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• Friday, August 22, 2008 11:41 AM

  AKA Smith

  No matter what the Clintons or Clinton delegates do, the post convention story is going to be about them, and not about Obama.

  That's hardly their fault. The media these days thrives upon conflict, scandal, and gossip.

  You are forgetting that Barack Obama chose them to speak on those nights. Are you questioning his judgment? Are you saying he has bad judgment?

  Also, should he choose Hillary as his VP then the press doesn't much succeed at either of those scenarios you posited, does it? They will have to find something else to stir up.

  No, it's not their fault, it's just the reality.

  Had Obama not let them speak, it would have been worse. The story would then be, "Obama denies last Democratic President the ability to speak at the convention" and "Obama snubs his chief rival in a petty display of anger"

  You're right, the press will find something to stir up, and it's going to dampen the Democratic convention. This is because the Republican are excellent at setting up a narrative that frames the media exposure to Democratic events.

  At this point, if he chooses Clinton as the VP, the story will be that he had to in order to save his campaign, that the Clinton's will really control the Whitehouse, that Obama was so desperate with his falling poll numbers that he didn't bother to vet Clinton, he chose her out of desperation.

  That's one of the reason why the stories this week are about Clinton not meeting with the selection team, and not being vetted. Never mind that Obama's team has done so much research on her that they really don't need to met. It's setting up the story on the remote chance she is actually chosen.

  Obama's team has let themselves fall into a trap. They won't control the tone of media coverage from their convention.

  —Xanthro Read Xanthro's other letters
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