The longest, most expensive (and ridiculous) presidential campaign in history ended with Barack Obama elected as the first African-American chief executive.
Hillary Clinton ran for president, and all she got was the Secretary of State job.
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska was chosen by John McCain to be his GOP running mate. She didn't need Tina Fey to remind folks why she wasn't ready to be vice-president.
Wall Street collapsed of its own weight, sending the country into a recession that had been going on for a year, anyway. The government ended up bailing out the banking and auto industries, but not the ones who buy their products.
Bernard Madoff and Tom Petters allegedly ripped off millions of dollars from unsuspecting people, and are now facing prison time.
Norm Coleman and Al Franken had the nastiest, costliest U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota history. And it's still not over.
President Bush's standing with the masses as he fades from the rear-view mirror was so low that someone threw shoes at him, and people cheered.
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and former presidential candidate John Edwards got caught cheating on their wives. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is accused of having his hand in the cookie jar.
Britney Spears makes a comeback, as if she never left.
The Dark Knight was the big movie of the year, if only because of Heath Ledger, who died before the film was released.
The writers strike did untold damage to Hollywood. Awards shows were reduced to news conferences. The number of movies being made shrank. TV networks filled their hours with "reality" shows, while canceling half their dramas. And the actors may be next on the picket lines.
Michael Phelps swam his way to eight gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, which turned out to be unremarkable because the Chinese government wanted it that way.
On one good knee, Tiger Woods won golf's U.S. Open, then took the rest of the year off to get the other one repaired. The United States won the Ryder Cup without him, in case anyone noticed.
The city of Detroit has had its problems. Automakers nearly driven to bankruptcy, people fleeing Michigan, and the Lions go winless for an entire NFL season. But the Red Wings did win hockey's Stanley Cup.
Say goodbye to . . . W. Mark Felt ("Deep Throat"), Bernie Mac, William F. Buckley Jr., Jesse Helms, Sammy Baugh, Eartha Kitt, Harold Pinter, Sydney Pollack, Tim Russert, Charlton Heston, Bobby Fischer, Michael Crichton, Studs Terkel, Odetta, Tony Snow, Richard ("Mr.") Blackwell, Hamilton Jordan, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Bo Diddley, Sir Edmund Hillary, George Carlin, Paul Newman, Isaac Hayes, David Foster Wallace, Jim McKay, Charlie Jones, Bobby Murcer, Gene Upshaw, Herb Score, Skip Caray, Suzanne Pleshette, Harvey Korman, Eddy Arnold, Dick Martin, Jerry Reed, Jo Stafford, Jerry Wexler, Norman Whitfield, Richard Widmark.
Let's see what 2009 brings. Happy holidays, everyone.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
In Politics, It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know
Right now there are three seats in the U.S. Senate waiting to be filled before the 2009 session begins. Two of the three openings exist because the previous occupant has moved on to bigger and better things. Another is embroiled in a disputed election. All are fraught with controversy.
- In Minnesota, Democrat Al Franken currently holds a slight lead over Republican Senator Norm Coleman as the state Canvassing Board is still counting the votes. Meanwhile, Governor Tim Pawlenty has offered to select a temporary Senator--most likely a Republican like himself--to serve until the whole mess is straightened out. Who knows how long that will take?
- In Illinois, Barack Obama's successor is up in the air because Governor Rod Blagojevich has been accused of trying to sell the President-elect's Senate seat to the highest bidder. Efforts by the state Legislature to get rid of Democrat Blagojevich have so far been stymied by his refusal to leave, thus complicating the matter of who gets to appoint whom.
- In New York, the possible confirmation of Hillary Clinton as Obama's Secretary of State has created an opening for that state's governor to appoint Caroline Kennedy as interim Senator.
Kennedy is the daughter of former President John F. Kennedy, and has mostly been known for staying out of politics and the public eye. Now she suddenly decides she's interested in the position, with no previous experience and on the strength of her name? There would be two immediate advantages: There would be at least one Kennedy in the Senate, with uncle Ted in failing health. And she wouldn't have to face the voters until 2010--if she wants to run again, that is.
This isn't the first (or last) time relatives of famous politicians have run for public office (see: Bush, Clinton, Roosevelt, etc.), or were appointed upon the death or resignation of an official. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need much experience to enter politics, either. We've had entertainers, athletes, business leaders, anyone with a name that has been in the media at least once run for office.
(In Minnesota, in addition to former Saturday Night Live cast member Franken, we've had a Senator whose last name was synonymous with a beloved Minneapolis department store, and the son of a former Senator and Vice-President who ran for Governor in 1998 and lost to a former pro wrestler.)
This also brings into question what it takes to get into politics these days. Unless you have oodles of money and/or have a last name everybody knows (in which case the funding usually takes care of itself), you have no shot. Oh, you could hope for a miracle, such as your well-known opponent getting caught up in scandal or saying something stupid on YouTube.
We are just as guilty every time we go into a voting booth, look at the ballot and think: "Gee, I've heard of this candidate's name before. I'm not real sure about where he or she stands on the issues, but I'm gonna vote for this person anyway". Then the voter fills in the oval (or doodles, as the case may be) for that candidate.
There you have it. Name recognition, money to burn, and voter apathy. Why shouldn't it be so surprising that the political scene is filled with enough familiar names to fill a volume of Who's Who In America?
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Blanding Of A Newspaper
The Minneapolis Star Tribune, jettisoning as much ballast as they could before crash-landing in bankruptcy, is about to make its product a little less attractive to readers and potential buyers by dropping two metro columnists.
If you believe the other media blogs, columnists Nick Coleman and Katherine Kersten were apparently given a choice: take the buyout money being offered, or start covering city council meetings in Andover. (There's been no official announcement, so that's why we're not being definite here.)
Coleman has spent decades with both Twin Cities dailies, whether as a columnist or as a reporter. He's railed against the sins of politicians both left and (mostly) right, championed the people who don't make the news but are affected by it (which sometimes makes for sappy reading), and usually takes pains to distinguish himself from the mayor of St. Paul, who happens to be his brother Chris.
Kersten is there because the Strib thought it needed a conservative voice to win back subscribers who quit the paper, alleging liberal bias. She has no previous background in journalism, but did work for the local right-wing think tank. Kersten's pieces on Muslim charter schools, abstinence education, and general longing for 'the way things were' have won the hearts of conservative readers and the enmity of others.
