The award for dumbest article on political coverage this week goes to Patrick Healy for an article entitled Allies Ask Obama to Make ‘Hope’ More Specific. The real problem is that many in the media, and possibly some of the politicians Healy quotes, are not interested in paying attention to the specifics.
Politicians attract support on many levels. Obama receives a considerable amount of support from his big speeches which are not designed to discuss the issues on a detailed level. Wonky political discussion is not what gets the attention of most people, but making speeches which do attract support does not mean that Obama is also not being specific on the issues.
Those who want specific answers have many avenues. There’s his web site which contains multiple pages on the issues. Obama has discussed the issues in detail when reporters have bothered to actually ask about issues, but far too many reporters are more interested in horse race questions than questions of substance. He has been on vacation for the past week, but his campaign has still provided specific answers, such as with an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal discussing his tax plan. Obama already has two books out, one of which is on the issues, and will have a third book out in early September which is partially designed to respond to those who feel he has not been specific enough.
Obama has provided specific answers many times. He even manages to give intelligent answers to questions, without taking both sides of most of the issues like McCain. You are just not going to see it from journalists who are more interested in writing process articles such as the one Healy wrote, based merely on the whining of bitter Clinton supporters, as opposed articles which make the effort to actually look at where Obama and McCain stand on the issues.