The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Miscellaneous Rumbles: Question for able-minded American members

Question for able-minded American members

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Sep 26, 2008 12:53 a.m. Gretschmaster:

What do all of you people think about the way that your election is covered?

I have watched a fair bit of CNN up here in Canada and it seems like a joke to me. The fact that people can be swayed by some stupid remark about lipstick on a pitbull (there is actually an interesting Toronto Star newspaper article in which real hockey moms are interviewed about this comment), or just the race/gender of a candidate, regardless of where they stand, perplexes me.

Do any Americans feel the same way? Your election is like a prime-time television special that goes on for way too long. Do some of you remember that this is an election for the next leader of the world???????? It's too bad that it seems to be treated like a carnival.

And for gods sake, go out and vote.
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Sep 26, 2008 1:07 a.m. yettoblaster:

I sift media stuff through several layers of cheesecloth to strain out the bigger chunks of hype. I try to keep a long view over time. This involves reading books that interest me that have been reviewed in the New York Times Book Review, published each Sunday. And some other sources by respected journalists in periodicals or Op-Ed pieces.

Finally, my analysis includes certain character indicators that square with my experience in situations and with people.

If enough of those are present, I start to feel that I can get a bead on a candidate's character.

My feeling is that the media which is largely owned by parent organizations, cannot be relied upon for information without a lot of spin on it.

Making a big deal out of spoken goofs by over-tired traveling candidates as if the whole world was hanging on their every notion doesn't faze me.

After some observation of them talking in a variety of circumstances over time, I either get the feeling I know what their moral fibre is about (as in the case of one current candidate), or I'm still guessing (which is my current reaction to another).

In affairs of State, it's unfair to demand absolute adherence to ideals that spring from personal conviction: constituencies (ie The American People as a whole) are being represented that may not share the same idealogical base. I was happy when the former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop was able to suspend his bias while in service to the State, and stated it.

That's a good example of what I'm talking about. Someone with a strong sense for themselves of what's right, who can represent the interests of those who don't necessarily share the fundamental root philosophy that they do.
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Sep 26, 2008 7:22 a.m. Pappy:

I think the media doesn't have that much confidence in the intelligent American anymore.

But really, with 24 hour news, you need SOMETHING to talk about.
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Sep 26, 2008 7:48 a.m. fieldhdj:

I'd say most Americans understand that the media coverage is designed to appeal to the lowest of common denominators. This extends to news coverage beyond politics, of course. The candidates play into all of this, looking for the killer sound bite or that magic 15 second bit of film. We end up with people who are better actors than they are statesmen. The TV and print media editors just want a snappy headline and as much sensationalism in the public's face as they can get.

I suspect this happens routinely outside of the USA too - we just tend to have the higher profile.

I've gotten used to digging around different sources to get good analysis and informed points of views on issues, so my expectations of mainstream media stay pretty low.

What frustrates me is the tendency towards intellectual laziness and cynicism. It seems to be pretty easy to fall into the trap of a "if you think there is a difference between candidates, you probably think there are shows between the commercials" sort of mentality.

I'm with you on voting, but low voter turnouts won't change unless Americans can find a way to get less cynical and think more critically.

My Dad has taken an interesting path. He has become an anti-incumbent voter. He figures you can't let a candidate or party get too comfortable or complacent in any office for very long. His slogan is "Vote The Bums Out" and he doesn't care which party it is.
- Rated: 66 ↑
Sep 26, 2008 8:42 a.m. Walter Broes:

Gretschmaster, I'm just curious, why aren't Europeans supposed to react to this thread? We have CNN too, you know?
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Sep 26, 2008 8:46 a.m. Curt:

I don't watch network news but I do look at the Drudge report a few times a day and decide who's more screwed up. If Kennedy was running today he'd be a conservative!
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Sep 26, 2008 9:17 a.m. dubkitty:

>why aren't Europeans supposed to react to this thread?

because, as evidenced in his post in the Palin thread, he wants to start arguments with Americans because he wants attention.

the media in this country routinely slant to the left, but this election season represents the most egregious example of their bias i've ever seen in 40 years of observing US politics. for example, Obama has withheld reams of information about himself which are routinely released by Presidential candidates, including his college records, the clients he represented as an attorney, and any health information other than a short summary, and also has a host of troubling associations with extremists (and by "extremists," i mean people equivalent to the Red Army Faction). yet our major media care nothing of all this...they're too busy reading Palin's illegally-purloined e-mails.

