Current Affairs Essay

But what about the exit polls that had placed Kerry ahead, the same ones that had placed Al Gore ahead in the last election? The mainstream news media had to come up with an answer-- and quick! So they blamed the discrepancy on the Internet bloggers, who they claimed had prematurely published inconclusive information about Kerry being in the lead earlier in the day. But did they know this for sure? They didn't have time to investigate it, nor carefully analyze the information. And does it seem reasonable that a handful of Internet bloggers with limited audiences and resources could change the course of a presidential election in a few hours?

It didn't matter. The mainstream news media reported it as if it were the uncontested truth, after which, the usual cast of political analysts underscored the story about the bloggers and repeated the mantra that exit polls were no longer valid and should be retired.

Never one to allow truth or accuracy to stand in his way, Bush took charge of the news cycle the next day and declared not only a great victory for himself, but a clear mandate for his elitist, right-wing policies. Members of the corporate-controlled mainstream news media had no problem with this. In fact, they couldn't wait to genuflect and proclaim fealty to their Republican master, praising Him for winning the election "fair and square."

Fortunately, progressives are not as weak-kneed as the mainstream news media, nor as apathetic as the general public, nor as easily intimidated as the Democratic Party, and they are going to pursue this computerized voter scam until they get to the truth.

The question is, will the mainstream news media report the truth, or will they stick with their "fair and square" story and put out the usual propaganda about left-wing conspiracy theories? Whatever the case, as long as we have paperless voting machines and unfair and unequal voting procedures, and as long as many Americans do not trust the mainstream news media, there will always be doubt about this election, and any election in the future. "Welcome to the machine!"