Most Americans have heard about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.  In fact, it whipped the Media Herd into such a frenzy that Obama took to the airwaves with a speech about race that restarted a long overdue national discussion about race relations in American…….remember?  Of course you do.  The Media Herd told us about this great national discussion and we’ve all been engaged in higher dialog about race relations ever since.  Anyway.

Well most Americans haven’t heard about the Rev. John Hagee and his offensive comments about Catholics and Jews.  Until today perhaps.  After receiving an endorsement from Rev. John Hagee in February, it took McCain until today to reject it saying, “I have denounced statements he made immediately upon learning of them, as I do again today.”

Nothing like a little straight talk.  Unfortunately, Rev. Hagee has been spewing hate for a long time as was pointed out by Frank Rich in the New York Times on May 4, 2008:

BORED by those endless replays of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright? If so, go directly to YouTube, search for “John Hagee Roman Church Hitler,” and be recharged by a fresh jolt of clerical jive.

What you’ll find is a white televangelist, the Rev. John Hagee, lecturing in front of an enormous diorama. Wielding a pointer, he pokes at the image of a woman with Pamela Anderson-sized breasts, her hand raising a golden chalice. The woman is “the Great Whore,” Mr. Hagee explains, and she is drinking “the blood of the Jewish people.” That’s because the Great Whore represents “the Roman Church,” which, in his view, has thirsted for Jewish blood throughout history, from the Crusades to the Holocaust.

Mr. Hagee is not a fringe kook but the pastor of a Texas megachurch. On Feb. 27, he stood with John McCain and endorsed him over the religious conservatives’ favorite, Mike Huckabee, who was then still in the race.

Are we really to believe that neither Mr. McCain nor his camp knew anything then about Mr. Hagee’s views? This particular YouTube video — far from the only one — was posted on Jan. 1, nearly two months before the Hagee-McCain press conference. Mr. Hagee appears on multiple religious networks, including twice daily on the largest, Trinity Broadcasting, which reaches 75 million homes. Any 12-year-old with a laptop could have vetted this preacher in 30 seconds, tops.

Since then, Mr. McCain has been shocked to learn that his clerical ally has made many other outrageous statements. Mr. Hagee, it’s true, did not blame the American government for concocting AIDS. But he did say that God created Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its sins, particularly a scheduled “homosexual parade there on the Monday that Katrina came.”

Mr. Hagee didn’t make that claim in obscure circumstances, either. He broadcast it on one of America’s most widely heard radio programs, “Fresh Air” on NPR, back in September 2006. He reaffirmed it in a radio interview less than two weeks ago. Only after a reporter asked Mr. McCain about this Katrina homily on April 24 did the candidate brand it as “nonsense” and the preacher retract it.

Mr. McCain says he does not endorse any of Mr. Hagee’s calumnies, any more than Barack Obama endorses Mr. Wright’s. But those who try to give Mr. McCain a pass for his embrace of a problematic preacher have a thin case. It boils down to this: Mr. McCain was not a parishioner for 20 years at Mr. Hagee’s church.

Neither stories have much to do about either politicians’ political views because it seems apparent both McCain and Obama formed relationships with these men for political reasons and not as a reflection of their political views.  Yet it’s instructive to note that the Media Herd has largely ignored a pretty exciting narrative in Rev. John Hagee.  Perhaps even more instructive is that on a day when the New York Times writes about Obama’s problems with Jewish voters it was the dissemination of controversial remarks by Rev. Hagee about Jews that prompted McCain to reject his endorsement.

Bottom Line: Who wants to bet McCain rejects the endorsement of Rev. Rod Parsley too – a man described by McCain as “one of the truly great leaders in America, a moral compass, a spiritual guide.”  A man who also said “Islam is an anti-Christ religion that intends through violence to conquer the world” and “America was founded with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed.”

