Imagine, if you will, a mainstream news outlet broadcasting an hour-long special from the Blue Room in the White House during the recent Bush administration to discuss George Bush’s plan to reform Social Security with no opposing views from the Democrats.

What’s that I hear? Oh right, crickets.

Yet ABC News is going to do just that next week: broadcast an hour-long town hall special called “Questions for the President: Prescription for America,” in which The Won^TM (as opposed to The One^TM) will answer questions by participants selected by ABC News, and no one from the Republican side of the aisle has been invited to give an alternative viewpoint. One wonders if the questions and answers will all be loaded on Obama’s trusty sidekick TeleTonto so as to avoid those embarrassingly long hems and haws that occur when he’s “off book.”

Don’t forget Brian Williams with NBC News, spending a day with the president who was so eager to show everyday American schlubs what a great guy he is that he ran out to purchase hamburgers for the staff with Brian and camera crew in tow. I suppose that’s better than having them flown in.

Poor Katie Couric at CBS. Her ratings are so far down the toilet that the only way she could possibly hope to top the competition would be to broadcast the nightly news from the Obamas’ bedroom. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if CBS hasn’t already approached the First Couple with the pitch.

I’d like to imagine Charles Gibson in the Blue Room as he was when he questioned vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin during the last campaign: looking down his nose at her, contempt oozing from his pores as he asked her tougher questions than those he asked the presidential candidate on the other ticket. But it’s hard to look down your nose at someone when you’re busy kissing his ring.

ABC, of course, defends their decision. Senior VP Kerry Smith said, “Like any programs we broadcast, ABC News will have complete editorial control. To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience.” ABC also says that those participating in this so-called news event will present a broad range “divergent opinions in this historic debate.”

Question: Is there any part of the Obama presidency that isn’t historic in the eyes of the MSM? Imagine the MSM as proud parents, snapping pictures of baby’s first bath, baby’s first solid food, and baby’s first steps, and breathlessly showing them to every one of their acquaintances, regardless of whether or not those acquaintances are interested. “See what we created? Aren’t we special? Just look at the cute little buggins. See, look here, he just passed gas and is smiling about it!”

I can see the next headline now: “Obama sneaks first cigarette in the Rose Garden; no health risk involved because he eats his veggies and plays b-ball.”

Traditionally, the press has seen itself as a watchdog of sorts, looking out for the interests of the people and focusing a very jaundiced eye on the goings-on in government. Never accept what they give you at face value, always dig further in pursuit of the truth – whatever that truth may be. One of their proudest moments in recent history was bringing Richard Nixon down, and they’ve been tooting their own horns ever since.

You may have been frustrated with the way much of the media portrayed our previous president as a buffoonish moron with a little evil sprinkled in, but it’s actually preferable to treating the president as some sort of prodigious miracle child who is incapable of taking a wrong step. Here’s what it’s all about: The MSM, in their rush to be a part of “history,” helped to shape and mold this president by overlooking his ideologies, worldview and inexperience during the campaign. Now they face the task of either exposing their own incompetence or continuing the farce. For now, their choice seems fairly obvious. And with legislation being suggested that would bail out failing newspapers, the slide down the slippery slope seems inevitable.

Don’t forget too that the current administration seems to enjoy preventing reporters from covering events as mundane as the president meeting a college women’s basketball team. As Jake Tapper (yes, surprise, from ABC) wonders, “Do you want your OTV?”

Is the age of a free press in America over? Has the age of Pravda, of Granma, come to the shores of the land of the free? It certainly seems that way at times. But have faith in the American people. We’re pretty good at separating the wheat from the chaff. Sometimes it takes a little while, but we usually get with the program. And as long as the new media continue to thrive, the necessary balance will remain so that the people can find the truth for themselves.

In the meantime, grab a bowl of popcorn (before there’s a sin tax put on it) and enjoy the show.

 

Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views of Accuracy in Media or its staff.

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