Jun 6

Written by: Steve Erbach
Friday, June 06, 2008 5:17 AM

Should the presidential primary season be shortened?

(published 9-Jun-2008, Appleton Post-Crescent)

Forget it.  It's one of the only things left that states can do on their own without permission from the federal guvmint.  Besides, it's about the only time when public vivisection is considered acceptable.  It's the highest (lowest?) form of human comedy.  There is no way that TV networks would go for a shorter primary season.  They thrive on scandals.  Differently than the tabloids do, of course, though the differences are evaporating.  The tabloids get lots of mileage out of celebrity infidelities, pregnancies, ugly clothes, etc.  The networks get to indulge their video paparazzi aspirations by hounding politicians.  For that brief time politicians are as important as Brad and Angelina.  I also like the idea that familiarity breeds contempt.  The more we see of politicians in the news, the less we like them.  That's not a bad thing at all.  It could lead to a greater acceptance of term limits.

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