Coleman's and Kersten's apparent departures raise the question of what will happen to the Strib's other resident thought-provokers, C.J. and James Lileks. The blogs I've seen (David Brauer in MinnPost and Brian Lambert in Mpls. St. Paul Magazine) tell me they're staying.
C.J. is a gossip columnist in a city where TV news anchors and professional athletes are considered celebrities. Apparently, the Strib thinks we need to know the scoop on a local man who is dating a former American Idol contestant, or what C.J. thought of the locker room video accidentally showing a certain Viking's, uh, package.
James Lileks' column takes the Jerry Seinfeld approach of observing the minutiae of daily life, but elsewhere he's been known to spout a conservative view or two. Maybe he's afraid of offending his vast readership if he voiced a real opinion?
If the Star Tribune does indeed send Coleman and Kersten packing, they're sending the message that they want to limit social and political commentary to the editorial pages. People don't read the newspaper for details of stories they've seen and heard elsewhere. They read it for the columnists who have a point of view, and are willing to share it. If this keeps up, the most insightful columnists the Strib has left (unless they're in the next round of layoffs) reside on the sports pages.
If you believe the other media blogs, columnists Nick Coleman and Katherine Kersten were apparently given a choice: take the buyout money being offered, or start covering city council meetings in Andover. (There's been no official announcement, so that's why we're not being definite here.)
Coleman has spent decades with both Twin Cities dailies, whether as a columnist or as a reporter. He's railed against the sins of politicians both left and (mostly) right, championed the people who don't make the news but are affected by it (which sometimes makes for sappy reading), and usually takes pains to distinguish himself from the mayor of St. Paul, who happens to be his brother Chris.
Kersten is there because the Strib thought it needed a conservative voice to win back subscribers who quit the paper, alleging liberal bias. She has no previous background in journalism, but did work for the local right-wing think tank. Kersten's pieces on Muslim charter schools, abstinence education, and general longing for 'the way things were' have won the hearts of conservative readers and the enmity of others.
Coleman's and Kersten's apparent departures raise the question of what will happen to the Strib's other resident thought-provokers, C.J. and James Lileks. The blogs I've seen (David Brauer in MinnPost and Brian Lambert in Mpls. St. Paul Magazine) tell me they're staying.
C.J. is a gossip columnist in a city where TV news anchors and professional athletes are considered celebrities. Apparently, the Strib thinks we need to know the scoop on a local man who is dating a former American Idol contestant, or what C.J. thought of the locker room video accidentally showing a certain Viking's, uh, package.
James Lileks' column takes the Jerry Seinfeld approach of observing the minutiae of daily life, but elsewhere he's been known to spout a conservative view or two. Maybe he's afraid of offending his vast readership if he voiced a real opinion?
If the Star Tribune does indeed send Coleman and Kersten packing, they're sending the message that they want to limit social and political commentary to the editorial pages. People don't read the newspaper for details of stories they've seen and heard elsewhere. They read it for the columnists who have a point of view, and are willing to share it. If this keeps up, the most insightful columnists the Strib has left (unless they're in the next round of layoffs) reside on the sports pages.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Florida North '08: Canvassing The Votes
Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken are still locked in a death struggle for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat as the matter goes to the state's Canvassing Board.
After the initial recount, Coleman led Franken by 188 votes, though there have been disputes concerning the ballots. In most cases, voters were instructed to fill in the little oval next to the name of the candidate of their choice. But some people chose to paint outside the lines, so to speak, resulting in ballots marked with checks, slashes, you name it. There were even some ballots with both Coleman's and Franken's ovals filled in. (Notice we haven't talked about the absentee ballots) Both parties have since reduced the number of ballots challenged--Coleman is claiming less than 1,000 while Franken has at least 441.
The Canvassing Board, a bipartisan aggregation headed by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (who happens to be a Democrat), have until Friday--or as long as it takes--to sort through some 1500 disputed ballots. After the first day, Coleman leads by 264 votes.
After the Board's work is done, there's a good chance it might not be over. Both sides will likely challenge the results in court. There remains the possibility that the election might be decided in Congress. A Democratic Congress. Guess who they'd favor?
You'd be forgiven if you wished that they'd settle this thing, choose a winner, and let the rest of us get on with our lives.
Be careful what you wish for. All you need to know is that the man who is vacating the White House in a few weeks got his job because of errant ballots in Florida, and an ideologically friendly U.S. Supreme Court. And he didn't even win the popular vote. What happened in the next eight years spoke for themselves.
Yes, there has to be a better way to run an election. Whoever ends up in the Senate chambers representing Minnesota may be in the best position to help do something about it.
After the initial recount, Coleman led Franken by 188 votes, though there have been disputes concerning the ballots. In most cases, voters were instructed to fill in the little oval next to the name of the candidate of their choice. But some people chose to paint outside the lines, so to speak, resulting in ballots marked with checks, slashes, you name it. There were even some ballots with both Coleman's and Franken's ovals filled in. (Notice we haven't talked about the absentee ballots) Both parties have since reduced the number of ballots challenged--Coleman is claiming less than 1,000 while Franken has at least 441.
The Canvassing Board, a bipartisan aggregation headed by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie (who happens to be a Democrat), have until Friday--or as long as it takes--to sort through some 1500 disputed ballots. After the first day, Coleman leads by 264 votes.
After the Board's work is done, there's a good chance it might not be over. Both sides will likely challenge the results in court. There remains the possibility that the election might be decided in Congress. A Democratic Congress. Guess who they'd favor?
You'd be forgiven if you wished that they'd settle this thing, choose a winner, and let the rest of us get on with our lives.
Be careful what you wish for. All you need to know is that the man who is vacating the White House in a few weeks got his job because of errant ballots in Florida, and an ideologically friendly U.S. Supreme Court. And he didn't even win the popular vote. What happened in the next eight years spoke for themselves.
Yes, there has to be a better way to run an election. Whoever ends up in the Senate chambers representing Minnesota may be in the best position to help do something about it.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Leno "Jaywalks" Into Prime Time
Broadcast TV has been having a rough year. Its audiences keep migrating to cable. The writers strike sank many prime time shows (such as Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money) that were interrupted because of it. The only new hit this season is CBS' The Mentalist, a crime procedural that fits in with the rest of the network's crime procedurals. And we haven't even had the digital conversion yet.
