Canthook

You're not alone if you feel that way.

According to a poll released today by the Pew Research Center (Pew Charitable Trust), about 2/3 of all people thought the news coverage is excessive.

Diana Still Tops

The number of people closely following news of Mr. Jackson's death trails that of Princess Diana, John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Steve Irwin.

They haven't been doing polls long enough to compare him to Elvis, or President Kennedy. I suspect they would both blow Princess Diana's ratings out of the water.

Other News

The Pew poll is done weekly, Friday through Monday as a rule, and looks at what people are seeing on news, and what they are paying attention to. The occurrances in Iran actually scored a 31% in "following closely" compared to only 30% for the entertainer, and 29% for health care reform.

Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett didn't even register on the meter. The train crash in DC scored an 18%, while both the greenhouse gas bill and Governor Sanford's doings both scored 16%.

I suspect Governor Sanford would have preferred to come in behind Ed and Farrah. It's getting painful to watch that story. He could rehabilitate himself if he would shut up, file for divorce, and kick his wife out of the state-owned housing.

People understand a marriage that's failed. A significant minority have been in one. But saying you are going to try to fall in love with your wife again, instead of the love of your life? Yuck! That says "I'm incredibly stupid, and I'm going to deliberately be cruel to myself, to my wife, and to my great love." Who can sympathize with that?

Other Bloggers On Related Topics:
- DC trains - Ed McMahon - Elvis Presley - Farrah Fawcett - Governor Sanford - greenhouse gas - health care - Iran - John F. Kennedy - John F. Kennedy, Jr. - Michael Jackson - Pew poll - Princess Diana - Steve Irwin