With a trend towards reporting on celeb supporters, cutting comebacks and controversial scandals, the American Election 2008 is now ultimately the best new show in town.
“So You Think You Can Be An American President?”
Barrack Obama’s favourite food is chilli. He is also a talented basketball player, whose musical preferences tend towards the dulcet tones of Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder.
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has a hidden talent for crossword puzzles. She is partial to episodes of American Idol and her favourite colour is yellow.
The choices stand before you, America – it’s time to pick a candidate.
Indeed it seems the entire world is currently swept up in the long-winded process of campaigning, voting and media slagging-off that is a cornerstone of the American election. Such a reaction is hardly surprising. After all, with the USA maintaining its position as world hegemon, the 2008 voting count will, no doubt, have a significant impact on the global political arena.
And, despite this reality, it seems that Google is more ready to inform their wide user database of Hillary Clinton’s favourite colour than of her political ideals. BBC, on the other hand, makes an essential announcement that Hillary’s ‘first lady diary’ has been released, recording details of ‘how she kept busy during the Monica Lewinsky crisis’. And the Sydney Morning Herald seems intent on advertising the three candidates as prize steeds, betting on their winning capacity, judging the grooming of their manes, critiquing their race strategies and celebrating their victories over a glass of Veuve Clicquot.
Reporting of the American Election: A New Reality Show
If policy preferences are not on the top of news agencies’ reporting agenda, what is it that keeps Australians so enthralled by the Hillary/Obama/McCain scuffle for power?
Put simply, the American election is the best new show in town. In reporting of the presidential primaries, there seems to have been a drastic shift in journalistic standards away from those of pure information provision, balance and objectivity, and towards an emerging reality television format. After all, ‘So you think you can be an American president?’ has all the makings of a prime time special – celebrity appearances, harsh comebacks, agonising setbacks and controversial scandals that are favoured over arguably more complex and challenging journalistic commentary on policy substance. Big Brother, eat your heart out.
The Election 2008 Candidates
With the requisite blonde bombshell, an almost-pensioner and a 21st century JFK, the 2008 election is by no means deficient in character intrigue.
First, of course, there’s Hillary – or, as she likes to describe herself, ‘the most famous person you don’t know’. Indeed, Clinton’s reputation precedes her – after all, who wouldn’t be captivated by a tell-all confession or scathing cat-fight over her husband Bill Clinton’s torrid affair with Monica Lewinsky. Sex, scandal and politics – it’s the makings of great TV.
Obama, on the other hand, despite being the new kid on the block, seems to have already got the media curled around his little finger. Along with the added bonus of being the first black American presidential candidate, this dark horse has got the practice of inspirational public speaking down to a fine art. Plus, having a certain ex-aide with a penchant for swearing and calling your rival a ‘monster’ will no doubt make the front page of tomorrow’s tabloid.
Heading up the Republican Party is John McCain who, at an arthritic 71 years of age, would be the oldest president to come into US office. But, far from being a mere old fashion crony, McCain has no doubt had his fair share of scandals, including alleged Mafia ties, incidents of adultery, membership of the Keating Five, a wife with a past drug addiction, questions of religion and his famous description of Leonardo DiCaprio as “an androgenous wimp”.
With this array of notorious candidates, controversial debates and star supporters from George Clooney to Oprah Winfrey, the 2008 race to the White House seems to be playing out more like an episode of Celebrity Survivor than a presidential election.
The Real Political Issues
Arguments continue to erupt as individuals’ worldwide weigh up the relative democratic benefits of hailing either the first female or the first black American president. Yet whilst such human interest may attract media attention and appeal to easily-entertained political junkies, it no doubt begs the question: How many Americans are ignoring political ideals and basing their vote purely on the physical features and front-page appeal of their presidential candidates? And, more to the point, what impact will this have on the future of the global political arena?
With a world that is in constant flux, the true issues surrounding the current American election – from the national housing crises to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and the continuing fighting in Iraq – have never been more significant. Ironically, it seems that Barrack Obama’s penchant for chilli is just that much more interesting to a large proportion of the public.
References
http://www.realchange.org/mccain.htm
http://www.votesmart.org/extended_bio.php?can_id=9490
Lance Bennett (2005), ‘Beyond pseudoevents: Election news as reality TV’, American
Behavioral Scientist.
‘Clinton first lady diary released’ (2008), BBC News.
