Have you noticed ALL the Republican Debates? Have you noticed ALL the Republican wannabe Presidential candidates look tired? Have you noticed the media honing in on the Reality television aspect instead of WHAT the candidates are actually saying?
For example, when a Real Housewife of whatever city turns over a table, or husband commits suicide, or breaks down on national television, it gets on the news. Well, this time it’s not the housewife who is being scrutinized, it’s the Republican party candidates who are being manipulated by the media.
The debates are like watching episodes of a good reality television show. I sit down to watch what seems like every other day to see which candidate will explode, will forget, will demean women, and will act like a presidential candidate. So far, the Republican debates are actually BETTER than any celebrity reality show.
The Republican party should not be holding so many debates. It is making the process look comical and making the Republican party look bad. When I pick a president, image is everything.
Right now the only one who is acting and looking presidential is Newt Gingrich.
1. Romney is too aggressive. If Bravo’s Andy interviewed him he may be the Housewife who would yell and blame others for his demise.
2. Herman Cain is too sleazy and keeps using derogatory language to describe high powered women politicians. Cain would be the Housewife that would blame a fellow Housewife for spreading his business around town.
3. Rick Perry is the loose cannon who says the most comical things and sometimes hits the mark. He would be considered the ditzy Housewife.
4. Michele Bachmann–well, she’s a REAL housewife who is getting zero respect from moderators and colleagues, and could actually follow in Palin’s reality show footsteps.
5. Rick Santorum–he’s actually grown to become a better debater and is a good secondary cast member.
6. Jon Huntsman is too liberal for the group and is discounted often. Huntsman would probably never make it to a second season of a reality show.
7. Ron Paul is the crazy uncle that visits once in awhile to provide laughs.
8. Newt Gingrich-well, he’s the one who acts like these are presidential debates and takes them seriously. He shares the reality that it’s going to be HARD to get back on track, and discusses his plan. My aunt told me the other day she doesn’t understand him. That’s because he is explaining how government works because he has the facts and the figures and the knowledge that goes with holding office. His reality is that the media is manipulating the process and has called the media out on it. I really hope Newt can rise above these mediocre players. I hope Newt can be seen as a viable candidate by the American public despite his lack of pizazz that Romney, Cain and Perry hold. Gingrich has substance and his rhetoric is spot on.
Substance over Pizazz
Sometimes substance does win. Herbert Hoover in 1928 ran against the dynamic speaker Al Smith. Al Smith was known for his engaging speaker style. BUT, Smith did not use radio correctly. He would not speak into the microphone whereas Herbert Hoover who was not known for his speaking skills spoke directly into the radio mic. The radio was new media at the time and people could now HEAR the voices of the candidates in their own homes. Herbert Hoover understood the power radio could have and delivered his message loud and clear. Al Smith discounted the radio’s microphones and would turn his head away from the microphones where people at home could not hear. Smith’s message was lost. Newt Gingrich is like Hoover. He keeps on point whereas the other candidates become SNL skits and media folly. Newt Gingrich is speaking into the microphone and also using Twitter well.
The media is manipulating what we care about. For a week I saw Rick Perry goof by forgetting a third agency he wanted to get rid of more times than I could count. Last night he made fun of himself for it. I commend him for doing so. Romney has calmed his aggressive behavior and Herman Cain just makes me cringe when I see him or hear him speak. Cain reminds me of another man in power who thinks he’s ABOVE it all.
Again, Newt Gingrich is taking advantage of the rhetorical situation. Cain is not. Cain reminds me of former Rep. Weiner who denied he tweeted the obscene photo of himself. If the allegations are true, especially after FOUR women who are blonde have the same exact story,Cain needs to admit to the allegations. In fact, his BEST timing would have been to address the issue before it BECAME an issue. Again, Cain did NOT take advantage of the rhetorical situation and allowed the media to control the story.
How can Cain be mad at the media? The media are taking advantage of the rhetorical situation and is pressing Cain to address the sexual harassment allegations. Cain is also calling a woman politician “Princess” and joking if Anita Hill, who claimed Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her, would endorse him. Mr. Cain, sexual harassment is nothing to joke about. It’s men like you who make it hard for women to come forward and speak out about this problem. Again, Cain needs to learn the rhetorical situation as explained by Lloyd Bitzer: exigency, constraints and audience. These three ideals will help Cain and all presidential candidates respond with fitting responses. Cain, in my opinion, has lost the woman’s vote just by his inappropriate responses about other women.
I hope that the Republican Party can survive these debates. The media are creating entertainment out of the issues. The media is misinforming the public through creating jokes and making the Republican Party lose credibility. Of course it is fun to make fun of snafus, but who is making jokes about all of Obama’s mistakes as leader of our country? Shouldn’t it be two-sided? THAT would be good entertainment journalism. BUT, the media likes to show us what they want us to be aware of and that is overexposing the Republican party to manipulate the rhetorical situation.
