Could the media actually want a Bush-Dean horserace?

[tedoll78]

The media gets really good ratings on certain media events, and a close election is one of them. And if the election has interesting characters, well, that's gravy!

Dean's on the cover of a major newsmagazine at least once a month, it seems. And 95% of campaign news seems to be filtered through a "How-does-this-affect-Dean?" camera angle. Then there are the reports on unusual campaigning techniques he's using. Casey the dog dropping dead for his tricks. A baseball bat swung on a stage. A airplane advertisement flying over a stadium. This campaign always seems to have a gimmick for willing newscasters.

Could the media be shaping this into a battle royale? Good versus evil? Light versus Dark?

Or is the media tired of being afraid of the Chimp? This administration does seem to have the mute button held on negative coverage. Reporters' credentials revoked when stories not to the Chimp's liking are written or shown. White House access denied when a reporter dares to stray from the approved, pre-printed script.

I've been wondering about this..