An historic day

The nearly two-year long presidential race that the candidates, the media, and the American citizens have endured has ended in an historic day that many never thought would come so soon.

With the hubbub of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, many Americans, including myself, were a little surprised to see how quickly the next president of the United States was elected. I guess considering this is only the third presidential election I've really paid attention to (I'm only 21, don't hate me), it was like seeing a new America--ready to elect a president without hesitation or bold accusations.

It was clear early on, however, that networks weren't going to jump the gun and predict a win they couldn't prove. As Barack Obama has been telling his supporters for the last several weeks, the election shouldn't be taken for granted. CNN didn't jump the gun, but then again they didn't really have to. As Obama began raking in the swing states, the future of America was clear.

Leading up to the swing states however, CNN made sure to entertain its audience whenever possible. No, not in the Jon Stewart-Stephen Colbert-I'm pretending to hate you kind of way, but in a weird, technologically-bizarre kind of way. I was sitting on my couch, minding my own business when I hear Wolf Blitzer blurt out something about how Jessica Yellin is about to be in the studio--even though she's in Grant Park, Chicago. I'm thinking to myself, 'he's finally lost it." But lo and behold Wolf "beams" Jessica Yellin into the studio (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2un9AxQCQU), making her appear as a full-body hologram standing across from Wolf.

You'd think CNN's computer engineer peeps would stop there, but they also constructed the Virtual Capitol, which appeared as another funky hologram with spinning congressional seats to show the Democrat/Republican ratio.

I know I said this stuff is a little weird, but a little part of me wants to say it's kind of cool, too. I guess television has to do something to trump the Internet, right? You have to wonder though if the new techie stuff took away from election coverage. To that, I'd have to say no. In fact, it curbed my boredom. When Obama started running away with the win, I wanted to tell Wolf to bring on the holograms.

Other than CNN's fancy new skills, the coverage was rather emotional. Commentary from political analyst Roland Martin was engaging; he shed a tear or two at the end. It was interesting also to get his perspective as a black man and an Obama supporter who voted for both of the Bushes. Roland and the other analysts and contributors focused on the historical significance of the day and how far our nation has come since segregation and the civil rights movement.

In the end, Obama's win showed that consistent messaging is a key to victory, and during his speech as president elect, he reiterated his "yes we can" slogan to a crowd of tens of thousands of Chicagoans and others. McCain's concession speech on the other hand, however gracious, showed his final shift in tone and message. While I suppose the purpose of a concession speech is to concede, McCain shared thoughts about Barack Obama that we rarely saw during his campaign. He pronounced Obama as a respectable man and a great American who outran the Republican efforts. I think McCain finally got the message right.

Ten days to the election and the campaign trail is officially on FIRE. CNN's Ballot Bowl coverage this afternoon showed the four candidates (P's and VP's) campaigning across the map.

Sarah Palin is rallying Iowans, who seem to be leaning towards Obama. Interestingly, it seems the McCain-Palin ticket are taking on some toss-up states but ignoring others. In Iowa, Palin rallied Iowans to support "the underdog," and hitting the Obama campaign with socialist accusations. Palin stayed on message despite recent gaffes including her criticizing "robo calls," which her own campaign was using. To McCain-Palin advisors' delight, Palin emphasized Obama's socialist tax credit plans, referring to "Barack the wealth-spreader," and associating Obama with voter registration fraud.

While Palin was rallying Iowa, VP candidate Joe Biden was in Virginia, another blue-leaning state. Biden also stayed on message, which was critical after his own larger-than-life gaffe this week, proclaiming the world will test Obama when he gets into office. To counter this blip, Obama spoke to the press in Richmond, Virginia, discussing international challenges. He told the press that the next president will be tested no matter who it is because of the way the state of the nation is being left by thte Bush administration.

John McCain wasted no time in jumping on Biden's slip-up, using the line in all of his recent speeches.

In regards to Biden's gaffe, Obama aids said, "We knew that about him when we picked him, he has a lot of other assets that balance him out as a candidate."

While the VP candidates may be tripping over their gaffes, the presidential candidates are looking more presidential than ever. Even McCain, who during his campaign has seemed nervous, "erratic," and angry, is stepping up his game and maintaining his composure on the campaign trail. Today McCain was in New Mexico, pushing the "underdog" message and continuing to insinuate Obama's socialist agenda.

One of the greatest differences, however, in Obama and McCain's campaigns, is level of consistency. While McCain seems to have a new brand of messaging weekly, at least, Obama has stayed on message from the very beginning. Today in Nevada Obama countered McCain's accusations of socialism with his "need for change" message. He emphasized his rescue plan for the middle class and asked the crowd if they wanted "four more years of the Bush adminstration," a classic Obama message.

While the VP candidates are running up their own gaffe numbers, Obama and McCain have to take control of their own campaigns. CNN reminded viewers today of some disastrous gaffes by VP candidates including Palin's unsuccessful Katie Couric interviews. The coverage shows competent presidential candidates, but when will Biden and Palin catch up? One campaign is going to have to buckle down and win this election.

