Media Criticism

The recent passage of higher funding amounts for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program or SCHIP seems like a slam dunk for both parties. Democrats are able to put another aspect of their 2006 midterm campaign (improving health insurance to the uninsured) to bed and Republicans in the affirmative are able to put aside their stingy reputations for a good case. This bill is akin to a bill that promises computers to poor people or provides holiday decorations for every American. It is a slam dunk in a normal universe.

We do not live in a normal universe, however, and evidence of that comes with a threatened veto by President Bush. His proposal of $30 billion for the program was doubled by Congress in an effort to actually cover a large group of children. President Bush has forgotten that he has spent billions in support of the Iraq War, a missile defense shield, Leave No Child Behind and so many bad programs that waste American dollars. It is tough to become principled when you have been a rogue in a big boy’s suit for the last seven years.

I hope that some Republicans in the House realize that there is a political benefit to this program in 2008. House members are up for re-election every two years which means every step they take is scrutinized by activists. Conservative Republicans may not like increasing federal influence in health care but they do love children based on their pro-life tendencies and they do love to get re-elected. Support of SCHIP would affect their constituents and this bill is not some liberal boondoggle that would hand out morning after pills or free copies of Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book. It is time for a few Grinches to open their eyes to better government instead of rigid conservative dogma.

If it was any secret that money makes the political world go round, the cat’s out of the bag. The competition for president is already fierce, and raising money is more important than ever. Nobody knows this better than Republican candidate John McCain.

The Washington Post ran an article yesterday regarding McCain’s financial troubles. He has failed to raise significant amounts of money, while Democratic candidate Barack Obama is setting fund raising records. Whether this is due to excellent efforts by the Democrats or whether it’s simply an indication of the nation’s unhappiness with a war that McCain still supports is unclear. Either way, the media have jumped on this issue; not enough money means one of the high-profile Republican candidates may be toast.

The fact that McCain’s campaign can be crippled by money woes indicates a significant trend in American politics. We think idealistically about elections; we want to vote in the best (wo)man for the job. However, our perception of who this person may be is clouded by the incredible amount of media coverage devoted to the election. On top of that, there are rallies, political advertisements, grassroots campaigns, and thousands of other ways candidates are trying to get their message (and their names) out there. We, the people, are bombarded on every side by political persuasion techniques, and money buys the best ones. It is no secret that the candidate with the most money has an advantage.

The bottom line is that American politics is theater. We watch debates where candidates say nothing; we listen to speeches where candidates sit on the fence; we watch political advertisements where candidates tear each other to bits. At the end of the day, when we walk into the voting booth, those influences follow us behind that curtain. The media, therefore, must not forget the power it has to influence and must use that power wisely.

For McCain, the race may be over, or it may have just begun. Either the media frenzy surrounding his poor financial situation will spur his supporters to donate more, or people will stop pouring money into what they see is a sinking ship. The media’s spin on the issue will help determine this, and the coming weeks will provide us with a more definitive answer of McCain’s campaign.