The Issue of Race Rears Its Head

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032561

The representation of race within the media machine is an ongoing issue in the U.S. and in the world today. As societies advance in technology, communication, and education, the media is always present and is more than willing to put in their opinions of current events, trends, and almost everything else out on the market. In an article I found at msnbc online, the media is now putting in its critique of the issue of race within the presidential campaign. The link above is the direct link to the article.
As the article states, race has not, as of yet, come up as a major factor within either the Democratic or the Republican presidential campaigns. Both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain have avoided bringing race into their run for the presidency in a substantial way. Representatives from both camps have stated that they feel that race will not be as large of a deciding factor for voters as many would believe. With all of the other issues on the table right now, such as the economic crisis and the war in Iraq, both candidates have demonstrated that they find race to be a much less mitigating factor in the election process than it has been in the past.
While reading this article I couldn’t help but wonder why those in the media felt compelled to write the piece. It seems to me that they are almost pushing for race to become a bigger issue within the election.
There is truth in the fact that other people within the Democratic and Republican parties have used language which has pertained to race and racism. Comments such as those by Congressman John Lewis and Governor Sarah Palin have been seen as being racially motivated. Indeed one could see how these comments might influence the public, but the question then becomes: To what extent? Will these loaded comments from other politicians influence the overall public views of Obama and McCain, or is it that extensive media coverage of these topics will influence voters?
Only time will tell for certain whether or not race will play a significant role in this presidential election. However, it seems obvious to me that articles like this one will always exist as a way in which the media can flex its influential muscles. After all, if the media did not spread the word about the comments made by these politicians outside of the presidential campaign or write stories pertaining to the topic of a candidate’s race, would it be as big of an issue in the U.S.?