Over the last few years, The Politico website has fashioned itself into an important clearinghouse of the latest political buzz.  Its stable of star political reporters Ben Smith, Mike Allen, and Jonathan Martin have become regular fixtures on the cable political talk show circuit.  Few internet media organizations are treated with such unanimous agreement on its wisdom and objectivity as is The Politico by the MSM.

Which is why I was particularly distressed by the headlines and content of two of their pieces from yesterday regarding Barack Obama.

The first was Politico's coverage of Barack Obama's speech in Berlin.  My gripe?  The headline:

"Obama Promises To Remake The World".

Really?  Really?  Now, that would have been pretty stupid for Obama to "promise" in any speech he's giving, be it to Berliners, Americans, or Noah himself.  Somehow, though, reading through his speech yesterday, I missed his plans to send forth the floods.

Sure enough, down in the body of the piece was the actual quote from Obama.  At least they bothered to print it.

In perhaps the most striking passage, Obama asserted: “I know my country has not perfected itself.” 

“But I also know how much I love America,” he said.  “We are a people of improbable hope.  With an eye towards the future, with resolve in our heart, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again.” 

Huh.  That's a little different.  Whereas The Politico's headline insinuates that Obama is a megalomaniac with a God-complex, bent on apocalyptic destruction, the actual speech shows a national leader acknowledging the error of his country's ways, and asking his fellow countrymen to "remember this history" and come together to correct the wrongs committed.

But certainly, readers weren't just glancing at the headline and making snap judgments.  On to the comments section to see for myself:

He may be the MESSIAH, but he's no RONALD REAGAN!

King Obama, King Obama, King Obama, King Obama!!!!!!

This guy is scary.  His experience amounts to being a magazine editor, a community activist, a state senator where he voted 'present' over 100 times, and a US senator for roughly 130 days before he went on the campaign trail.  And NOW he wants to remake the world?  And the Obama faithful said amen.

Why he is going to "remake" the world...get rid of nukes (after the U.S. Dumps ours first), get rid of the military (after all, with the world as one, who needs soldiers?, ensure the equality of wealth (the rich will give half their earnings to organizations to distribute to the poor), eliminate all carbon based fuels (the world will use candles!)....ALL HAIL OBAMA!

'I will remake the world in my own image'  - Obama, Berlin 2008

Right. 

The second Politico article that my got my hair standing on end was a seemingly innocent piece on the Obama family's Christmas traditions.  The title?

"Obama Leaves The Gifting To Santa"

Harmless enough, right?  The headline appears to be saying the obvious: that the Obamas still tell their little girls—7 & 10 years old, respectively—that the Christmas presents they receive are not from Michelle and Barack, but from Santa.  Come to think of it, millions of American parents do the exact same thing for their very young children.  The Politico certainly couldn't find a way to make this controversial, could they?

Obama tells the magazine’s Sandra Sobieraj Westfall in a seven-page cover story that he and his wife follow the unusual practice because they “want to teach some limits.”   In the interview earlier this summer, Obama noted that they do spend “hundreds” of dollars on birthday slumber parties.

"Unusual"?

Michelle Obama told People: “Malia says, ‘I know there is a Santa because there’s no way you’d buy me all that stuff.’ ”

So obviously, they do give their children gifts on Christmas Day.  Lots of them.  "All that stuff".  They just don't want the children to be spoiled by them. 

I can't believe I'm actually getting bothered by this article.  Maybe I just felt burned by the last Politico comments section, where people seemed to almost intentionally not get it.  Surely, with regards to the Obama family, people in the comments section of this piece would understand the obvious.  Only one way to find out, I suppose.

This could be the kiss of death for Obama: not giving Christmas or birthday gifts to your kids?  Muslim or Communist?  It may well be true that Obama is out of touch with America.  He may abstractly be right but that is no way to be president.

Gifts are not usually exchanged when celebrating Ramadan.

Why would he?  Christmas is a Christian holiday not a muslim holiday.

Muslims don't celebrate Christmas - so there is no need for Christmas Presents.

I want to barf......No Christmas or birthday presnets. The Jehovha witnesses do the same....

Malia: Daddy, I just know there's a Santa. Obama: Gurl, what you talkin 'bout, I ain't no Santa, I'm fixin to try and be the next POTUS!

People Magazine demo is middle class swing voter types...this weird elitist BS is not going to sit well.

What's hilarious about these comments is that, if the people writing them actually read the article in question, and still wrote these things, it only means one thing: they all believe that Santa Claus actually exists.

Thanks, Politico.  Thanks.