Chris Stirewalt writes on the media’s in-the-tankness for Presdient Obama in the Washington Examiner:
Last week was dismal for the Democrats.
Polls showed the public is quickly losing faith in the idea of a stimulus and bailout economy financed through the largest deficits since World War II. On the heels of that news came stratospheric cost estimates for a national health plan and frank admissions from Democrats that the votes just weren’t there to pass it.
The mini-malaise was deepened by President Barack Obama’s struggle to find his own feelings about the crackdown in Iran. Even those in the press who are still swooning had to say that the honeymoon was over.
So the president deployed his preferred weapon: the press conference.
It will likely be pretty effective in dealing with the reporters who realize Obama overpromises and underdelivers. Acting peevish, slapping down even pliant questioners and then shaming the whole media establishment with a planted question and some serious stroking for the Huffington Post will be enough to remind most of the reporters who their meal ticket is.
As the network bosses are planning their next cross-promotion for a Obama television special, reporters talking about the high-flying president falling to Earth might not fare well in the next round of layoffs.
Being in the tank for the administration is providing some ratings and readership relief for the establishment media, and its also part of what’s killing it. But the Obama junkies in big media can’t kick the habit.