Now comes the first sign that network TV has thrown in the towel. NBC announced that Jay Leno, who is leaving the Tonight Show to Conan O'Brien next spring, will host his own prime time show five nights a week at nine in the Central Time Zone next fall.
For NBC, it means programming five less hours of TV per week, saving money on what would have gone to expensive misfires such as My Own Worst Enemy or Lipstick Jungle. On the other hand, they now have to move two of the Law and Order shows up an hour.
For Leno, it means not having to move to ABC or Fox. Except for a title change and the necessity of tailoring his material to a new audience, it'll be pretty much the same show he's been doing all along. Leno being a classic car buff, his new contract might enable him to purchase a few more for his collection. Why, they're rolling off the assembly line as we speak.
For the other networks, the new Leno show should provide a short-term boost to the remaining dramatic programs on the air at nine. But what is going to stop them from moving David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel to prime time if this Leno thing takes off? Even CSI can't last forever.
For NBC affiliates, their late local news is now going to be sandwiched in between Leno and O' Brien. Will some of those stations see this as an opportunity to move their news up an hour (to compete against Fox's local news) and air Leno afterwards?
Speaking of news, this should put the final kibosh for anyone who believes Katie Couric, Brian Williams and Charles Gibson should be in prime time instead of Leno. For all of network TV's problems, why waste time reporting on the auto bailout in prime time when you can still make money on According to Jim?
Then again, Leno, Letterman and Jon Stewart have become de facto news anchors for many people, staying in touch with the world through the politically-laced monologues and sketches that air, as the recent presidential campaign demonstrated. Even a sketch showing people who think Africa is a country instead of a continent can be taken in its political context.
So what's next for broadcast TV? If the networks keep losing money and viewers, they might end up like the Detroit automakers and beg for billions from Congress. Or they could come up with some really novel programming that people will actually watch. If neither of those work, then they've got no one to blame but themselves.
Now comes the first sign that network TV has thrown in the towel. NBC announced that Jay Leno, who is leaving the Tonight Show to Conan O'Brien next spring, will host his own prime time show five nights a week at nine in the Central Time Zone next fall.
For NBC, it means programming five less hours of TV per week, saving money on what would have gone to expensive misfires such as My Own Worst Enemy or Lipstick Jungle. On the other hand, they now have to move two of the Law and Order shows up an hour.
For Leno, it means not having to move to ABC or Fox. Except for a title change and the necessity of tailoring his material to a new audience, it'll be pretty much the same show he's been doing all along. Leno being a classic car buff, his new contract might enable him to purchase a few more for his collection. Why, they're rolling off the assembly line as we speak.
For the other networks, the new Leno show should provide a short-term boost to the remaining dramatic programs on the air at nine. But what is going to stop them from moving David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel to prime time if this Leno thing takes off? Even CSI can't last forever.
For NBC affiliates, their late local news is now going to be sandwiched in between Leno and O' Brien. Will some of those stations see this as an opportunity to move their news up an hour (to compete against Fox's local news) and air Leno afterwards?
Speaking of news, this should put the final kibosh for anyone who believes Katie Couric, Brian Williams and Charles Gibson should be in prime time instead of Leno. For all of network TV's problems, why waste time reporting on the auto bailout in prime time when you can still make money on According to Jim?
Then again, Leno, Letterman and Jon Stewart have become de facto news anchors for many people, staying in touch with the world through the politically-laced monologues and sketches that air, as the recent presidential campaign demonstrated. Even a sketch showing people who think Africa is a country instead of a continent can be taken in its political context.
So what's next for broadcast TV? If the networks keep losing money and viewers, they might end up like the Detroit automakers and beg for billions from Congress. Or they could come up with some really novel programming that people will actually watch. If neither of those work, then they've got no one to blame but themselves.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A Less-Than-Honest Abe in Illinois
The good people of Illinois deserve better than this. They have watched three Governors go to prison over the past four decades, convicted of various crimes of political corruption. The one they have now may be the fourth. And President-elect Barack Obama might have something to worry about.
Governor Rod Blagojevich (an easier name to pronounce than to spell), a Democrat, was arrested by federal authorities Tuesday with a laundry list of allegations. Among them:
Governor Rod Blagojevich (an easier name to pronounce than to spell), a Democrat, was arrested by federal authorities Tuesday with a laundry list of allegations. Among them:
- Allegedly trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Obama when he was elected President.
- Wanted to be paid in exchange for that Senate seat, or whatever the Obama administration could come up with. Also, the Governor wanted his wife on corporate boards.
- Directing an aide to tell the Chicago Tribune (whose parent company filed for bankruptcy Monday) that state financial assistance to sell the Chicago Cubs baseball team would be withheld unless the newspaper fired members of its editorial board, allegedly for publishing articles unfavorable to the Governor.
Blagojevich returned to his job after posting bail, and has so far refused to listen to Democrats' pleas to step aside. Legally, he has the power to appoint a new Senator. But Illinois' state legislature and other officials are considering ways to get around that.
President-elect Obama's been getting the "what did he know and when did he know it" questions, but insists he had nothing to do with Governor Blagojevich's alleged misdeeds. That might change if the feds come up with any new information.
Chicago and the state of Illinois have had a long history of political corruption, dating back to the Roaring 20s. So why is this national news? It couldn't just be the fact that a future President is involved, or that the charges are so over-the-top. Maybe someone decided we needed a break from bad economic news and terror in India.
Whatever the case, the people of Illinois--just like people everywhere else--have been made to look like fools for voting in the likes of Blagojevich. They shouldn't be. As long as less-than-honest politicians are sold to the public with a pretty bow while his opponent doesn't stand a chance, it shouldn't be all that surprising why some people choose to stay home on Election Day.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Kevin McHale's Last Chance?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the worst teams in the National Basketball Association. Anyone who's seen them knows that goes without saying. Before tonight's game with the Utah Jazz, the Wolves had a 4-15 record, which is four more victories than the Detroit Lions. Clearly, something had to be done.
