So it is clear the media has established its narrative on the president. "Incompetent Obama"

[Godhumor]

I was wondering how he would be defined by the people who are supposed to report the news, and it looks like every source has decided that a blundering Obama is the way to go. Take a statement completely out of context to create a "gaffe". The leaks? Obama can't control his administration. Jobs data? Obama doesn't know how to handle the economy. Bill Clinton goes off message? Obama can't handle his surrogates.

At the same time, I see very, very few challenges to Romney. He is making ridiculously stupid comments to employers about influencing who their direct reports vote for and about diminishing the need for public servants. His surrogates have gone ridiculously off-message, and it only gets mentioned in passing to compare to Obama's issues. Right now, the artificial story seems to be Obama is falling apart and Romney gets to stay out of the limelight. No one has even asked him to justify trying to support real people when gladly taking over half his money from people like the Cochs.

At least the MSM has a short attention span, but holy crap, this is just painful right now.

[phantom power]

1. The media understand the part their 0.1%-er owners expect them to play

[still_one]

2. bloomberg network is becoming just like the rest, ragging on this as though it is the worst mistake.

fuck them and the MSM

[coalition_unwilling]

3. Remember this first organizing principle about the corporate media. It exists

to sell ads. Period, end of story. So anything that drives up viewership\clicks\eyes is to be pursued, because doing so allows media to sell ad space at higher rates.

The MSM thus has a vested interest in portraying the race as a "dead heat," even though Obama leads comfortably in electoral votes, because 'dead heat horse races' drive viewership higher and thus sell ads at higher rates.

If Obama's lead over Romney is currently several furlongs, why of course the media is not going to look critically at Romney. Their objective now is to drive Obama's negatives up so that the race becomes more competitive.

If you don't believe me about this, check out how much the two campaigns are talking about spending this year. Romney and his surrogates at over $1 billion and Obama and his surrogates at somewhat less but still in the same ballpark. A billion here and a billion there and pretty soon you're talking real money.

[BlueCaliDem]

4. I look forward to the Pew Research Center's next analysis on fair reporting

and now R'money's the official nom of the GOP, he'll collect the most positive media coverage with very, very little negative coverage, and President Obama will get the worst coverage with very, very little positive coverage.

Yet, you'll keep hearing the completely debunked "liberal media bias" bull every chance the GOTP gets.

[KurtNYC]

5. It is safe to turn off MSM "news" now

you won't miss anything important.

The MSM is privately owned and under no obligation to be fair or give equal time to opposing viewpoints. They have blacklists and taboo lists. The MSM isn't the scoreboard; it is a gang of cheerleaders so expect a lot of rah-rah.

[adigal]

6. They did this to Jimmy Carter and it worked

Obama needs to start punching back.

[Dawson Leery]

7. Is this not an element of fascism.

[JoePhilly]

8. No one will remember any of this nonsense.

In about 2 weeks, the political world will find itself in a strange place ... America's summer vacation.

Not only do Americans workers take vacation in the summer, so does the media. And the media folks get LOTS of vacation.

Yea, there will be plenty of fill-ins trying to get regular gigs, but very few will be paying attention.

The real fight starts in mid to late August.

Right now, the media is trying to milk the most out of the last "pre-vacation" airtime.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. The Media profits from an actual horse race between the candidates.

Romney could light an orphanage on fire and it wouldn't matter, the race will be 'close' anyway in October. Guarantee it.

[spin]

10. You hit the nail right on the head. (n/t)