COMMENTARY: Primary Season Already?

May 10, 2015 at 09:35 pm by bryan


Guess what ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: It's only a year until the presidential primaries. That's right folks, in less than a year we'll be up to our eyeballs in the polls, the predictions and the paraphernalia of modern American elections. Frightening, isn't it?

All of these media machinations wouldn't be so bad if most of the things we read about, saw and heard really made a difference. But let's face it, is it really newsworthy that one or more of the candidates likes to jog early in the morning. Or do we really need stories about their pets?

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Of course, it's not just the news folks who give campaigning a bad name. Take a look at the political advertising. When was the last time you got some really relevant information from a campaign ad? What we have is presidential candidates being packaged and sold like so much aspirin. Rather than worrying about how the candidates stand on the issues, the handlers are concerned about market strategy and how a candidate comes across to this or that demographic group. The message is tailored to the group, rather than being a reflection of concrete plans, programs and policies.

But now that I think about it, when was the last time you got some particularly relevant information from any campaign activity.

The so-called "great debates" are just as unilluminating. We have the candidates giving their prepared, stock answers to questions their handlers have already prepared for them. What we really need is a real debate, one-on-one, with perhaps one or two experts to get the thing going and to add some insight.

There is ample evidence "out there," as the campaign managers like to refer to us, that the voters are disenchanted with the whole political process. So maybe it's time for reporters to stop taking handouts from candidates and start doing what they are supposed to be doing: asking questions, probing for details and demanding answers to the multiple problems facing our nation.

It's time for a change from slogans to substance. Otherwise, the electorate is likely to tune in and then just drop out; a prospect that does no good for anyone.

Sections: News