Polling For Dollars
A headline yesterday trumpeted, "GOP Chooses Romney." It's a perfect example of the media's whipping up the public into a steaming froth about an election a year and a half away. They do it by overblowing the significance of their factoids. In this case, what is made to sound as if the Republican Party had all but decided on their 2008 candidate, in reality was a group of ultra-rightwingers taking a straw poll at the same Conservative Political Action Conference where Ann Coulter drew cheers by calling John Edwards a "faggot," where Ollie North was a guest speaker, and where a right-wing blogger known for playing fast and loose with the truth was given an award for "accuracy in journalism." The lead story on all the TV news yesterday was about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama having dueling campaign rallies in Selma, Alabama in an effort to win over what's being called the "black vote." Now that's an unfortunate term if ever I heard one. Think about it. It conjurs all kinds of really strange imagery. Meanwhile, on 60 Minutes last night the head of the GAO gave some frigthteningly dire predictions about the US economy, and declared that this country needs two things desperately right now, politicians to start telling the truth, and leadership. My guess is few people were paying attention. Is there any such thing any more as a well-informed vote?
posted by John M Crowther @ 5:21 AM
3 Comments:
"Is there any such thing any more as a well-informed vote?"
It's a rapidly fading species, i'm afraid. Many acquaintances of mine who used to enjoy political punditry now seem content musing over American Idol races. It's ennui, perhaps, due to the lack of articulate sparks in news coverage. At worst, it may be a rising damp of fear. One might reasonably extrapolate from this administration's postures that to be well-informed is to be traitorous.
I thought I was the only badly informed voter. You can't believe what the papers or TV say. When I was younger, I used to go hear the candidates debate and speak. What came out in the news was quoted "out of context" and not what the speaker said.
My sister worked for the Senate Finance Committee for many years and worked with and wrote speeches for many in the Senate and the House over the years. We have always had long Sunday evening phone conversations and she kept me informed about happenings on "The Hill."
Holy Moley, we are indeed becoming a nation of frightened people. I don't trust any of the media to give me the truth, left or right. Politicans lie, knowing that we are aware of it but seemingly without care of our opinions. New Speaker of the House promised to put only honest politicans on committees, then puts the guy caught with the cash in his freezer on one of the most important committees. I, no longer, believe her either. The right is no better and I, for one, am getting darn sick and tired of the corruption in our politicans on both sides of the fence. I don't want to have to make a choice between two scarey canidates. Where is the third party and when is it going to make it's move?
John, these cartoons are really coming together now. Better and better drawings and composition. This one is in the top 10 for sure!
Commentary reflects the growing frustration of all of us as well. Good job!
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