The media is trying to keep this race tied!

[napi21]

I actually figured the media would give this debate to Cheney completely. It's in their intrest to keep things tied so they can still have viewers and ad $$. I'm surprised that there wre any saying it was a tie.

[LTR]

1. I've been saying it all along

The media remembers 1996. Clinton was kicking Dole's ass all over the place. It was too predictable a race.

Obviously all-out ass-stompings don't equate to ratings. If it's predictable, nobody really cares to watch. If it's neck and neck, people are drawn to the drama. And these are entertainment entities we're talking about. They live for drama.

[MattBaggins]

4. Which is why we should be thanking the media for this

People watching Bush make an idiot of himself, with the media saying he's doing a good job starts to set in after a while. They will start seeing the true nature of Bushes cloths if they keep watching. Let them spin it in Bushes favor all day long. It works in our favor at the end of the day.

[Stevendsmith]

2. That is the height of irresponsibility

Playing a fucking ratings game with the most critical election of the last century

[undergroundrailroad]

3. Yes, but suddenly they are looking at their push polls and realize that

Edward's won the debate. MSNBC pundits had Cheney winning. Then in a dramatic turn of talk, they said Cheney "lied" about the 911/Iraq war connection. And he has met Edwards before, another BIG LIE!

Cheney is scary to me.

Thanks for your comments.

UGRR

On Edit: CNN is producing a photo of a Edwards/Cheney meeting. To refute the BIG BIG LIE!

[The Minus World]

5. Chatter, chatter...

Yes, initially - at least on MSNBC - the pundits were calling it for Cheney. Unfortunately, the "chattering classes" (as they endearingly refer to themselves) graded the debate purely on a stylistic level, with little regard for whether Cheney's allegations actually held water.

Apparently, these people are so desperate for a win that they'll consider Cheney's sophistry an asset. However, judging by the polls taken immediately after the debate, America seems to have its bullshit detectors up and running.

It's in the networks' best interest to keep this election a horse race. Of course, who the hell would tune in for Matthews' opinion on who to vote for if they've already made their mind up based on facts that have been part of liberal consciousness for years?

[Hello_Kitty]

6. The one good thing about it is

Bush is so mollified by the whores who validate what his yes-men are telling him that he believes his own propaganda and will keep sticking his own foot in his mouth.

[NeoConsSuck]

7. Yes and No...

Yes: Corporate media, the pack of neocons that they are, want it close enough so they profit from it. In true neocon spirit, profits come before any allegiance to any political candidate.

No: They don't have to have it tied. Just keep it close enough to keep viewers interested. Their ideal polling numbers are to have chimp with a 5 point lead. Proof: Why did CNN.COM take down their online poll: http://www.cnn.com/POLLSERVER/results/13670.exclude.html