Two LIttle Secrets about the Tea Party

Pundits, polls and prognasticators have been telling us for a year that the Tea Party is going to have sweeping effect in the November elections.

Since they lean Republican, the consensus is that Democrats will lose the House and control of the Senate.

Let me tell you two simple secrets I know about "news," having been in the industry for almost 20 years.

First, "news" has to be NEW - and the Tea Party has certainly been that.
Second, to really go anywhere, "news" has to have a good visual with it - and again, the tea baggers have provided plenty of great pictures.

But here's a true story: I once covered some young girl scouts making bird houses to place along a walking trail. It was a pretty lame story, but I got a teriffic picture of one youngster, biting her tongue as she concentrated for all she was worth on putting the last touches on her bird house - which was colorfully painted and really cute.

Cute kid - colorful birdhouse - great photo - lame story.

That same weekend, there was a huge group of homeowners meeting to see what they could do to fight off a large, projected property tax increase.

Lots of adults, sitting in a meeting - boring picture but very important story in the region.

Guess which story ended up on B-1, above the fold? The cute kid, of course, with the great visual.

The point is, by the time of the November elections, tea baggers rioting will no longer be "new" and the images will be predictable.

The "new" story will be how Democrats came out in droves to stave off a Republican challenge and how the Tea Party really fizzled in effecting election outcomes.

I betcha'!