The Media Giveth ... and Go Fuck Yourself

Wow. The shit has finally hit the fan. After more than a year of careful jockeying, we’re finally casting binding votes for our presidential nominees. What a great feeling. To mark the occasion, I’ve thrown up a special sidebar for election news and coverage.

I welcome any suggestions for new sources or headlines, but let me walk you through what I have so far:

I’ve listed all of the major news sources that have special election coverage. I’ve also set off outlets in Missouri and other important states.

Sadly, so far as I can tell, the Post-Dispatch has no election section. The closest they have is a politics sidebar, which is mostly AP rehash. Yet another reason I feel no shame in calling St. Louis’ paper of record a tattered old scrap of its former self. Fox 2 television, surprisingly, has had thus far some of the most impressive local and national coverage out of all the St. Louis sources. They also feature the wisdom of Kenneth F. Warren, Ph.D., polling king of the Midwest.

I’m trying to limit the headlines I post to a few from each day, and to only news from campaigns. I’m posting other political news with the usual briefing. Speaking of which, one of the best pieces I’ve read lately is Matt Bai’s Times Magazine cover story, “The Clinton Referendum.” It’s a breakdown of Clintonism past present and future – really sharp reporting and analysis – and especially pertinent as Hillary scraps it out in New Hampshire. Bai also has a blog and a new book (The Argument) about the state of the Democratic Party.

Speaking of blogs, I should point out some of my most reliable sources:

For brief campaign updates and polls, I usually stick with the news wires. My Way News is a great site for headlines from the AP and other sources without all of the gimmicks. (The AP also has a section of their video page dedicated to politics.) Clearinghouses like Politico and Real Clear Politics are also great for poll data and other quick hits. If I had to pick a single source to check regularly, it would be one of these three.

Politico is also an example of a site that features wonk wisdom on an almost constant basis. Along with blogs like The Note (ABC), The Caucus (NYT), The Swamp (Chicago Trib), and The Fix (Washington Post), it features dribs and drabs from the campaigns but also full-bodied breakdowns from rising/established experts. The Note has especially dominated this group.

Finally, where would an election season be without the old balls brigade? Sadly, vets like R.W. Apple Jr. and Hunter S. Thompson have gone to that great convention in the sky, but there are still some press wizards cranking out copy – like David Broder at the Post, Bob Novak at the Sun-Times, and Clarence Page at the Trib. Also, check your local listings for The McLaughlin Group. Pat Buchanan, Eleanor Clift – seriously, they know what they’re talking about.

If you have any time after that, you can browse the rest of the Press Wizards Blogroll.

As I said, hit me with any new links and headlines. More to come, but this seems like a good start.

1/7/08
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