The entire population of Ironwood County is tired of the political ads, particularly those that are paid for by unknown groups whose real identity is hidden. The loser in this race is the American public. No matter who wins, the only real winner is the media.
"Think about it," Bill told the boys at his café, "what if it were not a tight race? The closer the race is in each state, the more advertising flows into that state. The talking heads of journalism as well as the real reporters have a vested interest in a tight race. An apparently race close draws us into watching television, which causes ratings to go up, which causes advertising revenues to rise. In the media, it is known as job security. No one in the media wants a landslide, unless it's the morning after. Then that causes us to watch once again as so-called experts explain what happened."
"I'll have a refill of coffee," Joe Morrison said. "What you just said is too complicated for me."
