Not A Horse Race

For the last few elections, the main-stream media has been doing something that really pisses me off. They have been reporting on our elections as though they were horse races.

The media is quick to tell us who is ahead and who is behind. They even drag out polls to back up their assessment of who's winning or losing. But, does this tell a voter anything he needs to know before voting? Not unless the voter is so shallow that they only want to vote for a winner. However, most people do not vote this way. Most people want to vote for someone who'll do a good job.

But how do you find out who'll be the best man or woman for the office? Don't count on the media to tell you. You will get no info on a candidates beliefs, relevant experience, or solutions to the country's problems. Of course, any scandal will be covered. The media love those as much as they love polls.

Others have made this same complaint, but nothing has changed. It is far easier to report a "horse race", than to give voters what they need. Since the media refuses to fix this problem, I suggest we help them out.

I propose a new law. We should make it illegal to take or report on a poll in the last 60 to 90 days before an election. Perhaps if the "horse race" information is not available, the media will go back to reporting on issues and qualifications. At least, I hope they would.