KEN MOYES’ Weblog

Today, I watched two nationally telecast news commentary shows, Fox News Sunday and Meet the Press, as I do most Sundays. The line of questioning and the path of the discussion are generally about the Presidential election process, strategy, and the polls. These media people are more concerned with the campaigns, the demographics, and who can win, instead of the all important “Who is this person and what kind of a President will they be.” They should be more concerned with the person behind the candidate façade. They need to help the voter understand if the candidate is real, possibly misleading them, and sensible and smart enough to be the leader of the free world.

An example is the appearance today by Barack Obama on Fox News Sunday. Early in the interview, Senator Obama said “…we are having a debate about the future of this country, how are we gonna lower gas prices, how are we gonna deal with job losses, how are we gonna focus on energy independence…” (The transcripts use “going to” instead of what was said - the slang “gonna”) Did Chris Wallace sieze this time to jump in and ask the all important questions: Senator how will you lower gas prices? Senator how will you deal with job losses? Senator how will you make us energy independent sooner than later? Wallace did not. He just stuck to his prepared script and stayed with, how does Obama appeal to different segments of the voting public.

As a voter, I wanted to hear the above answers, I don’t really need what cross section of voters likes Obama or likes Clinton. He missed the wide open opportunity to delve into three of the biggest questions facing America today. The two most important are Energy and Trade, http://brokengovernment.wordpress.com/2008/02/23/the-two-most-important-issues-facing-america-today/. These missed questions are vitally important to any voter. Instead we got a lesson on process, strategy, and demographics.

Campaign process and strategy may be important to Wallace, but it in itself provides no real information to the viewer who will be walking into a voting booth at a primary or in the fall election. Wallace waited over 700 days for Senator Obama and missed a fastball right down the middle – he didn’t even swing at the pitch. When one is given a national Sunday morning political news and commentary show, one would expect the host to be better than this performance. After about 45 minutes with Senator Obama, I still did not hear how Obama plans to lower gas prices, deal with job losses, and make us energy independent. What an absolute shame!

Meet the Press was no better. Tim Russert let Dr. Howard Dean unabashedly misrepresent Senator McCain repeatedly and did not correct the record, except for one weak brief time about 100 years in Iraq – he was too tied to his notes and most likely was not listening to Dean’s answers. The panel of experts, were so enthralled with the process and the strategy, they too forgot what this race is about. It is not who can win as they believe. Both Howard Dean and one pundit said that voters are deciding on who they vote for based on who they believe can beat John McCain. Boy, are they out of touch! Most voters, and I am one, want the candidate who best represents what they believe in and who best represents ideas on how to solve our problems, otherwise how would Ron Paul get any votes. The thought of “can this person win”, is a factor, but is not the deciding factor; rather it is “who is this person, will they make a good President, do they represent what I want”? In general, all we hear from pundits today is the slicing and dicing of voter demographics, exit polls, how the super delegates will vote – will they vote with the popular vote, will they vote with the higher delegate count, or who can best win?

I have never had a journalism class, but I believe that the process, strategy, and educated guesses are best left for discussion among these pundits, when sitting in a hotel bar. I do believe that the pundits should be vetting the candidates, delving into the “hows” and “whens” of the candidates promises and commitments, with the candidate if possible.