Can Obama just ride it out?

Fifteen days until the election and Obama is still ahead in the polls, despite a narrowing lead. Does the Obama campaign have room to lie back and ride out the November election wave? With the importance of this election to so many people, I think Obama and his supporters would be smartest to campaign more diligently than ever in these last two weeks. Luckily for them, the Obama campaign agrees with me. CNN reported today that supporters are working as fervently as ever to secure an Obama win with phone calls and canvassing.

Political analysts and contributors on CNN refrain from making any predictions, and they often express an attitude that says anything can happen in the next two weeks.

On October 16 Bill Maher warned viewers of overconfidence on CNN's Larry King Live, saying,

"We should not become overconfident...I think what's sad is that apparently the only way we can elect a Democrat is if there's an absolute and utter calamity. And then people get it through their heads--Oh, you know what maybe this time we don't elect the guy we want to have a beer with. We have to get serious. We may even have to, God forbid, vote for the black guy."

Maher goes on to explain the opposite of the Bradley Effect, or the Reverse Bradley Effect. Normally, the Bradley effect says that people don't want to appear racist, and so they don't say they won't vote for Obama. But the Reverse Bradley Effect is said to occur when people who are ashamed to admit they are voting for an African American but behind closed doors actually are voting for that person. Maher uses the example of racists who realize Obama has better policies, and suggests that this will bring an advantage to Obama on November 4.

Whether the Obama campaign can rely on the Reverse Bradley Effect or not, CNN is definitely getting brownie points from Obama supporters this week for positive coverage.



On October 16, McCain and Obama's speeches at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner showed the lighter side of the campaign trail. Both made comedic speeches mainly taking jabs at themselves and sometimes each other. The coverage showed both candidates in a personable, more favorable light than the recent attack ads have shown.


To further Obama's positive coverage, Colin Powell endorsed Obama on Sunday, which CNN analysts say will serve as a catalyst for increasing Obama support from independent and undecided voters. Wolf Blitzer even added that Powell's endorsement confirms Obama's "innate ability to be commander-in-chief."


It may seem like the poll margin is crunching, but CNN seems to be providing more positive coverage as the campaign trail comes racing to an end. Is the Obama campaign happy with the coverage? I'm not sure, but if I were David Plouffe I'd be pretty satisfied. Not only are the campaign messages getting out, but CNN is pushing other positive, ancillary messages through the tube, for the left wing's viewing pleausure.

Who needs a smart prez?

With McCain's mudslinging dying down this week, we can take a minute to ponder a more thoughtful approach to Election '08. The question at hand: Who will win this race to the White House?

In a commentary on www.cnn.com today, Obama's intellectualism is addressed. Well, not just Obama. The piece outlines the last several decades of democratic candidates' failure to win the presidency because they're just too dang smart!

When it comes down to it, people want a president with whom they'd like to share a beer. Why? One of two reasons: 1) They're dumb, or 2) They judge all people by their beer-drinking habits.

Seriously though, it's understandable why people want to be able to connect with their president on some level. If a presidential candidate can appeal to the masses, it will be much easier for them to take the White House. But what I can't understand is why so many people think that is the only criteria they need to decide their vote. Whatever happened to issues?

It's pretty apparent these days that media coverage is overwhelmingly made up of horse race coverage, analyzing campaign coverage, and examining the personalities of the candidates, and it shows in voter decisions. It showed in the 2000 election when W. Bush was elected over the ever-so intellectual Al Gore, and the same when the elder Bush won against Dukakis. Sometimes voters just don't get what the smart people are saying, and in turn they're turned off.

Has this happened to Obama? Yes and no. Just by publishing the commentary today CNN is showing that people do see Obama as an intellectual, a "pointy-headed" smarty-pants who is disconnected from real Americans. But, as the polls show, Obama has enough personality to sway voters to his side and—just maybe—get them to want to have a beer with him.

As far as the Obama campaign goes, so far they have been smart to soewhat downplay his intellectualism and play up his likability--that is what voters want, after all. Who needs a smart president, anyway? Uh, I'm pretty sure the last eight years proves that one. We do.

If you don't have anything nice to say...

This weekend's coverage of the election on CNN tells us one thing about the network. If you don't have anything nice to say...tell CNN.

CNN's Sunday coverage was an onslaught of bad news. Palin accused Obama of palling around with terrorists (which CNN truthchecked--untrue), specifically his "association" with anti-war radical Bill Ayers. In response, Obama's campaign refuted the attack, saying the accusation was "not surprising given the McCain campaign's statement this morning that they would be launching Swift Boat-like attacks in hopes of deflecting attention from the nation's economic ills."

The accusation may be false, but it doesn't take back the fact that the American people heard it. For the Americans who are only passively listening, they may only catch the accusation, and ignore the refutal.

That's why Obama smartly chose to refute the accusation in addition with attacking the McCain campaign for ignoring the economy issue. In fact, CNN gave Obama one of the longest bouts of airtime I've seen yet, showing a clip of his speech in North Carolina today.

The CNN correspondents said it right: the gloves are off.

