Opinion: Pontificating pundits in overdrive as Obama nears 100 days in office
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What’s 100 days between friends?
As Dallas Morning News columnist Carl Leubsdorf pointed out, Barack Obama had barely taken office when cable channels began touting their coverage of ‘Obama’s first 100 days.’ And it was just 89 days into his term when our own Los Angeles Times began its three-part assessment of ‘the early arc of the Obama presidency.’
The media frenzy is likely to pick up over the next few days as President Obama nears his 100th day in office next week.
The historic yardstick is the legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As The Times’ columnist Doyle McManus points out, it took FDR only 103 days to launch that first version of his New Deal, and the initial storm set a tone for the rest of Roosevelt’s first term: constant action, bold experimentation, unprecedented expansion of the authority of the federal government. Ever since, historians have measured presidents by that barometer.
Fair enough. But what of this media mania by newspapers to beat the competition with their own 100-day package, or by cable television shows to book panels and panels of pundits to assess the lasting impact of his actions even before the ink is dry on most of his legislation?
No doubt the coverage owes something to the president’s popularity. In fact, speaking of comparisons, Obama -- now at 59% approval rating -- is often compared with Ronald Reagan, whose rating at this point in his presidency was a similar 60%.
Then there’s the fascination with all the ‘firsts.’ Obama is the first African American president of the United States. His 7-year-old daughter, Sasha, is the first person born in the 21st century to live at the White House. Their dog, Bo, well, let’s not go there.
And to be fair, this is not just an MSM phenomenon. The blogosphere is filled with pontificating pundits from all sides of the political spectrum -- there’s even a blog dedicated to chronicling the president’s first months in office.
And the media are not alone in their 100-day fixation -- the Democratic National Committee is using the occasion for political purposes, to skewer Republicans for saying no to all the new president’s new programs.
The political world’s fascination with the president’s first 100 days in office may come down to nothing more complicated than this. With his charisma and calm demeanor, his ability to summon words and inspire confidence, Obama has mastered the art of steering public opinion and policy. And with First Lady Michelle Obama at his side, with her organic garden and global charm, the Obamas are just the latest feel-good story, a magnet for media attention and political bragging rights.
Still, if you’re allergic to pundit hype or harangues about his first 100 days in office, you might consider a media vacation next week.
-- Johanna Neuman
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