No Show - No Focus: That is how it should be!

by Gary Wood
©September 28, 2007

Last night there was a Republican Debate moderated by Tavis Smiley, hosted at Morgan State University, and broadcast on PBS. This was a debate speaking directly to the concerns and questions of ‘people of color’ and it was a critical opportunity for the country to unite and listen to what the candidates had to say regarding the issues discussed through direct questioning. Six Republican Presidential candidates attended. As Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) put it, “I’m here because I was invited....” You see, he and the other candidates are running for President of the United States which means they will represent all voters, all citizens, no matter and those candidates choosing to attend, debate, and share their messages should be given the focus by the media.

The focus by the press should have been on what these candidates had to say, what type of audience response there was to their comments, the mood of the audience before, during and after the debate, how well the debate was moderated, and just how well each one of the candidates in attendance performed under the direct questioning. There are countless ways this debate could have been covered in the press. So much valuable insight and information was shared entire segments of TV and radio shows could have been filled with it to help educate the voters on what the different candidates’ views are. Newspapers would have been able to fill columns of print with quality insights from the candidates.

Yet, find it anywhere in the main stream media and the focus is on those that chose to avoid the debate. Their names were repeated over and over, giving further name recognition to the no show candidates who did not share their views on the important questions asked. Quotes from the candidates that did care enough to attempt to earn our respect and votes were limited to the comments from the first question on what they thought of those that didn’t show. There was no coverage of the massive showing of support by Ron Paul grassroots volunteers outside, that was quite a display of numerical support which is not to be found anywhere in the main stream press reports. Nothing was quoted from the other important questions and the answers provided by Huckabee, Keyes, Brownback, Tancredo, Hunter, and Paul. Six important views fell silent due to the wrong focus, the focus on the four, the focus on all the ramifications and implications signaled by the Republicans against people of color.

Despite the RNC chairman, Newt Gingrich, and other Republican Party leaders either in attendance or fully supporting the forum, despite six candidates who deserve to be understood and heard, despite the critical nature of the election of 2008 our main stream media once again falls short of their duties.

It gets real simple CNN, NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, Time-Warner, and all; No Show – No Focus!

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