This reminds me of the old fallacy: a driver of fat cattle must himself be fat.

From Media Matters, via Eschaton:

The Wall Street Journal would have you believe that Barack Obama faces an uphill electoral climb because he may be "Too Fit to Be President." Journal reporter Amy Chozick devoted more than 1,300 words to exploring this pressing topic:
“[I]n a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them.”

It continues to astound me that this isn't just overheard barroom conversation but the main thrust of real serious media opinion pieces. As Media Matters suggests, it means the press doesn't really have any thoughts of its own. Its task is just to take the talking points from the boss and try to be creative and make them interesting. And this “whether he is truly like them” thing that keeps popping up like dockweed. I feel there is something uniquely American about being born in America, playing basketball, attending Harvard and being a senator. It's not something we foreigners ever seem to get the hang of, somehow.

Labels: Ironic Mixed Percussion