I saw articles today painting Sen. Obama as a canny, ambitious political strategist rather than the fresh-faced inspiring newcomer in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. They tell different stories and are, on balance, positive. The thought occurred to me: are there more stories like that out there today? Were the stories planted by the Obama camp to give his image some grit, or by the Clinton camp to give his image some dirt?
Hell if I know. But in trying to find out I found what I'm sure will go down as the weirdest bit of campaign coverage this year.
Son of presidents, thieves and tribal chiefs
In a five-page special report, Sun-Times Political Editor Scott Fornek reveals Barack Obama's remarkably far-flung family tree
September 9, 2007
BY SCOTT FORNEK sfornek@suntimes.com
Yes, the Chicago Sun-Times has done a five page report on Barack Obama's ancestry. And I grant it is legitimate coverage given the Senator's campaign message.
Obama's heritage is a key part of his public persona. He explored his ancestry in his memoir, Dreams From My Father, asking: "What is a family? Is it just a genetic chain, parents and offspring, people like me?"
And when he introduced himself to the nation in his 2004 Democratic National Convention keynote speech, Obama said he was "grateful for the diversity of my heritage."
But come on...ten generations back? An interactive presentation, forsooth...
Haven't we jumped the shark now?
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P6, they can't do the ' is he Black enough' card anymore
so, now, we have THIS foolishness.
All I ask, is that they do it FOR EVERY OTHER CANDIDATE.
Then, paranoids like me, won't think they're doing it ONLY because he's BLACK.
Fair enough?