Voters may face outbreak of "campaign fatigue"

[CMF Newsman]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Inundated with politics long before the 2008 presidential election, U.S. voters are in danger of suffering wearying bouts of the uniquely American affliction of "campaign fatigue" in coming months.

Experts say voters who follow the news closely are most at risk of the condition striking this year earlier than ever. It takes its toll with information overload, long hitches of unpaid work for campaign volunteers and the all-important undecided voters on the fence longer than usual.

Voter attention tends to wane in between the early debates, major primaries and conventions and, in a contest so long this time it includes two summer hiatuses before the November 2008 vote, fatigue is practically unavoidable, many of the experts said.

"It's a reality. There's going to be a lot of fatigue, come summer," said Thomas Patterson, a professor specializing in government and the press at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. "People are thinking this has been going on a long time already."

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[Deleted]

*yawn*

[osrb]

I was got tired of it about 6 mos ago. It seems that it starts earlier each season.

[Dreamwebber]

The only people who are fatiguing are probably the reporters covering the things because I don't think anyone is actually watching the debates or you wouldn't see such high numbers for on the Repub side...Thompson, Gulliani, McCain....and the dem side....Clinton, Obama, Edwards.

If people actually watched the stupid things we would see higher numbers for people who just don't have the name recognition. but, those candidates are basically single digit in the polls.

[Felix]

In this election cycle, as in every other one within my memory, the fatigue is with the quality of the candidates, not the amount of exposure they get.

It says something about the qualifications of all these candidates that the most interesting* candidate so far in each party is either without much of a record—that would be Obama—or not even officially in the race, albeit with great charisma and name recognition—that would be Fred Thompson.

*note that I used the word interesting, not qualified. It may turn out that the campaign will prove that either or both of these candidates have more on the ball than their opponents, but that is not yet clear.

[legaltender]

marvell said:

In this election cycle, as in every other one within my memory, the fatigue is with the quality of the candidates, not the amount of exposure they get.

Indeed. Around this time last year, the GOP was ballyhooing the presidential prospects of:

George Allen
Bill Frist
Rick Santorum

[gridbug]

I'm already tired of it. As I am not aligned with either party I'll just go take a nap until they get it down to two bad choices.

[karyotic]

I'm with gridBug. I'm no longer a part of the 2 party system. I'm hoping the younglings can change this thing.

If you guys can raise 100 million dollars for me I'll run on your ticket.

As it stands now, without the millions, you can't be taken seriously without the millions.

[TNBear]

If ya'll raise 100 million for me I promise not to run (or even walk) for anything.

[osrb]

I agree with gridBug I will wait to see what 2 s#@tbirds are that last to stand. Once I know who are the parties favorites I will vote for someone else.

[visionquest]

Voters are also facing "that's it? these morons are the best and brightest to be our representitives and leaders? place audio clip scream of disappointment and frustration here