OPINION

Antionette Kerr: Catch the thrill of campaign season

Antionette Kerr More Content Now
Antionette Kerr columnist The Dispatch

My less politically fanatical friends have pointed out that while most of the nation is brewing with excitement for the start of football season, I’m preoccupied with the start of campaign season.

I can’t seem to let go of the comparison to Nielsen ratings where 161.3 million Americans tuned in at some point during NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX while a pitiful 129.2 million total votes were cast during the last presidential election.

Don’t take this the wrong way. I am excited about football (even when my Miami Dolphins lose to the Carolina Panthers). But I am a bit of a political junkie (one who binge watches cable news networks for election coverage), forgoing most television (sports, reality TV and even my beloved show “Scandal”) for quality election coverage.

Let’s face it, ratings equate to dollars. The media is like any business, revenue driven. If media outlets don’t think viewers care, we could easily lose the opportunity to see potential leaders of the free world engage in thoughtful debate about topics including health care, civil rights and war.

Looking back over history, we’ve seen some real game changers in debates. I point to the highlight reel outlined by Washington Monthly writer John Sides who, in 2012, asked, “Do Presidential Debates Really Matter?” At the time, a record number of Americans were hyped about the presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Sides wrote, “After all, every political observer can point to truly ‘important’ debates or moments during debates: the first televised debate between Kennedy and Nixon; the moment when Gerald Ford said, ‘There is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe’; Michael Dukakis’s answer to the question about whether he would support the death penalty if his wife was murdered; George H.W. Bush looking at his watch; Al Gore sighing.”

For me, the answer to Sides’ question was “yes!” but I tested the theory in the last election by showing up at a Halloween party in business attire with a sandwich board that read “Binder Full of Women.” A friend suggested if I wanted to stir up controversy I should’ve just worn a Dolphins jersey in Panthers territory. I was content with those who looked at the costume disapprovingly; at least I knew they had watched, or heard about, the debate. I gave one friend a side-eye glare when he suggested a star like Beyoncé or Kenny Chesney perform at halftime of the next debate. We should have plenty of entertainment from this year’s roster of candidates.

I don’t blame football or any other sport for the distraction. That same year, TLC’s controversial reality show “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” drew 2.9 million viewers compared to the Republican National Convention’s 1.2 million. When you consider that the Seahawks-Patriots game was the most-watched Super Bowl in history, with a peak of 120.8 million, these numbers really aren’t anything new. In fact, it’s the seventh consecutive Super Bowl that has amassed more than 150 million total viewers. Meanwhile, a presidential election has never turned out more than the 131.1 million during the 2008 election.

I don’t know why I am hopelessly expecting more excitement for the 2016 presidential election. I don’t want to distract anyone from the thrill of football season, but since we are going to have a new president, I thought America could show a little more enthusiasm. Other than tired Facebook memes, I don’t see many of my peers (outside of those affiliated with media) discussing the lineup.

This year’s season is slated to be filled with oohs, ahhs, bruising, bashing, fumbles and unsportsmanlike conduct. The contenders are already talking smack. The pundits are analyzing strategies. The bets are flying in Iowa in anticipation of the big match-up. Although we are over a year away from the Super Bowl-type Nov. 8, 2016, showdown, there are plenty of great contests leading up to Presidential Election 2016. A full field of contenders has been declared. They are “trying out” for their respective teams, and the rest of the world is paying attention.

I have a comparison for friends who insist that they don’t care about politics. As long as I can remember, football has been important to everyone around me. I began watching football as a young girl (even though I slightly resented the game for not being able to play). I gave in when I realized football was a significant part of American culture. At some point, I learned to look across the line-up and cheer for what mattered most to me. I picked a team based on my personal values (diversity, a location where I dreamed of living one day and Dan Marino).

Likewise, I am still hopeful that my fanatical approach will influence others to catch those less likely to vote; catch the thrill of campaign season.

Antionette Kerr is a syndicated writer and author of “Just Sayin’: Conversations My Mother Would Never Let Me Have at a Southern Dinner Table.” You may email her at kerr@thewritefolks.com.