Indexes

The campaign press declared Barack Obama’s Nov. 4 victory a culturally transforming event, but was far less certain it was a politically transforming moment. And within days, the search for lessons had yielded to speculation about the new administration.

In the final week of the campaign, both presidential candidates continued to pound away at each other’s economic policies. But as they examined the details of the last polls, the battlegrounds, and the strategy, the media had all but anointed a winner.

Colin Powell’s endorsement and Joe Biden’s gaffe were almost one-day wonders last week as the news cycle sped up in the campaign’s final days. Now, it’s battleground states and polls that seem to be capturing much of the media’s attention.

The final presidential debate was the top campaign storyline last week. And both candidates rolled out major economic packages. But perhaps the most memorable event was the media descending on an unlikely new voice of the working class.

The stock market tanked, and the candidates took citizen questions during a presidential debate. But with Election Day looming in less than a month, the media spotlight last week was trained on the hostile rhetoric heard on the campaign trail.

Coverage of the nation’s financial crisis reached new heights last week as Congress struggled to produce a bailout package. But when it came to the presidential campaign narrative, the match-up in Missouri proved more interesting to the media.

In a week in which he injected both suspense and personal dramatics into the campaign storyline, Republican John McCain was the leading newsmaker. But after a debate that the public scored differently than the press, it was Barack Obama getting the more positive headlines.

Even the Palin phenomenon took a back seat last week as a profound crisis in the financial markets dominated the headlines. In a campaign season of constantly changing storylines, will this become the dominant issue that determines the outcome?

The Republican convention may be over, but the Sarah Palin phenomenon continues to be the big campaign newsmaker. Last week, the media took a closer look at her record, she sat for her first interview, and lipstick entered the realm of political wedge issues.

Last week, John McCain formally accepted his party’s nomination for the U.S. presidency. But he was overshadowed by the attention paid to Sarah Palin, some of which pitted the GOP vs. the media.