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The press plays the game of Public Opinion. Like Monopoly, the winner is the one who controls everything, which means image in this case. The candidate with the best image has a better chance of winning than the candidate with the worst image. However, there is room for doubt because some candidates have images that are between these two extremes.

The press may determine a president's legacy. Reporters not only analyze what a president has done, but also what public opinion is about what he should do. A president who cares about his legacy, and many of them are egotistical enough to meet this criteria, will try to schmooze the press or do things that will look good. Think kissing babies, attending photo opportunities, hosting press conferences, and granting exclusive interviews. The president who makes the press his enemy may do whatever he wants during his term, but he may suffer in the history books because future historians will rely on the books written about him, often by members of the press. This affects presidential candidates because those who share the president's values may be painted with the same brush.

Now the press informs voters of a candidates platform, behavior patterns, and history. This gives voters a chance to learn about presidential candidates. Some are portrayed as horrible, corrupt men and others as caring, family men. Voters realize that some shows are more Republican than Democratic, or vice versa. People tend to watch the political shows/channels that agree with their values. So while a particular show may help promote a particular candidate, another show is doing the same for a different candidate. The press may help eliminate some candidates out of the running and throw some into the spotlight, but the voters have to choose which of the press-favored candidates they want to vote for.

Some voters quickly get tired of the election news. They make up their minds, and the news does not sway them, partly because they just don't watch the news. Voters like these want to make up their own minds. Some of them just find the whole election mess pointless and don't even bother voting.

There are voters who just want to vote straight ticket, selecting the candidate that represents their political party. Others dislike the incumbent president and want to vote for anyone, but the incumbent/incumbent's party. Some people select the candidate the represents their demographic in terms of gender, race, or religion.
In other words, voters - not the press - pick presidents.

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