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>
