Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

Now that I’ve overcome the lack of timeliness with this post by luring you in with that dramatic title that will probably be used by Oliver Stone in his next installment of the presidential docudrama series, please play the following clip.

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That was the scene at Solomon’s Porch in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn when MSNBC pronounced Barack Obama the projected President-Elect of the United States on Election Day night.

To be in New York City that night was a blessing for me. Not because I’m some Obamaniac and I could carouse with my liberal brethren, but because I got to witness the spectacle that was New York City on the night of Nov. 4, 2008.

Well… Brooklyn actually. I didn’t get to Manhattan.

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Baba Baro celebrates Obama's win in his neighborhood of Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn on Election Day night.

I really only ran into Obama supporters, so I don’t know what McCain backers were doing that night. If I was a McCain supporter, instead of the totally non-partisan, non-biased, non-feeling pressbot that I am, I would at least come out to witness people going absolutely crazy in a totally non-violent way (with the possible exception of Williamsburg, but those kids don’t count). It was history in the making and we were all there, regardless of who we voted for. When reflecting on the events of November 9, 1989, even the highest ranking GDR official has to say to himself, “zat vas pretty cool.”

Not that I’m comparing McCain supporters to Stalinist fascists, but it’s a convenient analogy because, like then in Berlin, a barrier fell in America almost 19 years later.

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Manuel Williams of Canarsie, Brooklyn celebrates at Solomon's Porch in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn as President-elect Barack Obama takes the stage in Chicago for his victory speech on Tuesday night, Nov. 4, 2008.

With most significant historical events, I believe that it is the reaction to the event, rather than the event itself, that makes it significant. Obviously, we all knew that Obama is black throughout the election. However, he didn’t present himself as a black candidate any more than McCain presented himself as a white candidate. When race came up, Obama addressed it eloquently and dispassionately, and it was again put on the back burner. At the end, it was two intelligent, qualified candidates running for office and race became somewhat of a non-issue. That is, until Election Night.

I shouldn’t have been, but I was really surprised how much talk there was on the streets and in the media about the First Black President (or the second, if you agree with Toni Morrison, who has recently rescinded her 1998 opinion). It would be redundant to speak further on this when my classmate Sophie Cocke has already put it so well. Besides, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention John McCain on that night.

John McCain makes his concession speech in Arizona on Election night. (UPI Photo/Alexis C. Glenn)

I have the feeling that McCain had been working on his concession speech for quite a while because it was absolutely fantastic (even if his supporters in attendance weren’t as gracious). When I heard that speech, I remembered why I was happy to see McCain get the nod from the GOP, because either way there would be change in the White House. But it seems that nod had some preconditions and even the Maverick had to kowtow to the Republican base and its campaign methods. His stance on some key issues notwithstanding, I think McCain is an intelligent and earnest leader, and the character he displayed (and referenced ad nauseum) in Vietnam is as important a credential as his 30+ years in the Senate. It’s unfortunate for him and his supporters that his concession speech was the first glimpse we’ve seen of The Real McCain in a long time because if he’d run his entire campaign with the same grace, he might be President-Elect McCain now.

But, of course, the day was Obama’s.

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Obama greets his supporters in Grant Park in Chicago on Election Night. (VII photo by Ron Haviv)

***BLOGGER’S NOTE***

Love it or hate it, Iowa’s first-in-the-nation primary got things going for Obama. Here are a couple of pictures I took in my home town of Davenport for my former paper during the months he (basically) lived in Iowa.

Letter to the Editor, The New York Times November 5th print edition, from Rev. Connell J. Maguire, Riviera Beach, FL: That day has dawned, the day dreamed of by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when a man is judged by the content of his character rather than by the color of his skin. …”

Of which man does Rev. Maguire speak?

I’m not being cheeky.  In fact, the question exhibits a lack of assumption that I wish more of the media had deployed both last night and throughout the election cycle.  Hopefully, they’ll master those assumptions over the next four years of practice.

Here’s my beef with reporters and editors: If you’re going to cover race, you can… nope, you should also speak to the roughly 85 percent of the country who isn’t black.

On November 4, in addition to camping out in Harlem and at Morehouse, the historically black college, the major networks could’ve planted reporters in predominantly white neighborhoods too.

John McCain, in his eloquent concession speech missed an opportunity to get it right.  The “special significance” and “special pride that must be theirs tonight” belongs not just to black Americans.  It is America’s and also belongs to white Americans.

