Journalism

The big buzz surrounding the Obama transition last week was that once-fierce rival Hillary Clinton might become his Secretary of State. Meanwhile Sarah Palin, shielded from the press during the campaign, made up for lost time with a media blitz.

The campaign press declared Barack Obama’s Nov. 4 victory a culturally transforming event, but was far less certain it was a politically transforming moment. And within days, the search for lessons had yielded to speculation about the new administration.

In the final week of the campaign, both presidential candidates continued to pound away at each other’s economic policies. But as they examined the details of the last polls, the battlegrounds, and the strategy, the media had all but anointed a winner.

Colin Powell’s endorsement and Joe Biden’s gaffe were almost one-day wonders last week as the news cycle sped up in the campaign’s final days. Now, it’s battleground states and polls that seem to be capturing much of the media’s attention.

The final presidential debate was the top campaign storyline last week. And both candidates rolled out major economic packages. But perhaps the most memorable event was the media descending on an unlikely new voice of the working class.

The stock market tanked, and the candidates took citizen questions during a presidential debate. But with Election Day looming in less than a month, the media spotlight last week was trained on the hostile rhetoric heard on the campaign trail.