State Auditor Claire McCaskill will return to Joplin today for a rally at 5:45 p.m. today at Democratic headquarters at 1820 S. Main.
President Bush is scheduled to be at the Leggett & Platt Center at Missouri Southern State University Friday for a rally for Sen. Jim Talent scheduled to begin at approximately 12 noon.
The Talent-McCaskill race continues to receive widespread national attention, so media coverage of both of these campaign events should be interesting to watch. The president's visit gives our local media the opportunity to go one-on-one with the big guns from the national media.
This is the first time President Bush has been here in six years and technology has improved greatly in that time. Some things I will be looking for:
-While both KOAM and KSNF have noon newscasts, will KODE break away from All My Children for live coverage of the event?
-How will the Joplin Globe cover the event on its website? Will Globe editors opt for their usual few paragraphs and a tease for the next day's edition?
-Will the Joplin Daily take advantage of this opportunity and quickly have comprehensive web coverage available?
-Will anyone try live blogging of the event?
-Will the local television stations use their websites as well as their on-air coverage for the event?
-Will anyone point out that the president's visit to southwest Missouri at this point in the Talent campaign is a sure sign that there is fear that at least some of the senator's support in this region has eroded. Sure, he is going to win a majority of the votes in southwest Missouri, but in order for him to be re-elected, he has to win by an overwhelming margin in this area.
-Will any of the websites or print editions offer full text of the president's speech?
-Will any efforts be made to podcast the event?
-Will the Joplin Daily take advantage of the area GateHouse Media staffers at The Carthage Press and the Neosho Daily News to supplement their coverage?
-Will The Press and the Neosho Daily update on its website since the visit will be too late for their afternoon newspapers?
-Will the Joplin Daily's Friday print edition be filled with coverage of the presidential visit/
-How will coverage of Claire McCaskill's campaign fare in the media during this total media coverage of the president's visit. It has to be remembered that while a presidential visit to this area does not happen every day, it still is a political visit designed to boost Talent's re-election chances.
-How many efforts will be made by the national media to depict Joplin area residents as hillbilly hicks?
33 comments:
-Will Randy get laid?
Jeez Randy. I hope all the local media outlets work hard to live up to your expectations. I mean, that's their sole responsibility.
Randy, you're a tool.
In reading Randy's list of questions, the clear recurring theme is "Will local television and newspapers please use the internet more?"
It is kind of a strange demand that certain media should feel obliged to use yet another media. I wonder if when TV came about if people expected newspapers to suddenly incorporate television into their coverage plans. My gut tells me they didn't, and the two outlets have functioned well for the last 50+ years. But certain outlets, particularly bloggers, want TV and Newspaper to use the net. When people who use the 'net keep pestering other media to use the 'net, you almost feel like it is so that their medium will be "legitamized". Have no fear: the internet is a legitimate outlet. But that doesn't mean all the other media have to use it as well.
The rest of Randy's list contains at least one opinion (That of Talent's eroding support. It's an opinion I share, but it is still just opinion) and a somewhat troubling couplet of opposing statements.
Randy clearly wants all three stations to cover the President's visit end-to-end. But at the same time he is concerned how "McCaskill's visit will fare" in the media. Even Randy's hope that all stations will cover the Presidential visit with live break-ins seems to presuppose that McCaskill's visit will take a backseat to Bush's. Wouldn't you agree Randy?
I think Randy needs to spend as much time preparing his lessons and teaching his students as he does worrying about what the media is doing...and working to promote his beloved Democrats....I'm sure they don't give two hoots in a holler about what your think and seem to be "recommeding" they do.
About Senator Talent: Apparently you are not aware that the GOP is focused very much on their core supporters and this is certain a core area for Republicans...not only that, I would suspect that the President is here because of a man named Roy Blunt...he's helping core supporters of two Republicans....
Randy, I hope you have your papers graded and ready to hand back to students today....and that you're awake and alert today after staying up all night making list of things for the local traditional media (of which you are not a part) to do.
Sure feel sorry for your students
Anonymous,
I think you are out of line. Randy can do whatever he wants with his spare time and I don't see that it has any effect on his students.
If anything, I am glad his students have a different-thinking teacher in this oppressively GOP area.
The Republicans have been riding high, but all the polls say that next Tuesday could be a real bad day at the polls. Why do you think that is? Is it Randy's fault?
A million remarks to portray SW missouri as hillbilly hicks would never be enough.
However, not one remark will be needed to portray that image anyway.
It will be interesting to see if anyone asks Bush about Talents remarks about him on MTP (Meet the Press) for all you functionally illetirate types.
wooopss
misspelled illiterate. sorry for my gaffe.
See this is the kind of post that gets people's attention Randy, not your edit of some news story. Look at what you have wrought. Well done. I also want to know if anyone from the national media will refer to southwest Missouri as the meth capital of the U.S. Here's to hopin'.
Looks like you touched a nerve with that one, Randy! Look at all these comments. Your questions about the upcoming coverage are all worth asking. This is a mediascape that's in permanent mutation. Once the Joplin and Springfield Bush visits are over, I hope you share your commentary, particularly your assessment of the national media's take on southwest Missouri. "Bizarre" is often the word for it, i.m.h.o.
The better question: "Is the president's visit even newsworthy?"
