Dual Press Corps Duel

» TNR: Out of the Tank (Noam Scheiber)

Scheiber gives a pretty good overview of the different press corps that cover Presidential campaigns and why they seem to be finally challenging Barack Obama a bit more than in the past. This is exactly the type of work you don't see in the reductionist theories of "liberal bias" entrepreneurs. On the downside, it also paints an all-too-common portrait of what's wrong with many Democratic campaigns - the belief that the media is on your side (if not that they are supposed to be on your side), and making them your friends will blunt any attacks down the road ...

Some working stiffs note that Obama, when left to his own devices, seems to prefer the work of the elites. One observes that Obama is constantly working through a stack of newspapers, with The New York Times often on top (though Obama did recently comment to reporters that USA Today has gotten to be a "respectable paper"). These reporters say that Obama is unusually solicitous of Times columnist Maureen Dowd when she materializes on the campaign trail. They recall how he recently sidled up to her on the plane and remarked on her snazzy pair of boots.

Remind me again ... when was the last time Maureen Dowd ever won an election for anyone?