It's only bias when they like a Democrat

So, Barack Obama's been getting some pretty favorable press coverage recently.

I always thought the strongest argument for nominating Obama was that the Republicans would likely nominate McCain, who the press loved, and so we needed a candidate the press also liked. And Obama is that rare Democrat the press likes.

Beagle, yesterday, pointed out to me a bunch of political cartoons accusing the press of fawning over Obama.

The most worthy of mockery of the lot is that last one. It's just stunning to me that after eight years of "Bush is so manly and wonderful and we should all ignore his trashing of the constitution and the country," coming right on the heels of "Clinton is the devil and he should be run out of town on a rail for having the wrong kind of sex," that anyone could possibly still believe that old lie.

Still, the artist did portray John McCain as the longtime husband coming home to his wife, the media. On that point, the cartoonist and I are in total agreement (though somehow I doubt that was what he had in mind). Obviously I didn't really read that one carefully enough (despite having looked at it repeatedly--oops), because McCain is clearly not the "liberal media's" husband, here; instead, the "liberal media" is calling him "dad." Which...I'm at a loss, there. What the hell? So John McCain is...the liberal media's father? I suppose I didn't register that because it makes absolutely no sense. That sound you hear is an attempt at a metaphor crashing and burning.

So, the press likes a Democrat and is giving him positive coverage. This is shocking only because it's a Democrat. It's shocking only in light of the constant drumbeat that John McCain is a noble serious war hero who deserves to be president, and George W. Bush is a noble likable everyman brush-clearer who's standing up to the terrorists who want to kill us. Unlike that lying effeminate weasel Al Gore and that flaccid French eunuch John Kerry, who want to let al Qaeda win.

See, when they said that, it was perfectly fair. But, when they say positive things about a Democrat who's charismatic and running an excellent campaign, instead of saying them about his boring, confused, 71-year-old opponent, a man they've buttered up with praise for 15 years prior to this, it's proof of "bias."

As Jeffrey Toobin put it, "What I find kind of appalling is John McCain complaining about media bias. I mean, if there is one public figure in America who has gotten better press over the years than John McCain, I don't know who it is."

Shut up and stop whining, McCain people and cartoonists. Seriously. It's pathetic.