Making sure the race stays close.

I think the following article from Jonathan Allen is on point and answers to some degree a question that I have been asking this entire political season: Why does the main stream media ignore the multiple trump scandals and focus like a laser on Hilary's e-mails?

"The  reporter's job is to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" — a credo that, humorously, was originally written as a smear of the self-righteous nature of journalists. And so the justification for going after a public figure increases in proportion to his or her stature. The bigger the figure, the looser the restraints.

After a quarter of a century on the national stage, there's no more comfortable political figure to afflict than Hillary Clinton. And she's in for a lot of affliction over the next year and half.

That's generally a good way for reporters to go about their business. After all, the more power a person wants in our republic, the more voters should know about her or him. But it's also an essential frame for thinking about the long-toxic relationship between the Clintons and the media, why the coverage of Hillary Clinton differs from coverage of other candidates for the presidency, and whether that difference encourages distortions that will ultimately affect the presidential race.

The Clinton rules are driven by reporters' and editors' desire to score the ultimate prize in contemporary journalism: the scoop that brings down Hillary Clinton and her family's political empire. At least in that way, Republicans and the media have a common interest.

I understand these dynamics well, having co-written a book that demonstrated how Bill and Hillary Clinton used Hillary's time at State to build the family political operation and set up for their fourth presidential campaign. That is to say, I've done a lot of research about the Clintons' relationship with the media, and experienced it firsthand. As an author, I felt that I owed it to myself and the reader to report, investigate, and write with the same mix of curiosity, skepticism, rigor, and compassion that I would use with any other subject. I wanted to sell books, of course. But the easier way to do that — proven over time — is to write as though the Clintons are the purest form of evil. The same holds for daily reporting. Want to drive traffic to a website? Write something nasty about a Clinton, particularly Hillary." [ Read more]

If you listen to and watch some in the political chattering class you would think that Hillary's sloppiness with her e-mails and ignorance about her e-mail server is the same as being a bigot, a liar, or flat out sociopath. I can assure you field hands that it is not.

What we are witnessing now is probably the most shameful period in American journalism, where the candidacy of a man who is probably the most dangerous to ever run for the office of president is being normalized,

There are, of course, exceptions. Good for Soledad O'Brien for calling out her colleagues today.

It would have been nice if they heard her. But sadly, we know that they won't. What she is saying just doesn't fit the corporate media agenda.

They have to make this thing a horse race. It's the only way the public will stay engaged and watch their stations to drive up those precious advertising dollars. I mean let's face it, a presidential election only comes around once every four years

*Pic from salon.com

The Iowa Three.

Man it's nice to be home. It's been a long holiday.

So anyway, I am watching the election results come in from Iowa, and CNN is saying that it's going to be close between three candidates. (Poor Newt and Michele.) So far the turnout has been lower than expected. Hmm, I wonder what that means?

There is Soledad O'Brien. Poor thing, she is trying so hard to look comfortable in the land of corn. (She"tussled" with Michele Bachmann on her show.) Soledad claims her black side,but she might want to hold back a little on that until she leaves Iowa.

Thanks to one of the candidates, folks in corn country might start giving her the fuzzy eye ball because they think she wants a handout.

"Rick Santorum was responding to a question Sunday about how he would get the country back on track, and he was telling a group of Iowans that President Obama wanted to make them more dependent on programs like Medicaid.
There was little or no reaction from an audience that appeared to be all, or overwhelmingly, white. And perhaps as a result, Santorum continued with this gem of scapegoating: 

  '“I don’t want to make black peoples’ lives better by giving them somebody else’s money,” Mr. Santorum said. “I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and for their families.”' 

Now that's special. A guy who stole money from the people of Pistolvania is lecturing a race of people about handouts.

"Asked about it later, Santorum told Sean Hannity on Fox News: said: “I haven’t heard it; all I can say is that I don’t single out any group of people– that’s one thing I don’t do,” Santorum explained. “I don’t divide people by group and race and class.”  [Source]

And people wonder why I say that Rick is crazy. Rick, are you saying that you didn't hear what you said? "I haven't heard it"? Yes, I think that's what you are saying.

Folks, I rest my case.

