You Spin Me Right Round Baby, Right Round

It seems as though, since the candidates have refrained from blatantly throwing insults at each other and have somehow managed to avoid paltry name-calling, the mainstream media have filled the juvenile void. The Media Research Center often exaggerates claims of the media's liberal bias, but they were justified in their criticism of Chris Matthews' coverage of the first presidential debate (http://www.mrc.org/worst/2008/20080930.asp).

“Let’s start with John McCain," Matthews said on Hardball late Friday night. "Do you think he was too troll-like tonight? You know, too much of a troll?...Sitting there angrily, grumpily, like a codger?...Is every press conference going to be like that? A troll-like performance, angry at the world?”

Not only is this comment unjustified, since McCain was arguably more energetic than in previous campaign appearances, but it might reveal ageism. Referring to a septuagenarian as a "troll" is incredibly insulting. Matthews could have focused more on solid evidence demonstrating McCain's condescension of Obama instead of resorting to name-calling based on his physical appearance and mannerisms. Although many analysts commented on the fact that McCain did not directly address or look at his opponent and constantly implied that Obama was naieve, they did not call McCain a troll. To the contrary, it was widely held that McCain demonstrated his foreign affairs experience in an effective manner. Obama was often on the defensive and frequently agreed with McCain, who stood his ground on the issues. The debate lacked obvious mistakes or memorable moments, and both candidates performed at a comparable level. However, a tie does not make a thrilling headline even when it is the truth. Matthews and other members of the mass media were quick to put their own spin on the debate before the public could form their own opinions. According to an online poll at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26906945/, 33 percent of the 910,581 respondents deemed McCain the winner, compared to 53 percent for Obama. Perhaps these respondents were influenced by Matthews' spin on the debate. After all, it seems silly to say that a "troll" won the debate.