On November 6th, 2008, what will you do?
National Press, what will you do after the election? What will you do after a record number of Americans perform their civic duty and vote for the next President of the United States?
Will you finally, finally, report on issues that affect Americans and not just talk about John McCain's maverickyness or Barack Obama's speechyness?
I imagine you will spend at least a week or five after the election parsing the numbers, declaring with absolute certitude that whatever the outcome, you knew that's how it was gonna turn out.
But, then what?
Before you start on election 2012 punditry, can you do some real reporting about the issues that are facing America?
Yea, yea, I can hear y'all now. Brokaw: "It's so very interesting!" Blitzer: "We're giving American's what they need and want!" Chuck Todd: "I just love politics so much I can't help it!" (Chuck, I like you as a pundit, I really do. And I wanna grow old following politics and having you wax philosophic about Senator Jones' strategy to take the synchronized swimming mom demographic. But if I here you say we need more time in this election to understand the candidates, I'm gonna call Cheyenne Mountain and have them vaporize you.)
I know, I could have written this rant during any election year over the past 233 years and I'd find a slacking press corp, but, we're in particularly dire straits right now and If we lose, I'm holding you complicit in the theft of my country.
So, as a born and raised Washingtonian, as a pissed off American, and as an occupant of this Universe, I ask: When are you going to tell the American public what a McCain/Palin presidency will do to this country?
WHEN are you going to run stories telling the American people that over the next 4 years or so, there will most likely be 3, maybe more, Supreme Court justices nominated to fill vacancy's created by retiring or dying members of the court? When will you report in straightforward language that McCain WILL nominate justices who WILL repeal Roe v Wade? WHEN?
WHEN WILL YOU TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT A VOTE FOR McCAIN IS A VOTE AGAINST A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE?
WHEN will you stop calling John McCain a maverick? John McCain voted in line with George Bush 90% of the time.
JOHN McCAIN IS NOT A MAVERICK. And neither is Sarah Palin.
WHEN will you tell the American people that a McCain/Palin presidency will further erode environmental protections and open even more lands to even more exploitation? WHEN?
WHEN will you tell the American people that John McCain is once again playing politics with our armed services members lives by not backing a timeline for bringing our brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers home from Iraq, a position TO THE RIGHT OF GEORGE BUSH?
Will you CONTINUE to treat this election as a soap opera to be analyzed as if you're standing in the grocery checkout line debating "As the World Turns" or Desperate "Housewives?" Will you bury on page A-19, stories about Governor Palin's DISCREPANCIES LIES about the bridge to nowhere, AKIP, state paid per diems, vast experience with the Alaska National Guard, and 47 other STRAIGHT UP LIES she tells daily?
Will you seriously CONTINUE to treat Alaska's proximity to Siberia as bona fide foreign policy experience?
Will you CONTINUE to call Governor Palin's anti-choice position, EVEN IN THE CASE OF RAPE OR INCEST, moderate, and insinuate that it is in line with most women?
Will you tell the American people that a vote for John McCain is a vote for TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH, ENDLESS OCCUPATION IN IRAQ, AND A CONTINUATION OF THE FAILED BUSH ECONOMIC POLICY?
In short, will you tell the American People that OUR VERY WAY OF LIFE IS IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY and it's because of the failed policies of 8 years of the Bush Administration and the GOP.
Will you stop being sensationalists and start being journalists?
WHEN will you say to yourself, I want my kids to breathe cleaner air than I breathe. I want my kids to see glaciers or the Amazon Rainforest and not just read about them in their textbooks. I want my kids to live in a better world than I live in.
WHEN will you ask yourself: Don't we deserve better?