For Political Reporters, A Never-Ending Story

FOR POLITICAL REPORTERS, A NEVER-ENDING STORY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
In a rerun of a very familiar movie, the media establishment was too quick to crank out the obituaries for a former first lady who keeps bouncing back against Barack Obama. While some commentators are not exactly Hillary fans or have been dazzled by Obama, most say the race is now simply a matter of math -- that Clinton, after getting blown out in states from South Carolina to Wisconsin, faces an insurmountable gap in pledged delegates. "I don't think it's only because of what her supporters see as Hillary-bashing," Dickerson says. "All the sniping between her aides is a telltale sign of a campaign in distress. We're not making this up." Many voters have tuned in only recently, but campaign reporters and analysts have been on the beat since before Clinton and Obama kicked off their candidacies back in January 2007. They originally had to chase 18 presidential candidates, and by now have covered or commented on 20 Democratic debates. "Everyone is toasted," says NBC anchor Brian Williams, "but they just keep waking up the next morning and doing it again." Sometimes, as the correspondents and pundits ricochet from late-night coverage to early-morning duty, the fatigue starts to show.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR200803...
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* Is the media sold on Obama?
Cal Thomas, a conservative columnist, AND Bob Beckel, a liberal Democratic strategist, have a mini-debate.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080306/commonlede.art.htm

* On the Web, Obama Is the Clear Winner
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) has another place where she needs to catch up: the Web. Long before Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) began his impressive winning streak in the Democratic primaries, he was trouncing his opponents in their online efforts.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2008/tc2008035_280573....

* Hillary's resurgence extends to online fundraising
After reaching such financial straits that she made a $5 million loan to her campaign last month, Sen. Hillary Clinton has had a resurgence with the support of hundreds of thousands of small online donors. The change in emphasis to small donors mirrors the tactics of her deep-pocketed rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama, and shows the necessity for candidates to use the Internet to compete.
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/PRIMARY/...