We say it here, it comes out there.... (misquoting Albert Brooks in 'Broadcast News')

Almost as if they were eavesdropping on John and I over lunch on Thursday, according to the New York Times today, Showtime picked up on the 'American Candidate' reality show idea.

Also Endemol in the UK are exploring the possibility of a Pop Idol-type show called "Power Idol".

While both these concepts would - of course - be fascinating to watch for all the wrong reasons, where they might be missing the boat is in equating reality TV with a panacea for voter apathy in the 18-34 age group.

There are myriad other reasons why young people don't participate in the democratic process; and for programme-makers to somehow argue that they are advancing the noble cause of civic engagement by churning out this kind of novelty content is disingenuous at best.

Elsewhere, in the 'there but for the grace of God...' dept: someone over at AP Sports will be spending their weekend making a bunch of apologetic phone calls....

Steve

From the sublime, to the ridiculous.....

Journalism. Don'cha love it?

Steve

Here's the transcript of last night's Democratic candidate debate in Iowa, from the Des Moines Register.

Wesley Clark, who isn't on the ballot in Iowa, didn't take part. On Meet The Press yesterday, he said it wasn't practical for him to expend the sort of resources needed to contest both Iowa and New Hampshire, as well as campaigning in the south and midwest, where he expects to do well.

He also categorically ruled out accepting an invitation to run as a VP; for Dean or indeed for anyone.

Here's his take on why invading Iraq was wrong:

"We had Osama bin Laden in a box, and we should have stayed there in the spring of 2002 and finished the job against him. But four months afterwards, we didn't. That was the point at which the United States of America began to cut back its resourcing and direct all of the internal intention to going after Saddam Hussein.

I remember being overseas in late January of 2002 and I was already getting the rumblings from inside the Pentagon and from my friends there, saying, "Oh, well, you know, Afghanistan, that's a holding action. You know, we've cut any additional forces going there. We're going to let them do the best they can, but we've got to get ready to go after Iraq."

And there was no reason to have gone after Iraq at that point. Saddam Hussein wasn't connected with 9/11. He didn't have an imminent threat to use weapons of mass destruction or use them against us. There just wasn't an imminent reason to divert attention from terrorism to go after Iraq. There was no reason to do that, but this administration chose to do it. It was a mistake."

According to Glen Johnson in the Boston Globe, Bill Bradley will endorse Howard Dean at a 'special breakfast' tomorrow in New Hampshire. Might as well rub a danish in John Kerry's face while you're there.....

Here's a Bradley quote on Dean's net organising activities:

"(Dean) has used technology exceedingly well. He could be the beneficiary of a tremendous yearning for grassroots expression and for people finding a voice that is heard, and if that develops as it has up to now, and accelerates, then I think that it will be an extremely important phenomenon in this country.''

Howard Kurtz writes in the Post today about the "embeds" of the political campaign - the young TV producers who're stalking the candidates relentlessly aboard their campaign busses.

It's like if Tim Crouse and Alexandra Pelosi had a child....

Piece in USA Today about blogging and the upcoming presidential race.