As I said in my earlier post, Hillary Clinton finally stepped aside and expressed her support of Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for the Presidential Election this November ‘08. It is now the beginning of the Democratic hate-fest sponsored by the Republicans.

In the news, there are numerous articles outlining the beginning stages of the hate wheel rolling all over Obama. For instance, right wing social conservative Fox News headlines that “Johnson Steps Down From Obama VP Team, Marking First General Election Casualty” falsely implying that Johnson, who was on the team Obama is using to vet for his vice president candidate, is somehow plays a bigger role than that. Apparently, by keeping Johnson on the team would indicate that Obama is hypocritical and by getting rid of him, Obama is caving into pressure. I appreciate Obama’s honest response that in this campaign - there’s no time to vet the vetters, especially in this writer’s opinion, there are so many important issues facing America. Nonetheless, there’s no stopping Fox New’s residential hate bomber, Michelle Malkin, from name-calling, innuendos and all around attacking Obama for being “best friends” with Johnson, and through some unnamed sources has managed to get special treatment in one loan in 1998. No revelation of sources, just lots of hating. There’s no winning with these Obama haters.

Another FOX News headline, “Does Obama Really Not Mind High Gas Prices (As Observed by GOP)?” stating that Obama believes that America should shoulder the high costs of oil, when in actuality, he is stating that it should be a gradual increase. John McCain’s campaign has ignored the fact that they just voted for Big Oil profits and their cronies in the White House want to increase the supply of oil, making prices lower, but at the same time, increasing America’s dependence and consumption of oil. Is that really a solution to the problem? Leave it to Fox News to distort and twist the truth. At least Obama is looking for a long term solution to ease America from its dependence and focus on green alternatives and alternative fuels. Where are the right wing conervatives’ solutions? Oh right, they want to reduce gas prices by a few cents, thereby giving them the sound bite to declare they have the people’s interest at heart.

To further distort and spread lies, Malkin has gone on air and called Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle, “Obama’s bitter half.” This is based on Michelle Obama’s comments about how she’s never been so proud of America as she is now. While her husband’s people quickly clarified her statement to mean that she’s proud of the way America has responded to this election year, with record turn outs from young voters and minority voters - Malkin did not miss an opportunity to dispense her hate bombs in the foray to advance her own agenda. Malkin constantly picks on peripheral issues and take things out of context to advance her own neo-nazi conservative voice.

In case you have not heard some of her arguments, here’s a sample -she thinks the Japanese internment was not only justified, but was also necessary in the name of national security. Another issue? Lets deport illegal immigrants, even those who may have professional degrees and lived in the United States for decades, even those who have paid their taxes and have United States citizen children - all in the name of national security. Oh, and she also believed the John Kerry, back in the 2004 election, had shot himself intentionally while in the Vietnam War so that he could undeservingly receive the three purple hearts. All from either unnamed sources, or sources that have since recanted, and further hateful allegations.

I digress. Now it’s just between Barack Obama and John McCain, but don’t think that it will be a clean fight from hereon. Better take off those kiddie gloves because the smear campaign has only just begun.

It’s finally official that Barack Obama will prevail in the Democratic nomination for the Presidential election in November ‘08. Perhaps now the overzealous media will cease chattering on about when Hillary Clinton will concede, how will she do it, and why she has not done it already. Instead of focusing on meaningful issues such as her substantial overhaul of health care, education, social security, and the puttering economy, the last few months has been about irrelevant, superficial headlines aimed at targeting the woman, not the candidate.

While Barack Obama is a strong candidate,with an idealistic attitude about the new direction for the White House, much more publicity has been focused on Hillary Clinton’s other running mate, Bill, her misty eye moment on the trail, her comment regarding Martin Luther King Jr. (which was taken out of context), and debate on her ability to lead because she is a female - rather than Barack Obama’s association and loyalty to his volatile, racist minister and his light experience in politics.

The media outlets have lambasted Clinton and have been screaming for her to quit when statistically, she was leading in the popular vote and had substantial votes from delegates. She was not without bargaining power and her legitimacy was ratified by the strong support of women voters and workers of all ethnicity across the nation.

Rather than target pertinent, contentious issues such as the war in Iraq, commentators such as correspondent David Shuster from MSNBC interviewed two guests about Chelsea Clinton’s role in her mother’s campaign as in some way “pimped out in some weird sort of way.” This sort of language and dialogue is reminiscent of the Rush Limbaugh days during Bill Clinton’s administration where he insulted Chelsea Clinton by calling her ugly and compared her to a dog. This sort of exchange is infantile and belongs in the school yard.

It is a personal attack with sexist undertone to debate an topic such as looks from a candidate’s family, absolutely impertinent to the how effective that candidate may be in office. Further,  Chelsea Clinton is an adult and was supporting her mother’s campaign which has been insinuated that it is in some way a form of prostitution. Barack Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama, who has appeared on numerous news outlets in support of her husband’s campaign was not mentioned in the same program from MSNBC.

Again, we recall that Bill Clinton was dragged into the political foray when he made some comments about his wife’s substantial political experience and a better candidate for the presidency than Barack Obama - yet the media bombarded Hillary Clinton with questions regarding whether she would be able to “control” the other candidate if she were in office. Barack Obama was not attacked with the same furor regarding whether his wife would be a power player distraction in the White House. Not to say that Michelle Obama should be waging war with the media for the same treatment, but lets play fair. What’s good for the gals is certainly good enough for the guys.

Perhaps Hillary Clinton was an easier political target than Barack Obama, and it could be possible that Clinton made a harder sell for the White House due to her previous track record. Yet, throw in there media bias and a journalist’s preference for Barack Obama and we have a sexist, unfair campaign that has run rampant in United States media outlets in the last few months. Now journalists will focus on the divisive effect Hillary Clinton caused because she waited till now to concede - lets focus on this instead of actual issues people care about.