'missing candidates': Politicians duck the press, try to avoid accountability -USA Today

[JohnWxy]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2010-10-27-editorial27_ST_N.htm

Some are seeking to control their messages by shopping for outlets they perceive as friendly, by ducking the national news media, or by avoiding debates. It's a nice trick for candidates — particularly uninformed novices afraid of unscripted gaffes — but a dirty trick on voters, who are losing what little opportunity they have in this age of sound bites to see how candidates deal with tough, independent questioning.

The situation has become so bad that Politico has dubbed this the "year of the missing candidate." (I call the Tea-partiers http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x566647">'Stealth Candidates'_JW)

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•Playing hide 'n' seek. In Nevada, Angle routinely refuses to give out her campaign schedule, which rarely includes public events. It has become a game among reporters in Nevada to find her. Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, in line to become speaker of the House if Republicans win a majority, won't give out his full daily schedule because of security concerns, his aides say. But Boehner and others in leadership positions have security details — paid for by taxpayers — precisely so they can do public events, not so they can avoid impromptu coverage.

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•Acting thuggish. In Alaska, one reporter covering the Senate campaign found himself under civilian arrest early this month. Security guards around Republican Joe Miller handcuffed and detained a blogger who was trying to interview the candidate.
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[BootinUp]

1. Why didn't they call it "The Year of the Missing Republicans?" nt

[UrbScotty]

2. Exactly. Can people PLEASE stop blaming BOTH sides for what ONE side is doing?

:wtf:

[JohnWxy]

3. for some reason everybody in the media tiptoes around the GOP. On Charlie Rose they talk about how

the Government doesn't seem to 'work' anymore and try to figure out why. All without mentioning how the Republicans filibustered 80% of major legislation in Obama's first year (see Peter Beinert's article in Time magazine: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1964778,00.html">Why Washington Is Tied Up in Knots)..

Print media is much better at talking bravely about the Politics of Destruction practiced by the GOP. The reluctance of tv types to mention what the GOP is doing has gone a long way in helping the GOP. So many people don't know that the GOP has been sabotaging efforts at repairing the economic damage they did, followed by their bawling that 'government' can't get anything done. Well, yeah, with them, unless they get their way, they make sure to try to keep the Dems from getting anything accomplished.