Joe Biden and the press: A case study in the absurd
by Eric Boehlert
Authenticity and access, that's what the campaign press corps craves.
Election scribes claim they long for candidates who venture off-script and are confident enough to reveal themselves on the campaign trail, to say what they really think instead of hiding behind consultant-approved sound bites. (The press, we're told, hates phonies.)
And, of course, the press prizes access to candidates in hopes of uncovering that authenticity, in hopes of tapping the candidate's true personality. The two -- authenticity and access -- are the cornerstones of the press' campaign pursuit.
So when Sen. Joe Biden was tapped as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, it should have been a press dream, right? Biden immediately swung open his doors to the press. And as he's done for years, he showed no hesitation in flashing signs of a caution-be-damned approach on the campaign trail. Forever comfortable in his own skin and representing something of a throwback to the era of garrulous Irish-Catholic pols who loved the art of conversation, Biden seemed to revel in his off-the-cuffs moments with voters and reporters.
And yes, sometimes that meant Biden became tongue-tied and made gaffes and had to walk back comments. But for reporters, Biden's approach sure seemed better than covering the type of play-it-safe candidates they regularly complain about. (I'm picturing Mitt Romney ... )
If anything, grateful reporters should have rewarded Biden's wide-open style (not to mention his generous access), right?
Wrong. Throughout the fall campaign, the press relentlessly painted Biden as a buffoon and a goof. Rather than reward Biden for being open and honest with voters, the press punished him for weeks on end.
The irony was thick. The media loved pushing the Biden-says-nutty-things narrative. Yet the press whines incessantly about how scripted candidates are and that their interaction with voters out on the trail is phony and contrived. They complain about how the candidates aren't entertaining enough, as if that's their job.
Obama "can be sort of a bore" was a typical, he's-not-amusing-us complaint from a Los Angeles Times reporter. "He's {campaigned} with dogged professionalism, but with little show of spontaneity."
But when Biden came along and communicated spontaneously -- authentically -- on the campaign trail and routinely ventured off-script (and yes, said some unexpected and unintentionally humorous things), what did the press do?
The press mocked the candidate for not being scripted enough.
more...
http://mediamatters.org/columns/200811050003?f=h_top
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