Diamonds or Pearls

Pardon the rant, but I'm getting fed up. I'm an undecided independent voter, and I resent the way that the media tries to sway my thinking. I expect that from the candidates, but not from what was once known as "the Fourth Estate."

It doesn't matter who he's interviewing, Leslie "Wolf" Blitzer always ends up a lapdog. He's been accused of being a Bush lackey, and now he's kissing Hillary's ass. He's much like Larry King. Whomever the polls say is hot, that's where his lips go. (Who names a lapdog "Wolf" anyway?)

It wouldn't be so bad if Leslie were not pretending to be a real journalist. He is, in reality, a talk show host with lots of giant TV monitors surrounding him. He calls this "The Situation Room."

When a debate is over, typically and predictably, all the candidate's spokeshacks and handlers crowd into a room and give one-sided interviews to the media. "Yes, I think Governor Richardson really came into his own tonight when he quoted John Lennon. People can sense in Governor Richardson a tough negotiator who isn't afraid to blah blah blah blah blah..." (Aside: Governor Richardson will be elected President when FEMA gets a call from Satan asking for assistance in dealing with the Blizzard of the Century that just hit Hell.)

But on CNN, they bring the Clinton spin doctors right into the studio with Grandstanderson Pooper and pretend as though they are "political analysts." James Carville gets to analyze a debate for the public when he is presently (he says he's not being paid) working for the Clinton campaign? Sitting with him is a former Clinton adviser, David Gergen. CNN, attempting to appease the right, throws in J.C. Watts, who is just thankful to still be considered relevant as he mumbles agreement with the other two.

I think I'm done with debate watching. At least on CNN. I think I'm done with the news altogether, because it's not the news. You can't tell entertainment from news, news from spin, spin from doctrine, gossip from fact, singers from anchormen, dancers from reporters. Is it any wonder so many people now get their news from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert? Hell, I think "South Park" tells it straighter and fairer than most of these networks anymore.