Pundits, Profits, and Predictions

Is it crazy to say that the Mainstream Media (MSM) has done a poor job in covering the 2008 election? Chris Matthews, an MSNBC pundit, is considered to be part of the mainstream coalition. Yet, after watching his show, the meaning of Mainstream Media needs to be reconsidered. The word mainstream can be defined as, “belonging to or characteristic of a principal, dominant, or widely accepted group, movement, style, etc” (Dictionary.com). So, if Matthews wants to be part of this “excellent” group of individuals, maybe he needs to cut the Hillary bashing and focus on the important issues of the race. After all, Hillary currently has won the last two primary elections in Nevada and New Hampshire. So, it seems as if her campaign is the widely accepted group over the last two weeks.

Poor Chris Matthews and his friends were certain of the Obama victory in New Hampshire. They proclaimed their high belief in the skewed polls by saying that Obama was leading by double-digit figures. Surely, New Hampshire voters did not want Iowa or the MSM to determine their desired candidate for the general election in November. Voters poured into the booths on January 8th and stung Matthews and fellow colleagues. Now, they have stopped their bold predictions and have concentrated solely on the Hillary bashing. Although they want to proclaim Obama as the South Carolina victor, they have learned their lesson.

So, what should a person of such expertise do after getting burnt so badly? Hardball’s prodigy first insured that he had a good stock of excuses to safeguard him from the “Dewey wins” syndrome. He has used many types of deception, from the Bradley effect to a fixed election. Can one MSM expert just admit that Hillary won because she received more votes than her competitors? A small group of pollster targets cannot proclaim the winner of a race with an electorate of 280,000 people. The media just came short of labeling the New Hampshire constituents as racists, just because the polls were inaccurate. The polls cannot be wrong; it has to be the people!

The South Carolina primary brings the nation to another showdown, which will surely bring the race card into play. If Hillary wins the primary, there will be an all out assault on the South Carolinians or the voting machines. The Clintons will be harassed for the Rezko comment in the recent debate. Bill Clinton will be bashed for the support of his wife and his “lying”. There will not be a shortage of reasons as to why the analysts got it wrong. The MSM will be back on the bandwagon if Obama wins this primary. They have very short memories. These specialists should strop dramatizing the hostility and focus on the issues that will set this country on the right path.

If Hillary wins in South Carolina, I will present Matthews and his colleagues with their first excuse, The Reverse-Bradley effect. Is it possible that African-American Hillary supporters will endorse Obama during polling, yet cast the Hillary vote in the booth? Who knows. People should stop trying to pick a winner by inspecting the polls and vote according to their special needs.

The winner of the South Carolina primary and the upcoming super Tuesday will be in the lead of the progressive party and needs both Democratic and Independent support. Our county needs a leader like Obama, Clinton, or Edwards. These competitors have little differences among them, yet they continue to argue. Do not be fooled by Matthews and his colleagues, however. They are not in the business to report news; they are in the busniess to make money. And, on a nightly basis, the act of bashing the Clintons fulfills their main goal in an attempt to increase their ratings. If not trying to make profits, the MSM is certainly doing a good job in promoting the election of the Republican candidate in November.