Do we have a media managed election process?

[billbuckhead]

Poll question: Do we have a media managed election process?

[ThomWV]

1. The answer has to be No if you consider the Internet to be media.

And I do.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. The Internet has its own group-think

It's much more fluid, but "the narratives" are still in force -- in fact, the Internet is the main place where they become "viral".

The strength of the Internet is that it is much easier to avoid the pressure to conform. So while there is a lot of conformism, it's much more voluntary. Both the good and the bad propagate much faster, which has a practical value all its own.

--p!

[JackRiddler]

11. But broadcast still rules.

Remember this motto: "It's only real if it's on TV."

[flyarm]

2. we get what we fall for ..its all marketing..and you watch..they decide..eom

[Lucinda]

3. Of course. For the mainstream population, it's definitely media driven.

[blues90]

5. I do , i think the internet only accounts for a small percentage

Of the populations news source . The TV and radio are effortless and require no participation what so ever .

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Lord that was an EASY one

sad part is most folks don't even realize it

[susankh4]

7. Not only do they pick the candidates

they also ordain the winners.

[0rganism]

8. not sure offhand, let me check with a few reliable sources...

Seriously? The postmodern media plays approximately the same role in modern American elections that the Church played in establishing 12th-century European monarchies. And the more media ownership consolidates, the more Church-like they will become. Perhaps not quite the "mandate of heaven", but mass media certainly do bequeath the mandate of our corporate masters. It's like the Reformation in reverse.

[JackRiddler]

10. Very good parallel. Thanks.

[JackRiddler]

9. I voted media, but it's what's called a spurious causation...

correlative, rather than causative.

A coalition of moneyed elites who own and control the incumbent politicians, the ideological system of think tanks and institutes, the major parties and the media corporations (along with everything else larger than mom and pop) determine years in advance which potential candidates are sufficiently chummy and safe to their interests (concentration of private wealth, maintenance of empire, globalism). These candidates will therefore get the enormous funding and favors required to contemplate a serious run at the presidency. The corporate media respond by declaring candidates in this group viable contenders and everyone else a hopeless joker or a cute little gadfly (e.g. Nader, Kucinich, Paul). After the initial filtering, many (but not all) within the coalition of moneyed elites are indifferent to which "viable" contender comes out on top. Others take it more seriously, lending the credibility of crusade to a contest in which the key questions are settled in advance. But as long as the contest has been rendered intramural, it's all good for the top half percent.

[leftofthedial]

12. to be accurate

the corporate oligarchy selects the candidates. the media just announces and enforces their decision.