Politics is important.
But a good analogy of how the print and televised media covers it is the Baptist bras of the joke: they make mountains out of molehills.
Case in point: The failed Wisconsin recall election.
Personally, I think other states should have that option; but I'm not sure it was really called for there. [I would not have voted to recall Walker. That should be used only in the case of world-class malfeasance.] Anyway, it was a good story, worthy of a mention. Certainly more than DWTS or American Idol results, which our pandering media seems to favor nowadays.
But when pundits or scribblers try to go beyond the facts and infer possible long-term political trends and outcomes, I must say: not so fast! This recall election occurred in only one state, and it was strongly linked to unionization of government employees. In other words, it was heavily based on a single issue. When the national election happens, there will be a lot of points to consider.
And then there's the time factor. The Presidential election is five months away. A lot can happen. There's always the possibility of an October Surprise. And those can bounce both ways. It might be an entirely different ball game.
This is an example of newspaper scribblers trying to fill a page. When facts are bare, a little bit of whimsey or speculation will do.
ReplyDeleteIt's too early to tell what will happen in Nov. Alabama might become a blue state.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very perceptive and accurate observation. I personally think Mr Walker is an ass clown of the first order, but the recall election was an unnecessary waste of time, money, and political energy. You are correct that the whole focus of the issue was a set of circumstances that don't apply everywhere, and that the results can't realistically be extrapolated to give any larger indication of how the presidential election will go. But something has to be available to fill up all that air time and print space for the 24/7 media engine. Oh, and I love the Baptist bra analogy...
ReplyDeleteThe unions chose the wrong place and time to embark on their campaign. Plus they spent an enormous amount of money doing it.
ReplyDeleteBad call.
I know a gal whose Dad (who lives in Mississippi) sent money to the stop the recall campaign.
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