September 6, 2004
Political conventions are exhausting and I'm glad both are over for another four years.
Reporters complain about how packaged they are, but reporters have contributed to the packaging by the way they cover politics and the conventions and now the campaign.
Reporters complain about lack of substance, but they rarely cover anything substantial.
Reporters complain about the lack of issues, but when candidates talk about substantive issues, most reporters ignore what they say, or carry only the criticism and stereotyping and focus on the horse race.
The double standard most of the big media apply to politics insures that the level of cynicism can only increase.
Take senator Zell Miller's speech to the GOP convention.
When Miller keynoted the democrat convention in 1992 and criticized George W. Bush, the networks called it a historical tradition.
When he changed his mind and criticized John Kerry at the Republican convention this year, those same networks called him mean-spirited and his speech, harsh.
Less than two months until the election and all of this can only get worse.
I'm Cal Thomas in New York.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C. Watch his television show, After Hours with Cal Thomas, on the Fox News Channel, Saturdays at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
