In pointing out how Barack Obama only won in 2008 by a slim margin, so this year’s Republican nominee doesn’t have to win over all that many Americans, ABC’s Jake Tapper on Sunday morning listed the media amongst the factors “going” for Obama four years ago: “You had the media, perhaps, tilting on the scales a little bit.”
That’s an understatement, but a noteworthy realization when it comes from the chief White House correspondent for a major network.
From the roundtable on the Sunday, January 8 This Week with George Stephanopoulos produced in Manchester, New Hampshire:
JAKE TAPPER: The fundamental point is that Obama is going to be the referendum. That’s what the election is next year. Does he deserve a re-election or not? If you look at 2008, Barack Obama had everything going for him. His opponent did not run a great campaign, picked a running mate that alienated some key voters, you had an economic crisis as opposed to a national security crisis. Everything going for him. You had the media, perhaps, tilting on the scales a little bit. And still-
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I think George [Will] agrees with that statement.
TAPPER: And still, 47 percent of the country voted against him. All that Mitt Romney, or whoever the nominee is, needs to do is convince about four to five million Americans-
