18 December 2006

Love Politics - Hate Policy

The media was obsessed with the question of whether the Democrats would be able to gain influence in DC. WAS. Now that the election is over, even before these newly elected representatives and senators are sworn in, the topic has shifted to the 2008 presidential election. Could Hillary beat McCain? Will Obama run? What is getting completely skipped is any discussion about actual policy changes that will result from the 2006 election.

Apparently the mainstream media and its audience have no interest in policy. Instead, like high school kids who watch study body elections for signs of popularity, they care only about politics. For them, the discussion of candidates is little different than the discussion of celebrities. "Barak Obama has so much charisma." "Paris Hilton is so hot."

Now if only the media would put as much effort and imagination into making policy as engaging to the common voter as they put into getting interviews with Obama or pictures of Britney Spears, we might finally get the media we pay for.

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