Americans are having a love affair with reality TV shows and I’ve noticed that this election has all of the elements of a good one: two teams fight against each other in small competitions, voting off members along the way until there is one final victor.
Enthusiastic viewers cheer on their favorite characters while being entertained by the bickering teammates and backstabbing shenanigans. Alliances are made and the plot twists and turns every week. The drama of this year’s political game has turned into “Must See TV.”
Candidates have been voted off at as we discover quirky things we don’t like about them or as they aren’t able to keep up with the latest challenge. Like the buffs worn on Survivor , candidates drape themselves with the banner of their party and add a few creative touches to express their individuality.
And yes, they’ll eat a lot of unpleasant words during their stint on prime time.
Chuck
from Escondido, CA
March 06, 2008 at 08:54 PM
"The country is voting while American troops are fighting – something that hasn’t happened since the 1940’s."?
What about the elections of 1952 (Korean War); 1964, 1968 and 1972 (the Vietnam War); and 2004 (the same War on Terror we're still fighting)? What about the pilots enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq during the elections of 1992, 1996 and 2000?
This is an important election, but let's keep the stakes grounded in reality.
Davesnot
from Oceanside
March 06, 2008 at 09:04 PM
He thinks before he speaks.. Hillary answers questions like a kid at a spelling bee.. she gives a little.. uh huh.. or nod as her brain finds the correct answer that has been prepared before hand.. Obama.. while having the requisite canned stuff.. he also can respond to any question or event with intelligence and grace.
.. none of that.. why do I always get asked the first question whining.. no snippy cuts..
There is a subtle difference between running for president to help the country and running just to be president... Obama's remarks show he cares about what happens to the country.. Hillary's remarks show that she cares about winning.
At 3a.m. .. when the phone rings.. I want a person that listens carefully and responds intelligently .. not someone that is prone to knee-jerk reactions.
I also get the feeling that Obama is just a nicer person.. I think it'd be nice to like the president again.
Matt Scallon
March 12, 2008 at 06:58 PM
I wouldn't characterize it as reality T.V. I would compare it to professional wrestling. Everything is scripted while maintaining the pretension of all this is happening spontaneously. Even the pundits sound more like the play-by-play men on the WWE than true analysts, including having the color man cheering for the heel (wrestling lingo for the bad guy).
Kate from San Diego
March 13, 2008 at 04:07 AM
Oh, how you seem to toe the line so nicely, never too precarious, always politically correct in your book, I'm sure. Here's the problem- this is NO light-hearted movie-of-the-week. Your naivete confounds me. If you're going to tiptoe around quoting the likes of Rush Limbaugh and speak about "Obama water", just come out with it already! If you're going to make assertions about the primacy of pop culture in our national consciousness then actually do it- make an argument better than a vote for Obama is a vote with your remote control. I don't need a link to a racist Rush transcript to educate myself on the lasting effects of Katrina or the rapturous response to Barack. Did it ever occur to you that there are Americans out there more concerned with the war and the economy than telegenic pizazz? Perhaps the family members of the 4,000 American troops who have perished in Iraq? What's keeping me tuned in you ask? My conscience does not permit me to tune out, but apparently people like you have in entirety. Doesn't that negate your value as a political blogger? I'm sure that there are other San Diegans out there who would welcome the opportunity to speak truth to power, not diddle on about crappy television. What a waste of font.
Candace
March 13, 2008 at 09:30 AM
Thank you Chuck for clarifying the facts. For most of my life, it seems that I have tried to elect a candidate who would end the combat and conflict...because we always seem to be involved in it somewhere, either overtly or covertly.
