Quote:
Originally Posted by classicman
I can still hope for a change can't I?
Perhaps the media fascination of this guy will end soon ... I don't see that happening though. See their coverage of Palin, Bachmann et all as a reference. They seem to be fixated on the extremist positions instead of the more rational ones.
(I don't wonder why)  |
I know you don't wonder why.
I believe the why is mostly two fold, and these two factors exacerbate each other in a positive feedback cycle.
1 -- MOST media is commercially based, and depends, as most corporations do, on making a profit. That profit comes from advertising mostly, and the revenues from advertising comes from advertisers who have been told and expect to have their commercials seen/heard by lots of people. What attracts those viewers/listeners? Spectacle, suspense, a good story. More excitement means more audience.
2 -- MOST presidential candidates for a party nomination know that they have to appeal to the greatest number of voters (for this restricted "election"). The voters in these several elections/caucuses/primaries are interested, motivated, focused voters. These are people who have definite ideas about what they want in a candidate. This includes "independents" for those areas that permit independents to vote. These more keenly interested, highly motivated, more intensely ideological voters have their choice among the competitors for the party nomination. They're looking for someone who is the *most* Republican, or the most (fill in the important issue here) of all the candidates. The result is you hear the candidates *competing* to be more _____ than the next one. This results in a "I'll see your position, and raise you" race to the far end of the spectrum in a race to be the most appealing. "I know you are, but I'm MORE." A race to the extreme.
This is double fucking rainbow awesome for the broadcast media, as each day is a richer harvest of more spectacle than the last one. Since the candidates know this too, they play on the media's hunger for more and more, substance be damned. Point 1 feeds on point 2 and that makes more of point 1, repeat (ugh) until the nomination.
Then it is a race to the center, because this new pool of voters is very different than the previous pools for the candidate who wins a major political party nomination. This race to the extreme then race back to the middle makes for some mental whiplash, but that is a small price to pay to get elected. Which must be done before one can govern.