It hasn't got anything to do with being smart IMO. It's trusting the wrong people. I know people, I have family that believe everything they hear on "the news" The media, campaigned hard and they won last night.
Your relatives not withstanding, we lost on the issues. Until we acknowledge that and change our positions we will continue to lose. Blaming the media is not a winning strategy. Clearly the war in IRAQ has gone on too long...I'm for winning (still not convinced about how we got there) but this has been moving far too slowly and that is the problem...results gets votes...Failure to enforce a strong immigration policy is a major vote loser for the GOP. Bush's position is irrational and the irony and agony is by losing he has won the ability to press his irrational agenda on illegal amnesty. Failing to make Judicial appointments a campaign issue hurt us in the Senate, failure to follow through on Social Security reform, and on and on...The loss is no way a media caused event...as Pogo said "We has met the enemy and he is US." It is us we have to fix not the press; fixing the press in this country is not possible.