Lately I've been thinking a great deal about the presidential election being dominated by Kerry's and Bush's actions during the time of the Vietnam War. I was thinking about it today and I came up with something that I think helps illustrate the point. Like most political analogies, it's not perfect, but I think you'll understand what I'm saying:
It's 1968 and the country is involved in an increasingly unpopular foreign war. There's big issues on the horizons, including civil unrest, urban rioting and rural poverty. Now imagine that this contest was centered, not on the candidates' ideas about Vietnam and how to combat the loss of domestic tranquility, but around what Nixon and Humphrey were doing during World War II.
It's hard to make the case that 1968 is 2004, (believe me, Iraq is no Vietnam) but this election still has its fair share of big issues, including war and peace. Not to mention the fact that a couple of years ago people who really don't like us starting flying planes into our buildings. The domestic issues in 2004 may be less urgent than they were in 1968, but they are no less important. Our country is facing mounting budget defecits and an entitlement train wreck in the making. And yet, our president and Congress have shown an unwillingness to confront these issues head on. In fact, most of their efforts (expanding prescription drug coverage for the wealthiest demographic in America and tax cuts that accompany spending increases) are doing real and lasting damage, in spite of perceived short-term benefits. The candidates have different ideas about these issues, so why not talk about them?
There's been alot of hand-wringing over the past couple of decades about the vacuous nature of contemporary presidential campaigns. And most of the time it's the media doing the wringing. Well, we've got those big issues that you've been lamenting. And we've got a race with candidates who have some real differences on these issues. And yet, the press has thus far dropped the ball.
There are two reasons that I can surmise for why that is: the real issues are either too complex for the news media, as it is structured, to adequately explore or the media believes the average voter is too stupid to understand these issues. Whatever the reason, we are now wallowing in irrelevant trash.
The time has come for the press to pick that damn ball up, stop whining and be, for the love of Jesus Christ, news reporters.
Tony
