Don't let media pick nominee by themselves
Originally published in the Star Tribune
Andrea Johnson: Don't let media pick nominee by themselves
Andrea Johnson
Published March 1, 2004
Dennis Kucinich has placed third in the Maine and Washington primaries, and now second in Hawaii. And this gives me hope. There are thousands who can think for themselves and refuse to allow the media to dictate who should get their vote.
If the mainstream media had their way, Kucinich would have been out of the race before it really started. Consider the now-famous interchange between Kucinich and ABC's Ted Koppel during the first debate. Koppel ballyhooed Gore's endorsement of Dean (lot of good that did Dean), and asked Kucinich when he was leaving the race. Kucinich gave a brilliant response, which included this statement:
"We start talking about endorsements, now we're talking about polls and then we're talking about money. Well, when you do that, you don't have to talk about what's important to the American people. I'm the only one on this stage that voted against the Patriot Act and the war. I'm [the only one] who's taking our health-care system to not-for-profit, single-payer, universal health care for all. I'm also the only one who has talked about getting out of NAFTA and the WTO and going back to bilateral trade conditioned on workers' rights, human rights and the environment. ... I may be inconvenient for the media. ..."
Indeed. The very next day, ABC pulled its reporter off the Kucinich campaign.
Kucinich still gets the least amount of time in debates (yet consistently the most applause). He's even ignored by the Star Tribune. On Feb. 21, Kerry's and Edwards' photos adorned the cover of the Star Tribune. No Kucinich, even though Kucinich had electrified a crowd of 2,500 at Northrop Auditorium the day before.
Even Eric Ringham, in his Feb. 24 column, "Candidate Ralph Nader, meet candidate Dennis Kucinich," admits that "it's true enough he [Kucinich] doesn't get much coverage."
So how come?
Reporter Matt Taibbi (the Nation, Oct. 6) posed this very question to reporters with the Dean campaign. Jackson Baker of the Memphis Flyer laughed, "Hell, if it came down to a battle of position papers, Dennis Kucinich might win!"
In essence, the reporters like to decide for themselves who's electable. It makes their job easier. Much more fun to report on Dean's "scream" or Kerry's wife's millions or Edwards' sex appeal than it is to report on issues. Like the war in Iraq. Do you know, for instance, that both Kerry and Edwards plan on continuing to call up more soldiers and continue the occupation indefinitely "to keep the peace"? As Kucinich said at the rally Feb. 21, we're offered a Democratic war or a Republican war. Kucinich has a plan to end the occupation.
But to have to explain that to the masses? That's, well, so inconvenient.
However, thousands of people in Washington, Maine, Hawaii, and Minnesota welcome a little inconvenience. We're turning off the TV, putting away the newspaper, and going online to read candidates' positions. On Tuesday, we'll caucus based on candidates' stance on issues, their voting records and their integrity, not media spin. I suggest you do the same. Visit www.kucinich.us, www.johnedwards2004.com and www.johnkerry.com.
Andrea Johnson, Minneapolis, is a marketing communications manager.
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