More Presidential Pageant Nonsense
Published by Al Adomite on August 27th, 2008
I promise an equally-critical post during next week’s GOP Convention (fair and balanced)!
Tonight was the first evening I spent any time watching the Democrat Convention. I thought Bill Clinton was marvelous (as he was when President) at connecting with actual voters. Say what you want about his Oval Office antics, but this guy is still one of the best ever at winning votes. John Kerry looked like garbled mush compared to the energy Bill brought to the stage.
But, I had to laugh at CNN’s coverage of the convention in general. What a paid advertisement for the Democrats. And, is the alternative the hope that journalists will dispense with their credibility next week during the Republican convention?
The funniest part was an interview with Montana Democrat Governor Brian Schweitzer (who deserves more time and higher profile in the party). They had him in front of the electoral screen, showing viewers which states Obama needed to bring back into the “Blue” to win. He made some reference about how if Obama is too liberal, Montanans should just cast their ballot for Bob Barr. Brainwashing engaged. Talking point delivered.
I just can’t imagine anything being more like a Pageant at this point. I can’t imagine anything being less newsworthy, which is why the coverage has devolved into a talking points presentation. It’s a sad state for journalism, especially when you consider these two other storylines found on Drudge:
Senior Democratic officials are expressing serious concerns about the political risks posed by Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium Thursday evening.
From the elaborate stagecraft to the teeming crowd of 80,000 cheering partisans, the vagaries of the weather to the unpredictable audience reaction, the optics surrounding the stadium event have heightened worries that the Obama campaign is engaging in a high-risk endeavor in an uncontrollable environment.
A common concern: that the stadium appearance plays against Obama’s convention goal of lowering his star wattage and connecting with average Americans and that it gives Republicans a chance to drive home their message that the Democratic nominee is a narcissistic celebrity candidate.
…presidential pageant politics drops to the level of a halftime Superbowl concert. Then, imagine the audacity of a journalist actual doing an investigative piece:
Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.
What a very sad year. By next week, I’ll either feel cheated that the CNN commentators (they don’t deserve the title journalists) aren’t being homers for their GOP coverage, or worse, the GOP convention could end up being comparable to the late-night paid TV advertisements that this one resembles.
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