The BBC are confused

The BBC really wanted a woman US President hence their long-time support for Hillary Clinton. Then along comes Barack Obama and in leftist politics a black man still just trumps a white woman. Now John McCain announces that Sarah Palin, the female governor of Alaska, as his running mate. The BBC have to attack but she is a woman so the BBC are feeling conflicted. Don't worry this will pass; the BBC were after all able to attack Condi Rice and she was a black woman - mind you she was a Republican and working for George W. Bush - the great Satan to the BBC.

The BBC's coverage has some interesting angles:

Apparently she is his "surprise running mate"; that's odd I picked her as one of my two tips back in June and I am not a highly paid commentator on American politics like Justin Webb.

"At 44, she is younger than Barack Obama and is credited with reforms during her first term, but she is relatively unknown in US politics."

It would seem that the maximum youth allowed is whatever age Barack Obama is, any younger is too young. I am also interested by the "relatively unknown" tag, relative to what? To Barack Obama, probably but then that could be because the US and UK media have been promoting him ever since he became a Senator. To those of us with an interest in politics, her role as Governor of Alaska with her comments on expanding the drilling for oil and exploiting the oil-shale reserves are well known.

"Mr McCain is due to present her on stage at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, as he celebrates his 72nd birthday."

He's old, so old; don't forget how old he is...

"Analysts say the Republican is keen to wrest back headlines from Mr Obama."

"No shit, Sherlock" really, do ya think? Which analysts think this? Mind you the BBC will do their best to make sure that either John McCain doesn't wrest back the headlines from the Messiah and that any headlines he gets are negative.

"Ms Palin is perhaps the most daring vice-presidential choice for Mr McCain, the BBC's Kim Ghattas reports from Dayton."

Ah it's Kim Ghattas reporting. Now I wonder from what angle she will report upon Republican politics? That would be Kim Ghattas the Lebanese born BBC reporter who was allowed to broadcast her "unbiased" thoughts on the Israeli - Hezbollah conflict without having to declare her interest in the subject. That would be Kim Ghattas about you can read more here . That would be the Kim Ghattas who wrote for Asia Times that

"And the Al Jazeera attitude continues to be that if it's getting so many complaints from all sides, it must be getting it right."

Showing the same BBC assumption of moral equivalence that we so admire. That would be the Kim Ghattas who's blinkered anti-Bushism lead her to reportedly describe the sentencing of Osama bin Laden's chauffeur thus:

"The BBC's Kim Ghattas at the trial says the sentence is a dramatic snub to the Bush administration and came after just one-and-a-half hours of deliberation."

Not sure how that was a snub to the administration, maybe Kim Ghattas could explain when she has finished attacking Republicans this week and next.

The unnamed analysts return...

"Analysts say she may have been chosen by the McCain campaign as a tactic to win over Democratic women voters, disappointed by the defeat of Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama."

How evil of John McCain to pick as Vice President someone who might help him garner votes. How underhand of him to pick a woman. Why couldn't he do the BBC's analysts a favour and pick a member of the KKK as they just know he really wants to.

"Her relative youth and reforms as governor may also go some way to match Mr Obama's appeal, and boost Mr McCain's chances."

Don't worry he's not as appealing as Barack Obama - black still outranks female - and anyway John McCain doesn't really want her as his VP, it's just a campaigning tool.

""She will be his partner in reforming Washington," a senior McCain official told Reuters news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity."

I have never seen that phrase before, why not just report this as "She will be his partner in reforming Washington," an unnamed senior McCain official told Reuters news agency"? Because this way sound underhand and secretive, how unlike the way that barack Obama operates...

"But Ms Palin lacks foreign policy experience and while being a Washington outsider can be an asset for the McCain ticket, it also means she has not been tested on the national stage, our correspondent says."

As always with the BBC what is good for Obama does not have to be good for McCain; the rules are different because the BBC want, need, Obama to win - he must win to HEAL the wounds of 2000 and 2004.

It took the BBC about half an hour to add a piece to the end of their article referring to unproven allegations that have been made against Sarah Palin:

"She sacked a public safety commissioner and the allegation is that she sacked him because he had not fired a state trooper who is Ms Palin’s former brother-in-law, and who is in a custody battle with her sister.

She says she has "nothing to hide" and is "cool" about the investigation."

Presumably it took that long for the BBC's top American politics team to call the Obama camp for "the dirt".

Of course the BBC will not even mention Barack Obama's links to Antoin ("Tony") Rezko and the possible real-estate scandal that may link them. The BBC have not covered Barack Obama's treatment of his half-brother in Kenya or the claims about his upbringing or ......


The BBC - we want Barack Obama as US President and will do all that we can to assist.


You can hear Kim Ghattas's words of wisdon here being interviewed by the towering intellect that is Sarah Montague.