This Election is Not a Soap Opera or a Football Game: It is About the Future of Our Country

The corporate media would have us believe, based on their coverage, that the most important issues in this presidential campaign are political tactics and the "character" of the four candidates. But what is at stake right now is not primarily the life stories of Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden or Sarah Palin. An election is not a soap opera which deals with the trials and tribulations of the candidates and their family members. Election coverage must not descend into becoming a pre-game football show, one which deals only with "who's going to win" polling data and never-ending tactical discussions of "what the candidate must do" to win this or that state.

In a democracy, elections are not beauty pageants or reality shows, or soap operas for political junkies. Elections are the real business of democracy, and they should be about real things.

Without sounding too corny, what this election is about is the well-being of hundreds of millions of Americans and about what kind of country we will be leaving to our kids and grandchildren. And, at a time of global warming and severe environmental problems, this campaign is also about whether our planet survives in a condition that can sustain human life in the decades and centuries to come.

Given all that is at stake, as American citizens we must demand that the media not continue to trivialize our democratic process, dumb down coverage and, in the process, deflect attention away from the most important issues impacting our lives. This election must, first and foremost, be about the needs of the American people. As Vermont's senator and the longest-serving Independent in American congressional history, let me lay out what I believe some of those issues are:

In the United States today, the middle-class is shrinking, poverty is increasing and the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider. There are many economists who believe that, if we do not reverse course, for the first time in modern history our children will have a lower standard of living than their parents. Our country also has the dubious distinctions of having both the highest rate of childhood poverty in the industrialized world and more people in jail than any other country. Question: What specific ideas do the candidates have as to how we can grow the middle class and create good paying jobs, while protecting our children and the most vulnerable members of our society?

In the United States today, 46 million Americans have no health insurance, even more are underinsured, and we are the only major country on earth without universal coverage. Health care costs are soaring despite the fact that we already spend twice as much per person as any other country. Many employers, large and small, are now cutting back on the coverage they provide their employees making a tough economy even tougher for millions of workers. Question: Do the candidates believe that all Americans are entitled to health care as a right of citizenship? What are their plans for assuring that quality health care is delivered in a cost-effective manner?

Most of the leading scientists in the world believe that global warming, if not reversed, will lead to severe weather disturbances, flooding, drought, hunger, and mass human migration. These scientists also believe that global warming is a more threatening problem than previously perceived, and that bold action is needed to reverse greenhouse gas emissions. Question: Do the candidates believe that global warming is real and a man-made phenomenon? If so, what specific actions are they proposing to reverse global warming? On a related energy issue, what ideas do they have to make our country energy independent?

The United States is now in the sixth year of the war in Iraq, the Taliban is gaining military strength in Afghanistan, the political situation in Pakistan is becoming more unstable, Russia and Georgia have just completed a bloody war, and little progress has been made in easing tensions between Israel and her neighbors. Question: What are the principles that will guide the candidates' foreign policy? What specific steps will they take to combat international terrorism? How will they restore America's position in the international community and help create a more peaceful world?

These are just a few of the major issues facing our nation. I realize there are many more. It seems to me that no matter what our political views are, or what we may consider the most important issues to be, as a democratic society we must demand of the media and the candidates that this campaign focus on the great challenges facing our country and the world. Gossip, melodrama and political tactics just won't do.

Comments

[TonyOnly]

I agree with everything you said, Sen.Sanders. But unfortunately in North America, too many people have had it too good for too long. They've become complacent. They take democracy for granted. If it's not a glitzy American Idol style production, nobody but the old folks'll be payin' attention. In order for democracy to work properly, people have to be willing to do their homework and they're not. Too many North Americans just don't bother. That's why republican special interests have been able to hijack the process and nobody's gonna care until "...for the first time in modern history our children will have a lower standard of living than their parents."

[ekena9]

Thanks for speaking out in favor of transparency and honesty in running a campaign. I've never seen an election where the media has built such a frenzy around the polling. This is NOT a sport--the stakes are so much higher in this election. Deep down, I think that most Americans know this. Hard times have the effect of jolting us back to reality: that this election puts EVERYTHING on the line in America. We must insist on clear, honest and non-biased media coverage.

[Lemeritus]

I suggest everyone send a note to Charlie Gibson at:

http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=World%20News%20with%20Charles%20Gibson

There's a 500 character limit, so pick a topic or try to edit Senator Sander's list down as I did below. It's time to demand our news people do their job!

"Palin interview...

"Health: Are Americans entitled to health care? Your plan for assuring quality care delivered in a cost-effective manner?

"Global Warming: Is global warming real and a man-made phenomenon? If so, what specific actions would you propose to reverse global warming?

"Foreign policy: What informs your foreign policy? Ideas to combat international terrorism? Restore America's standing?

"Economy: How we can grow the middle class and protect the most vulnerable?"

[ElectronoftheOne]

I think you've just given the governess her homework assignment.

[newworld1]

Obama is losing in the polls because of his O'Reilly interview. Not only did O'Reilly speak to him in disrespectful way, but Obama seem afraid,apologetic, and unsure of himself. George Bush may or may not be dumb, but always seems sure of himself. No, I not for Bush.

[Soothsayer08]

As a black Obama supporter, I think Barack can sense when someone is openly racist. He seems to get bad vibes and gets flustered. As a biracial child growing up with white grandparents and a white mother, he did not' encounter racism very much and he seems to be unsettled when he encounters it. Blacks that have dealt with this repeatedly in their lifetime, are pretty much desensitized and it does not affect them as strongly. Bush as a white man doesn't have that problem.

