2008 Race, 20 Months Away, Dominating TV

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: 2008 Race, 20 Months Away, Dominating TV
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 4, 2007

....This is uncharted territory for people in both politics and television, who wonder when campaign fatigue will set in. Many Americans may be sick of seeing their next president before he or she even takes the oath of office.

In one measure of news interest, campaign stories have consumed 95 minutes of attention this year through Feb. 27 on the ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts. That's more time than in the comparable periods for the previous four presidential election cycles combined, according to the Tyndall Report....Television is responding to the unusual early activity in this campaign and, to a certain degree, the public, said George Stephanopoulos, ABC's ''This Week'' host. Nearly two-thirds of people responding to an ABC-Washington Post poll this week said they were following the campaign closely....

Many factors are at play: The Iraq war has deeply divided the public and, polls say, many Americans have already checked out on the Bush presidency; the 2008 election will be the first in 82 years with no involvement by an incumbent president or vice president; the biggest political stars of the day are involved, including John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Clinton and Obama.

Knowing the importance of raising money and preparing for a condensed primary season where nominations could be sewn up in a month, the candidates are already running hard.

A campaign where voters have nothing to say for another year exaggerates the media's importance.

Neat narratives and conventional wisdom are already developing. Few Americans could pick Mitt Romney out of a lineup, but know him as the flip-flopper trying to appear more conservative than he is. Giuliani is America's mayor who may be undone by his liberalism. McCain's moment has passed and he's weighed down by his support for the war. Obama's the rookie repository for American dreams. Joseph Biden's campaign was born and died on the same day when he made remarks perceived as racially insensitive. Clinton? Everybody knows Clinton and has made up their minds about her.

Each story line may have a ring of truth -- now. Time might decide otherwise. So might voters....

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/arts/AP-AP-on-TV-Campaign-Fatigue.html

[PSPS]

1. What a joke -- the media (NYT) commenting on its own behavior

The only reason this is consuming news is because the corporate media is gleefully promoting it as yet another way to "change the subject" from bush's ongoing crime and killing spree.

In other words, they're continuing to prop up the fraud. And this piece itself is another "diversion" along with Anna Nicole.

It's "all infotainment all the time!"

[DeepModem Mom]

3. Just one point: the story is an AP story, listed among a long list of links...

to AP stories on the NYT website.

[blm]

6. Gee - they didn't give the 2004 race this early amount of airtime - too busy protecting

Bushboy and spreading his propaganda 24/7.

[tridim]

2. If you ignore Anna Nicole, yes it's dominating TV.

I think stunning congressional oversight hearings and high-level convictions are going to dominate the coming weeks and months.

[PSPS]

4. I disagree

From the looks of it (two months gone since the new congress and absolutely nothing at all done to even slow down the bush killing & crime machine,) I think they're just trying to run out the clock.

[tridim]

5. Pay attention to the Defense Subcommittee hearings/subpoenas starting tomorrow..

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.