Today's Conventional Wisdom at Newsweek.com gives the imperial thumbs down for public campaign financing system, and all because the all-but-anointed Democratic champion is foregoing federal funding.:
[Down arrow] Public campaign financing: Obama decision to forgo funds could signal the end of system.
Besides being entirely too premature to make a pronouncement like that, it's a blown opportunity for the snarky editors at Newsweek to blast Obama for breaking a campaign pledge. Rather than assign the Illinois Democrat a down arrow for backing out of his pledge to run on public financing, Newsweek is heralding the demise of a system Obama seemed to favor just months ago.
One doesn't have to be that cynical to think the reversal has less to do with a genuine change of heart than an opportunistic change in campaign strategy. After all, pledging to run on public financing and eschewing private contributions plays well for liberal Democratic primary audiences but doesn't stand one in good stead to win an election due to the constraints it places on spending and fundraising. Surely to suggest that Obama knew this all along would comfortably fall into the real conventional wisdom inside the Beltway.
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If
June 20, 2008 - 12:16 ET by cvgbuckeyeIf Osama Obama gave a thumbs down to all future pooping, Newsweek would declare that pooping is now obsolete and should be avoided in the future at all costs.
Of course that would put all of the libs, msm and dems in the condition that we have always suspected.
Hey, folks, this is the
June 20, 2008 - 12:41 ET by motherbeltHey, folks, this is the "new kind of politics" that we're all "hungry for" dontcha know!!
Whatever the Obama does is the future.....
It's not an editoria page!
June 20, 2008 - 13:12 ET by Agrarian-DecentralistAs Newsweek used to explain on its Conventional Wisdom page, "The CW is not NEWSWEEK's opinion, but an informal distillation of the
ever-changing thinking of Beltway pundits and the chattering classes." You can argue that the page editor did not correctly interpret that "ever changing thinking"in this instance, but since this is not an editorial column, it makes no sense to take Newsweek to task for not taking the opportunity to "blast" Obama's decision.
By the way, in the interest of balanced discussion, it would behoove Mr. Shepherd and other commentators at NewsBusters to note that John McCain has had his own flip-flop on public campaign financing. first participating, then pulling out when his struggling primary campaign gained some traction.
OK
June 20, 2008 - 13:42 ET by cvgbuckeyeOK Agrarian, fair enough. Now lets deal with this "ever-changing thinking of Beltway pundits". Ever-changing from what,libto leftists to left wing to socialist to Marxist? Now I'll give you that.
Further, who gave you the impression that Newsbusters is or was ever intended to be of "balanced discussion". My guess is that "balanced discussion",to you, means something like where msnbc stacks a panel of 4 libs against 1 RINO or something similar to the dem's definition of "bi-partison", where the Republicans cave entirely into the dems position.
Newsbusters is dedicated to exposing liberal bias in the MSM. If you want "Fair and Balanced", I would highly recommend Fox News.
The information distillation
June 20, 2008 - 13:45 ET by Ken ShepherdThe information distillation still skews leftward in most cases.
However this is not a left-right issue. Obama clearly is backpedaling on a pledge, and calling the public finance system "broken" when clearly just months ago he upheld it as preferable.
So conventional wisdom among Washington insiders, left or right it would seem to me, would be that Obama is being heavily opportunistic here.
A cogent
June 20, 2008 - 13:25 ET by docbbusiness decision about the amount money raised for the campaign and how it can best be raised under the 'CHANGE' banner...is not flip-flopping just because his oponnent needs to use this to raise the money for his campaign! Silly- pundit chatter....
Media to the rescue
June 20, 2008 - 13:31 ET by allamericangirlIt looks like Obama's halo has started to tarnish and slip off his head.
But not to fear, thanks to Media like Newsweek they
will have that halo shined and sitting proudly on his head by the end of the day.
Proud to be a Bitter-Clinger
The solution is quite
June 20, 2008 - 13:56 ET by CooltomThe solution is quite simple. The monies generated by the Public Financing checkoffs are to be solely used for Presidential elections. Thus if Obama wants to refuse the money the only fair option -- and to level the playing field -- is to give the $84 million to McCain. If you want to hear liberals scream the alternative would be to give the money to Ralph Nader. Giving the money to Cynthia McKinney would cause an outcome too gruesome (yet deliciously hilarious) to contemplate.
Ken. The LA Times headlined the story..
June 20, 2008 - 15:31 ET by Gary HallKen. The LA Times today headlined this story on the front page of the paper today as, Obama sets his own terms for the race . Note: The online headline is different and is simply, "Barack Obama rejects public funding of his campaign."
As to be expected, the thrust of the message is that Obama is a leader, can make these powerful decisions in making the right moves to lead our country.
oops - sorry I had to pause to clean off my keyboard.
We all know that the entire agenda ofpromoting and endorsing public funding in presidental campaings is one which is solidly supported by the left side of the isle and, naturally enough, in concert by the MSM.
Had McCain made a decision to flip on a major issue (oh this is too easy. Offshore drilling just might come to mind here. See Brent Baker's post - CBS Evening News Airs Brief Against Offshore Drilling.) the entire MSM would be out in full force attacking him for his change of heart, while presenting their best case for why he was wrong (in their view),
Here, not only has Obama flipped, we see the media flipping as well, and instead of going after Obama on their own terms, they revert to their usual mode of, "they say," by only using McCain's words to attack Obama.
Cowards - they are. (;~/ gary
Barack Obama as Frank
June 20, 2008 - 15:41 ET by Ken ShepherdBarack Obama as Frank Sinatra. He did it his way.
..Sinatra
June 20, 2008 - 17:32 ET by Gary HallLOL. ..and the little mindless mice (MSM) will follow him into the sea. (;~> gary
Gee, that Obama Bus is sure
June 21, 2008 - 14:13 ET by Prez RudyGee, that Obama Bus is sure gettin bumpy with everything that is being thrown under it that will get in the way of the Obamessiah's path...