Martin Eden Mercury
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- Nov 2, 2015
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Will the take away lines of tonight's debate be about the faces of candidates, the low energy of candidates, poll numbers, the ratings boosts on failing media and comedy shows, weird pyramids theories, strange religious beliefs, fibs in books or on resumes, lawsuits, or bankruptcies? These of course are issues outsider candidate, Donald Trump has brought to the table of GOP debates. Will the candidates whine and act like babies? In an interview about debate preparation this is what one of the night's moderators from FOX News, Neil Cavuto, has introduced into the run up to tonight's debate. To be fair and balanced regarding FOX, let's take a look at FOX's cosponsor of the debate, the WSJ. Granted the WSJ's editor with the British accent who will be co-hosting the debate is not responsible for the past sins of his media outlet during the 1990s. But it was his news organization, the WSJ, that fed and kept alive a story that the First Lady, Hillary Clinton, was responsible for the death of President Clinton's aide Vince Foster. No matter that the death was an obviously, tragic suicide, and that there was a suicide note. A fair and balanced approach to politics by the WSJ Editorial Page, demanded that people be told not to trust the Clintons. These are the self-proclaimed voices of objectivity in 21st century American politics, hiding behind the constitutional shield of 'the public's right to know.' Now allow me to be fair and balanced in my criticisms.Last week a Democratic party spectacle billed as a forum, and not a debate, was sponsored by MSNBC. It was hosted Rachel Maddow who is a well known Democratic party supporter. Well known, not just because of her obvious on-air bias, but because she does not hide it. She admits to it. Numerous media mentioned what a bore the forum was. I'm sure it was a love fest. I say, so what? It was not billed as a debate. I personally had no interest in watching it. Why would I? I already know enough about the candidates. What interested me was the amount of the media wasted on this event. Adweek in particular mentioned an SNL skit in which an actor states “In case you’re wondering what a forum is it’s a debate no one watches.” The comedy skit in question was presented on the night before GOP candidate Donald Trump was to host SNL. Adweek also mentioned how the forum gave MSNBC a ratings boost. Ratings, Donald Trump, and predictable boredom. Beginning to see a pattern here.
Speaking of predictability, will the media be revisiting their now familiar role of the Looking Glass Dormouse, where after each debate they periodically wake up and shout nonsense like: Trump's saying "I'm up in the polls and I boost the ratings wherever I go, therefore I am relevant" is the same thing as saying "I'm relevant, because I'm up in the polls and wherever I go I boost ratings!" This type of nonsense is what passes for news reporting and analysis. I daresay, when the framers of the Constitution debated how important a free press were to a republic like ours, they did not have in mind a media like we have today.
Let's be honest and face some facts. Many viewers, maybe even more than half, are tuning in to the GOP debates in large numbers to watch the Donald Trump show. Which brings me to something Politico touched on: "The fourth Republican presidential debate will be Tuesday, Nov. 10, live from the Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The venue has a loaded history: On Oct. 14, 1912, candidate Teddy Roosevelt was shot in the chest by an assassin outside a Milwaukee hotel. Instead of heading to the hospital, he continued to the Milwaukee Auditorium (now the Milwaukee Theatre) to deliver a 90-minute campaign speech. In front of a horrified audience and with the bullet lodged in his rib, he pulled a bloodied 50-page speech with bullet holes in it from his coat pocket and declared, “It takes more than that to kill a bull moose.”"
One-hundred and three years later in place of Teddy Roosevelt, I wonder if Trump will enter the hallowed hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin( ironically the hometown of GOP dropout candidate Scott Walker), all bloodied from dropping polls numbers, and excited, and irritable from breathing in the fumes of Carson's popularity shouting “It takes more than that to kill a bull mouse!" I will be watching. Watching the Donald Trump Show.
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