Blogger is Better than the Networks

Wouldn't you rather get your news and commentary from others on the web who are blogging about things that interest you? I am beginning to feel that way now that I am trying this out.

Many tv and radio media people suck. People criticize politicians for taking the races into the sewer with bad behavior, but let's look at David Schuster and Chris Matthews for a moment. MSNBC (and others) love taking pot shots at Hillary et al. For example, Schuster is on suspension right now after Hillary's campaign complained about Schuster saying the Clintons had "pimped out" Chelsea by having her call celebrities and Super Delegates to support her mom. WTF????? If my mom were running for president, I would be doing the same thing out of love and respect. And this is not isolated - hell, when the poor kid was eleven they criticized her physical appearance. How tacky and cruel is that?

As for Matthews, there are many examples, but let's talk about his comment that Hillary's success was due to Bill's philandering. Totally crass and idiotic, but this is similar to the voiced assumption of many people I've heard on tv, radio, and in my community. Isn't it funny that no one will say more than the most condescending things about a wife's "support" of a husband as contributing to his success, but when a woman is doing well, it's all about how her husband made her - something like the My Fair Lady syndrome, I suppose. A woman can't be anything without a man's guidance and molding. What bullshit. Women have to work twice as hard and are continually tested while men skate by with more style than substance over and over again.

Now let's take Obama. The white folks on the media won't criticize him because to do so would be racist. So who else can they poke fun at in the Democratic camp? Even when there were others in the race, it has been all about dragging down Hillary. For example, when they had Edwards to dis, I never heard more than Edwards being criticized for his $400 haircuts and for his allegedly questionable loyalty to his family by running for President while his wife is ill. That was frankly horrible, but it was not the barrage that Hillary continues to endure.

And please don't give me public figure shit. That's sort of like the argument that a 14 year old girl in a mini-skirt asks for it by walking alone in a place where men can see her.

It's not politicians who are disrespectful of each other necessarily, it is the media (respectable papers and a few talking heads excluded) who loves putting the spotlight on people to degrade them for some sadistic reason. And does it seem to be more fun to these media folks to be cruel to women as opposed to men?

Here's another example. After the excellent debate among Clinton, Edwards, and Obama, I was proud to have three such talented Democrats running for President of my country. What did the media talk about? The one time during the two-hour debate that the conversation got a little heated between Clinton and Obama. Did anyone see a clip of Edwards taking up for Clinton during the debate? Oh no, you'd have to have tuned in during the debate. Instead, the post-debate commentary focused on the few minutes of heat to portray Clinton as a mean (racist?) bitch and Obama as unfairly attacked. Without the context, that is what it could look like. Hell, Obama, Clinton, and Edwards are experienced and well-educated lawyers - all of them can create and take heat in a debate. That's what they are trained to do.

And let's not forget the inordinate focus on whether Hillary is going to tear up while campaigning. Who cares? She's a Scorpio and way tougher than Bill. Even for tough-as-nails Scorps tears can happen. Particularly when being given a sincere compliment - Scorps are rarely understood and usually like it that way, but in times of stress that would break Libras, embitter Aries, depress Leos, and chase Cancers into hiding, a Scorpio endures and is sustained when recognized for their sacrifices and good works. She's not going maudlin, after all, like W, who pretends that he cries for all of the men and women he has sent to Iraq to operate his war machine. W does not care - his daughters aren't going. It all began on emotion - W wanted to prove his worthiness by punishing Saddam for trying to kill George Herbert (Don't mess with Texas, you sumbitch!) and continued because W started it out based on emotion, not strategy (failing to listen to Colin Powell was a big mistake, dumbass). I love Texas, by the way, but that is for another post.

Back to the media - it focuses on what a complete idiot W appears to be and other times on what's going wrong in Iraq. Honestly, in a time of war, it would be helpful to have some inspirational stuff on tv and radio.

Now don't get me wrong. I don't mean to suggest a lack of appreciation for the First Amendment. Sure, the media can talk about whatever the big guys pay them to talk about. So I finally get to my point - the irony of it all is that the broadcast media is pimping itself out. It appeals to the base instincts in all of the fearful people watching or listening by focusing not on the issues but on any behavior or comment that, taken out of context, will disparage the candidates and the election system. And we wonder about apathy in our nation. With mean-spirited humor the least offensive thing we are hearing from these pimped out talking heads, viewers naturally feel it is pointless to vote for a bunch of scumbags who lie and won't really solve our problems. Besides, talking heads and viewers (or listeners) deep down think it is fun to drag down those who would be larger-than-life. Then they don't feel so helpless and meaningless. Particularly those who have sold out on their craft.

Does anyone else see where that leads? The handful of powerful people can control results when the populace is hypnotized by this sort of hate-mongering. Instead of focusing on the true basis for how our society has become troubled, the media doles out bullshit about immigration and government assistance programs.

I think Hillary and Chelsea are brave. They are behaving with dignity during a time when the focus is on them in ridiculous ways that do not serve the political process. This is an exciting time in our history because in the so-called land of opportunity, we finally have an African-American man and a white woman with the resources and name-recognition to be serious candidates for President. I wish the media talked about the positives in that for a change. There is still clearly far to go for "respect for diversity" to have real meaning here, but to have someone other than a white male in the race shows that the hard work done in the 60s and 70s took root and may blossom.