The Boredom Poll

[gurdonark]

Is there anyone else who feels that the only media event more boring than listening to AM radio pundit Republicans talk about their 51% mandate is listening to talking head pundit Democrats talk about what went wrong?

Comments

[coollibrarian.livejournal.com]

Me! I have little patience for listening to talking heads anymore.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

The only talking heads I like sing "Take Me to the River"

[kenmora.livejournal.com]

Exactly, what a bore! We're such a competition driven culture. Add to that an incestuous media in love with reporting its own effects on its audience and you've got a sleeper agent potent enough to take out Chechen terrorists, and their hostages.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Speaking of awful coverage, western coverage of the chechen hostage situation was truly bad--all sensationalism and sound bite, no true coverage.

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

I prefer not to sully my imaginative mind with such nonsense. Are there no CD players? Are there no Cassette tapes??

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I listen to a lot of music these days, but I have to also keep up with the rest of the world.

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

I watch these people try to be articulate and wind up putting on Sportscenter or the game Show Network. They worship themselves; asking qustions that are easier to answer than hitting a beach ball with a baseball bat, focusing on issues that are alarmist, being cheerleaders for causes instead of reporting them.

I'm disgusted with the corporate owned and shackeled media.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, corporate owned and tied up media is a problem.
But the far left media and the far right media does not seem very effective now, either. I'm listening for a voice of reason.

Re:

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

A voice of reason? Very hard to find. I have no idea.

It ain't on the internet that's for sure ;)

[kelquestor.livejournal.com]

It's times like this I am relieved to have declared my lack of interest in politics, otherwise I might feel obliged to listen a while and try to make some sense of the drivel...

[miscelenaclosed.livejournal.com]

Ditto. When one is not affiliated with ANY political party, one does not feel any obligation to care who is in charge. :)

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, I understand, but it would be nice to have people in charge with your values, wouldn't it?

[woody77.livejournal.com]

I gave up on the "mass media" about 3 years ago. When I moved to California from the midwest, I didn't bring a tv, and my CD collection was large enough that I rarely listened to the radio. I have a TV now, but no cable, and no antenna, and therefore only good for the DVD/VCR hooked up to it. Still CDs-only in the truck, although I do listen to a public classical station out of Santa Cruz now and then.

I actually didn't hear about 9/11/01 until I stopped for gas at 10am PDT, and the person at the other side of the pump said we were being attacked. I was a little perplexed until I switched to radio and heard a CBS newfeed instead of the morning DJ on a local rock station.

***

Although, the talking heads may be more interesting than a "local" radio station that's owned by clearchannel, and therefore carries the same programming as 20-30 other stations in the country, with DJs that are based out of different parts of the country, and all mixed to seem like they're local... The traffic girl is shared amoung all the local clearchannel stations, the country station, 2 rock stations, etc. Not cool. Another reason I listen to CDs...

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

We've permitted nationalized control of commercial radio by a few corporations, and now we're reaping that whirlwind. But I still listen when I'm driving, anyway.

Again, I'm in the minority

[scott-m.livejournal.com]

I actually care about that stuff because it affects the direction of public
policy. For instance, the reason Clear Channel owns all those radio
stations is because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, drawn up
by lobbies, passed by a Republican congress, and signed into law by
an accomodating, DLC president. And the FCC is about to loosen
ownership regulations even more.

Yeah, the margins of victory were tiny, but there weren't that many
races in real contention, and the Republicans made a point of nationalizing
the election ("Senator Rich Bluesuit will work with President Bush to pass
his legislative agenda; his opponent has been seen with Tom Daschle")
Americans consciously voted for unchecked Republican government last
Tuesday. I personally am not looking forward to a bit of it, but that's me
in the minority again

Re: Again, I'm in the minority

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I guess part of my displeasure in the coverage is to miss the point. The over-riding change from prior elections was that incumbents were no longer out of favor. The contested handful did not turn on national party allegiance in the Senate. Hutchinson alienated his religious right base and lost Arkansas. The Wellstone funeral turned a touch and go campaign against Mondale. The TX triple threat ticket failed because 1/2 out of 3 of the candidates captured anyone's imagination. Shahenn showed that in NH, one can run left of center and win only if one has built a better grassroots effort--Sununu is a poor candidate, but he ran a better campaign. In general, any unscarred incumbent won in the Senate, on the right or the left.
In the House, redistricting is the main story, as incumbents in general won.

The Republicans therefore won a nice tactical victory, and control of both houses, but largely because Democrat efforts were entirely misdirected (witness the Jeb Bush campaign and the money spent therein). The pundits on both sides miss the point, though--the "throw the bum out" sentiment of a few years back nearly entirely has passed, and the coalitions necessary to win an election from the left or from the right are gradually evolving as we become a voters-in-the-suburbs nation.

But a grand less in running to the right? running to the left? running to the faithful? This election taught nothing about this.
The only arguable lesson it taught is that "me, too" is not a good strategy for the party in opposition, but that does not prove (as too many talking heads have suggested) that a party within inches of the majority must swing far left.