Muted Media - Framing the GOP Primary Debate
I have been struck by the scarce pre-debate media coverage for the GOP candidate debate tonight in Simi Valley, California. Not even the inclination to hype the "all-important" political event of the moment has produced more than passing interest from major news organizations. Compared to the Democratic Debate held last week in South Carolina the response seems muted. (As of Thursday morning, CNN.com only added a link on their lead web page by noon, the AP story - maybe they'd have to mention MSNBC.) The reasons for this differential appear obvious enough.
The GOP field is framed as inheriting the sagging mantel of a failed Presidency. As in sports, loser's bracket are not nearly as interesting as the championship contenders. The domestic press discusses three contenders--John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney--jockeying for the dubious honor of "going-down-with-the-ship." The media coverage has also been trumped by the more symbolic Iraq/Veto battle with Congress.
My purpose is to reflect on the pre-debate coverage. The argument is simple; if you want a primer on what is at stake in the debate, don't turn to the domestic press. Newspaper stories, and 24/7 cable, present a predictable continuation of a larger narrative that the election is about George W. vs. a yet to be crowned Democratic successor. Since that contest has a known outcome (e.g. most stories religiously remind readers of Bush's dismal polls), the California debate is little more than a sideshow. Below, the frame of pre-debate coverage is considered.
