Trivial Pursuit

 

         While working in the radio newsroom the other day, the CNN all news channel was blaring away as the vigilant news hounds were hammering out another hard hitting story on the race for president.

         Some clown with a microphone in one hand and a picture of Hillary Clinton in the other was showing it to folks on the streets of New York and asking for their opinion.  Clinton was shown holding a class of booze and the clown/reporter wanted to know if that would affect this person's vote?

         This is not made up.  Honest.

         O.K. everyone who is deciding the race for president based on a glass of whisky, raise your hands?

         And if your hand is up, get a life.

         CNN was doing what all responsible media outlets do from time to time, we pursue the trivial.  Such tomfoolery does not destroy the democracy, but it does give you pause.  With so many substantive issues out there to explore with these candidates, should we waste three minutes on this crap-ola?

         This is not an isolated incident.  A check the other day on NEXIS, where we go to check on stories being covered, revealed there were an astounding 1,043 hits showing Barack Obama bowling; more than 3,000 hits with Obama and his pastor, and 1,079 hits on Hillary Clinton and a Monica Lewinsky story.

         Contrast that with the meager 16 hits on the story concerning the president suspending the Fourth Amendment to the Bill of Rights for "domestic military operations" in this country.

         Now you know why the media panders with the mundane.  Somebody out there is reading and watching it.

         So if it's a choice between a whiskey story or the Bill Rights, apparently in some newsrooms, it's not a close call…or the right call.

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