I feel like the media is steering us towards a permanent election cycle...

[Bicoastal]

...where politics in this country consist of 90% speculation on the results of the next election (even if that day is years off) and only 10% dealing with actual issues.

No wonder discourse has devolved to a never-ending competition between the party's respective teams. As recently as 15 years ago, the 2009 elections wouldn't have been news outside of the candidates' respective regions. Now it's "How many Governors does the Red team have? How many Congressmen does the Blue Team have? Who's winning? Who's losing? When do we pause for commercial?"

[Engineer4Obama]

1. I actually think we talked more about issues in 2008 than we do now

Having presidential candidates forced us to talk about them. Now its all rampant speculation on something we have less control over. Will this hurt Obama? Will this help Obama?

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. They just want horseraces, eyeballs and ad dollars. which is why we got rid of cable TV

We took a stand. Against the MSM, and against commercial TV in general.

[notesdev]

3. Don't worry yourself over it

American Idol is on

[Louisiana1976]

4. How about all the trips Obama has made to states there are elections in

(6 to New Jersey alone) instead of dealing with real issues as a president should? This will only get worse in 2010.

[HopeHoops]

5. I thought that happened about 1986 or so. n/t

[spanone]

6. it gives them a reason to exist