16 Apr 08 Robert Niles: ‘There is no such thing as “off the record” anymore.’

So says Online Journalism Review editor Robert Niles. Niles says this in the wake of the huge stink made over Barack Obama’s comments at a recent gathering where journalists were not allowed.

Huffington Post writer Mayhill Flower was there, she recorded what Obama said and the rest is very recent history. What’s funny is that the bigger story is what Obama said, which wasn’t that big of a deal, but that he was in a venue that was supposed to be forbidden to journalists.

Why?

He’s a presidential candidate, a potential leader of the free world. Every place he speaks and every word he says is in the public interest. Speaking to an exclusive group of rich fund raisers isn’t the best way to shake that ‘elitist’ stigma, but I digress. We’re talking about journalism here. Says Niles:

With so many people publishing to blogs, Facebook pages and discussion boards, any professional news reporter who agrees to respect an “off the record” request at a meeting is committing an act of unilateral professional disarmament. I say… bag that. Don’t tell organizers that you’re a reporter. You’re a citizen, too. Get in, and report on what you see, just like any other citizen would.

In fact, the Obama incident provides a compelling argument why news reporters ought to contribute to political campaigns, to buy themselves access to more events that they can cover.

I agree. In the blogger/online journalist/grassroots journalism age, nothing is “off the record” for those in the public eye. Politicians, lawmakers and even celebrities need to know, we are the media and we are watching.

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Tags: news, online journalism

08 Mar 07 The Obama Non-Story of the Week.

In yet another attempt to find fault where there is none, Barack Obama is being forced to to defend allegations of wrongdoing regarding investments he made that raise ethical concerns and conflicts of interest. The problem, the allegations are completely baseless and can be cast aside with simple knowledge of how investments work.

Obama entered a “blind-trust” agreement with his broker, a common agreement with investors and similar to what happens in commodities and futures trading. His broker invested in stocks that he thought would benefit Obama, the conditions of the trust allowed him to do so without consulting Obama. Turns out, some of the investments were in companies that would be affected by legislation that Obama was a part of or had a hand in.

When he found out that these investments could be seen as a conflict of interest (even though they weren’t), he sold them at a $13,000 loss before the story even broke.

So where’s the wrong-doing and why is this such a huge story? Oh wait that’s right, because it isn’t. If anything this story should be an example of his ethical and moral upstanding and his dedication to being open. Instead, it’s trumpeted as a possible window into a dark (though not dark enough) part of who he is.

No one is squeaky clean, including Obama, the difference is that he’s been pretty much an open book since day one (literally) yet his opponents are continually grasping at straws in an attempt to smear him. The Obama train keeps on moving, though the station is far, far away.

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Tags: non-story, Obamania, right-wing smear

11 Feb 07 It’s Official, Obama Enters Presidential Race

Obamania continues with Senator Barack Obama announcing on Saturday, February 10th that he will enter the 2008 presidential race, something everyone already knew he intended to do. This speech served as merely a formality to cement his candidacy. Truthfully, it would have been bigger news if Obama said he wasn’t going to run.

Watch the video announcement.

There is the danger of Obama’s popularity peaking too early and, much like Howard Dean in 2004, he will not have the support to get the nomination. I stand by my earlier statement regarding Obama, but he will certainly have my support.

After his official declaration Australian Prime Minister John Howard (a staunch supporter of President Bush and the war in Iraq) fired the first anti-Obama missile:

“If I were running al-Qa’ida in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats.”

…

Mr Howard said Senator Obama’s election as US president would be disastrous for the war on terrorism.

“He’s wrong,” he told the Nine Network’s Sunday program. “I think (the March 2008 deadline) will just encourage those who want to completely destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory.”

Mr Howard said a US withdrawal from Iraq by March next year would only occur in “circumstances of defeat”.

This “terrorists want Obama to win” rhetoric will be a card that Republicans (and possibly even his Democratic opponents) will be playing up on the road to 2008. It has been said that this will be the most expensive campaign cycle ever, and it will no doubt be the most intensely fought.

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Tags: 2008 Election, Obamania

22 Jan 07 Right-Wing Limbo

Just when you thought the Right couldn’t get any lower, they drop this bomb of journalistic irresponsibility.

Come one guys. Attack his voting record, attack his inexperience, hell even attack his books; but for the sake of us all don’t inject completely false arguements into the arena. It’s muddled enough with conjecture and disinformation, keep it real please.

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Tags: smears

20 Jan 07 Hats in the ring.

So Obama’s in.

So is John Edwards.

And now so is Hilary.

No doubt Hilary and Barack have the best chances to win the nomination right now. The Hilary announcement was inevitable, but I fear that Barack did so out of a feeling of obligation due to all of the attention he is getting lately. I just hope this massive amount of support carries through to the end and people don’t give up on him when the opposition starts trotting out trivial facts.

And honestly, I don’t think any of the other potentials have much of a chance.

Obama like what!

