Jim Geraghty calls our attention to this Houston Press story that appeared a few months ago. Writer Todd Spivak recounts a horrifying encounter he had with Barack Obama while covering Obama’s part-time work as a state legislator back in the year 2000:
Some think that this provides a sort of Gotcha! moment as regards the media. Let us not forget that a fortnight ago, the New York Times and others launched searing inquiries into John McCain’s temper. Now we learn that Barack Obama has a temper so fierce that when unleashed even via telephone, it can turn a hardened city reporter into a quivering pile of jello. This story follows hard on the heels of reports of Obama wanting to beat up a colleague in the Illinois legislature so badly, he required physical restraint. And yet the media have shown little interest in these tales, where John McCain’s temper fascinates them. Alas, the media don’t have a place on the ballot. Additionally, the mainstream media’s reputation can hardly sink any lower. Thus, the real issue is whether such stories benefit or harm the candidate. Personally, I think stories of Obama having a temper help him. There’s still no getting around the experience issue, but a complementary concern is that Obama is too gentle a soul to be leader of the free world. Details of a pugilistic side to Obama will help allay these concerns for some voters. Besides, the real shocker of this story is what wimps reporters are. This guy Spivak got yelled at by Obama over the phone and he responded by trembling? He then spent several minutes frozen at his desk in a stunned state? Imagine if Obama had dressed him down in person! Poor Spivak might have spontaneously combusted. Or perhaps Spivak isn’t such a wimp after all, and some of his recollections are a touch fanciful.
