words means things

Subtle bias is hard to pick up on. Often times the person speaking won't even realize everything his words convey.

I was listening to NPR news yesterday (yeah, I know)... they were discussing Obama's trip to the middle east and afghanistan, and said among other things "He has to battle the perception among some voters that he doesn't have the foreign policy experience John McCain has."

No.

He has to overcome the FACT that John McCain HAS more foreign policy experience. Regardless of your political persuasion... you can argue whose positions you prefer, you can argue whose voting record you more care for... but any objective measure would say that McCain clearly has more foreign policy experience.

It would be like saying "McCain has to battle the perception among some voters that he's older then Obama." Well no that's not a perception. It's an indisputable fact.

But if you and your circle of friends all pretty universally carry a torch for a guy, you can't help but look at stories and say "Gee, what is it that some yokels have so wrong in their head that they can't clearly see how dreamy this guy is?"

BTW I can't think of anyone who's gotten more Time magazine covers and never been president. Can you?