Censorship

I was wanting to write about this earlier, but the day has been really crazy... you can chalk that up to Halloween.  

Honestly, when this entire election season started two decades ago (at least it feels like it's been that long, maybe it's only been two years), I made an observation about Barak Obama to most of my friends that I thought (at the time) that he was an "honest liberal" - that he was an overall positive guy (which I still think is true) that holds some very progressive (liberal) beliefs... and while I respected him I would probably not vote for him because I do fundamentally disagree with the direction that he would likely want to steer the country.  

The conversation he had with Joe the Plumber confirmed that basic opinion... that he really believes in this almost socialistic world view and in an unscripted moment attempts to convince a voter that that course of action is the right way to go.  Like I said, respect that he has these strong views... would not vote for those in a candidate.  Believe me, I'm not scared of a liberal... I just wouldn't vote for one given the choice.  

What scares ME, though... is the actions I have seen from his campaign to silence and marginalize his critics.  In a sense, the folks in the media that are asking tough questions and forcing these agendas to the forefront... versus the campaign of slogans and mantras that we have seen... are being silenced (or at least attempted to).  First of all, an Orlando news reporter questioned VP candidate Joe Biden about Barak's statements about "spreading the wealth around"...



and after that interview interviews with Jill Biden were cancelled... was it to avoid another embarrassing line of questions that the campaign didn't want to answer?  

In another move, it came out today that three major American newspapers were denied access to the Obama campaign in the final days of the campaign... all three have editorially endorsed John McCain (the Dallas Morning News, Washington Times, and New York Post).  The jist that I'm getting is.. "you're not for us, so we're cutting you out."  Would FoxNews be next?  

You don't see the same arrogant behavior from the McCain campaign... after Sarah Palin was grilled by Katie Couric, the campaign didn't cut CBS News out of the loop.  Why was this Orlando station being nailed because they made Joe Biden and his top ticket guy look bad?  

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/31/uselections2008-barackobama1

What I'm afraid of is what this may be foreshadowing... could it be that only news sources favorable to an Obama administration are allowed access.  Now that he is leading in the polls on the strength of slogans and marketing... with only hints at his agenda being broadcast... why is it that when he is challenged that he doesn't rebut the questions but instead insults the questioner... and then cuts this station off from contact.

I don't mean to be paranoid (maybe I'm appearing to be, but the thought of the freedom of the press being violated concerns me)... could this be a potential shot across the bow at journalists critical of Barak Obama????  Only those that endorse me are allowed access...

Could you imagine if the Bush Administration only allowed FoxNews to attend press conferences (I mean, they are really the only ones that give him at least some respect)?  Would you imagine what it would be like if they could censor CNN when they aired stories critical of the administration?  Could this perhaps be the practice of an Obama/Biden Administration?  Could a challenge to the free press and an attempt at censorship be attempted if Barak Obama wins?  Is this something we want to risk?  

That... not the very liberal views... is what has me the most concerned.