Despite the fact that the realm of scripted television has become something of a decimated wasteland, the writers’ strike has benefited a select group of individuals: those running for president. Although the well of scripted television has almost dried up, many Americans seem to be engaged in the real-life drama surrounding the 2008 presidential election. This bizarre twist of fate may have refocused the attention of many Americans back into the political realm.

A recent article in The New York Times suggests that since most shows haven’t had original broadcasts during the past few weeks, the presidential primaries have become the center of the nation’s attention. “The primary season is serving as the backdrop for one of the most compelling runs of event television in years, creating the kind of chatter network marketers would kill for and spectacular ratings for cable news,” said David Carr, reporter for The New York Times.

American TV viewers have recently become addicted to this real-life drama. In many ways, the campaign has played out much like a television season; it has been full of heroes and villains, story-arcs, cliffhangers and, of course, many surprising plot twists.

“Perhaps it took a break in the action, along with a new set of characters, to renew the American romance with the democratic process,” Carr said. “Historic turnouts in Iowa and New Hampshire reflect a high level of voter engagement, but the ratings after those events suggest that the rest of us are taking an acute interest in the only reality program which … includes the crowning of the leader of the free world,” Carr said.

Accordingly, this election season has been one of the most unpredictable and exciting in recent history. With all of the unexpected developments of late — Hilary Clinton placing third in Iowa, then winning in New Hampshire, for example — it seems that the primary season has filled the void left by the absence of scripted dramas.

The effect that the writers’ strike is having on the presidential election is not just assumed; recent ratings show that Americans are more in tune with this ever-developing political drama.

According to Carr, “CNN, which had been sucking wind behind the blabbers of Fox News before the election, is suddenly bubbling along on huge numbers, buoyed by debates, primaries and all the dots being connected in between … 3.3 million people tuned in to CNN’s prime-time election coverage last Tuesday, nearly double the number of the 2004 New Hampshire primary.”

And it doesn’t seem to be a fad either.

“There may be a lack of compelling viewing alternatives, but we thought there would be high interest anyway. People are tuning in and staying,” CNN president Jonathan Klein said.

On top of this, the late-night talk shows that have returned to work (The Daily Show, The Colbert Report) have increasingly focused on the race.

Refocusing the short attention span of the American people is critical at this historical moment. More than any other election, this race has the potential to make real history. If Americans are more focused on the election itself, then it’s likely that our country will be able to avoid an anomaly and prevent another mistake like the one made eight years ago.

For a democracy to be truly effective, citizens need to be thoroughly engaged in the political process. While it’s tremendously frustrating that the writers’ strike has temporarily eliminated our addiction to visual escapism, it has allowed people to become acutely focused on the presidential race. Only informed citizens will be able to make legitimate decisions.

More often than not, an embarrassingly low number of young adults vote. Hopefully, the increased media coverage of the election coupled with the positive effects of the writers’ strike will drive young adults to represent their own political affiliations, social concerns and personal beliefs through voting.

It is highly plausible that many young Americans won’t care more about the election simply because of the strike, but it’s possible that the removal of the distraction will increase the collective knowledge of our nation.

[Reach columnist Chris Heide at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu]