Thompson takes talk-show politics to next level

THOMPSON TAKES TALK-SHOW POLITICS TO NEXT LEVEL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Steve Gorman]
Fred Thompson's late-night TV declaration of his presidential bid may have seemed like a landmark media event, but he is just the latest in a parade of U.S. politicians turning the talk-show circuit into a virtual whistle-stop tour. Seizing on the chance for free national media exposure in a relaxed setting, White House wannabes are increasingly going out of their way to trade quips with the likes of comedians Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jon Stewart. "Candidates go where the spotlight is," said Marty Kaplan, a media scholar at the University of Southern California, adding that TV talk shows also offer politicians a relatively safe haven from the scrutiny of real journalists. "If you're a political candidate, the last thing you want to do is take tough questions from a probing journalist who's studied your record," he said.
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