It is convenient for Hannity, Limbaugh and others to assert that the media treated Bush with a great deal of disdain while it treats Obama with endless respect. However, it is evident through magazine covers during Bush's early presidency that the news media respected him... despite winning a highly controversial election the media demonstrated the same respect for Bush that they've demonstrated for Obama, a winner of a landslide.
Bush's first years yielded many magazine covers among them...
Feb. 19, 2001 "Tax Cuts & You"
Dec. 3, 2001 "Where We Get Our Strength"

Nov. 18, 2002 "Top Gun"
Is Obama's media coverage fair relative to George Bush's early media coverage? What are your thoughts?
Best regards,
Jay
Jay Allen
MovieVoice
jay@movievoice.net
http://blatantpolitics.com

My thoughts... are that while you spent time to look up the magazine covers, you didn't take the time to read the articles.
Re: the tax cut cover.... Bush actually did cut taxes (which Obama will let expire -funny he doesn't call that an increase). Obama's tax cut pledge for 95% of Americans turned into an increase in less than 90 days of the inauguration (take a close look at his signed legislation for the past 45 days!).
I'm still reeling from the stock market DYING starting right at the point where Obama overtook McCain in the polling last October.... 4,000 points on the dow jones. Wall Street knew what was coming. I'm sorry I had faith that it would be o.k.
In general. .it is apparent that Obama is getting a better treatment all together.
Cameron, why do you suggest that I didn't take time to read the articles. You reference the "Tax Cuts" issue. This is an issue that showed Bush cut taxes - what from the article that you read should I have included?
Fernando, do you listen to Limbaugh, Hannity or O'Reilly or watch Fox News - if so, you will see that any Democrat and/or liberal "gets better treatment". Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, and Fox News are able to maximize their revenue and personal income(s) when they convince their listeners/viewers that they are being attacked by the "liberals".
It is human nature to have "selective memory" when seeking support of a position.
Free speech permits us to present biased and unrepresentative positions as facts.
I must admit...and I am pretty objective...I have seen some of the news media outlets go a little harder on Bush...than Obama... but Obama has a long road ahead..hopefully the honeymoon doesnt' fade too quickly......that's a tough job...glad it's him not me.. :)
Jay - two things in your post that argue against your analogy. First, the articles in the Feb 21 Newsweek were primarily negative regarding the tax cuts. Second, the other two covers were shortly after the 9/11 attacks, not in his first few months.
I can also go out at cherry pick the sycophantic articles about Obama, shall I get some recent covers of just after the inauguration? BTW - Hannity, Limbaugh, etc are not the press, they are commentators. And so is Olbermann, who cherry picks and uses out of context just like these covers.
Jay, memory loss for some can be a beautiful thing, unfortunately for them, when they open their mouths that memory loss makes them look stupid!
Jay,
You asked a question and got answers but it is not what you want to hear. So, you will not listen.
My answer is yes, it is fair but no it is not equal and it never will be. The media in general is liberal just like Obama and his administration. And Terry, just like you didn't like the answer so she name calls like every other time someone does not agree. Stupid?? OK!
Jay - Most people have short term memories - I see it all the time here on AR. So quickly they forget. Somehow I've been blessed with the ability to remember things....even the most mundane.....from way back. Side note: my longest memory is from when I was about 2 1/2.
Bush had it rough towards the end of his tenure (and deservedly so). Those who compare Obama to Bush rarely do an apples to apples comparison as you mention. They're looking at Obama 09 vs Bush 07/08. How many here remember Bush 01? I do. He didn't get hit hard until around 04 and the big guns came out in 06 when the true losses of Iraq became more clear.
Tchaka: Bush was a disaster almost from the get go. I do remember the summer of 2001 and how Bush was overseeing a slowing economy and doing nothing. Americans were rightly angered. Bush was enjoying his summer vacation on the pig farm while the gathering storm was approaching. He and his administration were ignoring and downplaying those daily briefings.
Then 9/11 and Afghanistan and the dispatching of the Taliban.
Then: Iraq and "Mission Accomplished."
How about if we all just conceed that Bush is responsible for everything sincwe the beginning of time. Can we then wake up to what is going on before our eyes and try to hold our current president acountable for anything at all. We are running a fast course to destruction and you guys will not come into the present.
Hugh: I would agree with you, except, that is not the case. Bush did some good things in his tenure. I do not want to gloss over his epic failures.
Obama has been in office less than 70 days. I believe he deserves a chance to repair the economy, restore our position in the world and make this a better country for all Americans.
It appears that Cameron (first comment to this blog) is holding Obama responsible for the mess that Bush caused ..... and he also ignores the fact that the stock market started falling before Obama overtook McCain in the polls.
Moreover, it was McCain not Obama who bragged that "economics was not his strong suit."
As for Hugh's comment ..... his sarcasm continues. He too refuses to acknowledge that Obama didn't cause the ridiculous mess we're in, but is quick to want to hold Obama accountable.
Where exactly were the calls for accountability during the Bush administration when Bush, Cheney and their cronies acted without regard for the law?
Stewart, they will never admit that this mess started 8 years ago. I'm not sure why its such a painful thing for them, maybe because it makes them look ridiculous.
Stewart: Those calls were about as silent as they as loud against Obama. We don't call the sheeple for nothing.
Hugh - I can't blame Bush for everything because that's not fair to him. My greatest failure was the direction he took our country in early 2003. He was given a gift.......a gift borne out of the tragedy of Sept 11th.....to advance what could have amounted to a new world order with the US being in a significantly better position than what he left. I believe he would have gone down as one of our better Presidents ever. Early 2003 was the critical turn that screwed us all.
Scott - Anyone who said anything was considered unpatriotic. People went as far as to sell freedom fries and freedom toast simply because the French questioned what we were doing. Sheeple is great!! I like that.