Media Manipulation

Question: Does the news media report the news - or MAKE the news.

Answer: I believe, that in the present Presidential race, the answer is the latter.

First of all the 2008 race for the Presidential nominations of both parties began way too early - even for a "political news junkie" like myself. It seems to have begun the day after the 2004 election results were known. Now that in itself is not unusual, with an incumbent President who is in his final term. Especially one whose Vice President is not interested in seeking the higher office. Furthermore, the Presidential wannabes of the Democratic party began jockeying for position as soon as their standard bearer conceded the race to his opponent. Interest was obviously heightened as their party took over the Congress in the 2006 elections.

However, it seems that the news media (print and especially the electronic outlets) has begun churning this story at the earliest point ever in the history of the Presidential political cycle. As a result, much of the general public has developed "campaign fatigue" long before the first caucuses and primaries are held. This, I think, is largely due to the 24 hour cable news networks that are constantly covering the daily activities of anyone who has ever even been rumored to be interested in our nation's highest office.

That being said, we now are actually finally arriving at the beginnings of the actual seven month long process, beginning with the Iowa caucuses in about two weeks, that will eventually present us with our two major parties candidates for President of the United States. Is there a clear "front runner" in either party? Apparently not. And that makes for an interesting race (rather than a coronation) during the early days of the primary season. It also helps sell magazines, newspapers, and draws viewers and listeners in to electronic media outlets in droves. Hence the "media manipulation" that we have been seeing since last summer.

A few months back we were led to believe that the 2008 election would come down to a battle between two New Yorkers, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Guiliani. Both political heavy weights, whom, we were told, were leading all other candidates in national polls. In fact, that potential race would give us what we missed out upon in 2000, when the two of them were apparently going head to head for the Senate seat from New York. I'm sure you remember at that time, Guiliani withdrew from contention at the last minute, due to a battle with prostate cancer. This left the Republican nomination open to a congressional light weight named Rick Lazio, to whom Hillary administered an old fashioned butt kicking at the polls. This has left Hillary to hob nob with the good old boys in the world's most exclusive club for the past seven years. In the mean time, Guiliani was thrust into the role of "America's Mayor", distinguishing himself as a genuine leader in the aftermath of 9/11 - and basically living off that fame for the next six years.

So there they were as front runners of their respective parties. Two nationally known names amid those other "lesser candidates" who began to throw their hats into the proverbial ring - various senators, congressmen, governors, etc. Pretty routine stuff - right? Kind of a snoozer. Well, that kind of stuff doesn't sell newspapers and magazines, or boost viewer ratings. What we needed were some "upsets" even months before the caucuses and primaries began.

The news media began the churning machine. We've seen a whole cast of characters come out of nowhere and eventually fall from grace - one after another.

Most every observer assumed that John Edwards would run. He, the former Governor and Senator from the Tar Heel State, and John Kerry's Vice Presidential running mate seemed like a natural candidate. Played up in the media to be almost Kennedy-like with his good looks and populist style, Edwards worked that for all he was worth - even to the point of going out on the Kennedy trail - literally retracing Bobby Kennedy's steps and campaign stops he had made during his aborted run for the office in 1968. However, according to the media polls, his "two Americas" speech was wearing thin on the stump. The best thing Edwards seemed to have going for him was his wife, who is courageously battling cancer.

Then enter Barak Obama. A charismatic first term U.S. Senator from Illinois. The media polls seemed to indicate that here was the guy who could knock the crown from Hillary's head and become the first President of African descent. He had the "right" anti war stance from the beginning of the Iraq conflict which made him an automatic media darling. He threw his hat in the ring at a huge event at the old state house in Springfield, IL, where Lincoln and Douglas once debated. Somewhere along the line, he began to lose his luster as the media darling, and Hillary was still declared by news outlets everywhere to be the Democratic front runner.

On the Republican side, the media frenzy was stirring itself over the possible entry of former Tennessee Senator, and "Law and Order" TV star, Fred Thompson. The folksy Thompson allowed suspense to build for a month or so, making speeches and hitting the talk show circuit. He was portrayed by the media as being the darling of the conservatives and the likely successor to the Reagan mantle. That is, until he actually announced his candidacy, at which point the news media immediately began to portray him as boring and seemingly disinterested in the whole thing.

Arizona Senator, John McCain was just hanging out there. Little media interest in him. After all, he stuck by the President and agreed with the troop surge in Iraq. Not popular in media circles. Once the media darling for his "maverick" politics, McCain just seemed to be almost invisible - for the time being.

Enter Mitt Romney - former Republican Governor of the heavily Democratic state of Massachusetts. The news media splashed his face EVERYWHERE. This guy "looks Presidential" we were told. He was the savior of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics a few years ago - rescuing it from scandal and financial ruin. He's a world class business man - and a tea totalling Mormon. Romney has spent a Gazillion dollars in Iowa alone, and the news media has told us for a long time that he, along with Hillary on the Democratic side, had the Hawkeye state in the bag.

That is, until they began to tell us about Mike Huckabee - the former Baptist Pastor and Governor of Arkansas. "Where did this guy come from?" the media asked us. Their polls began to show that Huckabee was gaining on Romney. They fed us this story for weeks. Gaining slowly, the tortoise and the hare all over again. Time and Newsweek began to give us cover stories on the "other" Presidential candidate from Hope, Arkansas. In no time, it seems, Huckabee had overtaken Romney. He became the media story du jour. Mike Huckabee is now the front runner in Iowa, we were told. Romney starts playing hardball and catch up. Now, enjoying the front runner status, Huckabee suddenly becomes the target of the media for slurs on things that he said and did as Governor of Arkansas. "Can we afford to have a man like this be President?" we are asked...

Meanwhile on the Democratic side - suddenly the media polls seem to indicate that Obama (and Edwards) are gaining on the former First Lady in Iowa and New Hampshire. Opra Winfrey comes out for Obama and he brings her out on the campaign trail. It is an absolute media event all weekend. Amazingly Obama rises dramatically in the polls and now it is a statistical dead heat between Hillary and Barak in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

But wait! Newsweek's cover story this week is John Edwards! "The Sleeper" reads the cover headline. Could he be coming from behind to knock off both Hillary and Obama? Stay tuned...

Hold on! Big news from the Republican side. Suddenly new life is breathed into the heretofore dormant campaign of John McCain. The major newspapers of Iowa and New Hampshire have endorsed McCain! After all, could a Baptist or Mormon really be expected to win this nomination under this year's conditions? McCain is a U.S. Senator. A former POW. On Monday morning EVERY network news organization had former Democratic VP nominee and now Independent Senator Joe Lieberman on to publicize his endorsement of McCain for President. Perhaps McCain is the answer...

And the beat goes on.

ENOUGH ALREADY!

Are these news agencies reporting the stories or CREATING the stories? I believe the latter. Stop the polling. Stop the presses. Let these people campaign in the primary states and report on the RESULTS, not on the latest polling data. The only poll that counts is the one where the voters cast their VOTE.

The news media should report on the results - not try to manipulate the results, just to sell more papers and draw higher ratings.

No wonder most folks can't stand politics.

I'm getting a little sick of it myself.