But Seriously, Folks

[babylonsister]

http://www.nationaljournal.com/columns/on-the-trail/but-seriously-folks-20110420

But Seriously, Folks
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 | 4:26 p.m.

snip//


And yet it is the sideshows that dominate media coverage. Whether it's the pseudo-candidacy of Donald Trump, the fascination over Sarah Palin, or the obsession with anyone who wrongly believes President Obama was not born in the United States, the bulk of the presidential coverage in recent weeks has been profoundly unserious.

Perhaps, in an age of fragmented and increasingly partisan media, that is to be expected. After all, many outlets judge a story based on the clicks it drives to websites, rather than the content of the story itself. Birtherism has proven a popular traffic driver; on Wednesday, Matt Drudge led his site with a preview of a book authored by notorious anti-Obama conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi. Palin drives so much traffic that several national and Beltway publications devote staff time to writing up every television interview, Facebook post, and tweet emanating from her lakeside home in Wasilla, Alaska (For all her protestations that she despises the "lame-stream media," Palin has been very good for business. The worst thing she could do to harm the media is to stop being so popular among her conservative fans).

Trump is the most egregious case of a sideshow borne of the Washington-New York echo chamber. The bombastic businessman and shameless self-promoter has, at one time or another, espoused conflicting opinions on myriad issues, from the stimulus package to abortion. His ego is a source of great humor, as are his widely varying estimates of his own wealth (The only thing that doesn't vary about his bank balance is the trend line: He's always worth more than he was a few days ago, truly a financial feat of Lehman-esque accounting proportions).

And yet Trump is a near-daily fixture on cable television. In the past week, he has sat for extended interviews that aired both on ABC and NBC, and he appears weekly on Fox News. Trump is ratings gold, especially for NBC, which hosts The Apprentice and stands to benefit from any buzz Trump attracts.

snip//

There are serious and substantive differences between candidates seeking the presidency for reasons beyond personal gain and publicity. Sadly, the silly season means that's all being missed.

[Syrinx]

1. the "silly season" is eternal

The prophecy of "Idiocracy" has been fulfilled.

The United States is a fat and bloated country that has out-lived its purpose.

We have nothing left to sell to the world.

We have been captured by the bullies. The fat, rude ones have captured our essence and sold it for doilies.

It is a victory for the masses. The masses of idiots who root for their own demise.

We are a fascist state. And few seem to mind, or even notice.

And it was done, largely, by one family.

The family that murdered Kennedy. The family that conspired against FDR. The family that even shot Reagan.

I hope they are happy now. For the country is broken, but they are very wealthy.

[freshwest]

4. You nailed it.

[tanyev]

2. Well, there just aren't many traveling sideshows anymore.

So bored Americans have to make do with political circus freaks.

[KoKo]

3. K&R... The Sideshow once again obscures the real issues we all need to know about...

This is a good read.

[DinahMoeHum]

5. Dumb people do dumb stuff. That's why they're called dumb.

n/t