Is Television Hurting Politics?

The powers of television and social media are more prevalent than ever, but with the impending presidential election, do they do more harm than good? Presidents and presidential candidates are no strangers to utilizing all the power at their disposal to aid in their campaigns and their images, so it was no surprise that when the invention of television cam out, that this was added to their arsenal as well.

In the past weeks we have seen two presidential debates come and go, and both had a lot to say about the images of those involved, the most outstanding being Vice-President Joe Biden with his large smile and animated gestures. Many say that this was show boating in order to throw off his opponent, and ended up being the most discussed topic about the debate rather than the issues themselves. It even spawned a joke Twitter account called SmilingJoeBiden. We seem to be living in an age where these are the things that pick up the most attention from viewers, especially those in the younger generations. It is almost as though they keep themselves informed through television in order to find the next funny thing to joke about on the Internet.

While television has had its advantages with presidential hopefuls, such as the iconic debate between Kennedy and Nixon, has its power begun to fade? The most obvious advantage is that television allows us to be able to see our president and the opposing candidate. We can see their mannerisms, how they react under pressure, how polite they are or if they are the type of person to barrel into a conversation or debate when it pleases them. These are all subtle indications of character which can help the American people feel more confident in choosing who they feel would be best to run the country. And yet, television can turn entire debates into a mockery, when people begin to talk about what someone was wearing as opposed to their stance on foreign policy.

It is more than obvious that the political system will never go back to the way it once was, and both television and social media have created a vital part of politics that we cannot do away with now. But when the issues begin to be overshadowed, there should be new ways to help combat this, or new protocols to deal with conduct when on television. It should be used as a fruitful tool and not a gimmick for attention.