Lucia

de Vernai

Read Lucia's bio and previous columns

October 16, 2008

Fox Shows Its Patriotism, By Eschewing the Debate in Favor of Baseball

Fox Broadcasting is well renowned for its editorial decision-making and always bringing America the most imperative, straightforward news and analysis it deserves. So it’s no wonder that the network set the standard by airing a baseball game instead of the final presidential debate.

Don’t think that the network has lost its patriotic touch – as an MLB.com article assured readers, this year they won’t have to choose between political parties and sports teams. Phew, that’s a relief. Americans have enough tough decisions to make. Having them decide “baseball or future of America?” would just be cruel.

So Fox decided to replace Barack Obama and John McCain with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, reminding us all that while elections come and go, America’s favorite pastime is forever. Literally. Nine innings of watching grown men in pajamas navel gazing, standing around, consuming Gatorade, getting ready, contemplating what to do next (kick dirt or play grab ass with the next guy up?), standing around some more and pointing at things makes political he-said-she-said a thrill ride. 

Major League Baseball made it possible for fans to watch the debate online because: “When the presidential candidates are on the stage at the same time as the World Series candidates, it just shouldn't be a choice to make. The only choice should be which of those individual candidates to support.” Clearly, the American electoral system should be grateful for MLB’s considerate online streaming of the debate. Next time, if Bob Schieffer and company know what’s good for them, the debates will be scheduled around the series.

The financial fiasco that has hit our economy was not enough for network television to put Everybody Loves Raymond on hold and start covering the financial impact across the country, or follow members of Congress as they negotiated how $700 billion we don’t have is going to get spent. Viewers would apparently pout at that, and revenues from Bounty the One-Sheet Quicker Picker-Upper commercials would plummet.

We can’t have that happen, it would be unpatriotic.

Replacing the one last face-to-face exchange between presidential candidates with cumulative 38 minutes of Cole Hamels shuffling, well that’s just what this country needs. MLB showing the live debate online while taking up airwave time has the sleazy cover of good intention masking self-interest that would make any politician blush. And Fox’s decision to air the game while the debate is going on is a testament to its priorities. Higher ratings and profit-trumping civic duty is no surprise, but “We report, you decide” is gonna have to go if you’re not reporting anything other than foul balls.

John McCain’s avoiding questions or asking what we need to be raising taxes for (cough, $700 billion, cough) was admittedly more frustrating than most baseball fans watching the game saw. But the precedent of putting entertainment over elections is likely to continue past November 4 and into other important occasions. Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on Inauguration Day is only a matter of time. 

Click here to talk to our writers and editors about this column and others in our discussion forum.

To e-mail feedback about this column, click here. If you enjoy this writer's work, please contact your local newspapers editors and ask them to carry it.