On 10/18/2012 at 3:15 pm, Michael Hogan wrote a blog entry entitled “Why I Wish Election Season Would End Already.” Here, Hogan expresses how fed up he is with watching what elections have become in our country. In his opinion (and mine) they have basically been reduced to big and expensive televised bickering matches. What our country should see as an important and serious event has been turned into a media feeding ground where direct questions don’t receive answers and no real solutions are offered for long standing problems.

The American public has become much more interested in what the media picks out and exaggerates than the actual content of what the politicians are saying and how it can affect them.  In Hogan’s opinion, part of the main problem is that the candidates aren’t saying much that’s worth hearing anyway. They are just putting on a show that allows them to grandstand. While it was at one time very important to campaign during presidential elections, Hogan makes the observation that now “it just seems that this multi-year freak show exists only to line the pockets of mega-creepy types like Karl Rove, who spend their time -- and someone else's money -- finding creative new ways to press voters' emotional buttons.” He also adds that another part of the problem is the America people themselves. A massive part of the population chooses to embrace the media circus over the facts. They watch it, spread it, and make it the norm over being interested in what could have a profound effect on their lives. Hogan makes a few suggestions about how some things could and should be changed that might bring real debates back and make them more appealing. For instance, Hogan pointing out that people need to start getting educated on the facts of the candidates and their platforms (which he includes for you to read) is definitely at the top of my list as well. 

While Hogan is reaching out to the many people who share the same views about how the debates are run, I feel his intended audience is all Americans. He is calling attention to how we as a country are allowing this theatrical show to go on every four years. As well as how we ignore it as a problem by getting swept away in the media frenzy instead of trying to fix it. Michael Hogan not only writes his blogs for The Huffington Post, but is also the Editor of the Executive Arts and Entertainment for the Huffington Post Media Group and oversees HuffPost's Entertainment, Celebrity, TV, Comedy, Books, Arts, and Culture pages.

In the editorial section of the New York Times, you will find a publication from September 29, 2012 written by Ross Douthat called “Why Obama is Winning.” Here, Douthat states that many American people have adapted to, and some have even grown comfortable with, the stagnation and the above 8% unemployment rate occurring in our country. He argues in his editorial that if our voters don’t start making changes that can help pull us out of what is referred to here as the “new normal,” then the future of our country is very bleak.    

Ross States that this “new normal” is a portion of the American public who have begun to define “getting ahead as simply not falling behind.” He explains that this kind of mentality will eventually lead to nationwide a crisis. His target audience here is all Americans, but specifically those who have developed this kind of acceptance. Those who think it’s normal to be only making ends meet and that it’s ok to not be amassing some sort of nest egg for their future. It’s not. He states in his editorial that he feels President Obama is “cushioned” in the election by the voters with this viewpoint. That he is comfortable with encouraging them to lean on government assistance instead of trying to help them break out of this comfort zone and push for better. I agree that the American people should always push for a better future with more financial security for ourselves and for our country. He also notes he is not saying Romney would be better equipped to handle this task, and he understands the generally shaken faith in the Republican Party since the Bush administration. He is just stating whichever candidate it may be, someone has to do something. 

Ross Douthat is well learned on the subject matter and has been a conservative writer for a number of years. He researches and uses credible sources in his articles such as the Bureau of Labor Reassessment and Ronald Brownstein Reports among others to back up his data. He also makes sure to include links when mentioning studies so you can read them for yourself. Ross Douthat is a Harvard graduate and is a very accomplished author for not only the New York Times, but for several other papers as well. He has been an editor, blogger, and his own books. You can click here for more information on his accomplishments and credibility. 

We are already seeing the downturn starting to emerge in our country. We are heading straight into being the first generation that will NOT be as financially secure as our parents and grandparents. And what of the next generations coming after us? I feel Ross Douthat’s makes a very important argument about an issue that affects us all. As Douthat points out, if we keep at this pace we are paving the way for a country with a very dismal way of life and a broken American dream.