05-01-2008, 07:22 PM
I was point out that picking apart a candidate because of a bad headline just doesn't make any sense.
I agree. He didn't write the headline, some goon at a news desk did.
Headlines are funny that way, we're misled into thinking the candidate's statement--the pull-quote--represents the story, or what the candidate said, or that the remark has particular emphasis, or special relevance. When more likely, it was one of dozens of remarks, but a copy editor isolated it, inflated it, and turned it into a "headline". Selling news is a business.
Having said that, talking about privilege or lack of privilege growing up is a tiresome thing politicians say, uncharacteristic for Obama, an unfortunate example of being on the defensive.