I've been observing for a couple of days the corporate media's very obvious attempt to paint healthcare reform as being impossible, doomed, screwed and so forth. Of course this is because the corporate media, and especially cable news, takes its cues from Drudge and the Republicans, as well as takes much of its ad revenue from the healthcare industry (see endless Lipitor, Flomax and boner pill commercials).
The fact is that the House has a bill with the public option ready for a vote. Many lawmakers have already pledged to forgo their August recess to get this done. The president is stepping up his efforts. Polls are still very strong. The public option is now mandatory. All in all, things are looking much more positive than they did a month ago.
My observations are based solely on observing the crappy MSNBC morning line-up and some scans of the various print press websites. But Media Matters has documented this death by a thousand cuts media vibe here.
• On the July 19 edition of NBC's Meet the Press, host David Gregory stated: "Sunday: it's do or die for the president's massive health care reform."
• On the July 19 edition of CNN Newsroom, host Don Lemon asked: "[I]s President Barack Obama's health care plan dead in the water?"
• CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin asserted of health care reform, "the White House is feeling really nervous right now. I mean, they know that this thing is a mess."
• CNN senior White House correspondent Ed Henry said that Obama's "abrupt" decision to give a speech on health care on July 17 raises "questions about whether his health care push may be unraveling."
• Wolf Blitzer said that Obama was making "a Hail Mary pass on health care. ... He's scrambling to keep his hopes for an overhaul alive as concerns about costs rise."
DRAMA! Jeepers creepers. Do these guys even realize how self-satirical they sound? When they prepare this crap, don't they consider how perfectly it'll fit into a Jon Stewart bit?
Adding... Nate Silver weighs in.