It’s important, as an observer of the Media Herd, to recognize articles that report specifically on the media narrative versus articles that report substantive information. Typical of a fluffy “in-depth” look at the media narrative is an article published today in the New York Times by Jodi Kantor captioned “Many Florida Jews Express Doubts On Obama.” Let’s break this down:

If you’re a reporter and you need to write a story about Obama and Jewish voters, would it be easier to interview 10-15 different Jewish people ranging in celebrity from “Jews-On-The-Street” to Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) and then write a story about their reaction to the narrative “Why Obama Will Have Trouble Courting Jewish Votes” OR would it be easier to write an in-depth article introducing, explaining and putting into context the various and complex issues important to Jewish voters (or even just one issue) and then, using a variety of source materials, including interviews, piece together Obama’s position or likely position on those issues, how those positions are similar or different from current American policy, interview 10-15 Jewish people about each of those issues and, finally, compare Obama’s position on those issues to those of McCain?

We aren’t suggesting that Jodi Kantor is incapable of producing such a piece, only that time constraints and endless blank spaces that need to be filled squeeze out that type of reporting.

Let’s take a look at what one intrepid reporter turns up when forced to fish for views on the media narrative rather than input about substantive issues:

Because of a dispute over moving the date of the state’s primary, Mr. Obama and the other Democratic candidates did not campaign in Florida. In his absence, novel and exotic rumors about Mr. Obama have flourished. Among many older Jews, and some younger ones, as well, he has become a conduit for Jewish anxiety about Israel, Iran, anti-Semitism and race.

Mr. Obama is Arab, Jack Stern’s friends told him in Aventura. (He’s not.)

He is a part of Chicago’s large Palestinian community, suspects Mindy Chotiner of Delray. (Wrong again.)

Mr. Wright is the godfather of Mr. Obama’s children, asserted Violet Darling in Boca Raton. (No, he’s not.)

Al Qaeda is backing him, said Helena Lefkowicz of Fort Lauderdale (Incorrect.)

Michelle Obama has proven so hostile and argumentative that the campaign is keeping her silent, said Joyce Rozen of Pompano Beach. (Mrs. Obama campaigns frequently, drawing crowds in her own right.)

Mr. Obama might fill his administration with followers of Louis Farrakhan worried Sherry Ziegler. (Extremely unlikely, given his denunciation of Mr. Farrakhan.)

South Florida is “the most concentrated area in the country in terms of misinformation” about Mr. Obama, said Representative Robert Wexler, Democrat of Florida, the co-chairman of the Obama campaign in the state.

Bottom Line: How do these rumors fester?  Why are people so willing to believe the unbelievable when the facts are all too readily available?  Would it help to simply ignore people who honestly believe that Obama is backed by Al Qeada?  That can’t be representative of what people actually believe – so why report what one crackpot says?  If you’re Jewish ask yourself this – did this article contribute one iota to your understanding of what Obama’s positions are on the issues that are important to you?

Although busy with other assignments, we haven’t stopped observing the Media Herd.  Frankly, there hasn’t been much to report – except for the incomprehensible tragedies in Myanmar and China. But since neither event killed scores of vacationing Westerners (along with many tens of thousands of locals) like the 2004 Christmas Day Tsunami did, Media Herd interest won’t be as enduring.  Sure, Myanmar has largely shunned both international relief and journalists, but even if they weren’t banned, it’s hard to see interest in that tragedy competing against Kellie Pickler’s boobs.  But we digress.

Time Magazine’s Joe Klein asked Sen. McCain a string of questions recently about the leadership of Iran and why McCain keeps referring to Ahmadinejad as the leader when in fact he’s merely a figurehead and that the real power in Iran lies with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.  Get it: Supreme Leader.

Anyone who has the time MUST watch the exchange between Klein and McCain if only to listen to McCain’s uncomfortable laughter contrast against the seriousness of Klein’s questioning.

KLEIN: I’ve done some research, and um -
MCCAIN: I have too.

KLEIN: Also checked, also checked with the Obama campaign and he never, he’s never sai — mentioned Ahmadinejad directly by name. He did say he would negotiate with the leaders, but as you know – Ayatollah,

MCCAIN: (Laughing) Ahmadinejad is, was the leader.

KLEIN: But if -

MCCAIN: Maybe I’m mistaken.

KLEIN: Maybe you are, because -

MCCAIN: Maybe. I don’t think so though.

KLEIN: The Supreme, you know, according to most diplomatic experts, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the guy who’s in charge of Iranian foreign policy and also in charge of the nuclear program, but you never mention him. Do you, you know, um, why do you always keep talking about Ahmadinejad since he doesn’t have power in that, in that realm?

MCCAIN: Oh I thin-Again, I respectfully disagree. When he’s the person that comes to the United Nations and declares his country’s policy is the extermination of the state of Israel, quote, in his words, wipe them off of the map, then I know that he is speaking for the Iranian government and articulating their policy and he was elected and is running for reelection as the leader of that country. Yes sir, go ahead.

NEW REPORTER: One more quest-

MCCAIN: I mean, the fact is he’s the acknowledged leader of that country and you may disagree, but that’s a uh, that’s your right to do so, but I think if you asked any average American who the leader of Iran is, I think they’d know. Go ahead. Or anyone who’s well-versed in the issue.

Bottom Line: Given that part of the reason Americans supported the Iraq war was because they believe Saddam was behind 9/11 and that the Bush Administration and the dutiful Media Herd allowed that misconception to stand, shouldn’t this be more of a story? Isn’t it important to clarify these issues?

Recent “clashes” in Sadr City have left 8 dead and 19 wounded.  Loyal readers will of course remember our post on only 5 days ago where we discussed the recent truce agreement and how hard it must be for anyone, let alone Senator McCain, to keep the players separate.  Like most in the media, we hoped this agreement signaled that peace had finally arrived to this embattled city.  Alas.  We’ll continue to hold our breath though because according to Iranian media reports, Moqtada al-Sadr is optimistic that the peace will hold.

Bottom Line: Where is the outrage?  Our men and women are dying to protect a “peace” brokered by Iran between a dysfunctional Iraqi government and local cleric in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City and somehow this is supposed to relate back to making us safe from terrorists?  Get real. The gig is up.

No matter that the death toll in China could reach 50,000 or that the official death toll in Myanmar now stands at 133,000, the media ALWAYS finds room in the eternally endless media space for carnival ride disasters.

Call it the Carnival Ride Butterfly Effect of the media herd, but just as the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Oregon can alter the path of a tornado in Kansas, so too can the collapse of the Yo-Yo carnival ride in Calaveras County, California determine the media headlines in Minnesota.

Raise your hand if you’re scared of carnival rides?  That’s right!  Everyone is scared of these damn contraptions.  Thanks to the media, whenever we hear “carnival” we picture toothless yokels, bearded women and death-rides put up in the dead of night that sit like steel animals upon the landscape eagerly waiting to rip off arms and feet.

Bottom Line: Twenty people can get murdered in Los Angels County in one week (and week after week after week) and the media yawns, but all ye babes may sleep a peaceful slumber knowing that if a Yo-Yo goes down somewhere in this country, the media will be there to report it.

Well.  Peace Iraqi-style anyway.  And it was brokered by the Iranians of course.

Representatives of Muqtada al-Sadr – 50% firebrand Islamic cleric, 50% military strongman and 100% Shi’ite – inked a deal with representatives of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to end nearly 2 months of fighting involving Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. forces, Sadrists and other factions that has left hundreds dead in Sadr City.

It’s no wonder McCain gets confused!  How does anyone keep the Shiites who are members of al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army, also known as Sadrists but who are now supposedly breaking away from the Mahdi Army to form their own militias that may or may not be supported by Iran separate from the Iraqi Security Forces separate from the Sunnis known as the “Sons of Iraq” who used to be aligned with al-Qaeda but who are now apparently aligned with the U.S. military and ostensibly the Iraqi government thanks to $10 per day but present problems for Prime Minister Maliki because they are Sunni and separate from the Iraqi Security Forces?

Bottom Line: There’s always enough money for war.

Courtesy Jaypeg21.

Besides alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, unregulated dietary supplements, over-the-counter medications, food additives and the tens of billions of dollars worth of prescription pills Americans stuff into their collective gullets each year, can you think of a drug the media is less interested in these days than marijuana?

