We Get the Candidates the Media Wants Us to Have
The only Democratic Presidential candidate that ever really talked the issues during this way too long campaign was John Edwards. But, issues are boring. The Media didn't want issues...they wanted a story. And so we got Obama-Clinton. THAT'S a story. Juicy. Controversial. History in the making. An African American and a Woman. That'll sell advertising!
Every time Obama looks invincible, the media fawns over Hillary. Voters follow. Hillary wins and the media returns to breathlessly feature Obama as needing a comeback victory. He gets one. Now, it's back to featuring Hillary.
It's a game in which the media wins...and we lose.
About a year ago, I posted on the great book called "The Way to Win" in which Mark Halperin and John Harris talk of "The Gang of 500"...the 500 or so members of the media, consultants and staff hands that will decide FOR us who the final combatants will be.
I've been grousing about this for months...but Seth Godin absolutely nailed it yesterday on his blog in the wake of Hillary's skin-of-her-teeth win in Indiana. It's the most dead on political observation I've seen since The 44th sadly went dark.
I totally agree with you. And I too liked Seth's posting on that yesterday. In fact I took the headlines from today's paper and reread them accordingly.
Posted by:Meilee | May 08, 2008 at 15:29