**Update**I've Been Scolded...

It’s always nice to see someone thank another for their hard work, isn’t it? Well, here at the end of this long, long presidential campaign (it’s been going on since 2004 for Barack and the Old Media, after all), Barack Obama has thanked his fellow campaign members in the Old Media for their hard work as they’ve fronted for him, pushed for him, and willingly dived straight in the tank for him.

AFP has the story of The One allowing the press to kiss his ring one more time. Barack even deigned to make a rare appearance in the back of the campaign plane among his “gracious” sycophants in the press.

Democrat Barack Obama made a rare foray to the press section of his campaign plane early Tuesday -- election day -- to thank reporters for accompanying him on his grueling 21-month ride.

This is something that has always amazed me. The press has fallen all over themselves acting the toady to the Obamessiah, yet he rarely went among them in unguarded moments to talk with them. He studiously ignored them the whole time he had them on his plane, he rarely talked to them at all, and when he did it was mere stump speech material he gave them. There are several Old Media types that have written that after all these months on the campaign trail, none of them really know anything about Barack’s personality. So guarded has he been that there has rarely been a laugh or a nod to the press on that plane. Yet, this singular fact never dimmed the Old Media’s love for him. Like the girls that only like the boys that beat them up, the Old Media were treated like garbage by the Obama campaign, yet they never waivered in their love for him just the same.

Obama went on to thank his subjects in the Old Media even though he “acknowledged there had been ‘sometimes friction’ between the campaign and the press.” What “friction”? They never even asked him a question for the last four years! How could there have been any “friction”?

"But you guys have been gracious and understanding," he said, following conservative criticism of the press for its coverage of Obama, as his plane prepared to depart after a huge rally in Virginia for Chicago.

"It's been a good long ride with all of you," the Illinois senator said. "Whatever happens tomorrow (Tuesday) it's going to be extraordinary and you guys have shared this process with us."

Yeah, a “good long ride,” indeed. Of course, it’s not that the Old Media would know much about the “ride.” Because it’s a bit hard to see any light down in that tank!

So, there goes your friendly neighborhood messiah thanking his flock for their hard work for the last four years. Yep, it’s nice to see someone grateful for all the hard work expended on his behalf.

The “gracious” press probably got a thrill up their collective leg, too.

**Update**

I have been scolded and rightly so for one line in this piece and I would herewith like to make an amendment. (And, no, I won't say who scolded me, but suffice to say he is a member of the "Old Media" I am railing about so constantly. I think he'd rather stay anonymous.)

Here's the line:

What “friction”? They never even asked him a question for the last four years! How could there have been any “friction”?

But first, before I amend, my mae culpa. I certainly spoke out of frustration as you can all imagine. Here was The One deigning to pay a last minute visit to the back of the plane, a place he seemed not to even know existed for the better part of a year. Yet, the Old Media kissing his ring were thrilled to get even a second to spend with their messiah. Who else would these people have allowed to so thoroughly ignore them, the denizens of the fourth estate, yet for whom they'd still have found their love for him undiminished and in perpetual full bloom?

So, I wrote that line in sheer disgust at the groveling of the media.

But, the fact is, it isn't entirely true that there wasn't a single member of the media establishment that asked a hard question. There were a few hardy souls in the media that did ask some tough questions of Barack Obama and Joe Biden and they were all exclusively in the "reporter" class. Not the editorialists that universally slobbered all over themselves to bow and scrape to The One. The only editorialists we ever saw with a sharp word for Obama were the ones that are already ideologically opposed to his far left line those for whom opposition is hardly a surprise (your Krauthammers, Wills and Barnes', et al).

But, some of the Old Media's actual reporters did ask some of the though questions, to be sure. Some of the individuals did consistently. Others less so. Some of the Old Media blogs (Like The Caucus Blog, Political Punch, even Politico) did spend time looking into the worst parts of Obama's background and policy claims. Folks like Jake Tapper, Ben Smith, Jonathan Martin, these guys did ask some of the toughies.

So, let's give credit where credit is due... even if we do so grudgingly. To those in the Old Media that took the opportunity to get to the bottom of it all, a tip of my rapier to you. Good job you few, you hardy few.

Now, as the new era of Obama begins to kick off, en garde. Rapiers up. FENCE!