The inauguration of the first African-American president is an historic affair, one that should be properly celebrated by all. But when the so-called "objective" network anchors begin comparing a routine political ceremony to a spiritual awakening, have they gone too far?
"Sacred." "Majesty." "Sacrament." "Pilgrimage." These are words loaded with religious and spiritual meaning. And they're words used to describe the inauguration of President Barack Obama by CBS, NBC and ABC anchors on their evening and mornings news shows.
Perhaps the most blatant conflation of politics and spirituality came from CBS chief national correspondent Byron Pitts when he described the event to Evening News anchor Katie Couric as a quiet church service, "more like the nation's pulpit and the chapel stretched on for miles."
ABC ‘Nightline' reporter Cynthia McFadden also described the event in lofty terms, saying "If today was the majesty, tonight is the magic," as she reported from an inaugural ball in Washington, D.C.
NBC correspondent Lee Cowan reported for the NBC ‘Nightly News' inaugural coverage that even street corners "fell silent, almost becoming a political cathedral of sorts."
Thanks to CBS Early Show host Harry Smith, the spiritual comparisons didn't fade into the night with the inaugural celebrations. This morning, Smith reflected on the inauguration as "one of the sacraments of our national religion," calling the inaugural attendees "pilgrims," who came to D.C. to witness "this most sacred event."
According to Webster's Dictionary, the definition of sacred is "dedicated to worship; holy." The network anchors seem to have bestowed upon themselves the sacred responsibility to highlight every spiritual connection they can muster up.
Erin Brown is an intern at the Culture and Media Institute, a division of the Media Research Center.





















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They're just saying what
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 14:38 ET by TexasteacherThey're just saying what most of the liberals think. obama is their god, their savior, their source of 'gubment cheese. I guess there is not separation of church and state if you worship the president as a god.
Now if you're chris matthews, not only is obama your god, he's also your love and cuddles!
Those liberal nitwits show
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 14:42 ET by Old EuropeThose liberal nitwits show their true colors unintentionally all the time. They are atheistic, pseudo-christian hypocrites who do not really believe in the Bible(it's a living document like the constititution you know) but only worship politicians and power. If they were serious about God they wouldn't dare imply Obama's inauguration is a holy event. All sect leaders and assorted Gurus use socialism to gather people around them. And Obama is the new guru for the faithless. It is true that Satan is the God of this world. Satan's mind has had a chockehold on the msm for decades now and this is how an opportunist as Obama came to power.
Spiritual my ass! He's
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 15:15 ET by Clear thinkerSpiritual my ass!
He's already started... Obama Kills Pro-Life
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
It was indeed a "spiritual" event. The "SPRITUAL FORCES ...
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 15:30 ET by Jayke... OF EVIL" have their man BARRKY the PRINCE OF ABORTION in the White House and we are in for some terrible times.
Liberals are so worried about religion
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 16:07 ET by katiejaneinterferring with their "do whatever you want to feel good" mindset but they don't seem to have any problem attributing religious meaning to the coronation of their chosen one. Did we just elect a president or did we install a cult leader?
LOL
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 16:18 ET by rick007]
So was the meeting of Eve and the Snake a spiritual event.
Well
Wed, 01/21/2009 - 16:22 ET by rick007It kills them not conservitives
Our first love
Thu, 01/22/2009 - 09:07 ET by RadiomanThe thing we love the most ( money, fame, sex, our body, etc... ) we often worship. We put THAT in place of a true relationship with God, and when what we worship is "human" --which is usually the case--we will always be disappointed so we place another "human" on our alter whether it be Elvis or Obama. We assign all spiritual characteristics to that thing and make solemn use of a spiritual vocabulary to describe our new god-experience because we feel a need to worship something and have a deep hole in our hearts. So, those with no faith in God will find their faith in something/anything.
Forgive the sermon.
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