Last night's CBS 2 Chicago's newscast led off with a segment on Barack Obama's visit to Kuwait. The station's Web site includes a written report headlined "Soldiers Overjoyed To Meet Obama In Kuwait." The accompanying video is titled "Troops In Kuwait Thrilled By Obama Visit." Obama was "applauded thunderously" by "excited soldiers," according to reporter Susan Carlson. How the media determined the troops were both overjoyed and thrilled isn't detailed. President Bush and others have been greeted by our troops with similar enthusiasm, but I doubt that overjoyed or thrilled were used in describing it.
This typifies the caliber of detached, objective reporting we've come to expect when Mr. Wonderful is the subject at hand. The mainstream media will be tossing bouquets - and probably their undies - in the direction of Obama.
Carlson did mention on her video report that Obama's campaign hopes his overseas trip will "overcome criticism that he lacks experience in world affairs." He needs major help in that area. As noted on CNN.com earlier this year:
At a campaign stop in November, Obama told an Iowa audience that "probably the strongest experience I have in foreign relations is the fact that I spent four years living overseas when I was a child in Southeast Asia."
Can you imagine? Four whole years as a grammar school student provide him, by his own admission, with his strongest experience in foreign relations. I'm certain his supporters are overjoyed and thrilled by it all. As well as the mainstream media, of course.
It's going to be a very long week.
