Beyond Times Coverage ...
by , 2008-07-30
To the Editor:
The issue that transcends both Barack Obama's European trip and the NY Times coverage, fair or not, is that neither appears to impact those most critical to winning: stodgy, socially conservative, low-information Mid-westerners in PA, MI, and OH, plus NH, still more comfortable with John McCain than Obama.
Whatever McCain's gaffes, errors, and backward views, despite even his support for a war a huge majority of Americans reject, consistent polling in these all-important states indicate Obama is not winning enough new supporters. It's even possible that the Germany speech may distract, even undermine, the desired switch by "Reagan Democrats" who supported Bush to this year's Democrat. Any candidate who wins three of these four states is virtually guaranteed the presidency.
The truth is, one can argue about media coverage in various ways. Yes, Obama gets more coverage but according to one recent report more analysis, even criticism; McCain's contradictions are not highlighted and he gets away with outright errors without modest challenge. But ultimately, to the degree any candidate controls his destiny, what a winning campaign must do is be disciplined, keep the message clear, use its money wisely, and focus on essential voters not in states like California (a done deal) but in more racially-oriented, novelty-adverse small towns and backwaters mainly in the Midwest.
What Obama hasn't done sufficiently is address racism, focus on widespread economic hardship, and tie McCain to Bush and bad policies of the past. That was clearly not what Germany was about except in the most abstract terms.
To that degree, Obama's trip to the Mid-east was a clear plus but the digression to Europe, while establishing good foreign affair credentials, may have been a neutral or negative for unpersuaded voters that will really matter in November, like it or not. Frankly, most Mid-west voters don't care a hoot about the NY Times (even the wonderful Frank Rich) or anything but their local papers, or more likely prosaic, even parochial local TV news.
Robert Becker
Mendocino CA
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