TV and Reality: No Correlation

Andrea Sterling, a frequent volunteer for the cause, agreed to allow me to share her illuminating description of what's on voter's minds in the real world versus what the media and even the campaigns are emphasizing. I think it speaks volumes about the disconnect between TV spin and the problems ordinary Americans are facing:

Dear Friends,

We have volunteered at the DPNM booth at the state fair four times now in the afternoon and it's really bizarre to come home afterwards and watch the news at night. The hot issue on TV is Bush's military service. Kitty Kelly is being interviewed by everyone and the spicy tidbit is the fact that Bush "disappeared" from April - October -- perhaps because he was using drugs and didn't want to take his physical? (enquiring minds want to know...)

The thing that's so strange is that no one that has stopped by the booth has talked about any of this (except maybe an offhand remark about "that draft dodger"). It's not important to them. They have been talking about the economy being bad, no jobs, sky rocketing health insurance premiums, prescription drugs, the deficit, the financial burden their kids are going to have to shoulder, 1,000 soldiers being killed in Iraq and all the other woes that we've become so familiar with in this election.

There is a couple that have a table across from the booth. They sell costume jewelry and hats. I bought a bracelet from them the first day of the fair and chat with them for a few minutes every time I'm at the DPNM booth. They told me that they are not doing well at the fair. People don't have any disposable income and aren't buying anything. The people that pass by the booth are only wearing or carrying the shiny necklaces and stuffies they win on the midway (Although today, David saw two people carrying mops that they got at one of the booths in the Lujan building.)

David stands in front of the booth and holds a sign for people to read as they are passing by. It reads "$200 Billion for Iraq, Nothing for the USA, What's Wrong with this Picture?" It gets a lot of attention -- people nodding as they go by or stopping to talk about it.

Bush's military record is a media driven event. It's of no consequence to the people we've been meeting at the fair. And so much campaign advertising time and money is being wasted on this issue that people really don't care about.

Andrea