if Kennedy were a candidate today, he'd be reviled as a neocon...after all, he was pro-military, cut taxes, and took the Vietnam war from a couple of hundred advisors working with the South Vietnamese army to large regular Army/Marine units. weirdly, in domestic policy Nixon was in many ways more liberal than Kennedy, e.g. the imposition of wage/price controls in an attempt to control inflation.

i try to get information from multiple sources from varying points of view; i figure if i have multiple points on the map i can triangulate my way to a semblance of truth. i probably read fifteen or twenty websites daily including Left and Right sites, including the links to the stuff they're bloviating about, and news aggregators like Breitbart, Drudge, and Instapundit. i've always figured that to make an intelligent argument you have to understand the opposing point of view. but i reckon i don't qualify as "able-minded" because i'm not like-minded.
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Sep 26, 2008 9:21 a.m. Walter Broes:

Dubkitty said: because, as evidenced in his post in the Palin thread, he wants to start arguments with Americans because he wants attention.
If that's what you think, why are you so quick to "fall for his bait" then?
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Sep 26, 2008 9:34 a.m. dubkitty:

i'm not arguing with him; i'm stating my point of view. if he starts with the Mr. Trouble vibe i'm ignoring it. i've gotten sucked into that before; no more.
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Sep 26, 2008 9:35 a.m. Andy:

I read The Economist...
- Rated: 41 ↑
Sep 26, 2008 9:54 a.m. J(esse James)D:

I'm able minded, but my old body isn't as "able"

As far as press coverage on anything goes, each "station" is generally one sided, based on their financial/political backers.

With 24/7 coverage, they make a HUGE deal out of everything, anything, and NOTHING

For myself, I'm sick and tired with all the "Green", global warming, and every other politically correct movement of the day.

I look at individual accomplishments, or lack of them, how a candidate handles themselves, and one small but very important thing...........the look in their eyes.

Yes, I'm judgemental, but my first impressions are usually proven out well. It's hard for anyone to hide their "true character" when you "see the eyes".

I like my "cash" with me, despise banks in general, care for "big business" as much as they care for me, and don't like "big brother" telling me what to do about everything.

I feel blessed that I live here, don't have a "world currency" for our hard earned cash, and don't have folks wanting to put a "chip" in my body...............all for the sake of "ease of doing business".

Call it "Red in my neck", and that's OK. The press will "spin it" to their political likings

The "best" TV is an unplugged one
- Rated: 21 ↑
Sep 26, 2008 9:58 a.m. Gretschmaster:

LOL, you Europeans are more than welcome to comment. I didn't start this thread to argue. I just wanted some opinions from Americans on the (you guessed it) American election. I'm sure that CNN can be viewed all over the globe. It's still being broadcast from the U.S.A. though.

This thread was not intended to be political, rather, I wanted a commentary from Americans on the way that their election is covered (like it's a fictional story).

Dubkitty said: i reckon i don't qualify as "able-minded" because i'm not like-minded.

Nope, I just meant able-minded like "not a sheep."

Yettoblaster said: My feeling is that the media which is largely owned by parent organizations, cannot be relied upon for information without a lot of spin on it.

Yeah, during the Dem. convention in August I started wondering "who owns CNN" and "what is their real agenda" and "why does Anderson Cooper keep stating that he has no bias to the point where it seems that he trying to fool himself"? Well I'm pretty sure that it was Time-Warner that owns CNN but the real funny bit of info I found was that all of your major News television stations are owned by large corporations that donate millions of dollars to the Republican party come election time. So much for the "liberal" media.

Fieldhdj, that is an interesting approach your Father has taken.
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Sep 26, 2008 10:02 a.m. dubkitty:

i'm afraid the US media has become like the media in the UK; it's not that unusual for them to totally fabricate stories. and not just political stories, either...there's actually more deception going on in non-political news coverage. but nowadays the New York Times is about as dependable as The Sun.
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Sep 26, 2008 10:02 a.m. Gretschmaster:

JD, I agree that the best TV is an unplugged one. Can't say I agree with your "green" statement though. No matter how annoying the new-age hippies may be, we still need to care for our planet. Unless, of course, you want future generations to have to move from their homes due to rising water levels and eventually cook alive in the heat that we have created.
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Sep 26, 2008 10:04 a.m. The Norm:

Here we go again... A simple question escalating to another politicall rant.
My take is American news TV is useless. Everything on local news is way too brief and always ending with "click on our website at _.com.

