Effect of Writers' Strike on Election Turn-Out
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
February 23, 2008 12:11am CST
I must credit another myLotter for giving me the inspiration for this discussion after reading her response to another post. She believes - and I'm paraphrasing here so don't quote me - the interest in this year's Presidential is partially due to the writers' strike and the resulting lack of TV entertainment. She feels there is a direct connection between the start of the strike and Obama's rise in the polls. I had to put my two cents in (or course...lol) and said I think it may be the other way around, that perhaps if the late night comedies and shows such as SNL and Bill Maher had been on, or at least had been new shows, all along there may have been even MORE interest in the election. Remember, surveys have shown a large percentage of young voters in particular admit to getting a large portion of their political "news" from shows such as Leno, Letterman, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher and you can't forget long time favorite Saturday Night Live which I'm sure would have been having a ton of fun with the Presidential debates and primaries not to mention the ads and campaign controversies.
What do you think - whiche on of us is right here, or are we both wrong and there is no connection between the strike and the Presidential campaign?
Annie
1 person likes this
1 response
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
23 Feb 08
I think you are right about the young voters and your friend is right about the older voters. For the young, there are way more things to do other than watch t.v. They can play video games or do something else on the computer.so with the writers strike, they aren't seeing that much t.v. on the other hand , the older voter that may or may not want to use the computer that much is opting to watch the race for the White House.Let's face it, unless you are into basketball what else is on for the older viewer. Besides this years race is the best reality show on t.v.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Excellent point on reality TV. I'm not sure what the ratings show nationwide but most of the older people I know are NOT fans of reality TV at all, and I'm one of them. I just thought of another angle on the younger voters; since they have admitted in the past to getting much of their political information from the late night comedies and much of what they hear on those shows is rather cynical so it could be that now they're getting more "real" news and they're doing more reading and they're watching the debates.
Annie
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
23 Feb 08
Maybe.Some may have an interest, But others like me, although I am old enough to be in the older generation I tend to be more like the younger generation,are tuning out all the hoopla over the candidates and doing something else.
