Friday, January 11, 2008

Buyer Beware

What the heck are we voting for? And who's' to blame for the question? The candidates or the media?

Look at the following headlines from today's Drudge Report:

Hillary adviser: 'If you want Obama to be your imaginary hip black friend'...

"HUCKABEE WARNS IRAN: BE PREPARED TO SEE GATES OF HELL"

Clinton On Immigration: 'No Woman Is Illegal'...

One has to wade through each article to find the quote and consider the context. Which is more controversial? The stance of the candidate or the "teasers" on the web? What happens if you only skim the teasers and don't go into the story? Misconceptions at the very least.

I think about John McCain's defense of the surge. He claims to have suggested it, backed it and it's working. Is it? On a military basis there has been a modicum of success. The violence in Baghdad has decreased but has escalated elsewhere. The government is impotent. The breech between the Sunnis and the Shia is getting wider, not narrower. Power is shifting to the war lords. "Deals" are being made with these war lords for the sake of controlling the violence but at what future cost? Strange bedfellows indeed.

It is the end of another week. The pundits will again be filling the air waves. It will be interesting to see how much actual news is discussed versus campaign hyperbole.

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