The New York Times Caucus Blog columnist Michael Shear spoke on Nov. 18 to college students about his career, as well as his involvement with reporting on recent presidential elections.
Shear was one of the reporters who traveled with 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
One thing that surprised Shear while riding with McCain on the Straight Talk Express bus was that the candidate was very open and accessible to reporters.
Shear illustrated his point by saying that he has over 200 hours of audio interviews with the candidate, and that such access to a high-profile presidential nominee, as a reporter, was rare.
“You’ll [usually] see other candidates every few weeks,” Shear said.
Students were also very interested in speaking about McCain's 2008 running mate, Sarah Palin.
Shear was asked if he thought Palin’s new TLC reality show “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” was appropriate.
“I think the reality TV show thing [for Palin] fits perfectly in today’s political climate,” Shear said.
Some students expressed concern that Palin’s reality TV show could jeopardize her chances of running for president in the future.
Shear felt that Palin’s approach with her television show could be appealing to potential voters.
“We are past the notion of what is, and isn’t, presidential,” Shear said.
Shear likened Palin’s television show to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movie career. He said that voters today are open to new ways of seeing potential candidates than they were in previous election cycles.
“We are in a culture where [reality TV shows] doesn’t bother [voters,]” Shear said.
Photo credit: The Huffington Post
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