We can’t.

Marijuana, previously known as the gateway foot soldier who mercilessly fought for the hearts and minds of our children in the War On Drugs, has fallen as unforgivingly and irrevocably off the media radar screen as the Beanie Baby craze of the 1990′s. Who knew that former Gov. Bill Richardson signed a medical marijuana bill into law while he was governor of New Mexico and Presidential candidate? Has anyone been following the `Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act’ (H.R. 5842) introduced into Congress on April 17, 2008 by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) which seeks to reclassify marijuana as just another prescription drug?

We’re certain there are many who follow this issue closely, but most have no idea because the media doesn’t care about marijuana anymore.  We can’t say the same for the Federal Government, but that’s another story.

Marijuana is already treated like a prescription drug in a dozen states.  Joel Stein hilariously writes in The Los Angeles Times today how easy it was to get a prescription:

When I got called in, I entered a doctor’s office different from any I’d ever been in. It contained only a tiny desk, two chairs, a small TV and two cans of Glade. Also, the doctor wore a Hawaiian shirt.

He took my blood pressure and asked what I was suffering from. “Anxiety,” I said. And then “occasional insomnia.” And even though he seemed to be moving on, I blurted something about headaches. The only malady that would have made me more similar to every human being throughout history would have been “these painful little pieces of skin that peel up next to my fingernails.”

The doctor followed up on my insomnia, however, and asked if I was having work problems or relationship issues as he handed me a photocopy of a handwritten list of psychiatrists. He’d give me a recommendation for medical marijuana for six months, he said, and would extend it to one year if I saw a therapist. The whole thing took about four minutes.

Great stuff, huh?

Well, not so much for the people in New York City.  More specifically, not so great for people of color in New York City.  While most of the country and the media has come to accept marijuana as the relatively benign drug that it is while simultaneously acknowledging its medical benefits, New York City cops have been using it as a blunt tool to arrest minorities. Professor Harry Levine of Queens College and Deborah Peterson Small, executive director of Break the Chains, prepared a report entitled “Marijuana Arrest Crusade: Racial Bias and Police Policy in New York City 1997-2007” that details how New York City cops use small amounts of marijuana as the justification for arresting tens of thousands of mostly black and latino youths every year.  The Village Voice’s Nat Hentoff has quite a bit to say about this issue, but that’s about it.

Bottom Line:  Police shootings get all the headlines.  Just because the media has lost interest in marijuana doesn’t mean its pointless illegality isn’t still ruining lives.

Courtesy redjar.

Next time you go to Venice, don’t feed the pigeons. An ordinance that took effect on May 1, 2008 makes it illegal to feed the pigeons in St. Mark’s Square. Undoubtedly a crushing blow to every bird-brained tourist in Venice whose must-do list includes wearing a suit of winged-rats.

Bottom Line: MediaHerd visited Venice once and complained bitterly about the swarms of pigeons. If we had a platform, this ordinance would be on it. Congratulazioni Venice!

“McKibbiners” getting inspired.

Courtesy Christian Hansen.

Demographically sealed-off from their neighbors, “McKibbiners” – residents of the cramped loft spaces at 248 and 255 McKibbin Street in East Williamsburg (or Bushwick, depending on who you ask), Brooklyn – brave bedbugs and irony overload to enjoy the artistically synergistic effect of housing over 500 hipsters in very, very close proximity.

The New York Times detailed life on McKibbin Street for these modern day Dylan Thomases, Julian Schnabels and CBGB-esque headliners.  Just imagine what’s gestating, artistically, on McKibbin Street:

“It’s rare to have so many scenes stacked like they are here,” said an 18-year-old poet living in 255 who gave his name as Eirehan Failte. “Even when it’s really loud, it’s still better than some terrible stock-trading roommate listening to Fox in the next room.”

Rare indeed Mr. Failte.  Unfortunately, now that you and your fellow McKibbiners have been profiled in the Times there surely will be a stampede for the exit given the deep seated anxiety located within every hipster that they aren’t all that different.  We call it the Vampire Weekend effect.

