Obama's "Secret Agenda" and Your Future

Although there has been much speculation on what people are calling “Obama’s own Etch A Sketch moment”, I find it hard to rap my head around how blown over proportion the President’s comment to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has become. It troubles me how such a seemingly subtle comment as

   

“This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility.”

Can inspire such scenes as this:

Which doesn’t surprise me as this quote will undoubtedly be relentlessly used by republicans to criticize the President’s supposed “secret agenda”. In regards to the President’s “secret agenda” Republicans pose this to the public:

“Ready for mandatory military service, disarmament and censored speech? If not, then either prepare yourself for Obama’s New World Order and socialism or start investigating what our America will become.”

And let’s not forget comparing the President to “... Hitler, Stalin, and Lenin.”

Though I may be lacking the vivid imagination that automatically kicked in for some Republicans after hearing President Obama’s comment, I do have the will to analyze this “hot mic” scandal further in detail so as to conclude whether or not media framing is responsible for this nonsense criticism.

What I am referring to as framing is specifically episodic framing. Shanto Iyengar defines episodic framing as “event-oriented reports [that] depicts public issues in terms of concrete instances.” Iyengar notes that, “Television reports that rely on visuals of an event will be more entertaining to an audience, yet provide little useful narrative interpretation to understand the broader issue.”

The sound bite of President Obama’s comment, along with the photo depicting the conversation, seem to be perfect examples of episodic framing because:

1)      It is entertaining to catch the President in a suggestive moment which to many implies a radical second term if he were to be re-elected.

2)      Although this sound bite is entertaining to many with strong imaginations, it does little to inform the public of what the broader subject of the President’s bilateral meeting with Russian President Medvedev, which was to exemplify the cooperation between the US and Russia so as to look forward to resolving issues with missile defense.

I began with the intention to defend the President from further criticism by analyzing this sound bite for what it truly is: an incident of episodic framing. For those who lie awake at night shivering in their sheets, with the thoughts of the President’s “secret agenda” I ask you one question: Why would the President after having four years  to implement this supposed “secret agenda” wait until his second term to unleash this agenda when 4 perfectly good years have just gone by? And furthermore why would you undermine a system of checks and balances where a president cannot act with authoritarian rule?

 <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/26/open-mic-catches-obama-asking-russian-president-for-space-on-missile-defense/?hpt=hp_c1>

<http://www.pakalertpress.com/2010/12/27/prepare-new-nuclear-war-preparedness-guide-fedgov/>

<http://gothamist.com/2012/03/26/obama_caught_telling_truth_on_hot_m.php>

<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/26/remarks-president-obama-and-president-medvedev-russia-after-bilateral-me>

<http://merciad.mercyhurst.edu/node/61>

<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/mar/26/obama-begs-russians-space-missile-defense-talks/>

<http://bostonglobe.com/2012/03/26/president-obama-has-own-etch-sketch-moment-with-open-mic-comment-russian/WQWVRUifiTfjgy5ciFmxcI/story.html>

<http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/03/obamas_flexible_second_term.html>