'Is Obama a Socialist?'

The question gets some surprisingly serious attention.

JAMES TARANTO

(Best of the Tube This Weekend: We'll be on "The Journal Editorial Report" tomorrow, discussing the Second Amendment and the Supreme Court. Tune in at 2 and 11 p.m. ET on Fox News Channel--and this week there is a 6 a.m. Sunday showing as well. Also: We won't publish a column Monday, as the Fourth of July falls on July 5 this year.)

Here's a pair of questions that some people are, surprisingly, asking: "Is Obama Really a Socialist? Some Say So, but Where's the Evidence?" That's a Christian Science Monitor headline, and while the second question is entirely rhetorical, suggesting the paper (or is it just a website now?) comes down on the negative side, the story is actually inconclusive:

The assertion is getting louder: President Obama is a socialist, a wealth-redistributing wolf in Democrat's clothing gnawing at America's entrepreneurial spirit.

It's easy to buy "Obama is a socialist" bumper stickers on the Internet. Political commentator Dick Morris said, in a column circulated on GOPUSA.com, that conservatives are "enraged at Barack Obama's socialism and radicalism." Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich titled his new book "To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine."

So, is Mr. Obama trying to form The Socialist Republic of America? Or are the accusations mainly a political weapon, meant to stick Obama with a label that is poison to many voters and thus make him a one-term president?

As is often the case in politics, the answer is in the eye of the beholder.

Well, "Answer Is in Eye of Beholder" is about the dullest headline one could write without mentioning Canada, so we can see why the Monitor went for something with an ever so tiny bit more sex appeal. Still, what's interesting here is that the Monitor is treating the question even as a legitimate one.

The left has portrayed the assertion "Obama is a socialist" as the product of hallucinogenic tea. Polls attempting to show that Republicans are crazy--both the one Markos Moulitsas commissioned and the one John Avlon inspired, helped design and touted but did not commission--have included it along with such genuinely insane claims as "Obama was not born in the U.S." and "Obama may be the Antichrist." Yet you won't see a mainstream publication weigh the pros and cons of those claims and conclude that "the answer is in the eye of the beholder."

What's more--and this was our first thought on seeing the Monitor story--we're pretty sure we never saw a similar story during George W. Bush's time in office seriously pondering the question of whether he was a fascist, though left-wingers called him that all the time.

We suppose this is in part because the left has so cheapened the term "fascism" as to leave it with little meaning other than as a term of abuse. Socialism also has better PR than fascism does, and hence is more respectable: Some European countries have socialist parties that are part of mainstream politics, and although Obama does not call himself a socialist, one member of the Senate Democratic Caucus, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, wears the label with pride.

These days "fascism" is less often associated with Mussolini's party, which was its namesake, than with the Nazis, even though Nazi is an abbreviation for National Socialist. And somehow the socialist label seldom gets applied to the other defunct totalitarian state, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

If the media take somewhat more seriously the claim that Obama is a socialist than the claim that Bush was a fascist, it certainly isn't because they're biased in favor of Bush. Rather, it has to do with the merits of the assertions.

Merriam-Webster defines fascism as "a political philosophy, movement, or regime . . . that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition."

M-W defines socialism as "any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods."

Calling Bush a fascist is flatly false; his philosophy and administration met none of the criteria in the definition. Calling Obama a socialist, by contrast, is merely a gross overstatement.

Lagging Indicator
When a Democrat is in the White House, media coverage of the economy tends to be a lagging indicator of bad news and a leading indicator of good news--which is another way of saying that, as we noted yesterday, reporters' usual approach can be summed up as "always look on the bright side of life."

Video

James Taranto on the media and unemployment.

Things must be really getting bad, because the lagging indicator seems to be catching up. In yesterday's column we analyzed a dispatch by Christopher Rugaber of the Associated Press that previewed today's jobs report and tried to explain away the expected bad news. Later yesterday, though, Rugaber filed another dispatch that was far dourer, including its title, "Evidence Mounts That Recovery Is Hitting the Skids."

Rugaber weighs in again today with a story on the actual jobless numbers, and his mood hadn't improved overnight. The title gave the bad news first: "Payrolls Drop by 125K, Jobless Rate Falls." The story, too, begins with the bad news, and swiftly explains why the good news isn't so good:

A weak June jobs report offered the latest evidence that the economic recovery is slowing.

Employers cut 125,000 jobs last month, the most since October, the Labor Department said Friday. The loss was driven by the end of 225,000 temporary census jobs. Businesses added a net total of 83,000 workers, the sixth straight month of private-sector job gains but not enough to speed up the recovery.

Unemployment dropped to 9.5 percent--the lowest level since July 2009--from 9.7 percent. But the reason for the decline was more than 650,000 people gave up on their job searches and left the labor force. People who are no longer looking for work aren't counted as unemployed.

Neither dispatch uses the phrase "jobless recovery," which was a staple of economic coverage during the Bush years--even though, before the last few months of 2008, unemployment seldom topped 6%.