“The community is a microcosm of artists, musicians and D.J.’s,” said Kevin Farrell, who is 29 and works in video production. “You don’t have to leave this building, with the exception of food. I don’t really speak to the locals.”

How fortunate for the locals.  Cutting oneself off from outside influences is vital for the development of any artist. However, don’t ask Mr. Farrell if the future Jean-Michel Basquiat roams the streets of Bushwick.

Another resident, Brian Belukha, a 23-year-old musician who describes his look as “intergalactic space castaway,” decided to leave after someone threw a 40-ounce beer bottle at his head.

“It’s a dorm, and it’s insane. It’s just insane,” said Mr. Belukha, who plans to head to Berlin within the month. “I’m a very private person, and I’ve been forced to try to develop some degree of privacy, but my room doesn’t have a door.”

How ironic that someone with a look as novel as “intergalactic space castaway” would move to a city whose hipster bona fides were being questioned 4 years ago.

Bottom Line:  There might still be time to move to Kansas City.

It’s official.  The media herd is on the move and things don’t look good for Sen. Clinton.  The pundit media is squawking, flapping, preening and nesting their opinion into every crack and cavern that Sen. Obama will be the nominee.

Jim Rutenberg at The New York Times writes in “Pundits Declare the Race Over” that “the conventional wisdom of the elite political pundit class that resides on television shifted hard, and possibly irretrievably, against Senator Hillary Clinton’s continued viability as a presidential candidate.”  We don’t know about “elite” Jim, unless you define “elite” as having the biggest platform from which to spew forth.

Tim Russert, Dean of The Sunday Talking Heads, declared from the “boiler room” of MSNBC: “We now know who the Democratic nominee’s going to be, and no one’s going to dispute it.”

Rutenberg collects snippets of the Pundit Media punditry:

“I think there’s an increasing presumption tonight that Obama’s going to be the nominee,” Chris Wallace.

. . .

Speaking on CNN, David Gergen, a former adviser to several presidents, including Mrs. Clinton’s husband, said, “I think the Clinton people know the game is almost up.”

Stating it more bluntly, Bob Franken, the political analyst, told the MSNBC host Dan Abrams shortly after 2 a.m. Eastern time, “Let’s put it right on the table: It’s over. It’s over.”

. . .

Bob Schieffer on the CBS News program “Early Show”: “Basically, Maggie, this race is over.”

George Stephanopoulos on the ABC program “Good Morning America”: “This nomination fight is over.”

Matt Lauer on the NBC News program “Today”: “Good morning, is it over?”

The commentary was punctuated by some brutal morning newspaper headlines: “Toast!” blared The New York Post; “Hil Needs a Miracle” declared The New York Daily News.

Yet another example of how quickly and predictably the media can go from Flock Alert to Herd Alert. A Migration Alert that Obama is the nominee is on the horizon.

Does anyone remember the “gas tax holiday” that was supposedly the “defining issue” of both Indiana AND North Carolina?  Were the results in Indiana and North Carolina so spectacularly different from what the polls had predicted?   What was it that caused such a cascade of pundit media?

Bottom Line: The Pundit Media couldn’t wait to pronounce Sen. Obama the nominee.  It’s a game amongst the punditry to see who can first and most authoritatively announce the new narrative. Watch carefully for the following narratives over the coming days and weeks:

1. How long will Clinton stay in the race?
2. How does Obama match up against McCain?
3. Clinton loaning money to her campaign is a “bad sign.”
4. You’ll begin to hear A LOT about the supposed “nuclear option” where Clinton will attempt to get the Michigan and Florida votes.  The media LOVES anything termed a “nuclear option” because it signals something very important and very devastating and consequently worthy of their punditry.
5. Is Clinton ripping the party apart?

One thing you will not hear much more about the “gas tax holiday.”  Can someone please email us the link to Clinton’s legislation she supposedly introduced on this matter? It’s unbelievable that the “gas tax holiday” was ever an issue considering it was dead on arrival because Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is against it and wouldn’t introduce the legislation anyway.