Why America's Obsession with Celebrities is Destroying the Country

America has been obsessed with celebrities for a long time, and never has that been more evident than now. The media has learned the great power of the celebrity in boosting their bottom line. 30 years ago, it would be a rare event to see the type of pieces the we see on a regular basis on the "big 3" nightly news programs. Back then, the major networks saw the news as an important factor in keeping the public informed about the workings of the world around them. In fact, it became the mantra of news reporters the country over - "the people deserve to know". Now, its just another program that needs to bring in money. And so the focus has shifted. As the focus on the news shifts, so too do the things Americans think are important. Character, which has always been one of the big issues Americans focus on during election time, has become something else entirely. It once meant being faithful to your spouse, standing by your beliefs, and following through on what you say. Now its about playing basketball and enjoying snowmobiling. The news (and us) justify these types of revelations as necessary, as they help us understand the character of our candidates. In reality, they are simply the same types of pieces that attract us to stories about other celebrities - they are brief, shallow glimpses into the lives of people more rich and famous than ourselves. And because there is limited space on air, and in our attention spans, it pushes out stories of greater importance. Ask a random person on the street, and they can probably tell you about the hobbies of the candidates, but I doubt they can give you a summation of what their platforms are.
I don't really think that's what we want deciding who is going to run our country for the next 4 years. Both sides are guilty of this. Both sides should focus on the issues, and how they are going to help our country become better, but they can't afford to. Its not what we want to hear. We want to hear about Obama playing basketball with the troops, and Palin's newest pair of glasses.
We will pay for this obsession. I think its pretty safe to claim that there are people better qualified to run this nation than the two candidates we have (and for the record, I'm not talking about Libertarians any of the other "dark horse" candidates). They just aren't popular enough to win. Most of those best suited to being in charge dislike the spotlight, and dislike the media circus surrounding something like a presidential election. And so, the really good candidates are never heard of, while the more media friendly candidates are the only left.
It was bad enough when news coverage equated to horse racing. Now its sunk to the level of reality tv. Sure, it can be fun to watch, but its a guilty pleasure. And the reason its a guilty pleasure is because its no good for you.
What changes should be made in our election process to help us find and elect people (from either side) who really are the best candidates for the job?