In cases like this, that 'something' usually means changing coaches. Owner Glen Taylor replaced Randy Wittman with former Minnesota Gopher and Boston Celtics star Kevin McHale. In his former job as vice-president of basketball operations, McHale was responsible for trading Kevin Garnett to the Celtics, and bringing in such household names as Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Rashard McCants and Randy Foye. Now he has to coach them.
McHale's first game, a 99-96 loss to the Jazz played before the usual sparse audience at the Target Center, was an improvement over the last few games in that the Wolves were actually competitive. But they went back to their old ways, letting Utah score 12 of the game's final 14 points in a come-from-ahead defeat.
It was a significant victory for Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, who celebrated his 20th anniversary with the team. Compared with the rest of the NBA, Sloan is a model of coaching stability.
McHale is the Timberwolves' coach for the rest of the season, and will not be splitting his time with the front office, like he did when he was interim coach in 2005. So this is widely believed to be his last chance to prove that the team he puts on the floor is capable of someday making a playoff run. And someday is not today.
In cases like this, that 'something' usually means changing coaches. Owner Glen Taylor replaced Randy Wittman with former Minnesota Gopher and Boston Celtics star Kevin McHale. In his former job as vice-president of basketball operations, McHale was responsible for trading Kevin Garnett to the Celtics, and bringing in such household names as Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Rashard McCants and Randy Foye. Now he has to coach them.
McHale's first game, a 99-96 loss to the Jazz played before the usual sparse audience at the Target Center, was an improvement over the last few games in that the Wolves were actually competitive. But they went back to their old ways, letting Utah score 12 of the game's final 14 points in a come-from-ahead defeat.
It was a significant victory for Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, who celebrated his 20th anniversary with the team. Compared with the rest of the NBA, Sloan is a model of coaching stability.
McHale is the Timberwolves' coach for the rest of the season, and will not be splitting his time with the front office, like he did when he was interim coach in 2005. So this is widely believed to be his last chance to prove that the team he puts on the floor is capable of someday making a playoff run. And someday is not today.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Hard Times In Media Land
It was announced Friday that a half million jobs were lost in the month of November alone, due to mergers, closings and cutbacks at the companies that still exist.
Unless you're one of the half million who found this piece of news out on their own, chances are you heard about it through the mediums of print, broadcast, or the Internet. And chances are real good that there will soon be fewer people getting that information to you.
In the Twin Cities alone, changes in the media landscape are widespread.
Unless you're one of the half million who found this piece of news out on their own, chances are you heard about it through the mediums of print, broadcast, or the Internet. And chances are real good that there will soon be fewer people getting that information to you.
In the Twin Cities alone, changes in the media landscape are widespread.
- Avista Capital Partners, owners of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, have announced another round of layoffs. They've already dropped a magazine aimed at affluent readers. With reports circulating that the Tribune Company (which owns several newspapers and TV stations across the country) is about to file for bankruptcy, some folks are wondering why the Strib doesn't do the same thing instead of floundering around.
- KSTP, the local ABC affiliate, is dropping 17 employees. That includes reporter Kristi Piehl, who gained some national pub for her coverage last spring of the "Smiley Face Killer" story. For a station that airs six hours of local news a day and bills its entire operation as 5 Eyewitness News (as if Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa were an anchor team), this kinda stretches things to the limit, doesn't it?
- NBC station KARE, in a directive from owner Gannett, plans to cut more staff if some workers nearing retirement age don't take a buyout.
- The stations of CBS Radio Minnesota (WCCO-AM, WLTE-FM, and KZJK-FM) whacked 14 employees, and have asked some of their big-name air talents to take pay cuts. One of the unfortunate ones was WCCO morning sports anchor Dan TerHaar, who still draws a paycheck as the TV voice of the Minnesota Wild.
- KSTP-AM let midday personality Tommy Mischke go, though it wasn't really an economy move. They never did figure out what to do with Mischke, whose quirky talent is better suited for late nights instead of the lunchtime crowd.
The main reason for all of this cutting back is that most advertisers have moved to the Internet, which is where the people who still have money are going. Classified ads in the newspaper, for example, have taken a major hit. If you've been trying to find a job, you have no doubt noticed that the Sunday "Help Wanted" section has gone on a starvation diet. It's the size of the comics section now.
With media outlets teetering on the financial brink, it raises a serious question: How are we going to get our news in the future? Unless you have a laptop or mobile phone, you can't curl up with a cup of coffee and read the online edition of the latest newspaper or magazine. And unless you subscribe to cable or satellite, the networks and local stations aren't going to interrupt programming every time a disaster happens in the world. But they will tell you what Britney Spears had for breakfast this morning.
If people can't afford to be well-informed, then let the dumbing down of America begin.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Can Talk Radio Survive Obama?
Now that the election is over, conservatives are down in the dumps. And they should be. The economy tanked in spite of their tax-cutting efforts. John McCain, a candidate the right never really supported, loses to Barack Obama. Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, became a national joke. President George W. Bush . . . can we move on, please?
There are silver linings for the right, however. Gay marriage has been banned in California. Michele Bachmann has been re-elected to Congress. Senator Norm Coleman still has a shot at winning the recount battle with Democrat Al Franken. Governor Tim Pawlenty is still preaching no new taxes as Minnesota plunges six million dollars into debt. And Palin's making noises about running for President in 2012.
Now there is concern that one of the right's biggest platforms--talk radio--is in for a rough time during the coming Obama years. They tell us that Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others will suffer ratings declines because of the Internet and the possible re-introduction of the Fairness Doctrine, forcing stations to provide balance on controversial issues. Like having actual callers who disagree with the host?
One word: Chill!!
Conservative talk radio isn't going away. In fact, it might be bigger than ever as the opposing voice to the Obama administration--just like they were when Bill Clinton was President--and in drumming up support for Republican victories in 2010 and beyond.
It's progressive talk that needs to worry. Compared to the right, hosts like Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow and others will have little to maintain their audience with now that they've succeeded in putting a Democrat in the White House. They're also at a disadvantage when it comes the type of stations they're on. Most of the 50,000-watt AM boomers carrying conservative talk formats are owned by chains such as CBS, Citadel and Clear Channel, while progressive formats must make do with dinky 1000-watters that earn less money than your average NPR affiliate.