And the negative campaigning doesn't stop there. Yesterday, Obama attacked McCain's helath care plan. Today Sarah Palin attacked Obama for his tax plan. Obama has a new ad accusing McCain of being "erratic" and "out of touch." The candidates are suffering from bruises, if not bloody noses and black eyes.

It looks like the parties are getting involved too. The Republican National Committee called today for an audit of all contributions to Obama's campaign. Obama turned the issue right back around to McCain contributions, quoting how McCain has had to turn over $1.2 million in donations due to potential violations of the law. During the reporting of this campaign trail update, CNN noted how quick to respond Obama's campaign seems to be. That attribute seems to be paying off for the presidential candidate.

On top of all the cheap shots and accusations, Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, announced his (real, not pretend) suspension of his campaign this week as his mother-in-law died today. My heart goes out to you Joe! Can I call you Joe? I mean, Sarah Palin does.

Overall, CNN's use of boxing analogies is keeping me entertained, if nothing else. When it comes down to it, the negative campaigning may hurt both candidates as we come down to the tail end of the campaign trail. CNN acknowledges this, and yet their weekend coverage of the election is the Debbie-downer capitol of the world.

The Grade: A- All the bad news is sickening, but CNN is in its prime. After all, no one (at least in the journalism biz) really thinks no news is good news.

Obama withdrawal and a financial hangover

Yesterday John McCain announced he was "suspending" his campaign to deal with the financial crisis in Washington. And CNN can't get enough.

For the past 24 hours, wherever McCain is, so goes the CNN camera crew. The republican presidential candidate's ridiculously strategic move to ditch the campaign trail has CNN's panties in a very twisted bunch. Whether the decision was meant to distract the media from Sarah Palin's Stepford wife-like personality, or to make McCain look like the leader and Obama the follower, or simply to bring drama to the presidential race, the gig is shoving Obama into the shadows. And it doesn't look like the gig will be up anytime soon.

While CNN is covering McCain as he prances around Washington giving speeches and comforting Republicans, Obama is staying above the fray, as our friendly CNN correspondent Candy Crowley said tonight. Crowley was left in the dust in Clearwater, Florida, when Obama picked up and scooted to Washington when called on by little Bush. Crowley is staying positive, though. She reassured CNN viewers that McCain is the one who looks like a dummy and Obama--who had the opportunity to take a shot at McCain's silliness didn't do it--is the one keeping his presidential cool.

It hurts though, that the minimal coverage of Obama tonight included a quick shot of Obama addressing the nation about the meetings, blurry shots of Obama in a group of Washington-ers, and Candy Crowley herself.

The Grade: B I don't blame CNN. With drama comes good ratings! But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

CNN Scores!

Maybe the stars aligned last night, or maybe I woke up at just the right time on this hazy Sunday, but I've never been happier with CNN. I turned on my TV and flipped to CNN to find an Obama advisor and McCain advisor in the middle of spewing out highlights of each candidate's economy plans. Finally, the issues! And details!

That's not all. I sat down at my laptop with my multi-grain Cheerios and went straight to www.cnn.com to get the dish on what I missed during twelve hours of slumber, only to find an article about Obama "hammering" McCain about Social Security. Aah, it's like a breath of fresh air. Plus, the article links directly to the CNN ElectionCenter where you can find the candidates' views on any issue.

The Grade: A+ CNN scores! Extra points for this quote that made me laugh: "Every man, woman and child in America needs to know it's going broke." Who said it? John McCain.

Performance, polls, and oh yeah, the issues

These days you can't turn on a news channel without hearing about how far Obama's sleeves were rolled up today or which candidate Sarah Palin's glasses designer is supporting (Obama!). It seems every election year news channels focus more on candidate performance than the issues. If we want to gain any sense of what the election is actually about (issues, duh), we often have to go to the candidates themselves, listening to speeches word for word and examining the "issues" page on their web sites.

The 24 hour news channel isn't innocent in the petty coverage department. This week Obama was in New Mexico and Florida on the campaign trail, talking about the economy as well as rallying the woman vote. CNN provided minimal details of Obama's speeches via sound byte (TV) and quotes (online). Although www.cnn.com/live has live streaming video of candidate speeches (and other less important stuff) that's pretty convenient.

Anyways, instead of outlining Obama's plans for satisfying women's needs such as improving the education system, stabilizing social security, and upholding the woman's right to choose, CNN found Obama's mention of Hillary Clinton and the old "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling" spiel one of the key points of his speech. That's newsworthy right? I mean we've only heard it about 500 times. In the past week.

Other than the brief web article about Obama's pitch to women, the politics page of the web site has this main headline: "Poll of polls: Obama has advantage in key state". See what I mean about performance coverage?

Seeing as how CNN has 24 hours of news to fill you'd think they'd suck every last minute detail (like the issues) out of each campaign and make it known. I guess they'd rather repeat Anderson Cooper 360 twice in four hours. Time and money, I suppose.

The Grade: C+ CNN tried to give it's viewers what they want, but the coverage wasn't all there. Give us the issues! We can handle it.