Vietnam Redux?
When the war in Afghanistan was getting under way in 2001, some journalists evoked a favorite cliché, likening it to Vietnam. Of course, every war since Vietnam has been called the "next Vietnam," so this was easily dismissed. Now that the Afghanistan effort has gone on longer than Vietnam (as measured from the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution though the Paris Peace Accords)--albeit with only a fraction of the casualties--the comparison seems less implausible.

And the Democratic Party, which nearly unanimously backed both wars at the start, does seem to be repeating history, now that one of its members is in the White House. For some time Democrats have been turning against the war effort, and in the House, their support "has eroded to a point where President Barack Obama is now so reliant on Republican votes that he's backtracking from his own party's efforts to add new education funding to avert teacher layoffs," Politico reported on Tuesday:

The conflict showed itself Tuesday night as Democrats began spelling out the details of what domestic funds are proposed to be added to a Senate-passed version of the same war-funding bill. The 110 page amendment was posted on the House Rules Committee website even as the House Democratic whip organization circulated a summary that included border security and nuclear energy credits along with nearly $15 billion for education.

No indication was given of an administration position pro or con: TBA was the operative acronym. But unless it steps forward more, the White House risks further straining relations with Democrats, already frustrated by the president's lukewarm support of new jobs and economic relief legislation going into November's elections.

In the end, the Democrats had their way on the additional spending, and all but three Republicans opposed the appropriation, which passed 239-182. But it's not over: As CNN notes, "war funding passed the Senate without the add-ons in the House version, so the Senate must take up the bill again."

CNN adds that 153 Democrats and 9 Republicans supported an unsuccessful amendment that "would have forced Obama to commit to a timetable for completing troop withdrawal from Afghanistan":

The White House issued a veto threat, warning members of President Barack Obama's party that he would reject the bill if they placed money conditions that would "undermine his ability as commander in chief to conduct military operations in Afghanistan."

Lyndon B. Johnson ended up abandoning his re-election bid in 1968 because of his own party's division over Vietnam. It would be ironic if Obama is saved from a similar fate by increased Republican strength in Congress in 2011-12.

Grounded by Global Warmism
Visiting London may get harder in the years ahead because of the new Conservative-led government's odd priorities, the New York Times reports:

In a bold if lonely environmental stand, Britain's coalition government has set out to curb the growth of what has been called "binge flying" by refusing to build new runways around London to accommodate more planes.

Citing the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, Prime Minister David Cameron, a Conservative, abruptly canceled longstanding plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport in May, just days after his election; he said he would also refuse to approve new runways at Gatwick and Stansted, London's second-string airports.

The government decided that enabling more flying was incompatible with Britain's oft-stated goal of curbing emissions.

It's hard to imagine Margaret Thatcher doing something like this. Meanwhile, The Daily Caller reports that Deutsche Welle, Germany's publicly funded broadcast network, held a "Global Media Forum" last week:

According to the conference website, this year's event drew some 1500 participants from 95 countries. The topic: "The Heat is On: Climate Change and the Media." . . .

One workshop, however, sparked particular controversy. Its title: "How to professionally deal with climate skepticism"--or as its German title translates: how to deal with "skeptics." As the description of the workshop makes clear, "deal with" here is a euphemism. "Let both sides make their point and let the audience sort out what is true" is the traditional "mantra" of journalism, the organizers admit. "But with climate change, things are not so easy," the text continues. "Falling back on a 'neutral' journalistic position can mean playing into the hands of the skeptics at the expense of the basis of life."

Yet while German journalists may be abandoning professional standards in favor of propaganda, the Times notes that Frankfurt International Airport has "recently been expanded" and will pick up some of the traffic Heathrow is forgoing.

Other Than That, the Story Was Accurate
"Tim Rutten: His June 23 column on the gubernatorial race included several inaccurate figures in its comparison of California and Greece. The state's gross domestic product, which the column put at $333 billion, is in fact about $1.85 trillion. Greek unemployment is not the highest in the Eurozone; Spain's, at about 20%, is higher. The column said California generates 17% of United States GDP, but the actual number is closer to 13%. The column also said that Sacramento was "sitting on" $500 billion in debt; that number referred to an estimate of unfunded pension liabilities. The inaccurate numbers in Rutten's column were taken from an article on the Web--http://usactionnews.com/2010/05/will-california-be-our-greece--that was subsequently corrected. They should have been double-checked for accuracy and, to the extent that we relied on the research of others, attributed to the original source."--correction, Los Angeles Times, July 1

Some Hoped for More Than Hope

• "Obama Offers Hope"--headline, Kenosha (Wis.) News, June 30
• "Obama Disappoints Even Lowered Expectations"--headline, Washington Examiner, June 28

Stop Wasting Your Breath

• "Boehner Tells Obama to Stop Whining"--headline, RollCall.com, July 1
• "Ariz. Gov. to Obama: Do Your Job!"--headline, CNN.com, July 1

We Drink to Forget Soccer

• "Finding a World Cup Bar--There's an App for That"--headline, Crain's New York Business, June 18
• "Apple 'Stunned' to Find iPhones Show Too Many Bars"--headline, Associated Press, July 2

