Maybe this story should be titled “Did He or Didn’t He?” And maybe it shouldn’t make a difference anyway. Our “news” media has become so obssessed with feeding us endless trivia about a few people that they declare “newsworthy” while ignoring real issues. And just because a person is a famous entertainer doesn’t make his political views any more valid than anyone else’s. But it still seems just a little strange that when somebody as well-known and popular as David Letterman endorses (or seems to endorse) a presidential candidate, it gets absolutely no mention from the media.
Of course, that was a rhetorical statement. I think I know why the media are ignoring Letterman’s endorsement. That’s because the candidate involved is Dennis Kucinich, whom the media would prefer to ignore because he’s so embarrassingly right on all the issues. If they mention him at all, it’s only to remind us that nobody is going to vote for him.
So did Letterman really endorse Dennis Kucinich? That’s a good question, especially considering that only a few months ago, number 1 on his list of “Top Ten Signs Your Newspaper Is In Trouble” was “You endorsed Dennis Kucinich”. But, on June 29, Letterman concluded an interview with Kucinich by shaking his hand and saying “Well, you’ve got my vote.” (video and article). Admittedly, both men were laughing at the time, and it was at the end of an interview that varied from serious to humorous. But, where I come from, when you shake a man’s hand and say “You’ve got my vote”, that’s serious business, whether or not the other hand is holding a half-pint.
I would really love to see some follow-up on this issue. But I’m betting that most of the media are scared to ask Letterman if he was serious, because they’re afraid he might say “Yes”. And they don’t want to admit that anybody they consider “important” thinks Kucinich is a better candidate than the ones they keep forcing down our throats. You know damn well that if Letterman had shaken hands with Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama and said “You’ve got my vote”, the “news” shows would be playing that clip endlessly while talking heads droned about the impact on the race. But any mention of someone other than their precious darlings is unacceptable.