The fact that this conflict existed at all may be a surprise to anyone who watched the 2008 campaign. The press loved Barack Obama in 2008—a sentiment best embodied by MSNBC host Chris Matthews’s statement that a Barack Obama speech sent a “thrill up his leg.” Part of the media love for Obama came from the fact that most journalists are liberal-minded, but the true bias of the media is not ideological; it’s a bias for a good story, and Barack Obama’s candidacy was a great story. Like Trump, Obama was a boon for ratings and clicks. The media’s crush on Obama didn’t mean they didn’t scrutinize
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