Our Democracy & the Fourth Estate
by Patricia Britt
It is evident the American Democracy is still center stage judging by the 2012 television news coverage of the campaign on election night, and the day after by newspapers, television, and online outlets. If you looked at the tv guide the election was scheduled to take a large portion of time from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am on the networks (ABC, CBC, NBC), cable (CNN, CNBC, Fox, MSNBC), and PBS was on it thru midnight. This gave political followers all the information they could ever grasp about the electoral college, and so on. Average voting citizens had a window into whether, or not the process was fair, and to the passive non-voters something to think about. President Obama won the electoral vote, and the popular vote by the widest margin in decades that illustrates the freedom we have to exercise our right to vote as one people from many. The election night results were President Obama 50%, and Governor Romney 48%, that’s two million more votes for the incumbent. The media fulfills the promise of the constitution by letting us know what's happening across the United States election night, and leading up to it.
News teams inform the public on our leader's selection process with election polls, then moment to moment projections election night so we can all feel involved in the process before the election, or after we cast our vote, and even if we don't. The message by osmosis is that it's important to be involved in your country's trajectory by making a decision on who "we the people” elect. The news factory is the fourth-estate, essentially an unofficial branch of government that brings good to light, and exposes messy issues akin to choices about the economy, safety, healthcare, war, education, women's concerns, civil rights, employee rights that pressure business, and the government as a free press outlined in the constitution, that at its best ushers resolution, and cooperation for the common good.
All those news projections, and the final outcome of the vote tabulation equals the accumulated results of local efforts to “get out the vote” for ones perceived champion, and our champion this election cycle is President Barack Obama. The American people spoke decisively in spite of Super Storm Sandy's might, and even though Florida took four additional days until Saturday to produce election results.The Ingham County victory was largely due to the efforts of Jody Money, Regional Field Director, Organizing For America, and LaShawn Sithole two young people that came across country to Michigan from Texas to work on the Obama campaign. Their inspirational stories about why they believed in the campaign, what the campaign should be, and their desire to support President Obama with grassroots action contributed to the motivation of the Lansing, East Lansing community for a 2012 win with the guidance of Mark Brewer, Michigan Democratic Chairman, www.michigandems.com, and his knowledgeable capitol staff in gear.
It is evident the American Democracy is still center stage judging by the 2012 television news coverage of the campaign on election night, and the day after by newspapers, television, and online outlets. If you looked at the tv guide the election was scheduled to take a large portion of time from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am on the networks (ABC, CBC, NBC), cable (CNN, CNBC, Fox, MSNBC), and PBS was on it thru midnight. This gave political followers all the information they could ever grasp about the electoral college, and so on. Average voting citizens had a window into whether, or not the process was fair, and to the passive non-voters something to think about. President Obama won the electoral vote, and the popular vote by the widest margin in decades that illustrates the freedom we have to exercise our right to vote as one people from many. The election night results were President Obama 50%, and Governor Romney 48%, that’s two million more votes for the incumbent. The media fulfills the promise of the constitution by letting us know what's happening across the United States election night, and leading up to it.
News teams inform the public on our leader's selection process with election polls, then moment to moment projections election night so we can all feel involved in the process before the election, or after we cast our vote, and even if we don't. The message by osmosis is that it's important to be involved in your country's trajectory by making a decision on who "we the people” elect. The news factory is the fourth-estate, essentially an unofficial branch of government that brings good to light, and exposes messy issues akin to choices about the economy, safety, healthcare, war, education, women's concerns, civil rights, employee rights that pressure business, and the government as a free press outlined in the constitution, that at its best ushers resolution, and cooperation for the common good.
All those news projections, and the final outcome of the vote tabulation equals the accumulated results of local efforts to “get out the vote” for ones perceived champion, and our champion this election cycle is President Barack Obama. The American people spoke decisively in spite of Super Storm Sandy's might, and even though Florida took four additional days until Saturday to produce election results.The Ingham County victory was largely due to the efforts of Jody Money, Regional Field Director, Organizing For America, and LaShawn Sithole two young people that came across country to Michigan from Texas to work on the Obama campaign. Their inspirational stories about why they believed in the campaign, what the campaign should be, and their desire to support President Obama with grassroots action contributed to the motivation of the Lansing, East Lansing community for a 2012 win with the guidance of Mark Brewer, Michigan Democratic Chairman, www.michigandems.com, and his knowledgeable capitol staff in gear.
Jody Money did things big in Ingham with the assistance of Lashawn Sithole a consistent devoted presence at the Michigan Avenue Organizing For America office. Both Texans oiled the Michigan machine with a steady pace. The campaign won nationwide, because the President had more staffers, more field offices, and early voting was key. The campaign was “fired up, and ready to go” with phone calls, knocking on doors, meetings, and house parties for over a year, and it paid off complemented by the laser delivery of the President's speeches broadcast on a weekly, and sometimes daily basis that enhanced local efforts.
I spent the last four years improving my typing by watching the campaign. Whenever I surfed channels, and saw a speech on CNN, CSPAN, or MSNBC I'd start typing, because to me the President's words rang logical, poetic, and sincere. However, the next four years I'm going to have to do something results oriented, and strike out on a path to make a difference. Perhaps now I've grasped enough of his spirit as a phenomenol visionary guy to have an achievable plan for the future? How about you? What do you plan to do to make America more yours than your birthright grants you, or your naturalized citizenship status as an American? Many Americans would like to start a business. Here's a start, try www.sba.gov to see what you come up with to strengthen yourself, and the democracy you're a part of in the process as you dream, innovate, and discover what matters to you.
Sheldon Adelson spent $50,000,000 attempting to influence the election. As Nina Taylor, Ohio State Senator said, “Money can't by you love,” in an interview about the road to the Whitehouse on MSNBC following the election. Senator Debbie Stabenow kept her seat. Way to go MSU Spartans! As President Obama said in his acceptance speech (www.barackobama.com see video) at 1:00 am on November 6th at McCormick place in Chicago, “ We are more than a collection of red states, and blue states. We will forever be the United States of America!”
