Saturday Night Live has become a fixture in the 2008 Presidential race — profiting so much from the popularity of their political skits, that they have “politics only” prime time specials. One of SNL’s most memorable satires was a parody of a CNN debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. In that skit a character playing Telemundo correspondent Jorge Ramos is worried that he may have offended Senator Obama and uses a debate question to query, “Senator Obama, are you mad at me?”
Well, in real life we are seeing what happens to journalists who offend the Obama campaign. Barbara West, a veteran television reporter at Orlando, Florida’s WFTV, asks some probing and legitimate questions of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden, and the Obama campaign retaliates. The campaign informed WFTV that it is canceling a scheduled appearance of Mrs. Biden, and that “This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election.”
Is this what the media can expect from an Obama administration? Ask any question they don’t like and you are “cut-off.”
Contrast that heavy-handed approach with the graciousness of Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Palin’s character and persona have been assailed by journalist as diverse as Maureen Dowd and Peggy Noonan, but the McCain-Palin campaign has not retaliated. Palin is lampooned regularly on SNL by former SNL cast member Tina Fey, and Palin responds as a good-sport who makes a guest appearance with Fey on SNL, producing for the NBC show the highest ratings in years. Some pundits say that the initials NBC stand for the National Barack Channel. Yet, their obvious pro-Obama bias is not punished by the McCain-Palin campaign, but rewarded.
Whom do you want managing the White House press office for the next four years — the thin-skinned gang who is punitive to media they don’t like, or the group that can laugh at themselves?
on Oct 26th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Are you kidding? This was the most ridiculous interview I’ve ever seen. I thought this was a parody on The Onion or something. In what way were these “probing and legitimate” questions? Comparing Barack Obama to Karl Marx? Asking what to say to people who say that Barack Obama is going to turn this into a socialist country? This person is a parody of herself. I don’t know how Joe Biden kept a straight face through it.
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 8:50 am
The best ‘Ad’ so far by ‘McCain’ is the ‘Joe-The-Plumber’ – when others say ‘I’m Joe The Plumber’ – yes – ‘McCain-Palin Team’ – should play the ‘The Joe The Plumber Ad’ – from now until election day. Wow – Next Week – Holy Cow – Time marches on!
Go McCain – Palin Go!! Say ‘NO’ To ‘Socialism’ – ‘Big Government’ – and a ‘Weak Military’!!
Yes – Put A-Way The ‘White Flag’ Dems – Win The War On Terror – Bring Our Troops Home With Honor! Go After Chris Dodd and Barney Frank – and these ‘Greedy’ CEO’s that got us all in this ‘Big Mess’!! Yes – there is plenty of blame to go around – however – I – for one – place most of the blame on ‘Congress’!! Yes – both parties have let us- The Good Guys – all down!!
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Frank, I am seriously disappointed in you if you consider Barbara West’s interview an example of “probing and legitimate questions”. That was one of the worst interviews I’ve seen in a long time. She might have been asking questions that could legitimately be asked but she did so in an leading, unprofessional and clearly biased way.
I mean, come on. I burst out laughing when I heard the Marx quote and agreed with Biden’s question – was she for real?
We need to have legitimate debate and incisive questions asked of both candidates. But this kind of ridiculous smear job isn’t journalism, and I’m surprised that a person as wise and intelligent as yourself would consider it as such.
On another note – please don’t try to tell me that the current Administration has never penalized journalists with whom they are displeased. The Bush White House is notorious for it!
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Sarah, indeed I do think the questions were ones which needed to be answered and were legit. I also thought our blog readers should be allowed to decide on the legitimacy of the questions for themselves, which is why I posted a hyperlink to the full interview.
But even if the Obama campaign thought the questions wrong, why punish the TV station? PERHAPS, it would have been okay to say “no more interviews with Ms. West” but under no circumstances is it okay to punish a whole station. That would be like me saying, because I think that Ed Krumeich’s campaign tactics are foul (as I did in my first post) we should punish his law firm, Ivey, Barnum & O’Mara.
Come on, my friend, admit that the Obama campaign was ham-handed and heavy-handed in handling this.
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Mitt Romney Said:
“We can either go down the path of high taxes, bigger gorvernment, and virtual surrender to our enemies …. Or …We can take the road that leads to low taxes, limited government, and a strong military”.
I – for one – prefer the ‘Road’!
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Another point to consider, why did the Obama campaign “telegraph its punch?”
That is, if they chose to punish the TV station, why go so far as to say, “further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election.”?
The reason that jumps out at me is deterrence. By publicly punishing WFTV the Obama campaign is warning other media outlets that if the campaign doesn’t like your questions you too will be punished.
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Good Point On The Above:
Let’s Review ‘Obama’s’ Black List:
1.) FOX NEWS
2.) SEAN HANNITY
3.) RUSH LIMBAUGH
4.) LAURA INGRAHAM
5.) BILL O’REILLY
6.) ANN COULTER
7.) MONICA CROWLEY
8.) MARK LEVIN
9.) ‘JOE-THE-PLUMBER’
10.) ALL ‘CONSERVATIVES’!!
Feel Free To Add To The List! Yes – Karl Rove & Dick Morris Too!
on Oct 27th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
This supposedly “neutral” journalist is married to Wade West, a GOP media consultant. I suppose it’s hardly surprising her questions read like last week’s talking points for the McCain Palin campaign.
on Oct 29th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Sarah, what does this veteran journalist’s husband have to do with it? We were told when Hillary was running that we should focus on the person, not the person’s spouse. I didn’t think a good feminist like you would do otherwise.
Frank
on Oct 29th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
It has nothing to do with being a feminist – Wade was a man whose wife was a GOP media consultant I’d make the same observation.
As I said in my initial post, I don’t object to her asking difficult questions – I object to her asking them in a leading and biased way.
Wade is a registered Republican who has Emceed GOP fundraising events. I was let go from the Greenwich Time for precisely that sort of conflict of interest – or at least that was the excuse that Dunster, Zebora et al gave. And I was an OPINION columnist, not a journalist.
on Oct 29th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
With the respectful thrust and parry of our exchanges, Sarah, perhaps I was too indirect in making my point — Wade may be (oh my gosh) a registered Republican, but my point is that there was no need to mention her husband.
To quote Senator Obama: “Families are off limits.” http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94176210
on Oct 30th, 2008 at 7:12 am
In my comment about being a registered Republican and emceeing events, I was referring to MRS. Wade. Therein lies the apparent conflict of interest and the reason I question her neutrality.
on Oct 30th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Out of curiousity – do you see a difference between this and McCain pulling out of his appearance on Larry King Live after Campbell Brown questioned Tucker Brown about Sarah Palin’s experience? Just wondering…
on Oct 30th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I am not familiar with all the circumstances of the Larry King pullout, but from what I know it does not strike me as being the same. Sure, canceling the King interview is analogous to Obama canceling Mrs. Biden, but the analogy falls short.
An exact analogy would have been if the McCain campaign told CNN “you are cut off” totally for the rest of the campaign and maybe beyond because we didn’t like the questioning, and then to announce that to the whole world as an intimidating “warning shot.”
The Obama reaction was extreme – “a pox on you and your whole house.”
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on Nov 2nd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
[...] an earlier post “Senator Obama, are you mad at me?” I commented on what thought was a ham-handed over-reaction [...]
on Nov 2nd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
[...] an earlier post “Senator Obama, are you mad at me?” I commented on what thought was a ham-handed over-reaction [...]