Politics in A Culture of Lame Media

I wish that there was more of import to write about (sorry, but I'm not interested in hearing about flag pins or electability or 70-year-old sixties bomb-throwing radicals), so I'll resort once again to Hilary v Obama.

A few things that have annoyed me lately:

The media 'ghettoizing' Obama by harping the "he's winning due to black support" mantra. Yes, he is NOW getting 90% of black votes, but as Jeffrey
Tobin noted wayyyyy back in February - he's also winning in Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Washington state, Connecticut, etc, etc.; ergo, places not noted for their large black populations. Besides, if white people had such a big problem with Obama how on earth would he be winning with only 12% of the population? That math is retarded, to say the least. Perhaps its the effects of No Child Left Behind?

The media supporting the Clinton-driven notion that he can't get the white, blue collar vote. The NY Times did an excellent analysis of primary exit data recently, reporting that the strongest predictor of voting patterns is age. According to the article, it trumps race, gender, income, and educational level.

Those over 45 break for Clinton; under 45 break for Obama - regardless of their income or blue collar status. But I guess that's not sexy or sound-bitey enough for our media outlets. (The Financial Times, hands down, has given the most level-headed coverage of the primary games to date, but of course, it's a British publication.)

The media loudmouths live in the 20th century. For some reason they think this is 1988 and the race-baiting ads and radio spots will work, which is more evidence that there's a segment of our population that just will not realize what's staring them in the face: that the country is fundamentally different than it was 20 years ago when the Clintons came on the scene.

We are already 35% people of color, if not more. Hispanics are now the majority minority, and in 30 short years, the population is likely to be more than 50% people of color. Our biggest state has already tipped that whites are no longer the majority. That corner has been turned and no matter how much the racial alarmists rant and rave about immigration, we are not going back to what we were 20 years ago. The fact that they won't understand that we are closing out the first decade of the 21st century is an indicator of how out of touch they are, and Obama is the only one of the three left standing who understands what that means.
He understands it b/c he's a gen-Xer, born in the mid-60s, part of the first generation that would live MOST of its life in the 21st century.

The nonstop blathering about superdelegates and Clinton math. I'm at shrug point now. I can't pay any more attention because it is over. Someone just needs to tap her on the shoulder and tell her, "Well done, but you need to wrap this up now and stop making an ass of yourself. You gave it your best shot. Now go home and regroup. Think about what good you can do elsewhere because you ARE NOT going to be president." Then she can start grooming her daughter for a congressional run or something. And her husband can go back to public speaking for companies that they make questionable deals with.

No more debates, please. And no more stump speeches. Why do people go to those things? It's the primaries. All they're going to say are crowd-and-cheer-inducing mantras like, "When I'm president, every child will have health insurance!" Crowd cheers. "And we'll bring jobs back to Youngstown!" Crowd cheers. "And I'll restore America's dignity!" Crowd cheers again.

How much of that can anyone stomach? Good grief.

Still, history has been made. From times, even in the 80s, when women couldn't get their own loans for a house, or were the only women in their workplace, it's amazing to see a woman as a viable candidate for President. Even if it is Hillary Clinton. And as the daughter of parents who endured the Civil Rights struggle, with stories of eggs and rocks being thrown at them from cars as they walked to school or having to enter through the back doors and drinking from specific water fountains, I never EVER thought in my lifetime that I'd see a black person as THE candidate for president. Imagine.

Madeline Hatter is a freelance writer and author of the 2004 novel, Lookin' in the Mirror, which is set for re-release in second edition later this year.