Veteran journalist Don Campbell puzzles over that question in a column at USA Today. Sister Toldjah and Jimmie at the Sundries Shack criticize Campbell for not clearly identifying the establishment media’s general liberal bias as the culprit.  Campbell does say that “Obama has been ill-served by a press corps that seemingly was mesmerized by the large, frenzied crowds who turn out to see the Democratic rock star,” which partially embodies the problem — Campbell is looking at the failure of the press as not serving Obama well.
The swooning press was simply following Obama’s lead.  When Obama gave his speech on race in March, suggesting that non-blacks did not understand the black church, the establishment media went along with the notion that Wright was a typical black preacher, even if it meant smearing most black churchgoers. After Obama expressly distanced himself from Wright in April, the media started reporting that Wright was not typical, as documented at the prior link, not to mention newer stories from Bloomberg , USN&WR and RCP (regular pw readers already knew this). Most of the establishment media remains committed to following whatever narrative Obama decides is operative at the moment.ÂÂ
Campbell hints at another reason even more obliquely:
…the Hillary Clinton campaign should have done the opposition research that would have exposed the dark side of the Obama-Wright connection. Nobody’s better at this line of work than the Clintonistas. My guess is they didn’t take Obama seriously enough, or they were reluctant to take on a black minister, or they figured the news media would do it for them. Silly them.
No one seriously thinks that Camp Clinton was unaware of Wright. That Clinton was unwilling to raise the issue was due in part the tyranny of political correctness and fear of the race card.  That Campbell thinks it was “silly” to expect that the press would raise the issue — despite the fact that Wright had gotten coverage in 2007 — suggests the media was similarly intimidated.
(Obviously, Dan and I were working at the same time.)
(h/t Memeorandum.)
Vile racists
Yeah, that’s pretty much what gets said… though not about Wright and hardcore Black Liberation Theologians, oddly enough.
Aunt Jememesem, what took you so long?
We can say whatever we want about black people cause they’ll for sure vote Democratic like they always do.
Good old trusty black folks. Oh but it was weird. One of em tried to talk back the other day so we had to do another damn Katrina retrospective. Boring, but it worked like a charm I tell you. Settled right down he did.
What took so long? Do you know how long and tiring those rallies can be? Standing for all of that time, cheering and clapping and fainting? The poor dears were all tuckered out.
This looks like a job for Synthesis!
The press’s “liberal bias” (that label conceals too much) is so proven it’s given, and their willingness to be directed by and further narratives hatched by the “power” they claim to “speak truth to” is obvious, and frequently stupidly admitted.
Ideology is never primary (Marx!), so the press’s “liberal bias” is an epiphenomenon of its obedience.
“But but they’re obedient to liberals because they’re liberals!”
But but that’s who we’re all socialized, acculturated, schooled, endlessly browbeaten, and frequently legally obliged to obey. They do.
In a kingdom, they’d be His messengers. In China, they’d be Party propagandists. Etc.
Their “liberal”ism is an accident of time and geography. Their cravenness isn’t.
It’s not really their cravenness. At least people what give them their monies are a lot complicit anyway.
I blame Ann Althouse.
feet,
Whose reputation was worse, Jacob or Esau?
[…] Karl, writing at protein wisdom, has a really good observation about the piece. Campbell does say that “Obama has been ill-served by a press corps that seemingly was […]
I think that the reason Wright didn’t come out sooner is that the Clintons didn’t want to use that unless they had to, and were concerned about the long-term consequences. Yes, they want political power, but they’re also anti-Republican in a virulent, hateful way. If Senator Obama ended up winning the nomination, then they might have helped Senator McCain win by bringing this stuff up. So it was a decision they were reluctant to act on.
Oh. I’m not 100% sure really. I bet Esau. No one names their kids Esau no more.