I realized I have been focusing on Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann. They seem to be the ones that alternate off and on with either the frontrunner status or the most publicity. Although some now, more than others; Michele Bachmann’s popularity has been plummeting for a while.
There is another nominee that not only I seem to have been ignoring in my posts but the media has been ignoring as well. Ron Paul has been steadily near the top of the polls and seemingly popular with voters but not so much with the media. Why is this? Maybe because of his age, or maybe he is just not as interesting as the other nominees.
Let’s face it, everyone wants some type of controversy or interesting story when they turn on the news at night. Who, other than the politicians, wants to sit and watch a two hour debate by 8 or 9 republicans on views you may not agree with, wearing suits of all similar colors and no changing facial movements? No one.
Now, watching the debates and the banter back and forth from Rick Perry and Mitt Romney actually adds a bit of interest to the presidential debates. This puts the focus on Perry and Romney, also giving them more media attention.
Herman Cain, has his 9 9 9 plan which enacts a lot of controversy and interest from voters, making him an interesting target for the media to cover as well. His not so understandable explanations for why his 9 9 9 plan is so great and not to mention his lack of proper grammar makes him an interesting candidate to watch in interviews and debates, if not for anything more than to hear a couple of his not so clever jokes. Cain seems to be the funny man in this election, making inappropriate jokes about electric fences and claiming blacks are brainwashed. Herman Cain is a journalist’s dream come true. He puts himself in situations that warrant media attention. Somehow, Cain also managed to be front runner and high in the polls for over a month gaining major publicity.
Michele Bachmann gets media attention due to her lack of common sense and her racist bigotry. Is that good publicity? In the presidential election it hasn’t seemed to make her anymore liked. If anything, it has sent her down in the polls. Now, who says no publicity is bad publicity?
This weekend however, Ron Paul gained 52% of the popular vote in Illinois. None of the front runners have managed to gain this high of a popular vote yet in any other straw poll. My question is, why do I barely every hear about him. I know of him, and I watch him in the debates, but the debates usually seemed to focus on Romney, Perry and recently Herman Cain with a comment from Bachmann every once and a while. Although Ron Paul talked for about the same amount of time as Perry and Romney minus a few minutes it seemed like most of the debates have a focus on them. Whether that is just the way it is taped I don't know. But it is not a mistake, nothing in media is.
Why are Ron Paul’s voting rates so much higher than the other candidates; who knows? Maybe it is because Herman Cain is in the middle of a sexual harassment dispute, Rick Perry acted drunk during his 30 minute speech, Michele Bachmann doesn’t know what she is talking about, Mitt Romney flip flops his stance on topics and the other candidates don't really make a dent at all. Now, who wants to vote for people like that?
With Ron Paul gaining 52% popular vote you would think he would get much more media attention. Sadly, the fact is he is just not as interesting, meaning media worthy, than the other candidates. Although it is wrong and should not be the case, that’s the way, it is.
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