From WNYC in New York, this is on the media.

I'm Brooke Gladstone.

And I'm Bob Garfield.

Pope Francis arrived in the nation's capital this week,

only the third pontiff in history to do so.

He bore a message of peace, refuge, compassion,

and the sanctity of life for ourselves and for our planet.

Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated.

So naturally, in the comprehensive coverage of his historic visit, the Pope was widely treated

as just the latest larger-than-life character adding his two cents to the three-penny opera.

The most important player in the 2016 election about to touch down in America.

Pope Francis is coming to the United States.

Is he headed for a collision course with Donald Trump on immigration?

He wants us to open our doors to more immigrants. So who's got it right? The Donald or the Pope?

Donald Trump, he has a message for the Pope. I'd say ISIS wants to get you.

Even the nominally analytic coverage tended to characterize Francis as a politician in a skullcap.

Not only were his teachings on moral obligation toward the welfare of humanity treated as partisan rhetoric,

they were framed as if Francis were a candidate himself, courting the U.S. electorate.

58% of Ohio voters are with the Pope.

59% of Florida voters say the same.

63% of Pennsylvania voters backed upon it.

Republicans, however, they think they've got an ally in the Pope because of abortion,

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