warning political rant ahead

I sent this email to NPR today:

Today I listened to Dakota Midday (May 12, 2008) and I was sad to see NPR and SD public radio buying into the media nonsense. I hear your “political junkies” saying that the primary is effectively over and that Hillary continuing to run is going to make her a joke. A couple points:

1. The media may be painting Obama as the presumptive nominee but the last I checked Obama did NOT have enough delegates to be the presumptive nominee. Unless things change radically over the next few weeks Obama will NOT gain enough delegates to be the nominee without the super delegates, and since they can change their affiliations right up until they vote at the convention this means there will be no presumptive nominee.

2. When my son was in cross country I encouraged him to run his very hardest in every race. He was not a particularly good runner and his chances of ever winning were very slim. But I always thought that our country valued finishing races. We also value underdogs. When the boxer gets up from the mat after being counted down to the last number we cheer mightily for him. And when, just once in a while, he throws the knockout punch, we all feel a little bit better. We cheer for the last person to finish the marathon. No one runs out in a race where someone is two strides behind and tells the second runner to quit because they have no chance of winning.
3. I do not understand why these same values that we hold onto and tell our children to abide by: (Finishing what you start. Never give up. ) are not equally important in politics. No matter who I intend to vote for, I value Hillary’s insistence that she will finish what she has started. Her insistence that we, here in South Dakota have as much right to vote and have our voices heard as does Iowa when it caucuses first. It bothers me that the mainstream media has declared Obama the winner, despite his not having enough delegates to win. BUT it bothers me so much more when NPR and Public Radio do the same.

I hope that in the future you report more facts, and fewer opinions. If the “political junkies” have opinions, they should very much state that this is an OPINION. Saying that Hillary has lost and Obama has won, is NOT a fact. It is not even an opinion. It is too soon to declare a winner when two runners are still in the race and one is a few strides behind.