The Historical 2008 Election

This year's election has been a great moment in history. It first started with the first woman to run for presidency, the first African-American man to run for presidency, and now a woman who has the chance to become president by becoming vice president. The media has made a big emphasis on covering all kinds of aspects of the elections. Some information has been helpful, but some has been for scandal.
The one thing I have noticed, along with other news watchers, that the media has made a huge emphasis on Barack Obama and little is seen or heard of John McCain. Barack Obama has been discussed over and over again in the news, in regards of his religion, his church, his beliefs. It seems what has happened in his life is so much more interesting to cover, or this is at least what the media has portrayed. McCain has been covered a little bit more now because the elections are near, but also because of his choice for vice president, Sarah Palin, who has made a big splash in the media. With all her controversy in her life, McCain and Palin have made big headlines.
It seems like the media portrays the candidates in a way that seems to be scandalous. They want the news to be like gossip more than information. An example can be Sarah Palin and her lifestyle. I do not see how that is more important to know than her policies for this country. On Obama's case, the fact of how he was raised and what goes on in his church, seemed to be a really big deal. I can see how these issues can be important in knowing the candidate, but I did not see many stories on what Obama plans to do for our country. Another reason why these two candidates have been in the news is because of their images. Both are considered good looking and young, while McCain is portrayed as being old and grumpy. This has happened before in history when JFK ran for presidency. The media covered him a lot because he was handsome and had a movie star presence. It seems that the presence of a candidate will affect how the media and public perceive him/her.
It has also been such a big election because of the issues that are current. Many people are worried about the economy, oil, war, and personal issues that they may be facing. These topics will be greatly affected based on who will be voted in to make changes in our country. Because of this, it seems that people seem to lean towards Obama because he represents different beliefs. It seems that the media is looking for someone who will be different from other candidates to attract people.
I have to admit that it may not be all the media portraying the elections this way, but the majority have made this impression on me as well as other people.
The one thing that I have recognized and appreciate (maybe because I am older) is the fact that the media has been making a big deal about the elections. It is something very important and it should be covered intensely to get people to vote and voice their beliefs. It should also be covered to educate people and this year it is really great that it has been covered so much because it is such a great moment in history. It seems that this year, so many young people want to voice their opinions by voting and the media has played a big role in this. This is something that I feel is extremely good because it allows the youth to learn about making important decisions.