What about the white Freedom Riders who’ve lived to see this election?  There’s also the little white boy or girl in the 1950s, forced to give up a black friend and conform or risk being ostracized?  Fast forward a bit: what about the whites who hunkered down in white flight neighborhoods like those in Long Island or the Detroit suburbs between the 1960s-1980s?  Or the infamous “white working class” voters in Appalachia territory?

If the coverage is tainted with what I’ll call, “Baby Boomer assumptions,” about race and racism then two main but truth-obscuring ideas flourish: 1) blacks support Obama simply because he’s black, rather than because he’s charismatic and qualified and 2) whites are miraculously, race-less, or worse, when they are race-full, it’s only because they’re racist.

The cost of skewed coverage is that Americans really are taken aback by each other November 4th–which means that we (blacks, whites, Asians, etc.) really don’t know each other.  And that the media hasn’t helped us in that regard.  It typically hasn’t covered stories, like this Christian Science Monitor piece, that show us how the country and our relations with each other have changed.

Back to Rev. Maguire’s Letter to the Editor: Suppose Martin Luther King, Jr. in this statement plucked from his 1963 March on Washington speech, also included white men and women?  Suppose he realized that whites also judged each other by the color of their skins rather than the content of their characters?

Perhaps voters, including those who abstained from the process on election day, were finally judging McCain by his character?

Just a thought.  But in the final analysis, it’s the questioning of long-held assumptions that matters more.

Colin Powell, Ben Affleck, Campbell Brown Reject Use of Arab/Muslim as Slur

By Rima Abdelkader

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell demonstrated on Sunday that he too can be a maverick.  The moderate Republican not only endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president, but also expressed his dismay with what he called an unwarranted connection with “some kind of terrorist feelings” and the Illinois senator by John McCain’s campaign.  He, like CNN’s Campbell Brown and Hollywood actor Ben Affleck recently, set the record straight about Obama’s background.  He is not an Arab nor a Muslim, but so what if he was?

“Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?” Powell rhetorically asked on Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press (see minute 4:28).  “The answer’s no, that’s not America.” 

Hollywood actor Ben Affleck expressed a similar sentiment on Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday (see minute 5:16). 

Affleck referred back to McCain’s response to a woman at one of his rallies who said she did not trust his opponent because he was allegedly an Arab.  “He’s a decent family man that I happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues,” McCain told her.

“What if somebody said to you, “I heard that he was a Jew?” and I said, “No, he is not a Jew, he’s alright?”” Affleck asked Maher’s audience, which laughed after quickly catching on to his demonstrated absurdity of the question.  Affleck gave another example using Catholic.

“Arab and good person are not antithetical to one another,” Affleck emphasized, drawing applause.

“This prejudice that we have allowed to fester in this campaign, where we have allowed this idea—denying the fact that Obama who yes is not an Arab nor is he a Muslim—but, we have allowed that to turn into the acceptance of both of those things as a legitimate slur is really a problem,” he told Maher, “These are not slurs.  They are categories of human being.  They are not slurs of people and no one in the media stood up and said that.”

But, CNN’s Campbell Brown did so this past week on 13 October on her show.  While commending McCain for correcting his supporter, Brown rhetorically asked, “So what if he was?”

“We can’t tolerate this ignorance, not in the media, not on the campaign trail.  Of course he’s not an Arab.  Of course he’s not a Muslim, but, honestly, it shouldn’t matter,” Campbell told her viewers.

Powell agreed before giving a poignant story of a Muslim American from New Jersey who gave up his life to serve in Iraq for America:

“I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine.  It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son’s grave.  And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone.  And it gave his awards–Purple Heart, Bronze Star–showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death.  He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn’t have a Christian cross, it didn’t have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith.  And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American.”

Many American citizens, including Arab Americans and Muslim Americans, I spoke to were relieved to hear these public figures reject the use of one’s religion or background as a slur, but some were displeased with the timing of the repudiation with the election just two weeks away.

What do you think?  Should there have been repudiation from the start?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

I live-blogged from 9:04 MCT (that’s my computer time) till 10:32 MCT.  Highlights are here; full commentary on my personal blog, SeeMurphy.  Final comments are about Michelle Obama in that hip-hugging dress.  I’m still making up my mind about writing like this… it’s fun for me.  But, is it fun or helpful for you, the reader? [UPDATE: Joe the plumber is real. But he's not a licensed plumber. And his name isn't Joe.]

