Annoying Pundits and the Presidential Primary

I hate watching the television commentators talking about politics but I did it last night - a little bit. I got to say that MSNBC's crew was better than most - I did not have that strong of a repulsion that I would want to put the words circle and jerk together.

Last night I also read Reality Free Presidential Coverage at Masson's Blog and think he diagnosed the problem with pundits so well. Today everyone is surprised that Hillary won (The New York Times headlined it this way: Clinton Upsets Obama; McCain Wins.) when a few months ago the conservatives alternated drooling and anger at Hilary's certainty as the Democratic nominee and the liberals bemoaned the Hilary juggernaut. Surprised at Obama's win in Iowa, they all surged to the other side of the boat. They have the attention span of chipmunks. Ruth Marcus nodded at this problem in her column in today's Washington Post:

I didn't end up writing about McCain that weekend, which turned out to be a lucky thing. I had planned (but was diverted by a more pressing topic) to compare McCain's candidacy with that of Hillary Clinton, who, accompanied by her husband, was making a triumphal return that weekend. I would have sagely explained why one supposedly inevitable candidate had seemingly tanked while the other was ascendant, noting Clinton's relentless discipline -- on money, on message -- and McCain's more freewheeling ways.

Here is a theory I have about pundits: they know nothing about the substance of politics or government or they have no talent for explaining that to the general public. They can only understand hyping the horse race aspect. I am afraid that it will get worse now that Hilary and Obama have left the rest behind.

It would be better if there were more stories like Robert Samuel's column in today's Washington Post, Promises They Can't Keep.

The big lie of campaign 2008 -- so far -- is that the presidential candidates, Democratic and Republican, will take care of our children. Listening to these politicians, you might think they will. Doing well by children has now passed motherhood and apple pie as an idol that all candidates must worship.

MSNBC's crew deserves credit for sitting there and sifting through the exit poll data - seemingly all of the minutiae - while waiting for a decision on the Democratic primary. I doubt it thrilled many of its viewers but it was good to see and hear the talking heads do some thinking.