RTE and the American not-yet-an-election

Was listening to Joe Duffy today and he had a guy on saying that RTE are over-doing it just a little on the coverage of the pre-election stuff in the US. Joe couldn't see the point the guy was making (what's new ?) and just didn't understand the problem.

Am I the only person (well plus they guy who phoned Joe) who is getting tired of the amount of coverage on the radio of the whole thing ? I know that the choice of the next US president is important, but there are a whole 8 or 10 months to go before the election. Are we going to have coverage at this rate for that long ?

And before someone chimes in and tells me that I can change channel and don't have to listen to it - I already do that. It doesn't stop me from thinking that our national broadcaster is spending a lot of money and a lot of air time on what isn't even the election contest yet in a different country.

z

I don't think that it's just RTE. It's almost permanently on Newstalk too.

I agree - way way too much of it and there's a year to go. Changing channels doesn't awalys help as you could find it on one of the UK ones as well.

I do suggest that you change your radio channel at 10 to 2 though.

On yesterday evening's news programmes, Charlie Bird, Mark Little, Brian Dobson and Robert Shortt were broadcasting from various parts of the States!

I thought that Prime Time last night had Mark Little in both Spain (gangland murders) and LA (US primaries). Was I seeing things?

No news is good news

I agree, I was watching somewhat interested until I heard that the real election is not coming up until November.

It is so overdone and like OP said, its important but do we have to see every part of every campaign.

I bet they don't do coverage of Dublin at election time with all our lovely governments faces hanging on every pillar, lampost, postbox, billboard!!!

Well, speaking as a US politics nerd, I think it's fantastic .

I'd much rather have wall-to-wall coverage of the US primaries than for instance a soccer World Cup. Guess I'm in a minority though

Sherman said:

Well, speaking as a US politics nerd, I think it's fantastic .

I'd much rather have wall-to-wall coverage of the US primaries than for instance a soccer World Cup. Guess I'm in a minority though

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I would say you are I just wanted to watch Sky news last night and there was nothing else on but this!!

Sherman said:

Well, speaking as a US politics nerd, I think it's fantastic .

I'd much rather have wall-to-wall coverage of the US primaries than for instance a soccer World Cup. Guess I'm in a minority though

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I'm with you Sherman, just wish more of the Primaries were on weekends zzzzzzzzzzz

I think the coverage has been fantastic! Can't get enough of it! Go Hilary!

There's way too much - even before the primaries began we were hearing daily reports (mostly on the radio at that stage). It is interesting and important but an election to elect the candidates for an election of a foreign country's president should not be the lead news item on our news.

I think it's really all down to the novelty factor of a woman or black man having a real chance of being elected. I doubt there would be half as much interst if it was the usual middle aged white men fest it normally is.

RTE seem to dedicate a lot more coverage to the Democratic candidates than the Republican ones with a general bias towards the Democrats.

As a public body, they should be giving unbiased balanced coverage. They forget that love bombing the Democrats and being biased against the Republicans could have implications for our countries relationship with the US government. My opinion is that we should generally try to be fair and unbiased with whoever is in power in the US rather than favouring one side.

Many people in US policital circles think that Ireland's bias towards Democrats is strange. There is a saying in the US that "Irish emigrants support the Democrats, but their children vote Republican". This has come about as, in general terms, most US voters of Irish extraction are catholic (an so anti-abortion), conservative (in outlook, not the pro-gun type) and more favourable towards less interference by government. A lot of US people think it strange that many Irish people in Ireland seem to support a Democratic party who's domestic policies generally would be disliked in Ireland.

My theory on this is that Irish people generally only consider foreign affairs issues when looking at US elections and few have any knowledge or understanding of the domestic policies of either party. And hence they were shocked when GWB won last election by a considerable margin. They forget that few voters vote solely on foreign affairs issues. I'm certain the vast majority of voters in our last election did not have a foreign affairs issue at the front of the minds when voting - domestic policies like crime, healthcare, taxes, roads etc. are what people vote on.

Here's something that seems to be circulating within US political circles.

Condelezza Rice with be the first female and first African American President, but will not be elected to that position. Here is how it will come about.

Both Clinton and Obama are regarded as very polarising candidates who will find it difficult to get neutral support outside their own parties. Whether American's like it or not, there is still a perception among a significant part of the US population that a woman or an African american cannot be elected President. Once it became clear that the Democratic candidate would be either Clinton or Obama, the Republicans stopped (or rather didnt start) the Giuliani campaign and decided that, in spite of his short comings and age, McCain would defeat either Clinton or Obama.

The plan they have is to get McCain into the White House this time around with A.N. Other as vice-President. As sitting Presidents usually have an advantage and usually get re-elected, Rice will be added to the ticket as Vice-President for McCain's second term. McCain's advantage as President will outweigh any issues among certain backward sections of the American electorate about women or African American candidates thus McCain/Rice should win. Shortly after the election, due to age/illness, McCain will "be forced to retire" thus Rice will become President without being elected. By the time the following election comes, Rice would have had c.3 years in power which will blow away all the doubts of those aforementioned backward sections of American society.

I think it's a case of RTE milking it as they sent Dobbo out there.

Heard Monica Lewinski is voting Republican...last time she voted Democrat it left a bad taste in her mouth

zag said:

Was listening to Joe Duffy today and he had a guy on saying that RTE are over-doing it just a little on the coverage of the pre-election stuff in the US.

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I find it very interesting though, mainly because of the prospect of a first female or black US president.

Mind you, I wish RTE would put the same effort into daily reporting on the crisis in the health service, the transport mess and looming recession.

Mind you, I wish RTE would put the same effort into daily reporting on the crisis in the health service, the transport mess and looming recession.

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Then you'll have people moaning about all the "doom and gloom"

I think John McCain will most likely win due to his background as a war hero (no matter how iffy that background really is). American's love their heroes.

csirl said:

Here's something that seems to be circulating within US political circles.

Condelezza Rice with be the first female and first African American President, but will not be elected to that position. Here is how it will come about.

Both Clinton and Obama are regarded as very polarising candidates who will find it difficult to get neutral support outside their own parties. Whether American's like it or not, there is still a perception among a significant part of the US population that a woman or an African american cannot be elected President. Once it became clear that the Democratic candidate would be either Clinton or Obama, the Republicans stopped (or rather didnt start) the Giuliani campaign and decided that, in spite of his short comings and age, McCain would defeat either Clinton or Obama.

The plan they have is to get McCain into the White House this time around with A.N. Other as vice-President. As sitting Presidents usually have an advantage and usually get re-elected, Rice will be added to the ticket as Vice-President for McCain's second term. McCain's advantage as President will outweigh any issues among certain backward sections of the American electorate about women or African American candidates thus McCain/Rice should win. Shortly after the election, due to age/illness, McCain will "be forced to retire" thus Rice will become President without being elected. By the time the following election comes, Rice would have had c.3 years in power which will blow away all the doubts of those aforementioned backward sections of American society.

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Yeah, and her inauguration will take place in Area 51 and JFK will be taken out of his cryogenic deep-freeze to be her VP