Neutralizing the Sting

A surprisingly balanced piece from CNN. But note the focus of Anderson Cooper's questions to the reporter. It is not on the distortion of Obama's campaign regarding his past, but a stronger focus on the McCain camp trying to make the association. So it in effect disarms the piece's impact on Obama by being more like a sports commentary on strategies instead of an exposure of LiesSpinDistortion perpetrated by the Obama camp. This is an example where the effect might not have been intentional, but rather a result of a media whose focus and priorities are off.

How different would have been the impact if Cooper had asked: "So in your opinion, is Barack Obama trying to deceive the American people?"