Stevie Wonder, Diane Keaton On Horse Race Coverage

Posted January 31, 2008 | 09:48 PM (EST)

Read More: Barack Obama, Barack Obama Debate, CNN Debate, CNN La Times Debate, Democratic Debate, Diane Keaton, Diane Keaton Political Views, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Debate, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Wonder Political Views, Stevie Wonder Politics, Breaking Off The Bus News

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This video is published on Why Tuesday? as well as OffTheBus.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA -- Greetings from the CNN/Los Angeles Times/Politico Democratic debate here. I just spoke to Stevie Wonder, Diane Keaton and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa about the role the media plays in increasing or decreasing voter participation. This is a subject which nonpartisan research groups throughout the country have focused long and hard on.

A recent Pew Center on the States study noted that "about eight-in-ten Americans say they want more coverage of the candidates' stances on issues, and majorities want more on the record and personal background, and backing of the candidates, more about lesser-known candidates and more about debates."

Watch the video to see what Hollywood has to say about the horse race.

Why Tuesday? is an effort to make America's democracy stronger through increased voter participation; we work to make election reform an issue that our politicians cannot afford to avoid. Read more campaign coverage from OffTheBus by clicking here.

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- eshalom See Profile I'm a Fan of eshalom

Since the Democratic debate in Philadelphia last October the media has run in a pack, savaging Hillary Clinton at every opportunity and happily joining the emotional upsurge of Obama's followers, fueled by the soaring rhetoric composed by Obama's speechwriters and read from a teleprompter in cadences mimicking those of MLK, Jr. and evangelical preachers in general. And speaking of blogs,the Huffington Post has been the leader of the pack in this endeavor.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:11 PM on 02/02/2008
- serena1313 See Profile I'm a Fan of serena1313

I have no problem with artists speaking their minds. After all they are role models. Stevie Wonder simply said that the press' obligation is to inform the citizens -- rather than make it about race, colour and/or whatever else. He is right.

Unfortunately the news is owned by 6 mega-corporations. They control (manipulate) the flow of information. They own all venues of information: literature, movies, magazines, newspapers, radio stations, television, music, et al...

Since the corporate-owned news is profit-driven info-tainment is the name of the game. And because the media is beholding to government, it has simply become an extension of government. Reporters are stenographers selling mostly propaganda. They decide what we can or cannot know.

If you are interested in reading journalist's personal story about censorship after 911 see here: It is well worth the read.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/31/6762/

The powers-that-be want worker-bees, too busy to notice what is going on. As long as the people keep buying goods and borrowing money all is fine with the world. Dumbing-down the public with mindless noise lulls the people into an almost catatonic state of mind.

Profit-driven news sources adjudicated their responsibility to the public. Investigative reporters are an endangered breed today. Cut-backs and downsizing for higher returns stifle our democracy and freedom.

Reporting a horse-race is more exciting and sexier than educating the people about current events or where the presidential candidates stand on the issues.

Absent information people cannot make educated decisions. Apparently that seems to be the purpose.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:59 AM on 02/02/2008
- Sundialsvc4 See Profile I'm a Fan of Sundialsvc4

These celebrities might be right -- hell, they ARE right -- but that's really not the point.

All of the candidates are going to spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars on their hope of getting elected ... and the lion's share of all that money is going to go to ...

... the media.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:54 PM on 02/01/2008
- Ginzaman See Profile I'm a Fan of Ginzaman

First of all, again this wasn't a "debate." It was a carefully programmed Time-Warner "event". Everything carefully worked out with various shots of stars streategically placed just like any awards show. No questions actually pushed the candidates to justify their positions. Anything like that is "dissent" and not tolerated.

People and Time magazine (which are also owned by Time Warner) will now be publishing "in-depth" stories on Hillary, Obama, which celebs were best dressed, and more. Nobody will ask anything about Iraq, universal health care. Or why Kucinich was crushed by the MSM. And any celebs who did dare to publically dissent would naturally be censored becuase Time Warner management won't tolerate that crap.

So what the hell was the point of all this?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:42 PM on 02/01/2008
- MyThought See Profile I'm a Fan of MyThought

Interesting that Obama said Hillary politicized the driver license issue for illegals - huh? I think it's Obama that's politicing the issue - he's trying to make them happy about getting licenses.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:21 PM on 02/01/2008
- PerryWhite See Profile I'm a Fan of PerryWhite

The video contained no questions about "horse race coverage" as the headline indicates.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:10 PM on 02/01/2008
- elkabong See Profile I'm a Fan of elkabong

Kudos to both Hillary and Barack for giving us an unusually substantive debate despite our corporate media's obsession with horse-race and ratings over their duty to foster a well informed electorate.

I think all those who use their celebrity for the causes they believe in are to be commended, not just Reagan, Schwarzenegger, Norris, Thompson and Stallone.

I'd rather have their "hollywood values" than all the love of the fetus and hatred of gays pronounced by hypocrites from a bathroom stall.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:26 PM on 02/01/2008
- Kally See Profile I'm a Fan of Kally

I really think if Obama had not started trying to play the card, he wouldn't have started all the race baiting. Instead of helping him, it is turning people against him.....just watch and see. Even if by a miracle he got the nomination he won't win one southern state. There are more registered republicans in the south than Democrats. They all moved over from Democrats to DixieCrats and then to republican.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:21 PM on 02/01/2008
- djny10003 See Profile I'm a Fan of djny10003

I love Stevie, but I disagree on what the media should do. They should the report the facts as they are known, pure and simple.
What Stevie says sounds like he thinks they should only broadcast good news.
The real problem is all these early primaries. JFK didn't announce until Jan 1960, and was elected that November. It should be like that.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:48 PM on 02/01/2008
- VSamuels See Profile I'm a Fan of VSamuels

For some, Wonder is more than a celebrity as he became a social activist and a major force behind the movement which eventually lead to MLK receiving a national holiday. Wonder will certainly be remembered as a song writer and singer, but his herculean effort to make what MLK represented a holiday will probably be his crowning achievement.

Wonder's influence is wide and will make a difference, especially when he chooses to unite those same forces he mobilized to press for a King holiday. There are celebrities, and then there are those who really make a real difference that goes beyond their artistic talents to transform the landscape, Wonder is one of those folks.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:06 PM on 02/01/2008
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