The Media Elite: “This is not happening, it just can’t be happening!”
A white man was never supposed to have to hold a black man in such high regard.
This can’t be happening in modern times, the media of today missed the most phenomenal upset in the history of American Politics. Back when Edward R. Morrow was an anchor at CBS News, the pride of the profession was built on the perception of integrity. There were many moments during those times when national news was developing that challenged reporters and the company. The McCarthy years and the turmoil caused from the exchange at that station are but a small part of the history of news media in this country. Over the years, names like Jennings, Cronkite, and Benchley, Bradley, Wallace and Rather kept that tradition alive. The value was the public having faith that all presented here with honestly was strictly as part of the responsibility of the fourth estate to keep the public informed. Believing an informed public will make intelligent choices in the best interest of society as a whole. These days that belief no longer exist with the consolidation of various media outlets, where recording companies can now own radio stations in order to make sure the music they’re selling gets playing time advantageous to profitable sales. If you can control the air time when promoting an artist, why not a political position, how about a particular politician? So now we have the Sean Hannity’s, Joe Scarborough’s, Chris Matthews, Rush Limbaugh’s, Pat Buchanan’s, and Bill O’Reilly. They were set into to place as the pundits of the day, as the purveyors of the pulse of America. They have web pages, satellite radio, magazine columns, and newspaper editorials. So, therefore when it came to this political season, they were trying to create the perception expected from them, despite everything in front of their eyes to the contrary.
This all was strictly as formality in the whole scheme of things; they were just going through the motions until February 5. The coronation of Hillary Rodham Clinton was going to take place that night: Super Tuesday, there was even mention of the anger that existed at Michigan and Florida for jumping ahead of schedule with their participation in this major prime time crowning affair of the New York Senator. That would wait until the convention, they would pay then, maybe they wouldn’t get seated, and that would show them. And this press, this new age assemblage of pundits would miss the biggest upset of a Clinton crown heights affair that could’ve ever happened; namely Barrack Obama. When this thing started, she had my vote, as I am sure she had the promised votes of many current Obama supporters. The Jesse Jackson remark in South Carolina did it for me, but there were many such moments for others during this race with the Clintons. Still the perception was by March 4 at the latest, this race for the White House was essentially over on the democratic side of the equation. How wrong this newly “informed press” would be when it came to the eventual outcome of this contest, and how late in the contest that they grudgingly admitted the error of their ways.
So Obama went on to win eleven straight after Super Tuesday, and Hillary and the press both were dismissive as could be. It became a test of wills during the next couple of contest with each side picking up victories and the Clintons eyeing the “key states” and next big contest. Meanwhile the press lauds over every minutiae of her victories and the statements being made by the populace that votes for her justified claims about why Obama couldn’t get them to vote for him. This started out as a fight for delegates and turned into a women’s movement to get the first lady in at all and any cost even when it became apparent that Hillary was the wrong choice. She kept having to find her voice, could not decide who she was running as, had trouble raising funds consistently, even with all the rumors about bills being unpaid. She didn’t seem to be able to control her surrogates or her husband. She allowed her surrogates to dismiss a group of the party which she had full control over at the start of this affair; namely the black population. She allowed the campaign to embellish her resume in ways that could obviously be proven false and had no problem dissing the loyalty of blacks to her family and the party. Yet the media still as of today was asking questions as to the viability of her candidacy while there is a “Presumptive Nominee” already declared. So why is the media having such a hard time letting go of Hillary Clinton?
“He’ black, I tell you!” “He is a black man and this can’t be happening today in my lifetime!” That is the reason in a nutshell. This seemingly desperate love affair with the “hated Clintons” is not about keeping the most “electable” candidate in the race against the Republicans. It is about the privileged group of white men who have never had a black in such a position of authority that by its very nature could get them fired if they screwed up any and all exchanges with said individual. A wrong statement or miss-worded question could have the appearance of being disrespectful, have lack of courtesy or respect for his position. These are not men used to having that kind of sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, not realizing as black men we still live that way every day of our lives in this country. In this media mad country, a misstep at that level of exchange could get you cut off and without access, there is no job as a reporter. This is the first time in American history that this state of affairs has come to be, one of the benefits and prices of not having experienced this hurdle before. Understandable as it may be, make no mistake, this is will be resisted by the mainstream white Joe Six-pack to some degree, but they won’t be the most reluctant of all. The Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough’s, the Pat Buchanan’s, can you see them having to show that level of respect to a black man or lose their job? They can’t.
© 2008 – 2009, agentleman. All rights reserved.