Well, ya know what? I did try to find something on their damn website that I had just seen on TV and it was nowhere to be found.

TV news is only good for sudden "breaing" news. Most "news" programs are subsidizd by the network entertainment umbrella. True analytical news is a dying form.

From bombs to Britney and sometimes Brintey gets the lead line...

Give me print media anytime. The newspapers of the world are a click away.
And google can find just about anything you want/need
- Rated: 21 ↑
Sep 26, 2008 10:07 a.m. Gretschmaster:

Amen, Norm.
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Sep 26, 2008 10:15 a.m. DangerousMan:

JD said: The "best" TV is an unplugged one

Beautifully put. For those of you who are telly addicts try switching the box off for a full day and see how you go; if you find yourself bored or distracted you know you've got a problem. Pick up a book or go for a walk. Your quality of life will greatly improve the less you watch television.

fieldhdj said: My Dad has taken an interesting path. He has become an anti-incumbent voter. He figures you can't let a candidate or party get too comfortable or complacent in any office for very long. His slogan is "Vote The Bums Out" and he doesn't care which party it is.

Your dad sounds like a cool guy.
- Rated: 58 ↑
Sep 26, 2008 10:24 a.m. yettoblaster:

A guy asked me where I got my news. "NPR," I said. "Oh," he responded. "Corporate news read slower!"
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Sep 26, 2008 10:27 a.m. J(esse James)D:

I am concerned about our planet, and what we NEED to do to keep it alive.

The "Green" that disgusts me is how it is being "pushed", and once again, the political and big business backing that is behind it.

I'm seeing nuclear being pushed as "Green" by many, and there's even TV adds for more "nukes".

Green my ass. You can't "bury the nuclear waste" in Mother Earth's bowels, and call the technology Green.

The only thing "GREEN" about nukes are the mountains that the waste is in.

And some think that it's the sunset
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Sep 26, 2008 10:38 a.m. Curt:

Green, did someone say Cadillac Green?
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Sep 26, 2008 10:49 a.m. Gretschmaster:

Haha, very true JD. I find it somewhat disturbing that Nuclear power is being pushed as "green".
- Rated: 115 ↑
Sep 26, 2008 10:54 a.m. wenzel:

Cnn is pretty misleading a lot of the time and they seem to be biased a lot of the time rather than actually letting the Americans make up their own minds.
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Sep 26, 2008 11:34 a.m. J(esse James)D:

Add electric (battery powered) cars

Every accident would be a HAZMAT site, with lead and acid just slopping around the road. Then again, that would give some good reasons for news coverage.

To hell with the injured and dead, we've got a "green spill"

The stupidity of the press, and the "spin" of politicians and big business is what irks me on the "Green Movement".

I've been for alternate power/fuel sources for a long, long time. Unfortunately, technology (or big business) lags in some areas. Usually this is due to not enough quick profits.

In the "old days", it used to be a "DeadHead" sticker on a Cadillac. Now, it's a "I'm Green" sticker on a SUV, and two on a Hummer
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Sep 26, 2008 12:09 p.m. antik:

I generally find the foreign press to be a better source of information about American politics than the domestic press. Most of them do not have a stake in the outcome and tend to have a more objective viewpoint. (Plus I find out what is happening in the rest of the world, something that would not happen if I relied strictly on the US domestic media for information.)

Example from Der Spiegel

"If McCain doesn't back out, he'll have his first debate with Barack Obama on Friday. But issues won't matter much, best-selling author and brain researcher Drew Westen argues in a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview. Presentation, decisiveness and humor will be more important."

That seems to be a more candid response to what the debate is really about than one will find in the US media.
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Sep 26, 2008 12:52 p.m. TwangOmatic:

I find it interesting that all the lefties feel most news is biased to the right and the righties think its biased to the left.