Today's Texas and Ohio primaries could decide the Democratic nominee. If Obama is able to sweep both states, he will likely be the nominee--and given his swoon-inducing factor, many Republicans think he will be more difficult to beat than Hillary.
But now it looks like the media is getting tougher on the Divine Barack. Even if you're not a Hillary fan, Saturday's SNL skit portraying the mainstream media's adoration of Obama was right on the mark: Hillary has been critically yet fairly questioned about the issues, while Obama...hasn't. Until now. What happened? Is the Barack Love Potion No. 9 wearing off as the press realizes there isn't much substance behind Obama's "hope" and "change"? Even if the tough questions come too late to change the outcome of today's primaries, it's clear that Obama has lost a little of the media's love.
Bonney Kapp at the Fox News Embeds blog reports:
The 15 1/2 minute press avail began with a question about Austan Goolsbee, the Obama economic advisor who reportedly told someone in the Canadian government that Obama's anti-NAFTA campaign rhetoric is just political speak...The second topic du jour was about Obama's relationship with Tony Rezko, an Obama contributor whose federal corruption trial began today in Chicago. A fair number of Chicago reporters headed south to San Antonio to question Obama on fundraisers held by Rezko, who was in attendance, and on Obama's transparency on the issue.
First Read's Domenico Montanaro has more details, particularly about Obama walking out on the press corps, pausing "only to say, 'Come on guys; I answered like eight questions. We're running late.'" He then ignored the reporters on the following flight to Dallas.
Obama-fan Andrew Sullivan says "the honeymoon is over." Now blogging at Hot Air, Ed Morrissey adds, "It appears that the local press has managed to do what the national media could not -- treat Obama as a politician and not a secular messiah." And Power Line's John Hinderaker has a video of Obama's huffy exit--can't you see the fear in his eyes?
Will Obama survive? Don Surber asks, "Has his walk on water just become a dip in the reporter pool? Answer: Apparently. And he's not a good swimmer." At Contentions, Jennifer Rubin concludes, "Lacking McCain's easy-going and established rapport with the press, Obama now cannot venture into the lion's den without risking another mauling."
Hillary has a fighting chance, but she could easily be finished by tonight. And Obama thinks he has the nomination--and the presidency--wrapped up in a pretty package delivered by the media and swooning celebrities and college kids. But it looks like he has a long nine months of tough questions ahead--and he will need more than "hope" to survive.
