A Political Observation

I plan on blogging about the purse fiasco eventually. But first there's something I just have to mention in relation to this year's presidential election: I was aware of Barack Obama when I was a senior in high school. Yes. It's true. And here's why.

My school required that we take a Contemporary World Problems (I think) or CWP class. This was led by my amazing honors English teacher Mr. Strait (who, once again, I really should catch up with one of these days). It wasn't a very intense course. Mostly he just has us read "Newsweek" and would lead discussions on certain topics and have us write opinion papers. And so it is that I have read every single issue of Newsweek from September 2004 to probably January. I don't remember if it was a two semester course or just one. And that's where I found out about Barack Obama.

The minute I started paying attention to the presidential primaries I vividly remembered reading the Newsweek article and I wasn't at all surprised to see Barack Obama as a candidate OR that he beat out Hillary Clinton. I won't be surprised when he becomes president. I honestly don't think John McCain has a prayer. So today I went to the Whitworth library to see if I could find the particular issue that had tipped me off to the guy who has become such a media all-star. I first found a short bit on him in the Nov. 1 issue. It's just a small box with the headline "Star Bringing In the Money." It was about his work campaigning for John Kerry. It says "Obama's campaigning (for himself for Senate and for Kerry) has prompted plenty of rumors about his ambitions in Washington--and, should Kerry lose, in 2008. But for his part, Obama has played coy on what the future holds, saying recently, 'I'm just a lowly state senator trying to get into the U.S. Senate.'" Very interesting.

In the issue covering Bush's victory, Obama is not listed as one of the democratic hopefuls for 2008. Hillary Clinton is present, but few of the other actual contenders are. And then I found it. The "Who's Next Issue." He is on the COVER. "2005 Barack Obama, A Rising Star Who Wants to Get Beyond Blue vs. Red." Wow. I mean, just wow. I think it's fairly obvious that Obama has a powerful media engine behind him. I mean, the biased coverage is almost to the point of ludicrous. Nobody really seems to care. I won't rant on it too much. Let's just say it really, really annoys me. But EVEN back in 2005... Obama was already a big deal. A very big deal.

Now, to clarify on this post and why I'm making it. My conservative friends tend to think that I too am conservative. My liberal friends likewise tend to think that I am liberal. So to clarify, I am neither. Just confused. And indecisive. One of those scary independents who are so influential and also so easily influenced/manipulated. I think both presidential candidates have major, major flaws and am uncomfortable voting for either of them. But obviously I have to choose. But I wanted to point out that Obama has had an edge on this election from day 1, and that was the media. Whether he's just media-savvy, has the right connections, or has really influential people behind him (probably a combination of all three) the media, almost ALL of them (that's right Dr. McPherson, despite your claims for conservative media-bias, which I think are ridiculous). Anyways, where was I? The media. In. Obama's. Pocket. Like a puppet. Every story about him I have read is how it's so "historical" or about how the only people who won't vote for him are racist, etc. Every story about McCain is actually about Sarah Palin or about how angry and negative he's been etc. And it just floors me that this goes all the way back to 2005. Who did Newsweek predict as Republican nominee for 2008? Rick Santorum. Rick who? John McCain gets mug shot and a box. Kind of shows you what he's up against. Or was up against. Even in 2005.