British Expats

I like political analysis. I used to be mental for it - but it eats you. More than anything I love meta-narrative - commentary on why and what the full-time news people/analysts are saying. Because journalists are not trying to tell people the truth - they are usually advocating theories by inserting certain facts or beliefs in such a way as to support whatever position they wish to advocate. The last Presidential election there was an astounding push from a lot of journalists who seemed to treat the Obama candidacy as some sort of sea change in American politics - they gushed and jizzed about how truly Godlike he was. It was revolting. Surprisingly (I jest) conservative media went for the simpler "did you notice he's black?" and "oh - and a secret Muslim Communist" angle with a lot of their coverage.

At the height of the US election cycle it all goes freaking insane. As it's 18 months before a Presidential election it's already starting to go weird. Most news coverage is sensationalist and extreme - focused only on the fringe elements and the loons and pretending they are the norm for each side. Thankfully NPR stay away from that. Right?

This morning on NPR I was listening to their (very early) coverage of next years Presidential election and I swear I heard this exchange -:

NPR: What's the most important issue to you for the coming election?
Man: The economy. We need someone in office who can sort this mess out. We are suffering, people are losing their jobs, savings are disappearing and prices are going up.
NPR: And who will you be voting for.
Man: Sarah Palin.
NPR: And why is that?
Man: She likes to hunt.
NPR: If she doesn't announce then would you vote Bachmann? (presumably the journalist said this because all women are the same and can be exchanged out)
Man: Yes.
NPR: What appeals about her?
Man: I think her position on marriage is right on. I like what her husband does. And I like how she's shaken things up.

So hunting, homophobia and liking that Bachmann and her husband truly believe they can cure the mental illness that is gayness. Nice.

Then - in order to show the interests of the other side too - after that they ran a short puff piece on "what has gone wrong for Obama" to ask where those weird people who gushed like crazy people about how his election would radically change the world have gone. To do this they played some of his speech last night. The summary of which was a) the economy hasn't recovered because "Congress ran up these bills." Then b) the American people need "to up their game." Which was a weird thing to say. Finally c) the President really is an archangel of Change, but everyone else sucks.

This was all summed up with the ominous point that seeing as the Republican Party is not for black people, Hispanics, gays, the poor, women, single mothers, the educated (because smart people know all conservative principles are evil) or the white working class then it has to create the image that this black dude isn't working out for all you secretly racist white working people.

This really is going to be an unpleasant 18 months isn't it?