[ErnestineBass]

Thank you, Senator Sanders!

American voters, whipped into paroxysms of sports fever by an agenda-driven corporate media, seem to forget that the President, VP, members of Congress, SCOTUS, et al, are OUR EMPLOYEES and they're being HIRED by US to perform a specific task.

Allowing the media to frame both the issues and the candidates for us, the American electorate invariably end up spending an afternoon at the racetrack when it should have been attending a mule auction.

[newworld1]

Jeb Bush vs Hillary Clinton. Jeb Bush is the only candidate that can win with the male vote only. This is what Hillary is counting on with the female vote. But Jeb Bush with Condoleezza Rice or a Cuban woman would win in a landslide. The Issue in the election: immigration!!!!!!!

[UltraClassic]

Senator, these are the same old talking points of the left. Leftists gave us Obama when we could have had a much more qualified candidate in Hillary Clinton.

So now, we are where we are, kind of like Iraq. The GOP once again looks like they could beat us at our own game and I for one am not happy about it.

What are the democrat leaders going to do? And please, if I hear "big" oil and "big" insurance and "big" drug companies and "big" banks and "big" tobacco, any thing with "big," I am going to loose it!

[Clavis]

Yes, I can't imagine what the Republicans would be running on if we'd nominated Hillary. It's not like they have 30 years of opposition research ready to go. Heck, McCain would've dropped out by now, and we could just put Hillary into office early!

Please stop with this "leftists" nonsense. There are no bandana-wearing anarchists in a basement making pipe bombs and printing literature on an old mimeograph machine. The party chose Obama. Now either work to put Obama into the Oval Office, the way Hillary asked you to, or go away and stop this nonsense!

[ElectronoftheOne]

What are democrat leaders going to do? Go to BarackObama.com and read the issues.

[nellie]

Dear Senator Sanders:

Can we ask you to find a way to pass media reform? Personally, all I want is some regulation pertaining to television news programs. I would like to remove the requirement that they turn a profit. I would also like to see some standards of reporting applied to any program that claims to be "news." I don't know what these standards should be, but right now the high-quality programming of C-SPAN and PBS are absolutely drowned out by the bias, sensationalism, and irrelevancy on the networks and cable channels.

Media reform would go a long way toward solving one of our nation's most pressing problems—the uninformed voter.

[Yermammy]

Yes. The media has to be cleaned up. No more planted evidence or unknown sources on things critical to national security (like the anthrax debacle, which ABC's Brian Ross reported was supposed to have "earmarks" of Iraqi production (it wasn't)). I think reporters that willingly report irresponsibly should be prosecuted, just like anybody else (for lying to the public).

[Rudderman]

I agree Senator, with all your points, except...this is a soap opera and soaps sell. The Right's target audience by and large isn't interested in facts and issues (or McCain lately). They want to watch All Her Children and..As The Tundra Turns. The Left meanwhile prays for some real Northern Exposer. Further, as all the male "excitment" over Sarah baby demonstrates, this is indeed a beauty pagent. Never mind her terrifying views on personal freedom, evolution, the planet, war, etc..."she's hot".
I hear of people pledging their votes to Palin/McCain (whoops, McCain/Palin) because the woman hunts and can field-dress a moose. Terrific, if you're running against Davy Crocket. Meantime, all I see is a dinosaur in a dress.

[feelmypulse]

...or Vlad Putin? Just saying...if she can field dress a moose why fear a former KGB dude? Damn, I made myself laugh. Quit the Palin habit. Talk about the issues. Whoo-hah!

[pvernier]

Well Said!

Dinosaur in a Dress. Good one.

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

Thank you for your article. It is, of course, completely true.

[4real]

The MSM is lazy. The don't like to do the work of uncovering stories and fact-checking unless it is somehow a scandal.

[TheAlchemist]

Democracy requires participation. Get out and vote. On the Issues.

[intelliwoman]

I agree.

Unfortunately that is not what the majority of people do. Obama got the nomination because people were mesmerized by him by his rehetoric, by his stance on "change." No one could ever get him to clarify what change was in a concrete, this is what we'll do and this is how we'll pay for it way, but he got nominated anyway.

Sarah Palin has energized the evangelical right because she's a "babe", because "she thinks like we do," etc. No one seems to care about her voting record, or legislation she's pushed, or who she really is.

So folks, its all about cosmetics and not much about issues. Who has better spin doctors and stylists?

[TheAlchemist]

Keep up the good work.

I'd love to see more balanced independent commentaries like this one.

[3fingerbrown]

Senator: I said much the same thing yesterday, less expansively and not nearly as eloquently, in a comment to a pure-fluff story on this site about a fashion photo shoot Mrs. Obama did for a magazine. The very next comment after mine was: "I like her hair." The Charlie Brown thought balloon containing the word "sigh" is still hanging over my head.

[FW]

Joe Biden needs to step aside and let Hillary take his place.
Suprise,suprise,suprise!

[TheAlchemist]

If you can't have O&C, you'd rather vote M&P than O&B, would you?

Let's work with the choices we Have, OK?

[kdublya]

I appreciate your pessimism.

But you have to wait for an "I told you so" moment.
That's the deal, sparky.

[nellie]

Nonsense.

Nonsense we keep hearing over and over. It doesn't improve with age.

[ErnestineBass]

Whine gone bad is called vinegar. heh heh