The Democratic Party parties in Iowa

Last night the Democrats candidates for president attended the annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa. It was everything that you might expect if you've been following the election narrative that has dominated articles in past weeks. There are three front-runners: Clinton, Obama and Edwards. O and E are finally criticizing C, who is in the lead. She is increasingly vulnerable and the latest polls show her lead slipping, however, O and E are "dueling" to be the C alternative and any opposition to her is divided amongst the other lower-tier candidates. The New York Times released an article covering almost exactly these points. However, and I'm as surprised at this as anyone, MTV bucks the trend and instead releases an article that bucks this narrative and focuses on the Democrat's opposition to Bush. Whether this is a blog or just an informal news article though, I can't tell. Only the last lfew paragraphs gives it away as a blog, otherwise it seems to me to be a news article, it even has a dateline. This blurring of news and blogs on media sties isn't new, it should probably be addressed more clearly though.

I'm relieved that MTV did something different, and actually points out something that would be difficult for the NY Times to ever say, that politics isn't about pageantry but about issues.
"Of course, it's easy to think that none of this, really, has anything to do with leading the free world. That chants and signs and buttons are good for the homecoming game, but they aren't going to stabilize Iraq or up your take-home pay. But if you can inspire someone to make a giant star-spangled top hat out of poster-board or to spell out your name in eight-foot tall letters festooned with Christmas lights, then maybe, just maybe, you can inspire a nation as well."

What an interesting statement to make during such a media-hyped event. Especially after that Pew Center poll of a couple weeks back that said the media hasn't been fulfilling the publics desire for real issues during election coverage.

I've stayed pretty close to the coverage of the Democrat primary, it seems like I've seen so many articles like NY TImes what, instead of showing differences, focus on the insults and slights of the candidates. Not to say the MTV article provides too much insight, but at least it's a different perspective, and, as someone who reads way too many news articles every day, I appreciate that.