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Tags: 2008 Election, Hilary Clinton

31 Oct 06 Obama’s Book Deal

Barack Obama and the Book Business
By Peter Osnos, The Century Foundation

Now comes the part in which Obama showed a steely side and displayed an element of character which, while completely legal and entirely within his rights as a writer, makes me uneasy. Everyone agrees that our political system and values are being corroded by money. One subset of the cash culture is that public figures use books funded by large media companies to support a lifestyle that is possible only because their service to the country makes them salable. Generals Tommy Franks and Norman Schwarzkopf came home from their Persian Gulf stints and took about $5 million each to write about their triumphs. Bill and Hillary Clinton earned tens of millions of dollars telling the stories of their lives in the White House. As soon as Newt Gingrich led the GOP to a 1994 takeover of the House of Representatives, he signed a $4 million contract with Rupert Murdoch–owned HarperCollins. Revelation of the deal backfired on Gingrich. Eventually, he took $1 and royalties on copies sold. But the episode made Gingrich a target on ethics issues.

After his victory, Obama, on the advice of friends I have been told, decided to replace Dystel as his agent with Robert Barnett, the formidable Washington lawyer who has represented the Clintons and a host of other major Washington political figures and writers. Whereas agents take a flat percentage of all the clients’ earnings—usually 15 percent these days—Barnett charges by the hour, which means that the bill is substantially smaller as a portion of the proceeds on big deals. Dystel, a feisty sort, was furious. I have no idea about the details of interaction between Barnett, Dystel, and Obama, but I would bet it was not warm and fuzzy.

Between Election Day 2004 and his swearing in as a Senator, Obama signed a two-book deal with Crown for “seven figures” (probably somewhere in the vicinity of $1.5–$2.0 million). By signing the contract before taking office, which Hillary Clinton also did on her book deal, Obama does not fall under various requirements for disclosure and reporting that applies to members of Congress. The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream was published this month to great fanfare and sold, according to Bookscan, the service that tracks about three-fourths of book sales, 67,000 copies in its first week.

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Like Osnos says, while entirely legal it is a little shady for Barack to be cashing in on services not yet rendered (so to speak, he may in fact prove live up to the hype). Once again, I love Barack Obama, but he is walking a very thin line between celebrity and public servant. He needs to decide which role he prefers more and go with it.

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23 Oct 06 The Audacity of Hype.

Barack Obama’s recent allusion toward a 2008 presidential run has people from all points on the political map foaming at the mouth over the potential. The idea of a woman and a mixed-raced candidate battling it out for the Democratic nomination has history-making potential, regardless of the outcome.

My problem, I don’t think Barack Obama should run for president in 2008. There, I said it. Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Barack Obama. He’s a great speaker, he’s educated, he exudes charisma and humanism, and right now he has the star power to run a killer campaign and possibly win. That’s right now though, who knows what might be happening in 2008? People are fickle and right now his celebrity status is based less on his policy stance and voting record, but on his race and an endorsement by Oprah Winfrey. I do like what Obama represents, which is change and unity. But is that enough to run the country and take it from shit to shinola?

There is also the issue of his experience, which I know is a cheap shot but it is a fact. Obama has been in Congress just shy of two years of his first six-year Senate term, a term he vowed to serve. Despite his extreme intelligence and ability to articulate himself, he still has very little experience in foreign policy and other aspects of Washington. Then again, perhaps that is a good thing. He would enter the office untainted, pure, and owing very few favors to constituents and lobbyists.

Obama himself seems reticent to run for president in 2008, and it almost appears that he is giving in to peer pressure from the mob. Honestly, if you asked the mob why they think Obama should run for president they would most likely talk more about his smile and 2004 Democratic Convention speech than his actual politics. While this is fine, I fear that this momentum isn’t quite enough to carry him until 2008 and into a Democratic nomination and presidential election win. I do endorse Senator Obama further down the road mind you, and perhaps even as a vice-presidential candidate in 2008. Right now I think it is too soon, despite all of the talk. I think right now it is easy for people to talk big. Talk is cheap, especially in politics. People say they want him to run and would vote for him in 2008 because it is a safe thing to say right now, he’s not running. When it comes down to it though, when they are in that voting booth, will people take the gamble or go with the sure money bet (whoever that may be)?

I think the biggest danger right now is in placing Obama on too high of a pedestal. His current goldenboy status cannot last forever, no one is infallible. As I said the mob can be fickle and at the first sign of weakness or the first mistake, I fear that they will turn on their hero. Everyone has skeletons, and if Obama runs in 2008 I have no doubt in my mind that the Republicans (and possibly even Democrats) will dig these skeletons up and trot them out in order to knock him from his perch. He will be an easy target and if the smears succeed it could ruin any hope for a future presidential run. Once again, I’m not saying that a 2008 Obama ticket doesn’t have legs. They just might be wobbly ones right now. I’m not trying to be negative or a party-pooper, but just trying to look at this possibility realistically.

However, with all of that being said, if Obama does decide to run I will do everything in my power to see to it that he gets elected (as much as one college student can do anyway). I’ll donate money, do some grassroots campaigning and do all of the other things people do these days to support their candidate. I will support and vote for Barack Obama, I just hope everyone else who is talking the talk right now is willing to stand behind him from beginning to end and walk the walk.

Thoughts?

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Tags: 2008 Election, hope