“One of the definitions of sanity is the ability to tell real from unreal. Soon we'll need a new definition.”
Alvin Toffler
It is almost two years until the Presidential Election and the Republicans have three candidates, Fox News, Mark Burnett and the Republican establishment.
Two of the likely Republican candidates work for Mark Burnett, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump. He is the producer of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” and “The Apprentice”. While I actually like Mark Burnett’s shows (for the most part) it is insane that reality TV is pathway to anything, especially the White House.
Fox News has Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, and Sarah Palin on staff as “News Contributors”. Of the three only one appears to take the job seriously and that’s Mike Huckabee who will have people he respects, but disagrees with, on his show and get into in-depth discussions with them. Needless to say because of that he is considered the long shot. Newt and Sarah just come on to spout ridiculous and inflammatory comments that Fox can then report on the reactions to those comments.
Finally, there is the Republican Establishment of Mitt Romney and a bunch of little known others. Romney is trying to become the first non-Protestant to win the Republican Nomination. He thinks he has a chance because the primary results of 2010 show that the GOP has become much more tolerant and not caring as much about ideological purity. In other words, not a chance in hell.
That leaves a bunch of candidates that no one has ever heard of. It was hard enough to get your name out there and show what makes you different in the past elections. Now serious GOP candidates have to battle the giant megaphones of Fox News and Mark Burnett. They are trying to counter the random shouting by holding a debate on Politico and NBC with the idea that the Fox “News Contributors” aren’t supposed to work in that capacity after they officially announce they are running for office. Of course Fox news follows its own rules about as well as they follow the FCC, and tend to look on them as vague guidelines.
If Fox wanted to pretend it is “Fair and Balanced” they would make sure none of the “News Contributors” would comment on the debate but I’m sure they will, it makes for good ratings.
Everyone knows “Reality TV” is not “Reality” not even close. So while it is fun to see cooks battle it out to become a chef at a 4 star restaurant or get a modeling contract that isn’t quite as good as the ones that girls they beat out get on their own, using the reality TV model to choose who the next leader of the free world is idiotic.
So to Mark Burnett and Fox I say, “Shut-up Stupid, go back to making entertainment shows. When you become the megaphone for the Presidential Candidates, even if it is only one party, you destroy the system.”
By Darrell B. Nelson author of Invasive Thoughts
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