Brett Banter

Years ago -- actually less than a decade ago -- it was hard for so-called fringe candidates to get any notice from the mainstream media. I know because I was a political reporter who often had to deal with third, fourth and fifth party candidates. They constantly wanted me to attend rallies that brought less than 10 people, run their opinions on why South Carolina should get rid of things such as taxes and build more prisons and close all prisons and much more. It was hard enough trying to unravel the slick campaigns of the major party candidates to get to the truth to worry about the fringe.

Well the rise of social media and more controlled messages has given the fringe a new power in campaigning and now the mainstream media doesn't know what to do. Case in point is the tale of Sharron Angle, who is running for a state Senate seat in Nevada. Angle is a Tea Part favorite, and refuses to give interviews to the press. She appears to her adoring crowds, tells them what they want to hear and never is asked a hard question. She dodges the press when they come to her.

Does it work? Apparently so. A normal person would question why a candidate runs from the press, but the diehards on both sides see this as a victory. It shows "their" side is winning against the evil bad guys and girls from the media. They get enthralled and the average person gets the shaft. Voters don't want to really learn about a candidate anymore. They want someone who will tell them what they want and will refuse to believe otherwise. By shunning any chance of negative from the press, Angle is working her base perfectly.