The mainstream media is an essential component of the democratic process in America in that people's perceptions of events, candidtaes and issues is largely shaped by their coverage.  Over the years, media coverage of elections has devolved into a mixture of discussions of images, superficial probing of issues, or calling a horse race.

Since the Kennedy-Nixon debates, candidates have become increasingly aware of the impact of television coverage.  Nixon hired Madison avenue types to run his campaign which was transformed into one long commericial selling of a product.  For example the ads questioning John Kerry's medals received during the Vietnam war must have been written in the sewer.  Protraying Dukakis as a liberal and soft on crime was a egregious distortion of the truth. Issues almost seem to be incidental when unfortunate pronouncements of candidates are elevated to the level of critical issues.  Every candidate will make the occasional slip but to treat it as a major story is appealing to the lowest common denominator. Anchors and commentators love to analyze polls to death treating the election as a horse race.  Either the latest polls or how each candidate is faring in different States is a mugs game.  Instead of tryng to second-guess the voters, the media should be focusing on issues.  Ominously, discussing polls might even affect how voters will vote.

As long as the media is appealing to the baser instincts of their audience and insulting their intelligence, they should be offering an in-depth analysis of issues so that the voters have a choice.

http://www.stateofdarkness

Candidate filing is now almost complete and whilst we won't do as well as 2006 we still have candidates in at least 420 districts.

Below the fold for details and once again go and take a look at the 2008 Race Tracker Wiki.  
**I have included Cook PVI numbers where possible after blogger requests to do so!**

American political anylists and commentators love the horse race aspect of elections, after all what's more exciting than watching a race that could have an important impact on your life.  Obviously, a horse race needs at least two horses to be interesting and it could be argued that all the pundits are really analyzing a one horse race.

The Democrats are finally going after McCain's jugular.  That is, his economic policies.  Oh sure, we all know he's Mister War, and that is one of his weak links too.  But the economy, in particular the jobs situation, that will help propel Barack Obama into the White House.

Barack Obama's recent decisions to chuck public campaign financing and support the FISA capitulation bill angered many. And, his missteps highlight a core problem of why government works - or more correctly - doesn't work.

http://omnipotentpoobah.com/2008/06/25/t hrowing-the-candidate-out-with-the-bath- water/

People used to wonder where the tipping point was for gasoline. Four bucks is the point at which people stop driving, airlines start charging extra to lose your luggage, and Hummers lumber uneconomically into that long oil-soaked night.

http://omnipotentpoobah.com/2008/06/19/e nergy-policy-its-the-trust-stupid/

This is a call to action. Every election needs trained election officials to be non-partisan for a day and help the polling places run smoothly. These officials are mostly volunteers (yes they get paid, but often the pay is nominal and trivial), they have only a little training from their county board of elections. Mostly they are severely understaffed during Presidential elections.
Yes, during a low-turnout primary they are bored; and should bring reading material or knitting... but during a high-turnout presidential election every precinct needs far more people than they already have.

Please get in touch with your county board of elections now and get the few hours of training needed by the county. The November, 2008 elections looks like it will be one of the busiest in decades.

This is partially an excerpt from a Anna Lord SquareState diary with an added "bonus" story. Crossposted at DKos

The Anna Lord for House District 21 campaign began our 2008 walking campaign this weekend.

In 2006 Anna's walk plan was to knock on the doors of Dems, unaffiliated voters and  households with a Republican woman under 50.  She wore a pedometer when she walked in 2006 and logged 115 miles before she lost it in October.

The great thing about walking is the characters you meet. Here are two of the stories below the fold: