not believe that individual tendencies should prevail....(end quote)
See that phrase, "the sweetness of Democracy"? That formulation would never have entered an Iraqi mind let alone passed an Iraqi's lips 5 years ago, and for that alone America and George Bush and Tony Blair are to be lauded!
It is the second part though, choosing the person for the times, that will cause the American people to choose the institutionalist John McCain over the individualist Barack Obama!
Isn't it sweetly ironic, that an Iraqi vice-president, who has only tasted the honey of Democracy recently for the first time, appreciates it now well enough to export it back to America?!
As for you, McSame, you, madame, are a cowardly, despicable liar!
Posted by: elixelx | July 25, 2008 03:03 AM
I'm going to venture a guess that 65% to 70% of the country is getting pretty pissed at the press for fawning over Obama and for trashing the military. I'm seeing backlashes of second-guessing ANY positive reporting for Obama. People are now listening to the reporting and reducing the positive spin to about a half, a third, or more. In short, he's overexposed.
For those only beginning to pay attention, I'll look forward to their response when the 527s start running the Jeremiah Wright ads. In fact, I'd love those ads to run alongside the Olympic Games ads Obama is supposed to have coming.
Obama's an arrogant snot. I can't believe he blew off injured troops because they wouldn't let him take an entourage. What a disgrace.
Posted by: SAM | July 25, 2008 04:52 AM
It is "sheer", not "shear"
Posted by: John Ray | July 25, 2008 05:19 AM
Oh yes, can we please have a debate about the issues that Americans are facing here.
Posted by: beckintx | July 25, 2008 07:02 AM
Obviously we have won the Iraq war. That's the only way B. Hussein would go there. He wouldn't show his face there if there was one iota of danger. But I am surprised he is not claiming the "victory" to be his. The left doesn't have a clue as to how to do any of the heavy lifting.(read: the troops)
Nor do they have any shame when it comes to taking credit for the hard work of others.
God Bless Our Troops
God Bless America
RCJ
Posted by: Robert Johnson | July 25, 2008 08:25 AM
Do not worry. The Obama presidential campaign is going to die a slow death from terminal boredom.
Posted by: Iago | July 25, 2008 08:40 AM
I, a previously life long democrat had the rude awakening while Hillary was being trashed. That the MSN has kept us in the dark about the truth of our success in Iraq actually makes me question how miserable George Bush has been. As a former absolute Bush hater this is a huge turn around for me. I will never vote for Obama and will cast my vote, for McCain - The biggest push for me away from Obama has been the media. Hopefully, I won't be alone.
Posted by: Hanna | July 25, 2008 11:17 AM
Hanna, hopefully your experience is being reproduced generally. Although an anti-Clintonite (after voting for Bill) I can honestly say that Hillary was the best of the Dem bunch especially on the war. I could have lived with her, she is at the least, serious on serious topics. I am sure you and the Hillaroids have had a tough education lately. Previously the Clintons were the long time beneficiary of press bias. Of course so was McBain so it is irksome yet to those of us perpetually feeling the brunt. But I would never have believed I would come to be so enthusiastic about McBain. As the alternative looks worse and worse, he gains. That's just the way it works I guess. Hopefully, Hillary is not quite supine at this point. The Dems could yet get some sense at their convention.
Posted by: megapotamus | July 25, 2008 12:52 PM
You know, it's both funny and sad, like Baghdad Bob proclaiming the Americans were beaten and running, the whole of the Arab world believed Baghdad Bob until the day Saddam's statue was pulled down. They were in total shock when that happened because they believed what they were told, and they wanted to believe it because it fit the world view that was so carefully crafted by Propaganda Press outlets in the M.E.
It's truly sad to see that so many people allowed themselves to be deceived by the MSM (Propaganda outlet for the Dem Party). There used to be a time when the MSM proclaimed all is well parroting the government press releases, the government of course whose interest it was to gloss over any bad news. The MSM having played the opposite game of the world is coming to an end on many subjects like Iraq, Global Warming, SAARS, Recession, etc. are becoming equally discredited.
Posted by: dscott | July 25, 2008 03:54 PM
The surge has turned the tide in favor of the Iraqis and the US troops and will result in a win against Al Queda and other terrorists.
The only way that won't happen is if something happens to derail the success of the surge strategy, which must be kept in place for awhile yet to finalize victory.
McCain ensures the surge (and it's gradual draw down of troops) will be kept in place. Obama is likely to accelerate the withdrawal, putting the later stages of the surge strategy in jeopardy.
Under no circumstances should we take the successes of the last year for granted. An Obama administration can turn that 180 degrees very quickly. All he needs to do is pull-out prematurely and watch the chaos start all over again.
The results of the surge do not negate McCain's position, they reinforce the folly that is Obama's position.
Posted by: Scott | July 25, 2008 05:06 PM
I do not hate John McCain like some people do for Obama. However, we must all be careful about his "tough" stance. Sarkozy and maliki made it clear that they dont see eye with McCain thus we can probably expect conflict of interests. Russia is theratening to install mssile defense in Cuba. The EU says they wont follow the US if it attacks Iran. WE ARE GETTING ISOLATED and nobody seems to care.
Posted by: luke | July 27, 2008 01:01 AM