omote despite the facts underlying the situation. Modern presidential campaigns are able to manipulate the media in a variety of ways. What do we remember most from the Democratic National Convention? Al Gore’s plans for the economy? His plans for education? His plans for health care? Not likely. What we remember is that slow, long, deep kiss the Vice-President planted on Tipper Gore. Why? Because that is the aspect the media focused on most. Why? Because it was sensational and creates interest, but, also, because it avoids getting into real or meaningful analysis of significant issues.
The modern media mindset views such analyses as uninteresting or over-the-heads of most audience members. Ratings, after all, are what dictate content and focus in a profit-first structure. Oprah Winfrey has recently entered the political campaign process. She has interviewed Vice-President Al Gore and Texas Governor George Bush. The interviews were promoted as real and meaningful by Oprah, who insisted she would get to the real men underneath the political hype. Instead, we got weepy remembrances, a lot of feel-good moments, and a focus that was more on revealing how syrupy and human each presidential candidate was than gaining insight on the real policies and backers each individual promotes. We can now buy books on Oprah’s web site on each candidate, complete with the interviews from each show. In other words, we are selling product here and in the push to reap profits from politics and control content, we have trivialized the electoral process and the campaign to the point where each party appears to be a mirror-image of one another, just with different economic backers. On the Republican side, we have the oil companies a
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