It is more than three years until the next time Americans go to the ballot box to elect a president, but there can be no doubt the campaign has already started.
Contrast that with Australia. Just six weeks after Kevin Rudd became Prime Minister, he called a snap election for Sept. 7,
We blogged about it at In the (K)now in detail this morning: Hillary Clinton leads the pack out of the gate
The 2016 presidential campaign seems to have kicked into high gear the past 10 days with moves by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to prepare the ground for her “assault” on the American voter.
Watch out! Duck and cover!
The mud has already begun to fly.
The media frenzy was noted by The New York Times, public editor, who wrote on Sunday that The Thimes has assigned a reporter to the newly-created “Clinton” beat.
Writing in Covering Clinton’s Candidacy in Waiting
Margaret Sullivan said on Aug. 17:
“When Hillary Clinton joined Twitter in June, her profile described her many roles ¬– as the former first lady of Arkansas and the United States, former secretary of state and New York senator, and as “hair icon” and “pantsuit aficionado.”
“And it described her future with three letters: TBD. To be determined. “
Sullivan goes on to say that the former first lady “may consider her future up in the air, but The Times apparently does not. Or at least it’s hedging its bets.”
Oh my gosh!
We are going to be subjected to three years of torture!
Few would argue that American voters are being subjected to a perpetual campaign season.
The last presidential election was just nine months ago, and the next one has already begun.
Is anyone really paying attention? Should we?
Why is the media – including The New York Times – paying so much attention to a matter so far into the future? It risks turning voters off by the millions. Voter fatigue is a well-researched phenomenon.
Having the media narrative all sewn up three years in advance is anathema to an open election with a true expression of the voters’ opinion.
It is regrettable – but, alas, in America it seems unavoidable.