I contend that the area news outlets should staff the event and provide brief coverage if everything said and done is predictable.
It is newsworthy because this is one of the handful of time's that a sitting president has came to town, but this is one of hundreds of campaign visits.
Voters don't care who comes to town and when. They don't care about the he said, she said, bull shit crap. The media outlets should get off their butts and tell us something about these people who are running for office rather than recycling the garbage produced by the campaign machines.
That's right, the leader of the free world's visit to a town of little more than 40,000 people is hardly newsworthy. The balance of power for the country is at stake and the most powerful and galvanizing member of one particular party is so afraid his party is going to lose a seat in the Senate that he comes to an area that hasn't voted Democrat since Lincoln freed the slaves. Turn off the TVs and fold the papers, go play Stratego with your children, there's no news here.
Globe Rat proves my point. The media is so caught up in the drama of the power struggle that they forget the issues.
here isanother question...How many college students will be herded into a corraland threatened with arrest this time around?
Randy should have to answer all the calls from the upset viewers about their soaps being pre-empted by the Prez. It's a sad fact, but viewers are more concerned about Luke and Laura than George and Laura.
MSSU is a largely commuter campus, and the students are being told they will not be permitted to park on campus, but classes aren't officially closed (Some Profs are cancelling their classes to save students from this farce). There are no other parking locations within a mile or so. Also, why are the GOP able to have the Legget and Platt building at no charge and with no warning for a soley partisan political rally. By the way, the local law enforcement and other agencies receive no reimbursement for this bs political advertisement. Protesters, on other days known as students, will be herded into a "designated area." I wonder if anyone from the media will ask Julio who pays for this, and is it in the best interest of his students. Perhaps we should all meet over at his house to discuss it with him. You can bring your signs there, I'm sure he won't care.
Why can't he just stay in Washington? Seriously. The chaos, upheaval and inconvenience just isn't worth it.
The issue is the power struggle, you nit.
No, Scott, the issue is will government protect Americans and provide the other services that citizens request. The issue is how are these candidates qualified for the offices they are seeking. The issue is who is supporting these candidates with donations. The issue is not campaign tactics and mudslinging. Don't be a nit. Do your readers a service and don't buy into the media hype created by the networks and campaigns.
What dreamland are you living in that you still believe qualifications matter to hold public office? What major race isn't being funded on both sides by the same entities? There is only one issue this election is about. It's status quo versus comprehensive change, that's the issue.
Who's Scott?
Dear Lady Chatterly (aka Professor Kilby),
MSSU is charging $750 for the rental of Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. This is our standard fee for a one-day rental.
Nobody gives a rat's tail if George "War Winnin" Bush and his "Killer Twit" wife show up on a podium with "Wife Dumpin" Blunt, "Cheerleader" Talent, "Cripple Kickin" Nodler or "Do Nothin" Wilson.
This is Joplin's chance to leave a foul taste in the mouth of the GOP members coming to town. Everyone who realizes what a lying scumbag asshole Bush is should turn out in force and protest as much as they can. Led into a designated area? Don't go without some harsh words. Bring signs, friends, middle fingers, rotten fruit, whatever gets the message across. Be loud and let this pile of Bushit know what you think.
One of the biggest problems in today's society is the kind of atttitude exhibited in the previous anonymous comment. Nothing is wrong with disagreeing with a speaker's opinions, but in this day and age we are developing the dangerous idea that if we don't like what someone says, we have to stop it from being said. There is nothing wrong with a quiet protest, but leave the fruit and the rest of it at home. The free expression of ideas means nothing if people do not allow those ideas to be freely expressed.
Gonna be awfully hard to leave those middle fingers at home, as they are attached....
Yellow Dog
In response to Randy's comment, I have no problem allowing Bush to say what he wants to today, but if I want to bring rotten fruit, then that can be my free expression of ideas.
Rotten fruit is so passe.
I waved my middle finger at the motorcade on the tv screen and televised portions of Bush's slaps and insults. I also sometimes wave it at Blunt and Talent signs while driving to work and home.
Is that passive enough for you?
The previous post pretty much sums up the liberal crowd....bitch and hurl insults without rolling up your sleeves to fix problems. Come to think of it, that pretty much sums up the entire democratic party. The Republican party on the other hand is the big bully who needs to be knocked a step back ever now and then. So what do we see when the President comes to Joplin? We see 6000 people pack the gymnasium in support of him and a sorry 100 wanna-be hippies who didn't even seem to know what they were even protesting about outside.
He's an old hippie and he don't know what to do
Should he vote for the red, should he vote for the blue
He's an old hippie, political life's just a bust
He's been trying real hard, but there's just no pol he can trust
With all of the mega-negative campaign ads going on, I think I'll just stay home and watch Scooby Doo reruns.
Talent? McCaskill? It's enough to drive you to drink, or bong hits.
Or maybe I'll put in some overtime, try to prepare for this wonderful new tax on tobacco. It's coming, because smokers are the devil's henchmen.
Disenfranchised
There's just no pleasing some people.
If you protest and throw rotten fruit, you're a wannabe hippie. If you go or stay home and give Bush via the tv set the finger, you're hurling insults.
There is however a third alternative. Its one that I always do at every election. This time I'll be voting for McCaskill.
See ya.
Who is bored enough to care about live blogging?
Will Tara Brown share her election coverage?
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