Media Matters: "Time's Halperin to Obama: You're not allowed to fight back"

[TomCADem]

You have to love the corporate media narratives. First, President Obama disappoints liberals because he is not fighting back aggressively in response to right wing talking points. Second, President Obama is undermining the dignity of the Presidency by fighting back. Either way, the corporate media wins.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201010110027

Announcing that the president "is being politically crushed in a vise," Mark Halperin delivers an extraordinarily condescending scolding in Time this week. The interesting part is that Halperin's obituary for Obama, penned on behalf of Washington, D.C. "elites" who all know the president is cooked, comes in the wake of Obama's polling rebound last week. (See here and here.)

But Halperin makes no mention of that fact. He's too busy telling us what all the really, really smart people know: Obama is in over his head. Worse, he's "clueless" as to "how to get along with or persuade members" of the media! So Halperin rolls over every conceivable RNC, anti-Obama talking point.

* * *

That's right, Obama, in the eyes of media elites like Halperin, is not allowed to fight back against his political opponents. Why? Because it's unseemly. Apparently it's not that unseemly when his opponents accuse him of being a racist and a Nazi and tyrant and a liar and a terrorist-sympathizer and foreign-born. It's unseemly when Obama answers his critics. It's unseemly when he defends himself.

This is really just astonishing. Media elites like Halperin have been witness to the most unhinged and hateful and sustained attack on a sitting president in modern American history. Their take-away after nearly two years of this hate-fest? It's Obama's fault. And worse, it's his fault when he defends himself.

[Enrique]

1. reminds me of the Clinton impeachment

that impeachment was one of the most egregious abuses of power ever, and the media whores chose to attack Clinton. Fortunately the American people didn't go along.

Keep the attacks coming, Obama. Read Halperin to find out what bugs him most, and do more of that.

[sabrina 1]

2. Anyone who can get Halperin blubbering like

sick whale goes way up in my opinion.

Obama is finally getting it right. When you're a Democrat, you don't even try to 'get along' with the rabid rightwing fringe elements that IS the Republican party or their extensions in the media. You go after them. They'll whine about it of course, but then you know you got something right. They will whine no matter what a Democrat does which is why it's best to take every opportunity to educate the public about who and what they are and give them a reason to whine.

He's doing good, Halperin is upset.

[and-justice-for-all]

3. Obama should be going around and knocking teeth out...

fuck the Mr. Nice Democrat bullshit.

[TomCADem]

11. Yet, This Will Be The New Talking Point, Democrats Should Sit Silent

...and get rolled by the Chamber.

[OHdem10]

4. Elites= Very Wealthy, Big Business, KStreet Lobbyists, DC Media

When we hear the phrase, "the ruling class" this is it.

Does anyone think this group is cheerleading for Obama?

[mstinamotorcity]

5. Mark Halperin is nothing

more than a salacious gossip columnist. I don't take much of what he say as credible. He is what my mother would call a gossipy busybody. Always making something out of nothing. Hell he sells books (Game Change) on shit that somebody said about somebody else. Sounds like a song.

[LaPera]

6. Media Matters is a excellent organization despised by the likes

of Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Beck, Fox "news" and all republicans, simply because Media Matters reports the truth about republican lies in the media, they always provide exactly where they get their info and prove the amazing amount of lies spewed out constantly by the republicans. So of course the republicans hate them & trash them.

I always try to send donations to the great Media Matters as often as I can - I wish George Soros would also donate, since the republicans are accusing him of doing so....Any donation will help, to expose the hypocrisy in media as well as the lies - I would encourage everyone to donate to Media Matters!

[JamesA1102]

7. Halperin is a GOP shill

and always has been.

[Gabi Hayes]

8. I was pretty sure that article was by Eric Boehlert, who has been on Halperin's case at least since

The Note

isn't it interesting that Halperin is on the tube all the time, one of the most ubiquitous faces you'll find.

how many times have you ever seen Boehlert?

two?

three?

''The simple truth is that with Halperin at the helm, The Note went all-in on the Bush White House. In January 2006, Halperin was so bowled over by President Bush's rhetorical flourish that he announced, "That is the kind of answer and vision that will get a man's approval rating back over 53% any day now." At the same time, The Note has often treated Democrats with open contempt, for instance, labeling former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe a "Cliché-Meister." By falling so madly for Karl Rove, the smartest man in politics ("SMIP") who is "beloved and respected," Halperin and The Note became perfectly aligned with the Bush White House.

It was an all-consuming crush that badly skewed The Note's ability to analyze the day's news events. (Halperin leaves behind a string of pro-Bush howlers that raise serious doubts about his much-hyped ability to expertly analyze American politics. More on those later.) And now that the Bush administration has fallen into complete disrepair, a state that's unlikely to be dramatically altered during the next 20 months, The Note would be wise, during this time of transition, to set a new course.''

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200704030007

[butterfly77]

9. This little ------ Halperin

has some damn nerve when he is the mkfer who helped it along,him and the panel on morning bullshit have been talking about how the Pres isn't strong enough trying to bait him into looking like he was campaigning then they turn around and say he can talk down when he responds. Go to hell republiCONS! GIVE EM HELL MR PRESIDENT!

[Scuba]

10. Meanwhile, American voters are "educated" by TV ads ....

...sponsored by foreign interests that want to move their jobs overseas.

Will they ever wake up?