In the midst of his front-page story on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in today's Washington Post, Dan Balz takes time to note the following:
Even though neither has announced for president, Clinton and Obama have demonstrated the benefits of celebrity in a world of constant cable news and expanding Internet communities. That culture serves to reinforce the advantages of celebrity, repeatedly focusing attention on the celebrities (as this story is doing) rather than paying close attention to the doggedness of dark horses--at least until serious campaigning begins and the voters weigh in. [My italics]
Sure, the story is still about celebrity rather than policy, and Balz certainly writes plenty of these sorts of articles. But at least he is calling attention to the fact that his piece is part of the same media circus it is ostensibly critiquing. Admissions like this are unfortunately few and far between. --Isaac Chotiner