Entertainment junkies now hooked on politics?
Sorry, but I don’t think so . Rather, media has turned the primary race INTO entertainment. American Idol move over, Tim Russert is the new Simon Cowell. The ABC team was excoriated for going lowbrow in the debate, but the fact is that coverage by and large has pandered to personality and drama. Ask voters to define the differences in the health care plans of Obama and Clinton, and most would be stumped. But their bowling scores? Oh, sure.
But is that fair? Personal tidbits are always more interesting to readers. Any columns I write that have a personal anecdote always get a bigger response than those without - the personal is an irresistible hook, and often provides invaluable insight into character, which does count in a political runoff.
But once a media outlet moves down a particular path it will find it very difficult to reassert a more sober, policy wonkish tone. With an Obama/McCain battle looming (sorry, Hillary), how much further will media go in order to keep their audiences entertained, rather than simply informed?
