European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Orse race journalism and homogenized candidates somebody by David Shaw the los Angeles times Eorge Bush and Michael Dukakis. A Democrat and a Republican. Both honest hard working conscientious Public servants. But if you were having a dinner party and wanted witty Lively charismatic guests rather than merely famous powerful guests it is not Likely that either of those gentlemen would be on your invitation list. Why not Why Are the most successful candidates for the top political offices in the United states these Days increasingly uninteresting people Gray Bland centrists and technocrats unlikely to Drift very far from the Middle of the Road either stylistically or ideologically president Reagan is a rare exception to the trend As even his critics concede but he is just that an exception and Many politicians As Well As Many scholars political consultants and journalists attribute the grading of american politics largely to the Impact of the Media. The Media they say have homogenized the candidates the Media now examine candidates More carefully Over a longer period of time on More issues than Ever before questioning not just voting records but consistency ethics financial holdings health spouses activities even sexual behaviour. Result some potential candidates fearful of such scrutiny choose not to run for office at All. Worse say Many experienced political hands interviewed by the los Angeles times those candidates who do run and who do diverge substantially from the centrist Norm either personally or politically tend to find themselves screened out by a citizenry that is Given More exposure to the candidates than at any time in . History. The changing political climate in America is a Complex subject and it is an oversimplification to attribute too much to the influence of the Media. Indeed Many reporters editors and broadcast executives insist that the Media has Little real Power and that what Power it does have is not expanding. Concerns about unprecedented press Power have been raised in every election since television first became a major Factor in 1960, they say. The problem i have with All of these analyses that put a great Deal of emphasis on Media skills of candidates or the influence of the Media itself is that they too often end up sounding like the voters Are sort of robots being steered around by Superior intelligence some other place says David Broder of the Washington Post Dean of the nation s political reporters. But interviews with others strongly suggest that the press has had a major and growing Impact on the political process of late a striking and immense role in picking presidents As political scientist Everett Carll Ladd wrote in the Christian science Monitor last fall. This Impact goes far beyond the Media s contribution to the growing blandness of american politics. With the decline of political parties As measured by decreased party line votes in Congress increased ticket splitting at the polls a diminished number of voters who identify themselves As strongly partisan and the replacement of the brokered convention and the smoke filled Back room with the direct presidential primary the press has stepped into the resultant vacuum. Campaigns Are now conducted essentially in and for the press. Someone has to. Serve in the role that probably the old party Bosses did says Edward Rollins chairman of the Reagan Bush Campaign in 1984 and now a Republican political consultant. If you were a woman Chaser or a Boozer or had some real significant shortcomings in the old Days. Those things would be been known and i would assume in most cases someone would have objected in private to a person like that being put Forward. Today you take a Gary Hart who obviously would not have been picked by party Bosses. And you make him an instant. Celebrity. My sense is Gary Hart would be been the nominee of the democratic Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday August 21,1988