One of the complaints often heard from that national media is that reporters get little time with the candidates. And if you really want to tick them off, let a campaign give local media an interview with the candidates. Unfortunately, when national reporters following Romney or President Obama do get a chance to question them, the questions are often predictable and have little to do with issues that might affect the outcome in a swing state.

Yes, Medicare and Social Security are important. Both those issues are obvious. This episode is a good example of news getting made by a local reporter who understands the issues that matter in his community. The national media, too, would do itself a service if it better understood the issues that are peculiar to individual states—such as the Cuban embargo.

Brian E. Crowley is editor of Crowley Political Report. A political journalist for more than two decades, Crowley is an analyst for WPTV NewsChannel 5 in West Palm Beach and is a principal of ImMEDIAcy Public Relations.