why i don't watch network news...

I just spent almost four hours stuffing hundreds of envelopes with issues of SI and Golf, an experience made more miserable by MSNBC's inane news coverage blaring on the TV. I tuned in to catch the end of Obama's press conference in Paris, which was followed by reminder of why I can't stand watching network news (and MSNBC is particularly bad; at least FOX is funny to watch due to its laughably blatant bias and some of the ridiculous things that come out of its "correspondents'" mouths.)

First, the correspondent kept asking the same question: do you think that Obama's trip overseas will hurt his campaign and show that he is elitist because he's dealing with foreign policy instead of talking about the economy? This question was posed to several interviewees as well as rhetorically, as if asking it ten times would reveal its profound depth and insight. Argh! Even ignoring the leading nature of the question (it calls Obama elitist and questions his connection the American people, and, repeated enough even in question form, drills these ideas into people's heads), it's still stupid content-wise. Obama can't take a one-week hiatus from mourning the economy and promising to fix it (something no president is capable of alone, anyway...) in order to discuss some of the most pressing foreign policy questions facing our nation? America's reputation among the European nations MATTERS-- to our economy and to our future endeavors abroad. What's going on in the Middle East MATTERS-- to our national security, economic interests, and the well-being of the world as a whole. Hearing the MSNBC girl blathering for an hour just made me angry that 1) the majority of Americans are probably too stupid to care about serious issues such as these, and 2) the media is feeding them with idiotic questions like that one instead of informing them on the importance of addressing ALL aspects of the future role of president, including foreign policy.

Next, they moved onto something even more ridiculous in its absurdity: the search for Obama's thesis-like paper from his senior year of college. What? Who cares what he wrote 25 years ago? It's not like it's going to be anything radical, as conservatives are hoping it will be. It's an assignment. No one turns in a fiery, scathing criticism of the government for a major assignment, especially not someone who is interested in a career in law or politics like young Barack. So why bother talking about it? Hypothetically, even if it were inflammatory and inappropriate it was written decades ago, and Obama has certainly had plenty of time to hone his political views since then. Obama's campaign aide was right when he called talking about it a waste of oxygen. Gotta love how the correspondent read that quote while discussing the issue and then continued blabbering on about it for ten more minutes. Kinda wish she had run out of oxygen...