Election Lectures
Gee, thanks Dad. I almost forgot to vote today!
The Tribune, in its regular get out the vote column, suggests we take a friend to the polls. Hey, well and good and all that. I can't fault them for their condescending paternalism on this lofty goal.
I did laugh at one part, though. In a transparent effort to justify their endorsement of political candidates, they state: "Some cynics criticize us for 'trying to influence the election.'" Gosh, that's just not true. According to them, they just want to increase voter turnout. Sure they do.
Influence: "To produce an effect on by imperceptible or intangible means; sway" "[I]t should surprise no one that today we recommend the re-election of Mayor Randy Gray."
Nah, they're not trying to influence anyone by recommending something. I guess I'm just a "cynic."
5 comments:
That quote jumped out at me too. I think they are taking a swipe at you. Because nobody else has a right to an opinion. I wonder what they think when they read these blogs. "Good point, we should look at that angle", or "Those people are using the brains god gave them! We have to stop this"!
First of all, I am not so egocentric as to believe they would write anything as a swipe at me.
Second, though, I think you're onto something in your second post. It's all about power and control. Why else would people who make their living with the First Amendment be so quick to muzzle political speech with campaign finance 'reform?' They don't trust others with free speech. Why do you think they were so quick to turn the Leaderless into the State?
But the genii (sp?) is out of the bottle now -- blogs such as GeeGuy's are springing up all over, have several advantages over "dead-tree" media, and are free to consumers.
If traditional papers like the Tribune hope to survive beyond the next five years or so, they need to adapt.
I'm still laughing at the Trib's endorsement of Gray for mayor. Hopefully it'll get to a point where a candidate doesn't want the Trib's endorsement. A lot of good it did for Gray.
Actually, when I ran for the Legislature in '88, the Trib endorsed me and I LOST! I was hoping for a second lightning strike this time, and I got it :-)
I think the Tribune has lost a lot of credibility in the community, and the elction results reflected that.
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