Presidential Hopefuls Try Publicity Stunts

What ever happened to the good ol' days? You know, when candidates for President of the United States won by their candor and apt platforms instead of media sound bites that cause a commotion to garner attention. With the all-pervading power of national media outlets beckoning candidates towards sensationalism, will any candidate utilize the country-wide broadcast platform for discussions of real substance?

John Edwards tarried a narrow line between media mongering and actual policy development when he proposed an alleviation of poverty and national universal healthcare. While his endeavors towards these ends are certainly meritorious, it seems just a bit ironic that he recently constructed a sprawling ranch-mansion in rural North Carolina in the midst of his poverty crusades. I think Edwards is a good-hearted candidate, but his nearly-hypocritical support of poverty reduction has me pondering whether he intended to create sensation with his dramatic proposals. He recently went so far as to publicly apologize for his initial vote in favor of the war in Iraq. While this sounds like the Southern Gentleman coming clean with the nation, one cannot help but be a little suspicious of the ulterior motive of publicity generation.

On the right, Senator John McCain has remained an advocate of the war in Iraq. His solitary support of the war shows conviction, but again yields itself well to garnering public interest due to his contrasting opinion. More flagrantly, according to the Associated Press, McCain recently used biting, direct criticism of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's handling of the Iraq War and went so far as to call the Secretary "one of the worst in history." Indubitably, McCain is a man of virtue, like Edwards, who speaks his opposition. But, such an overt and public condemnation can unambiguously reveal an attempt at grasping popular notice of his efforts that would likely go unnoticed without the theatrics.

Senator Hillary Clinton utilizes similar tactics. The Associated Press recently announced that Hillary Clinton publicly advocated removing the Confederate flag of posted in the South Carolina Statehouse, amid efforts to acquire black voting support. She appeared at pro-African-American events across the state, giving speeches at historically black colleges and attending events in honor of local African-American politicians. The bold condemnation of the rebel flag lends itself nicely to the thesis of sensationalism on the campaign trail.

These candidates must be newsmakers as the quest for the White House initiates. Somehow, I still yearn for a candidate whose charisma, character, and concrete logic draws voters instead of fleeting lunges at the spotlight that contain no lasting merit. Barrack Obama seems a worthy candidate for such a moniker, but I have yet to be tempted by anything other than his public oratorical acumen. With any luck, some worthy candidate will lure us from the lust of camera lenses and bold statements through sparkling teeth.