Every day after work, I turn on MSNBC and watch guys like Chris Matthews, Tucker Carlson and Keith Olbermann tell us that Hillary Clinton has a huge lead in the Democratic polls. She's followed by Obama and Edwards, while guys like Biden and Dodd are constantly ignored, it appears, by those involved in the polls.

The problem with that is Biden, Dodd and maybe even Richardson would make far better presidents than Clinton and Obama, for different reasons. Clinton would be more divisive, perhaps, than Bush, and Obama simply isn't ready to handle the job in these tense times.

The only reason Clinton and Obama are 1-2 in the polls is because people have heard of them. They are all over the news all the time. They certainly aren't 1-2 because of the issues.

I just think that if the media would focus more on guys like Biden, Dodd and Richardson, and highlight the experience and knowledge they have, people might start to wake up to them a little bit. Television programs and the media shape opinion probably more than they know and the true good presidential candidates should get more coverage, despite what the polls say.

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Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it. ---- Mark Twain

It is not the responsibility of the media to inform us on what is most important. It is an individuals responsibility to go and find out about what we feel is the most important thing. A year away from the elections and most Americans are more worried about who is going to win Amazing Race than the Race to the White House. Those of us that are sick wonks care now, the rest do when someone says, "Hey, you gunna vote today?"

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I am more concerned with the intellectual environment

'Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.'

~ Thomas Jefferson

64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

I certainly agree it is the responsibility of the individual to seek out the important information. My only point is - like you said - people these days are so apathetic toward our government and elections that it's hard to believe there are too many like us who actually dig deeper than the media coverage. I became a huge Biden supporter just from watching the early debates. I have since read his book, watched his numerous YouTube videos daily and check the Google news headlines every day to see if any Joe Biden stories have come out.

My whole thing with the media is that it seems they let polls dictate what they cover. And it's a vicious cycle. The media covers Clinton and Obama the most. People see that and hear that, and look, the polls show Clinton and Obama leading among Dems. But it's like which came first, the chicken or the egg? Are Clinton and Obama covered all the time because they're ahead in the polls or are they ahead in the polls because they're covered all the time?

I guess I'm just tired of presidential politics being about the big-name people and not so much about who is most qualified. I mean, really, is Barack Obama qualified to be president? Is Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney qualified? I'll admit Hillary may be qualified, but all of her baggage and all of the right-wing hatred toward her and her husband will keep the country divided on partisan lines for at least four more years after Bush. We don't need that.

Guys like Biden are qualified. Dodd is probably qualified. Ron Paul is qualified to be president. These are the people who should be in the forefront of this election.

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Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it. ---- Mark Twain

I am sympathetic to both Biden and Paul's causes. I would agree that they are better candidates than Hillary and Rudy McRomson. I am also disgusted with the acquiescence that the public exhibits in regards to which candidates they are having hoisted upon them via TV coverage. Having said that, I disagree with the OP notion regarding the media.

It is not the medias job, whether people are apathetic or not, to educate citizens to the better candidates rather than the most popular ones. The media is only going to be as good as the public is vigilant. If the public isn't vigilant and informed, the burden then lies with the citizens that know better to open the rest of their eyes. To be more succint, a lazy public has nobody to blame but itself - and yes, that includes people like you and I.

Bring the names up in conversations you have with others (which is what I do). Often times it works, sometimes it doesn't. Trust me, you'll get more done by being active in your community about other candidates than you will holding your breath for the media to do so.

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"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom."
Isaac Asimov

The media is sometimes like a broken washing machine, stuck on spin cycle. I used to count on Lou Dobbs for a pretty good look at things, but even that isn't working now. Pretty much have to read and watch as much as you can and then forget 70% of it.

From observation of US political leaders, they have to know how to work the press. They have to be charismatic and be able to crowd-please.
The things which matter to us, don't come first to many...the candidates have to look good to appeal to the masses.

Do Americans own the media?

The media is the forth branch of our government. It can be changed just like the government can. Write letters, complain, speak your mind and don’t watch crap 24 hour news stations that don’t cover the things that our important. Coughfoxnewscough.

Smells more like a campaign finance reform issue to me (more so than a media problem).

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No. A group with their own special interest, which is to insure a one world government, through collectivism.

It is called programing for a reason.