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• Friday, November 21, 2008 12:35 PM

  Too Many Brainwashed by Negative Smears

  Obama knows Hillary, now better than ever.

  You don't.

  Many in the press don't truly know Hillary. But they love drama. Love it with a press enhanced passion. They cherry-pick their choice of drama and negativity, invest in it, exaggerate it, twist it, exploit it - milk it in every way they can possibly come up with, and write as though they insist it's the truth. There is an article in New York Magazine where the author writes that there was real emnity btween the Clintons and Obama when they campaigned together recently in Florida. But he doesn't site any sources, "inside" or otherwise, to the "fact." Any objective, insightful observer could see there was no fervent "emnity" there - there was maybe a little initial awkwardness, but mostly real, palpable warmth, excitement, and a growing mutual appreciation and admiration society.

  But that's not as much fun to write about. That's not as edgy, or juicy, or satisfying to those in the press who like high drama.

  The Clintons were even very sincere during the Democratic Convention. Contrary to what most of their critics love to think, the Clintons are in politics for the right reasons - for the issues, and not their egos. Do they have egos? Yes. Do they work hard? Yes. Do they take defeats hard? Yes. Are they proud of all their hard work and accomplishments? Yes. I have yet to see any politician that does not have an ego.

  It wasn't that the Clintons expected Obama to fawn all over them during the primaries, but the press wanted the Clintons to fawn all over Obama. Apparently nothing but praise and worship would do - or else the Clintons were all kinds of bad.

  Same with Joe Biden's comment about Hillary being a good VP pick. It was not a gaffe. He was just paying her an honest compliment, while being humble himself. He knows they are both qualified VP candidates, just with different strengths. Here was an instance where the press took Biden too "literally."

  The press needs to be less self-making-drama-indulgent, and more responsible, even if it's not as fun or exciting. Even if it's a little more balanced, informed, and enlightened. Who knows, if Maureen Dowd hadn't made such a fuss about the colors of Al Gore's suits, we might have had President Gore instead of President Bush, after all. Imagine the difference less shallowness can make for our future.

  Any anyone in the press who insists the drama comes from the Clintons, just leave them alone, and find out how much drama they make without you.

  I assure you, to them, it will probably feel like living on a sane, peaceful planet. Maybe even an entirely different planet than they're used to. But the planet they were inspired to work for in the first place.

  —luminesce Read luminesce's other letters
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