This just in: Santorum is leading with 49% of the votes counted. Hang in there folks, it could be a long night.  

I wonder if Dr. Gates spoke up for her?

What a difference a day makes. I felt so much better today.

Anywhooo, I just caught a little of Soledad O'Brien's Black Folks in A-merry-ca Part 2, and she had some of the usual "black community experts" who brought along some influential people in their lives. Ironically, for Tom Joyner, it was Dr. Henry Louis Gates, a man who has been in the news more than Michael Jackson lately. (Hell, even his O ness talked about the Cambridge beat down at his press conference. Although I don't think white folks will like what he said much. Read the comments after the article I linked.) Sorry people, but the good Doctor disappointed me again. When Soledad asked him about his neighbor who thought she saw a spook sitting by the door and called 911, he damn near apologized for his neighbor. Hell, he even offered to send her flowers.... Dr. Gates, you are a smart man with many letters and honors, but I.... rrriiinnnggg... wait, my phone is ringing....sorry for that folks, it was the Drop Squad, and they wanted to know if I knew Dr. Gate's Cambridge address. Let me stop. (Lord I hope my friends over at The Root don't get mad at me, but they should know me by now. There goes another blogroll. )

But seriously, I got a very deep e-mail from a writer and blogger who I am starting to respect more and more called Eco.Soul. Intellectual. Fam. wrote an interesting piece about the Harvard culture and a young sister who was thrown to the wolves by some of our cousins who inhabit it.

"Several months ago, a burgeoning female scholar by the name of Chanequa Campbell, who hails from Brooklyn, NY, was kicked out of her campus dormitory and not allowed to graduate for her association to a murder suspect. More specifically, she was the friend of the suspect’s girlfriend. The confusing part of this case is that while Campbell was banned and not allowed to graduate, the suspect’s girlfriend, Brittany Smith did graduate and stayed on campus.

Campbell, who says she is from a poor family and was not part of the black elite student circle, has pointed out that it is because of her socio-economic status that she was treated in such a way, and without the support of black Harvard students or faculty. The silence of black Harvard in the case of Campbell drastically contrasting the racket made in support of Gates illuminates the serious class issues that have caused serious boiling points in the African-American community.

Gates is an established historian known most recently for his documentary, “African American Lives,” a series connects noted African-Americans back to their complex lineages such as Oprah Winfrey, Tina Turner, and Morgan Freeman. He is at the zenith of his career. He has achieved what many scholars dream.

On the other hand, Chanequa Campbell was at the beginning of her academic journey. She too has been praised for her academic success, but since her dismissal her whole life trajectory is questionable. At a time when Campbell needed the utmost guidance and support from black Harvard faculty and staff, she was quietly disregarded, suggesting that her less-than-desirable background would possibly mar the reputation of blacks on campus.

Though many do not like to acknowledge the classism in African-American communities, it is prevalent throughout the group. It is a hideous historical social construct that is determined by more than wealth, but also skin color, hair texture, education level, and sadly how distant is one’s slave lineage.

Ironically, Gates, who in his African-American heritage series repeatedly points out the “white ” blood in him to the point that he smiles in delight when a DNA scientist tells him that he has more white blood than black, is nothing but black when the police come. Yet he is “too” black to be rallied and insulated by the black and white Harvard community. Yet Campbell, with her Brooklyn roots, who is a darker, young woman with blatant West African features, is too black, even for black Harvard.

Like in the days of DuBois, who was proud of his European ancestry (Dutch and French) and his Massachusetts roots from a community of free people of color who were educated and reasonably prosperous, his pedigree, which also included his physical characteristics, were perfect for the black elite of that time. DuBois’ elitist ideology was so heavy a belief that he campaigned for blacks to support his vision of the “Talented Tenth” or a group of black intelligentsia that would further the black race and lead the rest of the group. This idea was heavily contested by other thinkers and black activists of the time, but the idea and practice of an insulated, crème de la crème, black circle still remains.

It is not surprising that Gates’ (or should I say gatekeeper) name has been saved, and in some eyes, has been elevated, while someone like Campbell, who could’ve been the next Gates or Oprah, or perhaps furthered his work, is now forgotten.

More here.

It's amazing what a cup of hot chocolate and a good nights sleep can do.