India, Aug. 23 -- The US economy is central to the behaviour of voters, and in this, the record of the White House is dismal.

Several of those with an interest in China studies say that reading the widely circulated newspapers such as Renmin Ribao (People's Daily) or Wen Hui Bao (Wen Hui Daily) are of limited value. They express what the higher echelons of the Communist Party of China (CCP) want the world to believe. In contrast, the smaller provincial newspapers are more accurate when it comes to analysing what the leadership of the CCP actually think.

Similarly, relying on "quality" newspapers in the US with a national (indeed, international) circulation have been of less value in documenting the reasons why the USS Abraham Lincoln wa...