In the last week, there a major story line in the mainstream media: President Trump is undoing the Obama legacy. It's everywhere; this morning I saw it in the British press. But is it accurate? The simple answer is that the entire story is just another manifestation as to how transfixed the media is on Obama. We had eight years of media cheerleading for Obama. Now, when events of major importance are taking place, the media covers them by telling us how they affect Obama's legacy.
For example, President Trump refused to certify that Iran is meeting the terms of the JCPOA, the Iranian nuclear deal. It's not surprising that the President would not so certify; after all, the Iranians refuse to allow any inspections of nuclear facilities located on military bases. No one in the West knows what the Iranians are doing in those facilities. If Iran won't permit inspections called for by the JCPOA, how could the President certify compliance with that agreement? This is a major problem that requires a decision how to deal now with Iran. For the media, however, the President's move is an attack on Obama's legacy. How ridiculous.
Then there's DACA. Obama used an executive order to create the DACA program after first telling the nation over twenty times that he didn't have the power to take such an action. He was right in what he said; there is no executive power to change the immigration law. President Trump announce that DACA (as an executive order) would end. He had no real choice since more than half the states were about to go to court to declare the program unconstitutional. Congress now has six months to decide whether or not it wants to establish a legal version of DACA. This is a major debate on immigration law that will affect millions of people. For the media, however, the biggest point in the discussion is that the President is attacking the Obama legacy. That's even more ridiculous.
President Trump is doing a great many things. For the media, however, the focus seems only to be on Trump's tweets and on Obama's legacy. The truly important items seem to be getting essentially no coverage. That makes the American people the losers from the great media delusion.
UPDATE: A few hours after I posted this, President Trump held a press conference in the rose garden together with senator Mitch McConnell. Almost like clockwork, the President was asked if he was trying to destroy Obama's legacy rather than being asked about the merits of the moves in question. It's sadly predictable.
For example, President Trump refused to certify that Iran is meeting the terms of the JCPOA, the Iranian nuclear deal. It's not surprising that the President would not so certify; after all, the Iranians refuse to allow any inspections of nuclear facilities located on military bases. No one in the West knows what the Iranians are doing in those facilities. If Iran won't permit inspections called for by the JCPOA, how could the President certify compliance with that agreement? This is a major problem that requires a decision how to deal now with Iran. For the media, however, the President's move is an attack on Obama's legacy. How ridiculous.
Then there's DACA. Obama used an executive order to create the DACA program after first telling the nation over twenty times that he didn't have the power to take such an action. He was right in what he said; there is no executive power to change the immigration law. President Trump announce that DACA (as an executive order) would end. He had no real choice since more than half the states were about to go to court to declare the program unconstitutional. Congress now has six months to decide whether or not it wants to establish a legal version of DACA. This is a major debate on immigration law that will affect millions of people. For the media, however, the biggest point in the discussion is that the President is attacking the Obama legacy. That's even more ridiculous.
President Trump is doing a great many things. For the media, however, the focus seems only to be on Trump's tweets and on Obama's legacy. The truly important items seem to be getting essentially no coverage. That makes the American people the losers from the great media delusion.
UPDATE: A few hours after I posted this, President Trump held a press conference in the rose garden together with senator Mitch McConnell. Almost like clockwork, the President was asked if he was trying to destroy Obama's legacy rather than being asked about the merits of the moves in question. It's sadly predictable.
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