Time's Halperin to Obama: You're not allowed to fight back

[democracy1st]

by Eric Boehlert

Announcing that the president "is being politically crushed in a vise," Mark Halperin delivers an extraordinarily condescending scolding in Time this week. The interesting part is that Halperin's obituary for Obama, penned on behalf of Washington, D.C. "elites" who all know the president is cooked, comes in the wake of Obama's polling rebound last week. (See here and here)

But Halperin makes no mention of that fact. He's too busy telling us what all the really, really smart people know: Obama is in over his head. Worse, he's "clueless" as to "how to get along with or persuade members" of the media! So Halperin rolls over every conceivable RNC, anti-Obama talking point.

But this one to me seemed just bizarre:

Throughout the year, we have been treated to Obama-led attacks on George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Congressman Joe Barton (for his odd apology to BP), John Boehner (for seeking the speakership -- or was it something about an ant?) and Fox News (for everything). Suitable Democratic targets in some cases, perhaps, but not worth the time of a busy Commander in Chief.

That's right, Obama, in the eyes of media elites like Halperin, is not allowed to fight back against his political opponents. Why? Because it's unseemly. Apparently it's not that unseemly when his opponents accuse him of being a racist and a Nazi and tyrant and a liar and a terrorist-sympathizer and foreign-born. It's unseemly when Obama answers his critics. It's unseemly when he defends himself.

This is really just astonishing. Media elites like Halperin have been witness to the most unhinged and hateful and sustained attack on a sitting president in modern American history. Their take-away after nearly two years of this hate-fest? It's Obama's fault. And worse, it's his fault when he defends himself.


http://mediamatters.org/blog/201010110027

[geek tragedy]

1. And, of course, he's Obambi to them if he doesn't fight back.

Media elites SUCK!

[Myrina]

2. apprently, being the slasher-in-chief is the VP's job ...

.... remember Attack Dog Cheney? :shrug: He did all of Dimson's dirty work.

[rufus dog]

3. and if he doesn't fight back

he is deemed to be weak, not aggressive enough to be a leader by these exact same fucktards.

[bluestateguy]

4. I like to read Mark Halperin's columns

That's how we find out what was being chatted about at the previous weekend's Georgetown Cocktail parties.

[Supersedeas]

15. the cocktail minute with Marvelou$ Mark -- this shill's for you

[Blue Owl]

5. You call that fightin', Halperin?

Just wait until he puts the gloves on, mofo.

The GOP is ripe for a good workover.

[Skidmore]

6. Halperin is a pig in love with the sound of his

own snorting and snuffling.

[regnaD kciN]

7. Please recall that Halperin was a speechwriter for Bush Sr.

He's about as "impartial" a commentator as Karl Rove or any of the hacks on Faux Noise.

[spanone]

9. he's also pals with the politico folks....a danger

[Initech]

8. Now remember: the pundits will always do the exact opposite of what Obama says.

[dennis4868]

10. In the article Halperin even uses a .....

Repub campaign commercial as evidence that Obama is not doing well as a president....gee...shocking...a repub paid for commercial says this and Halperin uses this as evidence against Obama....WTF?

[pearl]

11. Halperin is a guy

that I simply can't stand. :puke:

[EC]

12. We have become South America...

the people are being out and out attacked by the elitists ...Remember when the right wing here went crazy when Chevez started hitting back at his press? So now I'm thinking he was fighting another "Fox News" of his own down there...

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

13. I'm waiting for Obama to criticize anyone

But Halperin lives in an RNC fantasy world that pushes the "Obama blames everyone else" meme.

[Uncle Joe]

14. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, democracy1st.