Demeaning The Office

I find myself growing sick of the displays on the part of the candidates for the office of President of the United States. These candidates appear on television shows such as Late Night with David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Saturday Night Live. Are these appropriate forums for those individuals running for the highest elected office in our land?

Until the last several election cycles, I labored under the misapprehension that such television shows existed for the purpose of entertainment. Indeed, Mr. AOW and I occasionally tune into such programs so as to unwind after a long day of dealing with reality. We don't want to see a political candidate on the screen when we watch such shows! After all, we switched from watching the news and surfing the web so that we can have a break and get some laughs — not to see on the screen a Presidential candidate schmoozing it up with a late night talk-show host. We want a break from politics and the wall-to-wall media coverage of the months leading up to our national elections!

In my view, candidates' appearances on these programs demean the office of President and send the message that our democratic process is a form of entertainment — a political dog-and-pony show. What is your opinion?