Connecting the Dots: Should Candidates be Guilty By Association?

The voting population might be confused about candidates' political stances on specific issues, but they are certainly informed about the opinions of the candidates' acquaintances. Since the mainstream media seem to recoil at the suggestion of discussing actual issues during their election coverage, they have resorted to replaying soundbites of candidates' religious leaders, particularly Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Obama's connection to Wright was the focus of the media for weeks, even though the soundbites were largely out of context and portrayed the Reverend as more radical and tempermental than he actually is. Despite that media barrage earlier this year, the Media Research Center claims that the media have not adequately questioned Obama's associations with controversial figures. The MRC commented that Obama has not had to explain his relationship with William Ayers, founder of the violent protest group Weather Underground (http://mrc.org/cyberalerts/2008/cyb20080924.asp#4).

This accusation of media bias is both erroneous (Obama has explained that he and Ayers merely worked together with the education charity the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and does not condone any violent activities that Ayers committed while Obama was merely a child), but it is also misdirected: the media have practically ignored Palin's close relationship with the anti-Semitic organization Jews for Jesus or the notorious witch-hunter Bishop Muthee. Also, the media have not attacked McCain for actively seeking the endorsement of anti-Catholic, radical religious leader Rev. John Hagee. Meanwhile, Obama is criticized for the not-so-hateful comments made by his pastor when he was not even in church, and the MRC writes that the media are biased AGAINST the Republicans. It seems as though, in the absence of gaffs or direct controversy, the media are trying to implicate Obama in the exaggerated scandals of his acquaintances. The MRC ignores the fact that Obama knew Ayers through a CHARITY. How dare he attempt to make educational reforms and help a noble cause with someone who was a radical decades ago?

The only thing more ridiculous than the media's preoccupation with Obama's associations is the MRC's claim that the media aren't scrutinizing his tenuous relationships enough. Obama better watch out, or else the media might start claiming that he knows the type of man who refers to his wife as a "cunt" in public and uses racial slurs on a regular basis. Oh, wait, Obama does know that type of man: it's John McCain.