CNN treats politics like sports and its making us all dumber

[Seedersandleechers]

[Phoenix61]

1. I never watch sports shows so I hadn't noticed the similarity

I just know I don't watch CNN because I don't like the fighting format or the pro-Twitler stance of so many of their guests.

[thucythucy]

2. The whole focus on polls

(as opposed to issues) is a part of this. "It's halftime--which team is winning?"

[SharonAnn]

3. Yes, I just had an interesting meeting with our local Dems. The takeaway?

They're thinking of this like sports and/or reality TV.

The want to do a protest with lots of signs and get media attention as the main strategy. Apparently getting media coverage is important. Darn, I thought votes were important. I told them while protests could be an important part of a strategy, and they helped us keep our focus and energy, we had to work on getting votes.

Doing that is boring, drudge work. But it can translate into more votes. Working one on one on the issues that keep people from voting may accomplish something. But around here, the believers will always vote and apathetic won't unless there's something significant that drives them. That's our work!

But getting on TV? I don't think that helps much at the local level. There's always somebody or some group on TV.

[ffr]

4. Recommend x 100,000,000

This is the same type of crap that got CNN on the news entertainment map in the 1980s. Fox Snooze took it to the next level and is nothing less than a GOP talking point machine for idiots.

Boycott any show that fills panelists with this ESPN sports model, unless you're doing it for the purposes of a weekend drinking game. The informative value of watching and distributing anything contained in them is counter-productive.

[yuiyoshida]

5. I have seen much of the same kind of comments

about it being like Sports. Turn on any SUNDAY NFL program, and you get the same kind of language used about a football player or NFL team. Who is better, what's the break down. We have turned Politics into a spectator sport, with us on the side lines rooting for our team. Some are more active, but the Republicans who run this total game have modeled this and world politics into some kind of a Game, where its US vs Them... US against other countries and US .. Republicans vs Democrats.. You know they love making money around the Superbowl, the idea is how to do that and squeeze more millions out of the common American who just wants accurate news and the truth.

[Wednesdays]

6. Only CNN?

[Seedersandleechers]

7. I only watch Maddow and O'Donnell and

they don't have that "sports" theme mentioned in the video

[Nitram]

8. Not just CNN. Television has long been guilty of dumbing down politics to personality rather than..

...policy. Drama rather than facts. The sensational rather than the relevant.

[tomhagen]

9. All part of the Dumbing Down of 'Merca