Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Lance Armstrong out of retirement

Cycling superstar Lance Armstrong stunned the sports world on September 9 when he announced that he would come out of a three-year retirement to attempt to win the Tour de France for a record eighth time. CNN reporter Kitran Chetry conducted an interview with Lance and asked questions about why and how he decided to race again. The main reason for Lnace is for the Livestrong campaign. Armstrong wants to take the message around the world and erase some of the stigma that exists with cancer and increase funding.
Chetry then began to ask Lance about how his body and mind will react to training after such a long period of doing nothing. lance replied that he believes in the theory of mind over body and even though he is 37 he feels like he is 25 and training will be much like it was before he retired. Armstrong claims the main and only reason for his return is for cancer and that the eighth title in the Tour de France does not even mean anything. Which I really can't believe because he could spread Livestrong without racing in the Tour.
The next part of the interview was a question asked about the Presidential campaign. Why would CNN ask him what he thought about McCain and Obama? The subject here is cycling and Livestrong. CNN covered this story around that basis and then switched directly to politics. I understand that the political campaign is a big issue right now but other stories should just stick to those stories.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Republican Presidential nominee John McCain is going to be on the next cover of People Magazine featuring his entire family. The Presidential election has certainly affected the lives of John McCain's closest relatives, including his wife and seven children. The news reports each family member has bonded closely together despite having mediocre relationships with with their father. What should we know about his family? How will a large family with some glitches function inside the White House? The media plays a very important role in this topic because it is their job to find out everything about the McCain family.
John McCain's campaign advisors suggested it would be a great idea to publicize his family in People Magazine. This is a great suggestion because because people all over the country want to know how these political figures function as everyday citizens. So what could be better than to have the entire McCain family featured in People Magazine? The answer is nothing. People Magazine is an average American news informant that tells everyone what the celebrities, politicians, movie stars, etc are doing in their everyday lives outside of their important jobs.
Pictures from the article include horseback riding, home photos, shots from John McCain while serving in the United States military, and many other family activities. However, the front cover picture of the entire family does not include McCain's sixteen-year-old adopted daughter Bridget. Why is this? Many sources say this is because she is "not white" enough to be part of their "All-American" family. Rumor has it that the McCain's are hiding her away on the advice of consultant Tucker Askew, who claims Bridget's skin tone is a nasty anti-McCain smear campaign. Although this is creating an issue the McCain campaign should most definitely try and avoid, the family is still extremely popular in the public's eyes.