Are the Press Being Unfair To Obama?

It's usually conservatives that have qualms about double standards in media
coverage. Politico is wondering if the press is unfairly criticizing President
Obama compared to the treatment they gave President Bush under similar
circumstances. Excerpt:

Eight years ago, a terrorist bomber’s attempt to blow up a
transatlantic airliner was thwarted by a group of passengers,
an incident that revealed some gaping holes in airline security
just a few months after the attacks of Sept. 11. But it was six
days before President George W. Bush, then on vacation, made
any public remarks about the so-called shoe bomber, Richard
Reid, and there were virtually no complaints from the press or
any opposition Democrats that his response was sluggish or
inadequate.

That stands in sharp contrast to the withering criticism President
Barack Obama has received from Republicans and some in the
press for his reaction to Friday’s incident on a Northwest Airlines
flight heading for Detroit.

I'll let you decide.

I will say that Republicans have been running on national security issues
and a strong military for a while now. It is tougher for Democrats and the
media to paint Republicans as being lax on the issue. Just like Democrats
are always reaching out to minority and women groups so it would be difficult
to tag them as being racist or sexist. However, Republicans are frequently
charged with being racist or sexist.

The news media has a running narrative on both political parties. They
are going to run with a story that fits that narrative. Sometimes the
narrative is unfair or even worst, untrue.