Thought provoking article from the London Times Online regarding the perceived idolatry by many in the media towards Barack Obama. The article takes particular offense with the recent Newsweek “O-team” lovefest.

Mr Obama is portrayed throughout as an immanently benevolent figure. Not human really, more a comforting presence, a light source. He is always eager to listen to all aides of an argument, always instilling confidence in the weak-willed, resolutely sticking to his high principles and tirelessly spurning the low road of electoral politics. I stopped reading after a while but I’m sure by the end he was healing the sick, comforting the dying, restoring sight to the blind and setting prisoners free.

Mr. Baker also takes on an increasingly common theme, the media’s turn in the portrayal of John McCain— the long time darling of many of the same media outlets, but now unfortunately running as the GOP nomination for president.

There’s a special irony here. Senator McCain is the Republican who has received probably the single most favourable treatment from the media in the past 40 years. He has been a favourite because he conformed to the first law of contemporary political journalism: the only good conservative is a bad conservative. His willingness to defy his party on everything from taxes to global warming, to take on George Bush, has earned him at least an honourable mention in the martyrology of American politics of the past 40 years. But now that he’s up against Oh! Bama! he will have to be recast in the more familiar Republican mould of villain and scaremonger-in-chief.

It really is a shame that someone of John McCain’s stature, character, and history of working across party lines will now be cast as the ultimate villain.