A Tale of Two Media

It's over for John McCain. Has been for a long time. McCain could not divorce himself from the Bush/Cheney immolation of the U.S.A., and the accompanying global reverberations. His campaign was one of desperation, a great thrashing about in search of something to which voters could connect. The cynicism behind his choice of Sarah Palin was transparent from the beginning and will wind up costing him dearly. Unless the extent of this country's racism has been totally disguised and will not be fully revealed until the polls close tomorrow, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois will be elected the 44th President of the United States.

Amidst all the post-election analyses, two factors demand the closest scrutiny. The role of the internet in recruiting voters, campaign volunteers and campaign financial contributions; and the role of televised debates between the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Starting with Nixon and Kennedy, a fair portion of voters favored, for various reasons, the radio broadcasts of the debates. TV was not accessible in all parts of the U.S., and there were those who preferred to concentrate on what was being said without the risk of visual distraction. The radio audience thought Nixon was the clear winner based on his knowledge and articulation. The much larger TV audience, however, greatly favored Kennedy based largely on his appearance and personal charm.

JFK's popularity ushered in the TV celebrity aspect of presidential politics. It was furthered in 1968 by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, to a lesser degree in 1980 by Ronald Reagan, and to perhaps an even greater extent by Sen. Obama this year.

As with Nixon and Kennedy, the debates between Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama offered the public a broader view than any of the formal addresses, and certainly more than any 30 second spots. This time, Obama won on both style and substance. Future candidates will certainly take note.

The knock on TV is the numbing saturation of ads, which can be limited only by available campaign funds. As popular as the idea of campaigns of six weeks' duration, in contrast to those of two years, and as appealing as making TV time available free as a public service, neither has a chance because of the First Amendment. So the question of whether future TV campaigns last as long, cost as much, and are as audience-stultifying as is currently the case, remains to be seen.

An obvious factor is the internet, and it will only grow in importance. Presently, the web is greatly responsible for Sen. Obama's success. His appeal to young people, other eligible but unmotivated voters, and campaign volunteers, is solid affirmation, if any is needed, of the reach and effectiveness of the cyberspace medium. That, and the astounding amount of funds Obama has generated off the web. In 2004, Howard Dean raised $20 million in donations using the net. In 2008, the Obama campaign projected a total of $270 million.

No other candidate in the primaries did more than scratch the surface. Obama led from start to finish. By the time Clinton and Edwards awakened to the reality of the net, it was too late by months and months. There is little evidence that any of the Republicans ever went on line.

That will change. But the celebrity TV appeal of candidates, and the personal contact afforded by the internet unquestionably make the two of them the media of future political discourse.

Rev Cox