popular thinking

As the late Ronald Reagan said famously, "There you go again." Only the "you" in this case is the second-person plural of the TV media. In the wake of the first face-off between Bush and Kerry, the networks let the spinners spin. Why? What's the point? What do we learn from them? Absolutely nothing. These people are paid political operatives and campaign staffers. What are they going to say? My guy lost! My guy was off his A game! That's not what they're paid to do. So instead, we just hear the spinners say exactly what their bosses said, or exactly what their bosses should have said. As for having media pundits weigh in, that's almost as bad, but it feeds the media's desire to have someone "win" a debate or assess whether expectations were met or exceeded. And that is odd, considering it is the media that creates those expectations. Especially when before the debate, pundits say Kerry is a master debater, then afterward express surprise at how well Kerry debated. Ay, carumba!

At least one person on MSNBC (my top preference for campaign watching) acknowledged that print media have to rely on style over substance for tonight's analysis because of deadlines. And since Kerry clearly won on style points (kudos to his makeup person for eliminating his bizzarely bronze George Hamilton look from yesterday) over the slouchy, stumbling Bush -- substance points will be handed out later, people -- the pundits on FOX News were forced to concede a bit, although it was curious to hear them cover for the president by saying all of the things they wished Bush would have said.