Yes, there's Air America, the progressive network that went on the air shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But it's become more or less a programming service after bankruptcy and new owners. Their future is still in doubt.
So rest easy, conservatives. Your favorite blowhards will be yakking about God, Country and No New Taxes on radio and on Fox News for years to come, no matter who the president is. The rest of us will have moved on.
There are silver linings for the right, however. Gay marriage has been banned in California. Michele Bachmann has been re-elected to Congress. Senator Norm Coleman still has a shot at winning the recount battle with Democrat Al Franken. Governor Tim Pawlenty is still preaching no new taxes as Minnesota plunges six million dollars into debt. And Palin's making noises about running for President in 2012.
Now there is concern that one of the right's biggest platforms--talk radio--is in for a rough time during the coming Obama years. They tell us that Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others will suffer ratings declines because of the Internet and the possible re-introduction of the Fairness Doctrine, forcing stations to provide balance on controversial issues. Like having actual callers who disagree with the host?
One word: Chill!!
Conservative talk radio isn't going away. In fact, it might be bigger than ever as the opposing voice to the Obama administration--just like they were when Bill Clinton was President--and in drumming up support for Republican victories in 2010 and beyond.
It's progressive talk that needs to worry. Compared to the right, hosts like Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow and others will have little to maintain their audience with now that they've succeeded in putting a Democrat in the White House. They're also at a disadvantage when it comes the type of stations they're on. Most of the 50,000-watt AM boomers carrying conservative talk formats are owned by chains such as CBS, Citadel and Clear Channel, while progressive formats must make do with dinky 1000-watters that earn less money than your average NPR affiliate.
Yes, there's Air America, the progressive network that went on the air shortly after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But it's become more or less a programming service after bankruptcy and new owners. Their future is still in doubt.
So rest easy, conservatives. Your favorite blowhards will be yakking about God, Country and No New Taxes on radio and on Fox News for years to come, no matter who the president is. The rest of us will have moved on.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Obama All-Stars
President-elect Barack Obama, from his temporary headquarters in Chicago, put his national security team on display Monday. Some are familiar faces, others are not. For those concerned that this isn't the kind of change Obama promised during the campaign, there is this: Unlike the people President George W. Bush hired for his Cabinet, there are no yes-men and women or party hacks here.
Attempting to follow in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, Obama has chosen the following. It'll be interesting to see if they all get along.
Attempting to follow in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln, Obama has chosen the following. It'll be interesting to see if they all get along.
- Former campaign rival Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. She follows in the footsteps of Madeleine Albright and Condoleeza Rice in the highest rank a woman can obtain in government. And that is not a compliment.
- Robert Gates, who replaced Donald Rumsfeld as Bush's Secretary of Defense, continues in that role. He's also the only Republican in the bunch.
- Eric Holder as the first African-American attorney general.
- Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Homeland Security chief.
- Susan Rice (no relation to Condoleeza) as United Nations ambassador.
- James Jones, retired Marine general, as national security advisor.
The rollout had been planned long before the terrorist attack on Mumbai, India last week. That was where allegedly ten men went on a killing spree (174 dead), burned down a historic hotel, and shot up a local Jewish center. This just makes it all the more timely, with two of the United States' primary allies in the War on Terror--India and Pakistan--pointing fingers at each other, and not for the first time.
Assuming Senate confirmation, the new Obama team already has a lot on its plate domestically and internationally, even without the events in Mumbai. There's the matter of deemphasizing its military role in Iraq, while increasing its presence in Afghanistan. There's a recession, which the government finally admits has been going on for a year, and will be with us at least through 2009. And then there's the matter of undoing the damage Bush has wrought over the last eight years, trying to make nice with all the countries he and his underlings have offended in the name of keeping America safe. Good luck with all of that.
There are those who say that, with everything that's going on in the world, Obama should be taking the oath of office ASAP instead of waiting until January 20. For constitutional and practical reasons, this is currently not possible. Much as we'd like to wish President Bush a nice retirement back in Texas, Obama needs the time between the election and Inauguration Day to get his new administration and his family prepared for the next four years in the White House.
Besides, as the next leader of the Free World so eloquently put it, there can be only one president at a time.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Road To Ruin
Once upon a time, American automobiles were the envy of the world. Power steering, V-8 engines, fuel injection, cruise control, upholstered seats, automatic transmission . . . everything you could ever want.
That is, except for fuel efficiency(or the lack of one), tanks resembling cars, the sameness of models, a product that requires numerous trips to the repair shop, and, well, need I go on? Which is why Japanese-based cars such as Toyota and Honda are now considered the envy of the world.
Now it appears the American auto industry is about to go broke for failing to meet the needs of its customers. Rising gas prices meant people couldn't get rid of their SUVs fast enough. Production of hybrid vehicles have yet to take off. Some auto dealers have been shut down nationwide. Any kind of bankruptcy among the auto companies would force massive layoffs not just in Detroit, but also at the companies that handle their supplies. People who still have jobs aren't in the mood to buy cars, or much of anything else, right now.
So here come the Big Three automakers--General Motors, Ford and Chrysler--knocking on the door of Congress, asking for a $25 billion bailout to keep their companies afloat. They are told to go back to Detroit on the corporate jets they came to Washington with, and come up with some kind of business plan before asking for money again. Meanwhile, the government has other priorities, such as propping up Citibank for more billions.
What to do? If the automakers went away tomorrow, most people would be saying good riddance, they don't deserve to be saved. Well, they're cutting back on discretionary spending like the rest of us. GM, for one, won't be advertising on this year's Super Bowl and Academy Awards telecasts. And they have just ended their endorsement contract with golfer Tiger Woods--not that he'll be hurting for money any time soon.
Ford, GM and Chrysler will eventually get their money whether we like it or not. Before they do, though, they must agree to the following provisions:
That is, except for fuel efficiency(or the lack of one), tanks resembling cars, the sameness of models, a product that requires numerous trips to the repair shop, and, well, need I go on? Which is why Japanese-based cars such as Toyota and Honda are now considered the envy of the world.
Now it appears the American auto industry is about to go broke for failing to meet the needs of its customers. Rising gas prices meant people couldn't get rid of their SUVs fast enough. Production of hybrid vehicles have yet to take off. Some auto dealers have been shut down nationwide. Any kind of bankruptcy among the auto companies would force massive layoffs not just in Detroit, but also at the companies that handle their supplies. People who still have jobs aren't in the mood to buy cars, or much of anything else, right now.
