Why can't everyone just settle down, get out of the way, get rid of the "distractions," and let Barack Obama do his magic? That seems to be a recurring media meme during this presidential transition period.
Here are just a few examples in just the past 30 days:
AFP's Jitendra Joshi offered up the latest example yesterday:
In distraction for Obama, chaos stalks new Senate
The new US Senate is set to convene in a swirl of allegations of corruption, voter fraud and dynastic nepotism that threatens to dog the early days of Barack Obama's presidency.
..... The senatorial to-and-fro is an unwelcome distraction for Obama as he prepares to take office on January 20, reliant on a focused Congress to enact his ambitious plans including a mammoth economic stimulus package.
Republican blocking tactics in the Senate could undermine that agenda, especially if the Democrats' provisional working majority of 59-41 is weakened by court challenges.
The circus surrounding Burris -- and more specifically around Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich -- is a distraction closer to home for the president-elect following his weekend move to Washington from Chicago.
You see, it's such a shame that unimportant things like criminal investigations and election disputes are happening. Apparently, nothing should get in the way of Barack Obama and his appointed agenda.
By taking up precious column inches and bandwidth bellyaching about "distractions," the press is also able to avoid explaining how different the agenda of Obama the president-elect appears to be in comparison to the agenda of Obama the candidate, and how remarkably fluid it seems to be on a nearly day-to-day basis.
Not so coincidentally, if that agenda, whatever it is, fails to materialize or to become law, the press can cite the distractions it has been dutifully qualifying as convenient excuses. After all, discussing what might have been wrong with the agenda in the first place would be so, well, distracting.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
