Campaign Mockery

I recently read an article that talked about the harm that late night television talk shows have on the presidential candidates. Shows such as Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Conan O'Brien who currently poke fun at all three presidential candidates throughout their monologues could potentially hurt U.S. politics. If voters or the public continuously hear how corrupt, ignorant, and stupid all of the candidates are, then what difference does it make in who we vote for?

Late night TV turns democracy into a joke. "If the late-night talk shows make fun of every politician, night after night and election cycle after election cycle, is the butt of the joke no longer the politician but the American democratic system?" By creating a mockery out of all the presidential candidates, it takes away from the serious note that these men and women have to run our country that is "on the brink of a recession". The next President will have to deal with the economy, the war with Iraq, and other major issues involving foreign affairs, but majority of what people see are these candidates being laughed at or made fun of for their actions, names and other associations. It is not likely that late night television is going to change any time soon, but how long will it take for there to be a very serious impact, if there is isn't already, on our American democratic system?