It's time to vote this mainstream media out of influence!

By Gabriel Garnica

Let's face it. This election is certainly one of the most important in decades for this country's future, yet it is not really about the candidates per se. Sure, we have Marxist Barack Obama smiling, strutting and mispronouncing the name of the Penn State mascot while pretending to be a Christian despite calling himself a Muslim at least once. Sure, we have Joe Biden waving his long Senate history as if quantity mattered more than quality. Sure, we have war hero John McCain proving, yet again, that courage and patriotism do not automatically imply a gift for making speeches.

Above all, sure, we have Sarah Palin proving that John McCain has guts and a golden touch for the dramatic. As for Palin herself, we have a fairy-tale rise from hockey mom to national political rock star.

Not About Left or Right

There are voters in each side of the political spectrum who will never vote for the opposition, no matter what happens or what anyone says. Barack Obama could reveal that he is an email pen pal with Hugo Chavez (not such a stretch) and many passionate Democratic voters would not budge away from his side. Likewise, many GOP voters would not easily decide to vote for a Democrat such as Barack Obama or Joe Biden.

If truth be told, most elections are won by convincing enough independents and undecided voters to go one way or the other. In this cycle, it is clear that both sides are desperately trying to woo these groups.

Common Sense and Cast of Characters

Unfortunately, the right to vote is not conditional upon having two brain cells to rub together. Any fool, imbecile or gullible dope can vote if he or she qualifies. Now by brains in this case I do not mean academic or intellectual knowledge. Certainly, we all know intellectual giants who make idiotic voting decisions and academic dropouts who have more sense than all of us put together.

No, the kind of smarts that I am talking about here is common sense, a rational and level-headed notion of what is right for this country. It is an acute yet simple ability to combine basic intelligence with a healthy cynicism, a respectable suspicion of flashy claims and a core foundation in tested moral grounds. It is an embodiment of the true American spirit; courageous and adventurous yet embracing personal responsibility, compassionate yet patriotically assertive and ambitious yet unselfish.

Despite the tons of technology at our disposal, we are steadily losing the ability to apply common sense, rational decency and responsible determination in our choices. Many of us are increasingly, tragically becoming robotic zombies ready, willing and able to be hypnotized by glitz, spin and flash. What better proof is necessary than the popularity of a man in Barack Obama whose only claim to qualification is a smile, a strut, a Senate title and a stint as a community organizer. It is not that there is necessarily anything inherently wrong with these traits. It is the exaggerated and absurd way that such traits have been transformed into a qualification to be venerated, worshipped and adored as if a political messiah had just arrived.

Likewise, we have a selective preoccupation with quantity over quality. Joe Biden's decades of making the wrong decisions have been given a classic, liberal makeover. First, their error has been concealed beneath the exaggerated veneer of his length of service. Second, that length itself has been cited as proof positive of qualification for higher office.

As for John McCain, we have a war hero of great bravery with noble points and flaws like all of us who is simply the better choice for this country at this crucial time. Despite this fact, we see how his age and other factors are constantly highlighted in an effort to instill doubt.

Above all, we see in Sarah Palin an epitome of many conservative core values in the person of a simple, articulate, intelligent and compassionate woman who, like all of us, has faced numerous personal and family trials. Despite this, we see how she is bashed and slandered with lies, distortions and gossip for the crime of being a formidable conservative figure.

More Media Than Message

Despite all of the above, we must ask what this election is really about. Yes, it is about much of the difference in political, social, moral and economic philosophy between two sides and four people. However, at its core, it is simply about whether or not we will allow our national political and social debate to be dictated by a biased, arrogant, elitist and hypocritical mainstream media whose blatant prejudice in favor of liberal views and equally biased view of conservative views is increasingly obvious.

One need only look how the selection of Sarah Palin led to the mad rush by this media to destroy Palin. It is almost as if this media has decided and declared Barack Obama its darling choice whose own questionable past and views have been completely ignored.

Simply put, this media spends as much if not more effort in bashing the conservative ticket as it does in concealing and shielding the liberal one. If even 10% of undecided or independent voters believe this biased media, the election could be decided in the media's favor.

Conclusion

While it is true that this election is about where this country is headed, it is about something even more significant to our future and that of our children. When all is said and done, it will be about whether or not this biased mainstream media will be driving the bus.

© Gabriel Garnica