No Wonder He Couldn't Afford a Haircut
"Blagojeviches Spent $400K on Suits, Ties, Underwear"--headline, Chicago Sun-Times, July 1

The Lonely Life of Gene
"High Phenolic Olive Oil Changes Gene Expression"--headline, FuturePundit.com, June 30

'Trees Cause More Pollution Than Automobiles'--Ronald Reagan
"EPA Rejects Air Permits of 122 Texas Plants"--headline, Houston Chronicle, July 1

'I'm Looking for the Man Who Shot My Pa'
"Three-Legged Dogs Aid Robot Study"--headline, BBC website, July 1

Questions Nobody Is Asking

• "Success or Mess: Who Is the Real Lindsay Lohan?"--headline, Associated Press, July 2
• "Chelsea Clinton to Walk Down Aisle at Astor Mansion?"--headline, People.com, July 1
• "Is Bill Stealing Obama's Mojo?"--headline, TheDailyBeast.com, June 30
• "Which Is Weirder: Jersey or Area 51?"--headline, Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.), July 2
• "Can Organic Cannibalization Actually Be a Good Thing?"--headline, MediaPost.com, July 2

Answers to Questions Nobody Is Asking

• "Why Corn Ethanol Is Like Chewing Tobacco"--headline, Autoblog.com, June 30
• "How Obama Can Lead on Immigration"--headline, CNN.com, July 1
• "Why Obama's Immigration Speech Was a Failure"--headline, TheDailyBeast.com, July 1
• "Why Canada Will Rule the 21st Century"--headline, MSN.com, July 2

It's Always in the Last Place You Look
"Young Zebra Mussel Found in Red River Between Breckenridge and Whapeton"--headline, Associated Press, July 2

Too Much Information
"Pecker's Tight Squeeze"--headline, New York Post, July 2

Help Wanted
"Police Seek Mischief Maker Dressed as Leprechaun"--headline, Associated Press, July 1

Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control

• "Moose Remains on the Loose in Maine After Running Through a College Campus and Cemetery"--headline, FoxNews.com, July 1
• "Naomi Campbell Subpoenaed in War Crimes Case"--headline, Associated Press, July 1
• "Yikes! A 50-Foot Nancy Pelosi"--headline, Newsweek.com, July 1

News of the Tautological
"Longevity Genes May Predict Who Has the DNA to Live"--headline, Bloomberg, July 1

Breaking News From 1814
"Mount Vernon Sells Out of Washington's Whiskey"--headline, WTOP-FM website (Washington), July 1

News You Can Use

• "Warning: For-Profit Colleges Are After You"--headline, PoliticalMavens.com, July 1
• "Before You Leave for Vacation, Make Sure Everything's Packed"--headline, Patriot-News (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), July 2
• "Raj Salwan: Pets and Fireworks Don't Mix"--headline, Oakland (Calif.) Tribune, July 2

Bottom Stories of the Day

• "Gloria Allred, Lawyer for Tiger Woods' Alleged Mistress, Says Mel Gibson Is a Womanizer and Racist"--headline, Daily News (New York), July 2
• "Morning Must Reads--As Economy Falters, Obama Prepares to Attack Republicans"--headline, Washington Examiner website, July 2
• "Feds Wasted Millions in Utilities Programs for Poor"--headline, Associated Press, July 1
• "Obama Trumps Reagan, Academics Say in Survey"--headline, Washington Times, July 2

A Cute Angle
"Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle backed away Tuesday from remarks in which she referred to the Second Amendment right to bear arms and the need to 'take . . . out' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid," the Associated Press reports:

Angle, in her first extended Nevada interview since winning the June 8 primary, said she was speaking broadly about the Constitution and her words about the Democratic leader were "a little strong."

The Republican nominee stopped short of an apology but said she no longer uses that phrase.

"I meant take him out of office, and taking him out of office is a little different," Angle said. "I changed my rhetoric."

If you're puzzled as to how Angle's rhetoric might have been misunderstood, consider this Salon.com headline: "Lindsey Graham Is Not Going Out With Ricky Martin."

Which leads to a thought: If Angle wants to take out a senator, why not Lindsey Graham? After all, Harry Reid is married, and we can't imagine he'd be much fun on a date.

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(Carol Muller helps compile Best of the Web Today. Thanks to Michele Schiesser, Ethel Fenig, James Foster, Hillel Markowitz, Richard Haisley, Bill Palmer, Kyle Kyllan, John Rosenthal, Don Undis, John Bobek, John Williamson, Mark Finkelstein, Michael Ellard, Bruce Goldman, July Linett, Robert Firriolo, Don Williams, Edward Himmelfarb, Mordecai Bobrowsky, Merv Benson, Paul Cordes, Brian Warner, Bryan Fischer, Joey Bedford, Chad Ott, Dan Tracy, Michael Segal, David Gerstman and Lewis Sckolnick. If you have a tip, write us at opinionjournal@wsj.com, and please include the URL.)