Every four years there is the return of many familiar things: Leap Year, the Olympics, and the circus that American Presidential politics have become. We get the candidates in many roles: as the ringleaders, speaking loudly and often; as contortionists, dodging around attempts to nail down their stances on the issues; as magicians presenting various theories of "voodoo economics" to wow the electorate. And, of course, no circus is complete without the clowns.
The antics of these clowns, fringe candidates in both parties without a GESO's chance to win the nomination, serve to distract the voters from the more mundane consideration of say, balanced budget legislation. Additionally, they provide ample fodder for the national media covering the political scene. With a media that increasingly runs on soundbites and polls, colorful novice political candidates can claim more of the national spotlight.
The trend began with the success of the original sideshow, actor-turned-President Ronald Reagan in 1980. It spread to the Democratic Party in the primaries of '84 and '88 with the Rev. Jesse Jackson stealing the thunder of Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis, who were both capable but colorless public servants.
This year, the Republican primaries includes multi-millionaire Malcolm S. "Steve" Forbes, Jr., as well as Patrick Buchanan, as serious not-so-serious contenders for the nomination. Buchanan has been denounced by virtually every official of his party. McLaughlin Group member and political analyst Jack Germond said of Buchanan, "He's a certifiable nut. I can say that because I've said it to his face."
Virtually all of Forbes' campaign has been conducted on the basis of an infeasible gimmick: the flat tax. Minor candidate Morry Taylor exposed the plan's hopeless flaws in one sentence: "I could make $17 million off a stock option transfer and pay no taxes while my employees all have to pay 17 percent of their salaries."
Yet the media has played up the success of both men and has highlighted the failings of the campaign of the man who will almost certainly be the eventual nominee, Senator Bob Dole. This publicity has included questionable and even faulty handling of election coverage itself. This year, use of exit poll data led CNN, NBC, and ABC to declare Buchanan the winner in New Hampshire with only a small percentage of the vote counted, despite the small margin of victory. The story after the primary was how poorly Dole performed and how well Buchanan did.
The networks are not trying to subvert the process. Rather, in the rush to find a story and to beat the competition, accuracy and objectivity are sacrificed. The press has put the spotlight squarely on the sideshow. Hopefully it will swing back to center stage before the elephants stampede.
Copyright 1996, The Yale Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
This article may be freely distributed electronically, provided it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice, but may not be reprinted without the express written permission of The Yale Herald, Inc. Write to herald@yale.edu for additional details.