Letters to the Editor: CM Life's Presidential election coverage is already biased
TO THE EDITOR:
I appreciate your pledge in a series of three editorials to give a major focus to the coming election and to “not favor a set of candidates over another.”
Unfortunately, you’ve already failed miserably. Your editorials mentioned the Democratic and Republican candidates several times—heck, you even mentioned Bernie Sanders for some reason.
But you neglected the candidate that a recent Investor’s Business Daily scientific poll says is actually winning the 18 to 24-year-old vote — Gov. Gary Johnson.
Johnson has 35 percent to the democratic nominee’s 3 percent with the republican and green party candidates both below 15 percent.
Most insultingly, you wrote condescendingly, “Now you’re voting for Clinton or Trump, or exercising your right to vote elsewhere by supporting a third party.” This biased language effectively presses the duopoly line that a vote for anyone but “Clintrump” is a “wasted” protest vote.
This year, when 65 percent of voters have an unfavorable opinion of both the democratic and republican party candidates, the election is there for the taking for Johnson—the only candidate with executive experience who is on the ballot in all 50 states. The main thing holding him back is your bias toward the status quo parties.
If he gets into the debates, Johnson has real chance of winning the presidency, either outright or by taking a few states and denying either of the duopoly party candidates 270 electoral votes and having members of the House turn to him as a compromise candidate not beholden to either party.
You are writing primarily for an 18 to 24-year-old audience. So why do not at least mention the name of the candidate who is winning that demographic? Or better yet, give this candidate equal time.
Go ahead and mention his name. Gary Johnson. It won’t kill you. Try it.
JASON TAYLOR
Professor of Economics
Central Michigan University
