Media Insanity

The Bible says that in the last days there will be "raging insanity" (2 Timothy 3:1). I'm sure he didn't mean it quite like this, but Paul could very easily have been talking about our media for the past three days.

For those in the dark, Ms. Palin was invited to speak at the Raging Thunder rally in DC on the Sunday before Memorial Day. She accepted and had her RV painted up in a very flashy populist mode. When she announced that she had accepted the invitation, she noted that she and the family would be seeing some sites on their way up the eastern seaboard while meandering up to New Hampshire.

All of this apparently has set the media's hair on fire. Dozens of reporters have been shadowing this bus tour and acting quite pissy that she has not given them one-on-one access nor given them an itinerary of where she is going. All this despite the fact that (a) she is technically not a declared candidate for anything and (b) still employed by Fox News and might be viewed as in breach of contract if she consulted with other media outlets. Yet, all we are missing the helicopter shots and we would be having the white Bronco chase all over again.

While Ms. Palin has not declared yet, it would seem that she is going to throw her hat in the ring. She is driving to New Hampshire, she will be driving to Iowa later this month, and it was noted today that she will be going to South Carolina after that. All that's missing is a trip to Nevada and she will have hit the four early boys of the Presidential season, so it does not take a rocket scientist to see what's going to happen in the near future.

Still, her eventual getting into the race doesn't explain the media frenzy that going on. Whether you like her, love her, or hate her, it is rather disquieting to see the media act like a pack of feral dogs after a bone for an early campaign tour/publicity event. When CNN acts more like TMZ, something strange is definitely afoot.