Via theReasonists.

My friend, the wonderful author Jane Devin, wrote a post about this video here. I’d like to add my two cents.

All I’m seeing on the Tee Vee Machine lately are swats to the president for his debate performance. Never mind the months and months that preceded that night. Never mind Mitt Romney’s countless lies, Etch A Sketch moments, blatant hypocrisy, flip flops, sleazy out of context excerpts of President Obama’s words in his campaign ads, and his own constant evasions and terrible policy positions. He’s refused to give details of his tax plan, he’s refused to reveal his tax returns, he’s refused to let us know much about how he’d run this country at all, he’s shown his dangerous foreign policy ignorance repeatedly, he’s lied about his own bipartisanship, yet media commentators are frothing and hyperventilating over 90 minutes of television.

Yes, take the debate into account, but for goodness sake, look at the big picture. While the optics of that evening were disappointing for the president, he conveyed more than body language. He actually did rebut a few of Romney’s jaw-droppingly idiotic ideas (whatever they were), and even pre-emptively went after others.

But Romney and Obama both have long track records. If the election hinges on one debate, then why go through the motions and expense of campaigning? 

Share this video. Broaden the conversation, because guess what? TV is about ratings and profit, not necessarily about fairness or truth. It’s about entertainment (or in this case, infotainment). The media need a closer race, they must keep us hooked, because they thrive on our viewership.

It’s up to each of us to educate ourselves about who will be our next president, and laziness is not an option. Watch, read, research, listen. And learn.

Learn.

And then vote.