Here’s a test.
Think back to the Sunday political talk shows and the major presidential debates of the past year. Now, think about the questions the candidates were asked by Tim Russert, Chris Wallace, Wolf Blitzer, George Stephanapoulos and Bob Schieffer.
How many interviews did the Fab Five conduct with the presidential candidates during 2007?a) 550b) 47c) 120
How many questions did the Five ask the candidates?a) 536b) 1,069c) 2,275
How may of those questions dealt with global warming?a) 400b) 100c) 3
If you guessed “c” to all three questions, congratulations! You’ve got a good handle on the ludicrous state of television news. Make that “news”.
The always vigilant League of Conservation Voters has taken the trouble to count the questions from the debates and Sunday talk as we approach the end of 2007.
The first prize in the “Let’s Ask About the Most Important Issue of Our Time” contest goes to Chris Wallace of Fox (!), who asked the candidates two (2) climate questions. Running a close second was Wolf Blitzer with one.
What topics got more air time? There was the intrigue over Dennis Kucinich’s startling admission that he’d seen a UFO; questions about whether the candidates favored the Yankees or the Red Sox; and breaking news about Chuck Norris’s endorsement of Mike Huckabee.
If you’d like to urge the Five to ask the presidential candidates more about climate change, what they’d do about it, and when, the League has made it easy. Sign its petition at www.whataretheywaitingfor.com.
— Bill B.