So here come the Big Three automakers--General Motors, Ford and Chrysler--knocking on the door of Congress, asking for a $25 billion bailout to keep their companies afloat. They are told to go back to Detroit on the corporate jets they came to Washington with, and come up with some kind of business plan before asking for money again. Meanwhile, the government has other priorities, such as propping up Citibank for more billions.
What to do? If the automakers went away tomorrow, most people would be saying good riddance, they don't deserve to be saved. Well, they're cutting back on discretionary spending like the rest of us. GM, for one, won't be advertising on this year's Super Bowl and Academy Awards telecasts. And they have just ended their endorsement contract with golfer Tiger Woods--not that he'll be hurting for money any time soon.
Ford, GM and Chrysler will eventually get their money whether we like it or not. Before they do, though, they must agree to the following provisions:
- They must make major investments in green technologies, public transportation, and construction of new or existing infrastructure.
- Build cars that get at least 50 mpg, and don't fall apart once it leaves the dealership.
- Buick and Mercury, just to name a couple of underperforming brands, needs to join Oldsmobile, Plymouth and DeSoto on the scrap heap.
Only if Detroit gets a grip on reality can it once again be on the road to success.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Gopher Football Mediocrity: The Tradition Continues
Previously, we talked about the Bowl Championship Series, how we would attempt to fix it, and why it may never change.
Here in Minnesota, the BCS is not that big a deal. Not since the 1962 Rose Bowl has the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers been within sniffing range of a BCS bowl. Or any other bowl that people care about.
The Gophers ended the 2008 regular season with a 7-5 record, which is pretty good until you realize that their only significant victory was over Illinois. They dropped their last four Big Ten games, including a 55-0 blowout at the hands of Iowa that cleaned out the Metrodome by halftime, except for diehards and Hawkeye fans.
In Tim Brewster's second season as coach, 7-5 represents a marked improvement over 1-11 the previous year. He's trying to get the football program back to the heights enjoyed by Bernie Bierman and Murray Warmath, but so have other Gopher coaches who have come and gone over the past 40 years.
The reasons for this tradition of mediocrity vary: Some say it's the quality of players the program has been able to recruit in the face of football factories such as Ohio State and Southern California.
Others think it's the Metrodome, which the Gophers are leaving after 27 seasons for an on-campus outdoor stadium. But the slide began when they were still playing at Memorial Stadium, so that doesn't wash.
Still others believe it's the lack of commitment by university administrators past and present. No. The university's commitment is to provide a quality education for those who choose to enroll there, whether they are athletes or not.
It makes you wonder if the Gophers deserve to go to a bowl game at all after the season they've had. Their best shot appears to be the Motor City Bowl in Detroit, another third-rate bowl the team has been invited to over the years to go along with the Sun, Independence, Music City and Insight bowls. It's gotten to the point where, if the Gophers are invited to a bowl game, you'd know there are too many of them.
So what makes you think moving to an outdoor stadium will change things? Unless the University of Minnesota is serious about reviving its football program, the echoes of Bierman, Warmath, Bronko Nagurski, Bruce Smith (who won the 1941 Heisman Trophy) and Paul Giel will seem fainter than ever.
Here in Minnesota, the BCS is not that big a deal. Not since the 1962 Rose Bowl has the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers been within sniffing range of a BCS bowl. Or any other bowl that people care about.
The Gophers ended the 2008 regular season with a 7-5 record, which is pretty good until you realize that their only significant victory was over Illinois. They dropped their last four Big Ten games, including a 55-0 blowout at the hands of Iowa that cleaned out the Metrodome by halftime, except for diehards and Hawkeye fans.
In Tim Brewster's second season as coach, 7-5 represents a marked improvement over 1-11 the previous year. He's trying to get the football program back to the heights enjoyed by Bernie Bierman and Murray Warmath, but so have other Gopher coaches who have come and gone over the past 40 years.
The reasons for this tradition of mediocrity vary: Some say it's the quality of players the program has been able to recruit in the face of football factories such as Ohio State and Southern California.
Others think it's the Metrodome, which the Gophers are leaving after 27 seasons for an on-campus outdoor stadium. But the slide began when they were still playing at Memorial Stadium, so that doesn't wash.
Still others believe it's the lack of commitment by university administrators past and present. No. The university's commitment is to provide a quality education for those who choose to enroll there, whether they are athletes or not.
It makes you wonder if the Gophers deserve to go to a bowl game at all after the season they've had. Their best shot appears to be the Motor City Bowl in Detroit, another third-rate bowl the team has been invited to over the years to go along with the Sun, Independence, Music City and Insight bowls. It's gotten to the point where, if the Gophers are invited to a bowl game, you'd know there are too many of them.
So what makes you think moving to an outdoor stadium will change things? Unless the University of Minnesota is serious about reviving its football program, the echoes of Bierman, Warmath, Bronko Nagurski, Bruce Smith (who won the 1941 Heisman Trophy) and Paul Giel will seem fainter than ever.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Change? What Change?
During the campaign, we were told that if Senator Hillary Clinton were elected president, we would be getting nothing more than a third term of the Clinton White House. If Senator John McCain were elected, we'd have another four years of the policies of President George W. Bush. But if we elected Senator Barack Obama, we'd have a fresh start. Hallelujah! Change has come to Washington!
So how come President-elect Obama is stocking most of his Cabinet positions with people who either used to work for, or are related to, former President Bill Clinton?
Some of the people Obama has appointed all have ties to the Clinton administration in one way or another: Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff, Gregory Craig as legal counsel (he defended Clinton in his impeachment trial), John Podesta as head of the transition team, and Eric Holder as Attorney General.
But the biggest name who has yet to be appointed is Hillary Clinton, rumored to be trading in her Senate seat to become Secetary of State. Remember all the buzz when she was in line to take Obama's vice-presidential slot that went to Joe Biden? Same here. Just as before, the major stumbling block is her husband, with several conflict-of-interest issues that could scuttle her nomination.
