Q&A

Q: Should the private lives (and failings) of presidential candidates and politicians be fodder for the media? Does it matter?

A: I can only speak for myself, but as long as the activity isn't criminal, I don't care. In fact, if some of the activity is criminal such as drug use or tax evasion, I don't care. It makes for great headlines in the newspaper, but it matters little when it comes to public policy.

People love gossip. When I was growing up, rags like The National Enquirer were garbage journalism. Nowadays, the only difference between the tabloids and the news is that the news at least makes sure the gossip is accurate before publication or broadcast. Other than that, it is the same thing. People love dirt.

I admit that I love the dirt. I'm not going to lie. I'm no different than those housewives who buy those rags in the grocery store. I consume a lot of news especially the hard news. This gossip makes for great jokes and lightens the mood for me. But when it comes to democracy, none of it matters. The upside is that anyone who lives in the public eye has a tremendously thick skin as a consequence. In fact, the best strategy for dealing with the gossip media is to be a shameless scoundrel. Libertarians have an easier time with this.

The thing that bothers me is how people can get in an uproar over some politician's cheating on his spouse or smoking a joint, but they totally overlook the real scandal which would be that politician's voting record, stance on issues, and the rest. Gossip and character assassination serve as useful distractions.

The time is coming when the personal lives of journalists will become fodder for public consumption. I see things heading that way with dirt coming out on folks like Keith Olbermann, Bill O'Reilly, Piers Morgan, and Erin Burnett. Most of that is small potatoes, but journalists are celebrities now. They will certainly catch the same shit they smear on others. Perhaps then, we can get back to hard news and real scandals like the ones Wikileaks uncovers.

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