Discovering Politics

Politics in the United States greatly influence the lives of its citizens. The media is very significant to the way that citizens experience politics. Without it, most citizens would have no idea what is going on in politics from day to day.

My earliest memory in regards to politics was during the 1996 Clinton-Dole elections. I was in second grade. I remember that my friends had very different feelings than my family, and I felt very conflicted, considering this was an election I had absolutely no control over. Looking back on it now, my friends’ arguments for one candidate were not very logical and sounded made up.
I had absolutely no media influence in concerns to this election, probably because I didn’t watch the news and wouldn’t read a book that didn’t have pictures. As soon as the election was over, my thoughts on the election ceased to matter, and did not encourage any interest in politics.

Now that I am older and actually have a say in who the next president is, I feel more inclined to follow politics and form opinions on political matters. I feel more of a responsibility to make myself aware of politics, rather than pure interest.

One moment that affected the way I thought about politics would have to be the Lewinsky Clinton scandal. It made me realize that the pedestal that politicians, especially presidents, are placed upon does not make them infallible. It was the first time that I had witnessed a major political screw up. The media’s coverage of this scandal only amplified this in my mind and made it seem even worse.

When reading about politics I typically scan the article in order to see the most important information. I still find it difficult to maintain an interest in politics, but I feel obligated to be aware of my political surroundings.

Barack Obama is a political figure I respond strongly to. His presence and promises of change inspire me to believe in this country.

Occasionally I find it difficult to take politics easily when they are displayed in the media. It seems as if the media turns political events into a soap-opera like plotline in order to entertain readers, when it should be reported on objectively because it will affect readers’ lives.
I feel that certain television shows encourage this entertainment via politics. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart uses comedy and politics to entertain its viewers. While this show is quite enjoyable, it does mock important events in politics.

Sometimes I feel that I do not want to involve myself in politics. It is not something I particularly enjoy and I feel an obligation to follow it. However, it is my responsibility to make myself aware of politics through the media.