Is the race card being played in this election?

After reading an article by Shelby Steele, titled Race and Responsibility, I realized that our mainstream media is using a form of racism to promote Barack Obama to the Presidency. If the mainstream media really thought Mr. Obama could succeed on his own merits, would they feel the need to slant every article to make him look better? Of course not, they would do their duty as professional journalists to make sure the voters of this country could come to their own conclusions based on all of the facts.
We can't just say that the media are liberal and let it go with that. We would not then be able to explain why the Clinton's have been treated the way they have. The respect and popularity they once maintained within the Democratic Party seems to have been severely eroded thanks media attacks against them. Where, all of the sudden did the idea that the Clinton's are evil come from? The media saw Hillary Clinton as a real threat to Obama’s ascension. Did they assume that without their assistance Obama would not be able to overcome this threat on his own, or through his own merits? If the media clearly believed in Obama's ability, they should not feel the need to interfere with this election by slanting their stories in favor of him and against anyone who threatens his success.
As Steele pointed out in describing affermative action programs engineered to uplift blacks in this country, "the deeper problem is their pre-emption of black responsibility, their implication that black progress is contingent on interventions from on high that will somehow do the work of black uplift".
It does seem that the media thinks, as Steele inferred that Obama's abilities and efforts alone would never be enough and that his progress can only be assured with their help.
Does Barack Obama have what it takes to earn the Presidency on his own merits? Sadly, because of media, we will never know.