How can we miss them if they won't go away? That's the question raised by the mainstream media's continued coverage of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, despite neither of them holding office anymore. Months after he left office, former President Obama still gets glowing media coverage surrounding his statements, appearances and activities, while stories less favorable to his administration get less attention. Mrs. Clinton, meanwhile, continues to make regular appearances lamenting her election loss and criticizing President Trump.
The media's continued obsession with Obama and Clinton is driven partially by the former President and Secretary of State’s refusal to leave the stage, according to Dan Gainor, Vice President of the Media Research Center. "Barack Obama is doing something unprecedented in the modern era, he is basically setting up a counter-White House to the Trump administration, going out and meeting with foreign leaders as he just met with (Prime Minister) Trudeau of Canada," says Gainor. "If George W. Bush had done this, the media would have called him a traitor."
Speaking of former President Bush, Gainor notes that unlike Obama, he gracefully left the national stage and has largely avoided the spotlight since leaving office. Nevertheless, the media double standard persists. "The whole description of George W. Bush during his presidency was wrong, so now the media want him to fade into obscurity, and if he didn't they would attack him," says Gainor.
As for Hillary Clinton, she is getting much more play in the media than Mitt Romney, the most recent losing presidential candidate who did not hold office. "The media want to put her out there because she is the voice of the resistance, and that's all this is," says Gainor. He believes the national media will continue to give attention to anyone who is criticizing President Trump, while ignoring scandals and turmoil in the Democratic Party. "The media don't want to do anything to cause division in the Democratic Party, they only want to cause damage to the Republican Party...they are not neutral," says Gainor.