Reporters on a Plane

Ht: Drudge

CBS reporter Dean Reynolds writes:

Obama's campaign schedule is fuller, more hectic and seemingly improvisational. The Obama aides who deal with the national reporters on the campaign plane are often overwhelmed, overworked and un-informed about where, when, why or how the candidate is moving about.

In contrast, McCain's campaign:

The McCain folks are more helpful and generally friendly. The schedules are printed on actual books you can hold in your hand, read, and then plan accordingly. The press aides are more knowledgeable and useful to us in the news media. The events are designed with a better eye, and for the simple needs of the press corps.

He ends:

Maybe none of this means much. Maybe a front-running campaign like Obama's that is focused solely on victory doesn't have the time to do the mundane things like print up schedules or attend to the needs of reporters.

But in politics, everything that goes around comes around.

What to make of this? I doubt many people will decide their vote based on how effectively a candidate liaisons with with the press, nor would many decide based on this article. It does, however, shed light on the organization that surrounds each candidate. At first glance it would seem to be a tale of organization and structure. Obama does not make it easy for this guy to do his job, while McCain does. Yet that analysis seems shallow to me. I think that it shows how each candidate values the press. John McCain can't seem to get a fair shake from the press. A Reuters piece here, says:

Down in the polls, Republican presidential nominee John McCain pressed his effort to sow doubts about Barack Obama's character on Thursday with a fresh attack on his Democratic rival's contacts with a former left-wing radical who is now a college professor.

With the first sentence the journalist has framed McCain's argument as weak. It downgrades Obama's association with Ayers to "contacts" and labels him a "former left-wing radical". The article continues by changing the subject to the economy, and repeats an Obama attack on a McCain proposal. Is this the writing of people who are upset with the way they are being treated? Has anyone seen an article, other then the CBS blog post, claiming that Obama's campaign is chaotic? It is clear that Obama can treat the press anyway he likes because they will not do anything about it, despite grumbles in a blog. If there is going to be a karmic backlash against Obama for this, I'm sure the press will reserve it for long after the election.

Or for the tell all campaign book that hardly anybody will read.