Reply #11: a different take

[ant]

While I certainly believe the media has given Bush a pass for some of the reasons already mentioned, I also think they just want to keep a story alive so they have something to report. In other words, if they declared either candidate the obvious winner, how would they draw in viewers for the next month?

I read something yesterday, I think, about how before the debate many of the pundits were all like THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DEBATE EVER and then after W got his ass kicked they were more subdued. Think about it, though, would you really expect any news channel to have a day of talking heads for Just A Meaningless Formality? You think Wolf would sit for an hour of pre-debate crap where he doesn't try to play up what's about to happen to keep viewers glued?

They have to build up suspense, they have to keep it a tight race...otherwise it's boring and they've got nothing to talk about.

(Except for pesky issues, of course. BORING!)