Has it ever struck you that watching politics is like watching The Bachelorette? Get ready for reality TV at its best!

Last Friday, after the Republican convention ended, I was listening to Morning Joe on the radio on my way into work. Mika was on a tirade about Trump and policy. Joe fired back about the hypocrisy of Obama’s hope and change. Mika went ballistic and wouldn’t give up until she had her way. The two were literally yelling at each other and I thought, how crazy is this? It’s radio reality TV- drama, little real analysis, but entertaining! Despite the entertainment,  those conversations shape our opinions.

Our relationship with political candidates is influenced by media portrayals. This week at the Democratic National Convention, pundits will tell the Hillary story. And media people know the power of story and how to write a script.

We will listen to a speech and then 5 people will tell us how to think about it and what the speakers were trying to say. Really?  They try to convince us that people who lie, don’t. Those who broke the law, didn’t. Those who were rude and insulting were misunderstood. Insensitive remarks were taken out of context, etc. They narrate the story, hoping we will stay with them until the epilogue.

And so our political version of The Bachelorette begins. The characters are cast. Hillary is the chosen bachelorette. Sorry no gowns. She wears pantsuits! But word on the street is that, like a gown, one of her pantsuits cost a fortune! Look for glitter.

The bachelors will come out of their limos as the line-up of speakers begin. Hillary will smile, appear intrigued, but she already knows to whom she will give a rose.

Trump is that guy they show in every bad light possible in order to develop a villain character. We have to have a villain in the Bachelorette–it is standard casting–the one guy the audience is supposed to hate and wantst voted off the show. The pundits will do their best to make sure that is Trump. He will be voted off!

Bernie will provide some drama and make the show interesting to watch. He won’t be chosen, but people like him! So he’s the guy who might be the next Bachelor because he is likable- a teaser for next season.

Then the field narrows. We build up to Kaine who apparently made the cut week after week. Like the Bachelorette, Hillary came to find a man. She did and will offer an engagement. We will witness the vows, “Tim, will you join me for life together in the White House?” Will he say, “YES?”

Spoiler alert-the proposal takes place in Philadelphia and he says, YES.

Unfortunately, we know who makes the cut, who gets the final rose and who moves out of the convention hall and into our voting booth. The suspense is gone because Hillary has already chosen her man. We may lose a few viewers, but the story will still be entertaining.

Too bad it won’t be politically enlightening! For that to happen, the narrators of both conventions would have to focus on real analysis and ask tough questions to both candidates. Don’t look for this at the DNC. The story has already been written.

Oh well, Here we go again…. Action, camera, speed….

*We need a little humor-this is not intended to support either candidate. Pray and Vote. You may want to skip the media coverage!!!