Winning Elections by Not Making News

Let's get the real issue into the news!

Today's CNN web page (Sept. 1) runs a startling news story about how Senator Barack Obama received no bump out of the hugely successful Democratic National Convention in Denver CO. This astounding fact was backed up by a CNN poll of about 897 people with a margin of error or about 3 percent.

Obviously, I was flabbergasted by this fact, as I hope everyone who kindly reads this blog is, as well.

What could cause such a phenomenon? By most all accounts, Senator Obama's acceptance speech in Denver's Invesco Mile High Field received high marks. Likewise, his choice of Senator Joe Biden to be his competent and experienced Vice-Presidential running mate is getting equally high marks. All good news, but apparently not good enough.

Political differences notwithstanding, I submit the way to win this year's Presidential election is to make no news at all.

If the 897 people in the CNN poll are right, the race for the White House is again "neck and neck", despite Senator Barack Obama doing everything right.

Is it possible many of those in the massive television audience who watched the Senator's acceptance speech were really tuned in to watch him fail?

Is it possible it was not the historic moment, rallied by Senator Obama, who spoke about patriotism, using the word "America" compulsively counted XXX number of times?

Rather, this lack of "bounce" suggests, to me, many viewers were led to watch because they were driven by bigotry, looking for a mistake, something to hang their opposition hats on, other than their own racism.

Let's stop this conversation for the sake of not making news. If Senator John McCains' 72 year age is not an issue because it's simply "old" news; if Senator John McCain's history of repeat episodes of melanoma are no longer issues because, apparently, some think he will escape the fatal statistics associated with this cancer; if the choice of Governor Palin who leads a state with a population of less than 700,000 people and cuts taxes because, in oil rich Alaska, she can; and if succession to the role of Commander-in-Chief is not a newsworthy issue - therefore, and therein - I respectfully submit - to win an election in 2008 the candidate must make no news at all. Because, news presents facts which clearly threaten people who cannot make informed decisions outside of ideology.

If Senator Barack Obama must be perfect to maintain a voter lead while Senator John McCain maintains his base by making mistakes, then we should just get the news stories out of the way of ideology. Let's save every body's time and oodles of money by simply marking off the calender until November 4th.

On the other hand, thoughtful people, like you reading this blog, obviously believe in debating unfiltered information and the evaluation of a candidate based upon performance.

Let's ask our colleagues who don't share our views to explain their reticence about Senator Obama's candidacy, based upon facts? They can't.

I'll bet the reason is bigotry. It's a brutal conclusion.

Therefore, I suggest Senator Obama should simply stop making news. It's a safer road less traveled, but one seemingly at work for John McCain who languishes in the bushes, while Senator Obama rides heroically into the sunset, praised but saddled with the weight of bigotry.

If we are to look back on the 2008 presidential election, without a Supreme Court intervention (please God!), and say - "Senator Obama did everything right", but still came up short -then I say, it will be a victory for bigotry.

This sad news simply can't prevail.

G. K. Chesterton said "It's not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong".

Let's get the bigotry concept into the news; and standby to see who can accept Chesterton's challenge.