9:04: McCain, Americans are innocent victims of Wall Street greed.  Really? It’s never helpful, if you’re a grown-up, for others to absolve you when even you know you’ve been wrong.

…

9:08: McCain’s looking into the camera after asking Obama a question about increasing Joe the Plumber’s taxes.  I don’t really want the candidate to tell me what they’re gonna do for me.  I want them to talk to each other.
…
9:11: Is Joe the plumber a real person? Hi Joe.  Betcha wish you had a name like Barack now, huh.

9:13: Ask McCain how we’re going to pay off the trillion dollar national debt if we don’t raise taxes?

9:14: “Living beyond our means”–that’s 2008’s most memorable phrase

9:15: Schieffer means business.  Just cut in on Obama not answering fast enough on which programs he’ll cut.
…

9:19: Obama sounds like he actually reads the reports that come across his table.  Earmarks account for 1/2 of 1% of the budget? Or was that 1/2 of .1% of the budget?  Either way, the man reads!
…

9:20: My roommate just said, “McCain’s getting very sassy.” In response to McCain telling Obama if he wanted to run against G Bush, he should’ve run against him 4 years ago.

…

9:24: McCain’s environmental record.  One of the “positives” Obama has is that he has no record for me to look back and say, No, you didn’t.  McCain doesn’t have that luxury.
…
9:25: McCain, stop talking about the doggone town hall debates… “we could’ve done 10 of ‘em by now.”  Jeez, you sound like a stood up date.
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9:29: This is a vigorous debate? Obama, get outta here with that.
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9:30: OK McCain, stop with the Obama spending more money on negative ads.  He’s got more money to spend.  It’s the percentages that count.

9:31: Oooh, wow, “When my name was mentioned… people saying stuff like “Terrorist” and “Kill me.” That’s Obama talking! Schieffer: ask Obama what it’s like to hear this?  What it’s been like for how he explains it to his daughters?
…
9:38: “Those are the people, Dems and Repubs who have shaped my ideas…” — Obama

9:39: McCain, let it go.  What can you win with the Ayers and ACORN link?
…
9:41: See this week’s New Yorker interview on how Biden came to accept the VP offer.

9:45: McCain, “We’re seeing Iraqis uniting as Iraqis…” — Huh?

9:46: Obama comes across like he’s thinking on the spot and processing information in place.  McCain comes across like he’s giving talking points.

9:47: McCain, Where’re you planning to build those 45 nuclear plants?

9:48: This debate is setting up some measurements for success in 2012.  How much has the country reduced its dependence on foreign oil? is one.
…
9:53: I’m checking out TNC’s live-blogging too

9:53: I’m drifting.  I heard “Peruvian” and now I’m listening at “automakers.”

9:55: Obama’s cracking up at McCain’s “sitting down without preconditions” line.  Like, full mouthed toothy grin.  Hilarious.
…
10:00: McCain, We’re back to Joe again!  Dang, what about Latisha? And Hakim?  Mike!

10:00: Obama, “I’m happy to talk to you too Joe if you’re out there.” LOL.  Obama’s not a disser. He’s a smart-ass.

10:03: Now McCain’s talking to Joe.  Joe’s a star!  Go Joe!  First of all, how many Joe’s are there out there?  That ‘Joe’ tactic works if that type’s in the overwhelming majority but what happens if he’s not.  McCain and Obama, by going along with McCain’s thread, are leaving out a lot of people.
…
10:12: God, I’ve heard enough about the abortion stuff.  If we’re talking about Supreme Court, a question for McCain would be, how can you in good conscience appoint someone who disagrees with the beliefs of most American women?  For Obama, how can you be feel comfortable nominating liberal justices when most of the country is likely moderate or conservative?

10:17: I also like Ambinder’s live-blogging

10:18: Dude, I stopped listening 5 minutes ago.

10:18: McCain, since when do the worse performing schools get the most money?  For New Yorkers, Brownsville gets more money per student than Westchester?  I agree that throwing money at the problem isn’t the only answer but this annoyed me.
…
10:26: McCain’s sarcasm is unattractive.  Did I say that because I’m a woman? I bet there’s gonna be a poll asking that question and giving a gender breakdown of the responses.
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10:30: “Go vote now, it’ll make you feel big and strong.” Schieffer.

10:32: Before I sign off, Dahhhhhh-mmmmmm, Michelle in that dress.  And I’m straight!

END PLAY

I have always considered myself a “liberal.” I am a registered Democratic voter, and I fully support the Obama-Biden ticket. However, after getting into a recent tiff with my aunt, a McCalin-Palin lover, I surprisingly started to feel bad not only about disliking McCain, but about the extent to which I was disgusted by him.

I knew that McCain was a POW for 5 years during the Vietnam War, but I was unaware of the brutality of it all, of how emotionally and physically traumatizing his experience was. After imitating his walk and mocking his handshakes and waves, my aunt replied, “you do understand why he’s like that, right?” She proceeded to explain to me how McCain was tortured for several years, what exactly was done to him, and made me look up photos of him in his youth and military service. What I found brought me to tears. 

Me?! Feeling bad for McCain? Crying about how he’s suffered? I was surprised at my reaction to my research on him, maybe even angry at myself for crying and going, “Oh my G-d, that poor man. What a hero.” Ahh!! What was I saying?!? I looked over at my aunt and she was smiling, I’m sure partly because she thought she had swung me, but also because she was glad I felt compassion for him. “Just as you want people to understand and respect Obama, you must try and feel for everyone, including McCain.” Part of me wanted to say I don’t have to do anything for anyone, but that would have been just proving her point further. That lack of compassion and understanding for anyone will cloud your thoughts and cause you to seem uneducated, or even hypocritical. 

I love the idea of Obama being President, and he has my full support and vote. However, knowing a little bit more background on John McCain made me understand why other people support him. It’s not that every McCain supporter wants to make abortion illegal, or wants to ensure the rich stay rich. War veterans who have been scarred by their experiences and older generations who have a hard time accepting rapidly changing American culture and values might support McCain because it’s all they know, it’s what they feel most comfortable with. 

I don’t agree with McCain’s policies and I do not support him in this election. But I do have respect for the man, and I won’t hold anything against him. 

Obama, McCain: the Burr-Hamilton duel?

By Rima Abdelkader

This one, that one or the other ones.  November fourth is about three weeks away before U.S. voters get to choose someone.  We’ve already had two presidential debates and one veep presidential debate with many polls, including CNN, NBC, FOX, and the Reuters/C-Span/Zogby presidential tracking poll, showing Obama as the winner in the second presidential debate.  But, we won’t know until that day. 

What we do know is that the attack ads are in full swing.  McCain is focusing on the danger of Obama’s policies from taxes to funding of troops while Obama is attacking McCain’s healthcare plan.

The Campaign Media Analysis Group reported that Obama has already spent $21.5 million on ads nationwide while McCain has spent $9.2 million.  The Group’s representative reportedly said that McCain has no choice but to be negative given his performance in the polls.

Senator John McCain has already called Obama’s policies “dangerous” six times, counting both the first and second presidential elections.  This led me to think of the duel between Aaron Burr, the third vice president under Thomas Jefferson, and his rival Alexander Hamilton after Hamilton accused him of being “dangerous.”

First Presidential Debate – Friday 26 September 2008

McCain said, “Admiral Mullen suggests that Senator Obama’s plan is dangerous for America.”  Obama responded that Admiral Mullen said that the “withdrawal would be dangerous.”

McCain later said, “What Senator Obama doesn’t seem to understand that if without precondition you sit down across the table from someone who has called Israel a “stinking corpse,” and wants to destroy that country and wipe it off the map, you legitimize those comments.  This is dangerous.  It isn’t just naive; it’s dangerous.” 

McCain then said, “And we ought to go back to a little bit of Ronald Reagan’s “trust, but verify,” and certainly not sit down across the table from – without precondition, as Senator Obama said he did twice, I mean, it’s just dangerous.”  Obama, in response, said that McCain mischaracterized his opinion.

Second Presidential Debate – Tuesday 7 October 2008

McCain said, “If we had done what Sen. Obama wanted done in Iraq, and that was set a date for withdrawal, which Gen. [David] Petraeus, our chief – chairman of our Joint Chiefs of Staff said would be a very dangerous course to take for America, then we would have had a wider war, we would have been back, Iranian influence would have increased, al Qaeda would have re-established a base.”

Obama mentioned dangerous once when NBC’s Brokaw asked Obama if Russia was an evil empire under Vladimir Putin.

The Campaign Media Analysis Group representative Evan Tracey told CNN that “McCain is almost all negative because he needs to be” and that he is “behind in the polls and outgunned.”

McCain came out with an attack ad this past week calling Obama and his policies – you guessed it – dangerous.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see on November fourth who will truly be outgunned – in the polls.

What do you think?  Whose policies are more “dangerous”?