Granted, Obama has reportedly appointed some non-Clintonites to Cabinet positions. Former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle was named secretary of Health and Human Services, though his ties to a Washington law firm that happens to be lobbyists on health care issues might pose a problem. And Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano was chosen to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
It's not a bad thing for Obama, getting experienced Democratic hands (and maybe one or two Republicans) to run his administration, because it's something he's said he would do as President. But it does sound like the first of many campaign promises Obama's going to break. We're getting a defacto third term of Bill Clinton.
Florida North 2008 Update
After two days of a recount to determine who Minnesota's next U.S. Senator is going to be, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman leads his Democratic challenger Al Franken by 136 votes, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Obviously, there will be more to come.
So how come President-elect Obama is stocking most of his Cabinet positions with people who either used to work for, or are related to, former President Bill Clinton?
Some of the people Obama has appointed all have ties to the Clinton administration in one way or another: Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff, Gregory Craig as legal counsel (he defended Clinton in his impeachment trial), John Podesta as head of the transition team, and Eric Holder as Attorney General.
But the biggest name who has yet to be appointed is Hillary Clinton, rumored to be trading in her Senate seat to become Secetary of State. Remember all the buzz when she was in line to take Obama's vice-presidential slot that went to Joe Biden? Same here. Just as before, the major stumbling block is her husband, with several conflict-of-interest issues that could scuttle her nomination.
Granted, Obama has reportedly appointed some non-Clintonites to Cabinet positions. Former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle was named secretary of Health and Human Services, though his ties to a Washington law firm that happens to be lobbyists on health care issues might pose a problem. And Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano was chosen to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
It's not a bad thing for Obama, getting experienced Democratic hands (and maybe one or two Republicans) to run his administration, because it's something he's said he would do as President. But it does sound like the first of many campaign promises Obama's going to break. We're getting a defacto third term of Bill Clinton.
Florida North 2008 Update
After two days of a recount to determine who Minnesota's next U.S. Senator is going to be, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman leads his Democratic challenger Al Franken by 136 votes, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Obviously, there will be more to come.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
College Football Playoffs Benefit Everyone--Except Athletes
When it comes to a playoff for college football, it sounds a lot like the weather: Everyone complains about it, but no one does anything.
The Bowl Championship Series was created a decade ago to determine who really was the champion of college football without having to rely on two or three different polls, resulting in two or three different teams declaring themselves the winner.
Instead, the BCS (which includes the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta bowls held around the New Year's holiday) made things worse by having a one-game playoff between the top two teams as determined by computer (this week it's Alabama and Texas Tech, in that order), while keeping the rest of the bowl games intact. With few exceptions, no school outside the major conferences need apply.
Nobody, it seems, wants to see the system changed. The colleges don't want it because there are already 12 regular season games, and adding more would cut down on class time for those poor 'student-athletes' (which doesn't hold water when applied to other sports, basketball in particular). The major New Year's bowls, most of which have been around since the Great Depression, don't want to be relegated to just another playoff game, not when they've got lucrative conference tie-ins.
Now President-elect Barack Obama is getting in on the debate. On CBS' 60 Minutes Sunday night, the future occupant of the White House advocated a three-round, eight-team playoff with a cutback in regular season games. That would still leave some deserving teams out of the mix, but it's a start.
Our suggestion? A points system. Add four for every victory, three for wins against a nationally-ranked opponent (no more creampuffs), two if you win your conference's championship, and one for each senior on track to graduate. Four points are deducted for every loss, three for losing to a nationally-ranked opponent, two for every player academically ineligible or has discipline problems. Eight teams with the most points gets into the playoffs.
However it's set up, the BCS will make it difficult for folks without cable or satellite to watch its games starting in 2011. That's when its new TV contract with ESPN begins, covering all five bowls. Cable has now gotten to a point where it can outbid the broadcast networks for major sporting events. It helps if one of those cable networks got rid of its competitors the way ESPN got rid of ABC Sports, by becoming corporate siblings (they're both owned by Disney).
And there you have it. Everybody makes money off of the 'student-athletes' who are supposed to decide football championships on the field--the networks, the colleges, and the corporate sponsors who splash their name on every two-bit bowl game. Everybody, that is, except the 'student-athletes' themselves.
The Bowl Championship Series was created a decade ago to determine who really was the champion of college football without having to rely on two or three different polls, resulting in two or three different teams declaring themselves the winner.
Instead, the BCS (which includes the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta bowls held around the New Year's holiday) made things worse by having a one-game playoff between the top two teams as determined by computer (this week it's Alabama and Texas Tech, in that order), while keeping the rest of the bowl games intact. With few exceptions, no school outside the major conferences need apply.
Nobody, it seems, wants to see the system changed. The colleges don't want it because there are already 12 regular season games, and adding more would cut down on class time for those poor 'student-athletes' (which doesn't hold water when applied to other sports, basketball in particular). The major New Year's bowls, most of which have been around since the Great Depression, don't want to be relegated to just another playoff game, not when they've got lucrative conference tie-ins.
Now President-elect Barack Obama is getting in on the debate. On CBS' 60 Minutes Sunday night, the future occupant of the White House advocated a three-round, eight-team playoff with a cutback in regular season games. That would still leave some deserving teams out of the mix, but it's a start.
Our suggestion? A points system. Add four for every victory, three for wins against a nationally-ranked opponent (no more creampuffs), two if you win your conference's championship, and one for each senior on track to graduate. Four points are deducted for every loss, three for losing to a nationally-ranked opponent, two for every player academically ineligible or has discipline problems. Eight teams with the most points gets into the playoffs.
However it's set up, the BCS will make it difficult for folks without cable or satellite to watch its games starting in 2011. That's when its new TV contract with ESPN begins, covering all five bowls. Cable has now gotten to a point where it can outbid the broadcast networks for major sporting events. It helps if one of those cable networks got rid of its competitors the way ESPN got rid of ABC Sports, by becoming corporate siblings (they're both owned by Disney).
And there you have it. Everybody makes money off of the 'student-athletes' who are supposed to decide football championships on the field--the networks, the colleges, and the corporate sponsors who splash their name on every two-bit bowl game. Everybody, that is, except the 'student-athletes' themselves.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A New Voice at CBS Radio
There's a reason why we haven't said much about the local media here in the Twin Cities. Things change at a glacial pace, so there isn't that much to report. Until now.
