This is what TV has done to this culture.

[HomerRamone]

She's "attractive" and she reads one speech that she didn't write from a teleprompter well and more than half of the country thinks she's qualified to be president. But Obama is the meaningless celebrity. Talk about Orwellian.

This is one of the very scariest things I've ever seen happen...

[AspenRose]

1. So sad, and so true

[tridim]

2. How do you know "more than half the country thinks she's qualified"?

Can that claim be proven without citing a poll from the same media that sold her?

[calmblueocean]

3. Totally agree. Politics is just another form of celebrity now.

There are so many voters in this country who have no idea what policies they're voting for. And yet they vote anyway. It's all just a big popularity contest to them, a version of American Idol.

[TwoBears]

23. I agree, but

if that's the case then let's get Simon Cowell to campaign for us. He
seems to be able to get these people to do what he wants.

[noel711]

4. New prop for us in regard to Palin...

Hand puppets (just as Bush was puppet for Rove)...

Silent protest to every repub rally...

stand in the back, raise hands with girly puppets on them...

[JohnnyBoots]

5. Orwellian were the "Peace through Stength" signs in the crowd last night.

[KittyWampus]

6. why are you comparing Obama to the vp candidate of the opposing party? STUPID MOVE

[Sensitivity]

10. THEY are doing it, not us. It is great strategy. Evil people also have brains.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

7. I doubt

that more than half the country thinks this lying witch is qualified.

Not even half of the Grand Old Phucks can believe that horseshit.

[ensho]

8. TV didn't do it - not enough education did it

what's the highschool graduation rates now ?!

[JBoy]

9. Very true. It's a sad situation.

[NJRick1006]

22. Our country has become bizarre

Experience/intelligence = wrong/elitist
Inexperience/ignorance = good/"real people"

Will this country wake up??

[Overseas]

11. Media consolidation into Republican hands has helped a lot.

Reporters can be intimidated into pretending all is well and cutie pie who can deliver a punchline means competent. Even when that person is under investigation.

[sandnsea]

12. This is what a lousy news media did to our culture

TV is an inanimate object. Humans program it. TV doesn't do this to other cultures.

[EndElectoral]

13. "People are bloody ignorant apes." - Estragon, Wating for Godot

[EndElectoral]

16. "In a time of universal deceit, TELLING THE TRUTH is a revolutionary act." Orwell

[EndElectoral]

17. "War is Peace - Work is freedom - Ignorance is Strength" - Orwell, 1984

[EndElectoral]

18. Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities" - Voltaire

[AlinPA]

14. Exactly. 'muricans (and media) thrive on Tee Vee images. The age of stupidity. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. The question to ask republican Palin shills is:

If McCain died today, who would you want to take the top spot on the ticket in his place?

How many of them would say Palin, rather than Ghouliani or Romney or Huckabee?

I can't imagine ANYONE saying they'd choose her over any of the other republican contenders.

[cynatnite]

19. Not TV...willful ignorance and laziness...

In this day when information is so widely available...to not be informed is laziness and willful ignorance.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. Neocons at work - con artists

[tpi10d]

21. some indication

We seeem to do better in local/state offices where TV isn't as much a factor. On Gore and possibly even Kerry the slant of TV coverage could have been the difference. (bullshit issues like inventing the internet, and the swiftboat vets) etc.

The solutions- I'd like to see the liberal blogs band together and start a news organization-hire quality reporters, charge a monthly subscription price. Selectively boycott shows which are unfair to our point of view.

Also purchase ad blocks, produce infomercials on existing tv channels. It will take money-the mother's milk of politics.

[BadgerKid]

24. Astute observation.

Good call.