Obama Boots Journalists Off His Plane: Sign of Things to Come?
Posted: Friday, October 31, 2008
by Mogama
http://www.mogama.info
Fox News asks the question, "Is the Obama campaign being unfair to the press?" Fox writes, "Journalists from three major newspapers which have endorsed John McCain reportedly have been booted from Barack Obama's plane with just four days left in the presidential campaign. The reporters work for The Washington Times, The New York Post and The Dallas Morning News."
That source says, "According to Drudge, reporters from the New York Post, Washington Times, and Dallas Morning News -- all papers that endorsed John McCain -- are being asked to move out by Sunday to make room for 'network bigwigs', documentary filmmakers, and possibly reporters from two black magazines, Essence and Jet."
On his blog, John Barry, asserts, "Obama Campaign stifles free speech and boots McCain endorsing Journalists off plane". Then John Barry explodes with this, "This decision exposes the real Obama and smacks of Stalinism... This has much in common with Castro's Cuba and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. No doubt both would approve of Baracks attempts to muzzle the media. Does Obama believe in free speech?"
In his piece on the News Busters website, Matthew Shieffield's headline reads, "Obama Campaign Gives Washington Times the Boot." Shieffield sees this as "a disturbing sign for the future".
In defending the move, Camp Obama explains that they respect Washington Times reporter Christina Bellatoni, but that the aircraft simply ran out of seats in the final days of the campaign due to a greater number of journalists wanting to board the Obama plane. To point out that the move was non-partisan, the Obama Campaign says reporters from Fox News, which leans conservative and towards McCain, continues to travel with Obama.
Perhaps there is something to my theory that there are certain professionals who should not endorse political candidates, since it stains their traditional roles as agents of objectivity. My list includes ministers (pastors and priests); active higher-up military officers (like generals); and journalists (including newspapers).
When newspapers endorse politicians, be they Republican, Democrat or Independent candidates, they undermine their status as objective observers, reporters and commentators. And once journalists step into the political football field, they become fair game for political power plays, which may have been what the Obama people did here.
As a political independent, I see cause for concern here, but it may be premature to spot a precedent in this move by the Obama Campaign. Are we prepared to conclude that an Obama presidency will freeze free speech, based on this? Sure, this was a dumb move by the Obama Campaign as PR goes, and it might cost him some votes on November 4th by some independents angered and troubled by it. But to make the leap that America is about to become Communist Russia or Cuba under Obama requires longer legs than a bullfrog can boast. Let's not raise people's blood pressure and increase our health care cost over something like asking reporters to get off a politician's plane to make room for other reporters that the candidate deems fairer or even friendlier in their reporting. Who are we kidding? Who is the politician that wants more than his or her share of hostile reporters, especially if that politician is footing the bill for their travels?
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