NewsBusters fan and PoliticalDerby.com blogger Steve Feinstein picked up on an interesting, albeit subtle, thread of bias in a Chuck Todd "First Read" blog post yesterday wherein the MSNBC Daily Rundown host hailed the 2008 Democratic primary as a "clash of political titans" in Hillary Clinton vs. Barack Obama:
It was one thing for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to duke it out in ’08, trading victories and splitting up the delegates; it was a clash of political titans. But it’s another thing for Romney -- the always-assumed GOP front-runner -- to be unable to pull away from Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.
But "Just how 'titantic' a political figure was Barack Obama in 2008?" Feinstein asked, going on the argue that he was "pretty much the Paris Hilton of politicians" :
How long had he been in the Senate? Was it his first term? Did he in fact spend a huge portion of his first term just running for President? Hillary was criticized for allowing the low-standing junior senator to battle her on even terms, and then her defeat was regarded as something akin to the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team (Obama) beating the heavily-favored “inevitable” Russians (Clinton).
What landmark, Republic-changing legislation did the distinguished Senator Obama introduce and shepherd into law during his long and storied Senate career of, oh, those many months?
In fact, Barack Obama was pretty much the Paris Hilton of politicians–he was reasonably famous for merely being Barack Obama, and nothing more. No accomplishments. No signature legislation. No years-long, well-publicized fights for heart-felt causes. He was modestly-known to some at the time of his announcement for being an attractive, eloquent black politician. Nothing more. (Please do not imbue that statement with negative or nefarious racial implications. It’s intended simply as a political observation.)
That’s a “political titan”?
Feinstein didn't mention it, but when you think about it, Hillary's disastrous turn at politics as First Lady and Senate tenure were unremarkable in policy terms. She was a media celebrity candidate from the very get-go, celebrated for her 2000 run as her husband was winding down his presidency.
And Remember HillaryCare and it's going down in flames in a Democratic Congress? That's often overlooked or excused by the media.
On second thought, that actually was a rather Titanic-like accomplishment.
