Mike Carlson is an American, who commentates on American Football on British TV. He's good, and also funny, and definitely liberal - he hates Rush Limbaugh, calls Reggie Bush "the Bush you CAN support", and has made a few pointed remarks about the stupidty of the Gulr War, and faux patriotism). The BBC have let him loose on the coverage of the US election, and he's not too impressed, obviously....
This year's elections are wide-open for both parties. No incumbents running, no anointed candidate picked by party hacks in advance. Given a race with more than two horses, the political press seem unable to cope.
They want to be handed a two-horse storyline they can follow. A recent study pointed out that John Edwards, despite finishing second (or in his words "winning second place") in the first two primaries, received only 7% of the news coverage.
First woman against first black man is a script the press can follow: Edwards has no place in that story.
Compare that to, say, Britain's Grand National steeplechase. A series of BBC commentators follow the progress of 40 horses, identifying them instantly by their colours, and knowing which horses (and jockeys) like soft going, have stamina, like to hug the rail, or may hesitate at jumps.
...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7198080.stmThe BBC could do worse than get rid of their over-excitable hacks, and use Carlson, once the football season in over.
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