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Presidential Elections 2008

US elections 2008: Assessing the media's negative impact on the campaign

The 2008 Gay Marriage, Abortion Rights, And Terror Campaign

Within the space of 24 hours, Americans have had the focus of the entire Presidential campaign cunningly shifted from right under their noses. The issues have always been consistent during most of this very long nominating process. Issues such as the economy, the war of adventure in Iraq, NAFTA, and America's foreign policies.

No longer. In one of the swiftest shifts ever seen in the mainstream media, either intentionally or unintentionally, three stories have been inserted into the political landscape that will once again consume the bulk of an entire campaign season.

Yesterday's ruling by the California Supreme Court overturning that state's ban on gay marriage was just the shot of adrenalin that the far right wing nuts have been desperately searching for to energize their base. Even though the ruling amounts to a hill of beans due to California's already very liberal laws concerning gay rights and civil unions, the right has already seized upon the opportunity handed to it, and is screaming bloody murder.

Adding fuel to the fire was the endorsement of Barak Obama by NARAL Pro-Choice America, a major national abortion rights group. The timing of the endorsement, besides giving Hillary Clinton something else to gripe about, has started a flurry of headline stories and the vowed fight from the right. Finger pointing has already begun by some right wing talking heads accusing Obama of being the pro abortion, pro gay marriage candidate, when he has consistently said no such thing.

Third but not least, is the resurrection of the dead boogeyman from the far off caves in the form of a new audio tape. 'Osama Bin Laden' or Timothy Olson as he's known to his CIA handlers, reportedly issued new threats against the West, Israel, Atlantis, alien invaders, and everyone else he could think of. Pakistan's ISI, the Israeli Mossad, several European governments, as well as the Russians have said that Bin Laden is dead, but yet, once again, just when he's needed to try to scare the American people during an election season, poof, he comes rising from the ashes.

Put all three of these issues together, along with the just announced about to start trials of some of the terrorists alleged to have taken part in the 9/11 attacks, and we have the far rights's wet dream perfect storm for an election year. It only took 6 1/2 years to get these guys to trial, just in time for a media dog and pony show during


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