Obama-rama

[African American Opinion]

Barack Obama has been hit from all sides as of late.  It all started last week with a story by Insight Magazine that discussed Obama’s upbringing.   The article claimed that Obama was educated in a radical Muslim school in Indonesia.  The schools,  frequently referred to as “madrassas,”  were disclosed in Obama’s autobiographies.  Insight Magazine, however, claimed that Obama and his chicago excel classes campaign have “not been forthcoming about his Muslim heritage.”  The article continued, claiming that Obama “was a Muslim, but he concealed it…His opponents within the Democrats hope this will become a major issue in the campaign.”  The right wing villified the Clinton campaign and claimed that Hillary was digging for dirt in her opponent’s history.

“The idea is to show Obama as deceptive,” claimed the same source in Insight Magazine.  Fox News continued the smear tactics, showing a story about Obama’s “dirty little secret:” cigarette smoking.  In reality, Obama had also revealed that character flaw earlier in his political career.  Fox News’ deceiving coverage of Obama has landed them in hot water with his campaign.  As the media knows, interviews are important.  Obama’s campaign, however, claims that they “will not be swift-boated” by Fox News.  They are, of course, referring to John Kerry’s problem with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group.  The group smeared Kerry’s image as a war hero with dishonest tactics.  Obama’s campaign hopes to avoid the same treatment.

The Washington Post uncovered the extent of the damage of the “madrassa campaign.”  One Fox journalist claimed “I’m still in the freezer.”  Obama’s campaign refuses to speak to Fox News staffers.  The article also details the attention Obama has given to other media outlets (CNN, CBS, NBC, etc.) while duly ignoring Fox News.

What has this done for Obama’s standings in the race for the Democratic nomination in 2008?   So far, results are negligible, showing that Obama’s supporters support his ideals, not his history.   Only time will tell how “Madrassagate” will treat the Obama campaign.  With new Democratic announcements, Obama’s going to have a tougher time achieving success in the upcoming primaries.