Voter, media disconnect

BEDFORD, N.H. – “Tough. Tested. Ready.”

That was the message on every roadside sign motorists saw driving to the town hall meeting with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. And that’s the message driving Bush to run for the Republican nomination. But, it also depicted the spirit of the attendees.

Whether it was people driving from New Jersey or Massachusetts, or New Hampshire locals, many offered a stories or problems that help humanize the political process.

There’s no denying that there’s a clear-cut divide between the media and the public. At Saturday’s town hall, only a handful of reporters talked to voters. Most journalists sat behind the ropes of the press section waiting for the event to begin.

Sheryl Guiduboni drove from Massachusetts to attend.

“I came to hear [Bush] speak because the media has been misrepresenting his wisdom, experience and ability to get the job done,” she said.

The media don’t seem to mirror campaigns and voters are becoming less aware of what the candidates are actually standing for. In the most recent Republican debate, most of the media attention was directed at Donald Trump missing the event rather than the policies discussed.

Many of the attendees at the Bush town hall said this was one of many they planned to attend or have attended. Voters have been tested time after time with politicians all along the ideological spectrum, making those voters ready to decide.

And in the end, the voice of the people is what counts.