Mick Anselmo, a radio executive whose high-profile firing at the local branch of Clear Channel made headlines, has turned up at the local branch of CBS Radio.
Anselmo's greatest claims to fame while at Clear Channel was to build K102 (102.1 FM) into a country music powerhouse, winning several national awards. He was also credited with starting KFAN (1130 AM), a sports talker that isn't always 'jock around the clock', and KTLK (100.3 FM), which has evolved into just another conservative talker, albeit with bigger names (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Jason Lewis) than the other guys.
Between radio gigs, Anselmo's been working for one of local auto king Denny Hecker's companies. Now we learn that Hecker, one of the most ubiquitous advertisers in town (he sometimes literally phones in his ads), is about to put some of his companies in bankruptcy, reportedly caused by a legal dispute with Chrysler over financing. Well, we knew Detroit's problems would hit home eventually.
In Anselmo's new job at CBS, speculation is rampant that he'll want to make changes at the three stations he'll oversee:
Mick Anselmo, a radio executive whose high-profile firing at the local branch of Clear Channel made headlines, has turned up at the local branch of CBS Radio.
Anselmo's greatest claims to fame while at Clear Channel was to build K102 (102.1 FM) into a country music powerhouse, winning several national awards. He was also credited with starting KFAN (1130 AM), a sports talker that isn't always 'jock around the clock', and KTLK (100.3 FM), which has evolved into just another conservative talker, albeit with bigger names (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Jason Lewis) than the other guys.
Between radio gigs, Anselmo's been working for one of local auto king Denny Hecker's companies. Now we learn that Hecker, one of the most ubiquitous advertisers in town (he sometimes literally phones in his ads), is about to put some of his companies in bankruptcy, reportedly caused by a legal dispute with Chrysler over financing. Well, we knew Detroit's problems would hit home eventually.
In Anselmo's new job at CBS, speculation is rampant that he'll want to make changes at the three stations he'll oversee:
- WCCO (now called News Radio 830, but it's still more of a talk station than, say, WBBM in Chicago) seems ripe for some changes. But can they do it without alienating their core nursing home demographic?
- WLTE (102.9 FM) is your go-to channel for light rock. Where else are you gonna go for your Barry Manilow fix? Keep this one.
- KZJK (104.1 FM) plays the kind of classic rock that can be found on other stations. If Anselmo wants to challenge K102, here's where he should do it. Say goodbye to Jack FM.
If there are any changes made, it probably won't be until after the holidays. Or shortly after WLTE finishes its annual holiday music marathon.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Moving Right Along . . .
It's been a week since the most historic presidential election of our lifetime (they say that every four years, but in this case it really was true), and the transition of power has already begun. The George W. Bushes and the Barack Obamas got together at the White House Monday for a tour of the place, and to have a nice chat without the cameras present. When the current and future First Couples posed for pictures, it all seemed so . . . unremarkable.
History has turned a page (uh huh), as Sonny and Cher used to say. As evidenced by the publication of Newsweek's post-election special issue, all the cast of characters have become trivia answers. Remember Rudy "a noun, a verb and 9/11" Giuliani? The inevitability of Hillary Clinton's nomination? Reverend Jeremiah Wright? Joe the Plumber (hope that country music career works out)? John Edwards getting caught with his pants down? Sarah Palin? Tina Fey as Sarah Palin? John McCain's town hall meetings? The Bradley effect? CNN's holograms? Good times.
But now the economy is dominating the news. Unemployment is up, and so have foreclosures. The auto industry is in big trouble, looking for the same bailout the government just gave to companies like AIG--which promptly used it to party hearty. Circuit City has filed for bankruptcy and closed some of its stores. Does anyone really care what Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow have to say about it?
Oh sure, here in Minnesota we have the disputed U.S. Senate contest between GOP incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken. Coleman claims victory even though he only leads by 206 votes (the latest figure), and the lead keeps shrinking all the time. That's just before the official recount, folks.
Are you really missing those thrilling days of yesteryear, when there used to be a debate every week, attack ads on every channel, and conflicting poll numbers in every media outlet? Frankly, we don't. Politics may be fun for some people and an obsession to others, and it provides an endless source of material for blogs like this one. It's just nice to have it in the rear view mirror--at least until 2010.
History has turned a page (uh huh), as Sonny and Cher used to say. As evidenced by the publication of Newsweek's post-election special issue, all the cast of characters have become trivia answers. Remember Rudy "a noun, a verb and 9/11" Giuliani? The inevitability of Hillary Clinton's nomination? Reverend Jeremiah Wright? Joe the Plumber (hope that country music career works out)? John Edwards getting caught with his pants down? Sarah Palin? Tina Fey as Sarah Palin? John McCain's town hall meetings? The Bradley effect? CNN's holograms? Good times.
But now the economy is dominating the news. Unemployment is up, and so have foreclosures. The auto industry is in big trouble, looking for the same bailout the government just gave to companies like AIG--which promptly used it to party hearty. Circuit City has filed for bankruptcy and closed some of its stores. Does anyone really care what Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow have to say about it?
Oh sure, here in Minnesota we have the disputed U.S. Senate contest between GOP incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken. Coleman claims victory even though he only leads by 206 votes (the latest figure), and the lead keeps shrinking all the time. That's just before the official recount, folks.
Are you really missing those thrilling days of yesteryear, when there used to be a debate every week, attack ads on every channel, and conflicting poll numbers in every media outlet? Frankly, we don't. Politics may be fun for some people and an obsession to others, and it provides an endless source of material for blogs like this one. It's just nice to have it in the rear view mirror--at least until 2010.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Coleman vs. Franken: Still Going
The U.S. Senate race in Minnesota between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken has gone into overtime. A state-mandated recount was triggered when the original vote count showed that Coleman was leading by less than one percent. As of this posting, the lead is down to 236.
We're hearing plenty of theories as to why we're in this situation. One is that neither candidate was fully embraced by the voters, given all the negative advertising we've been subjected to. Another is that an Independence Party candidate (Dean Barkley this time) has once again played spoiler to both candidates in a statewide election. Maybe one of these days, someone other than Jesse Ventura can actually win one of them.
Barack Obama may have kept Minnesota's streak of voting for the Democratic presidential candidates alive. But he couldn't alter the status quo. All the incumbents--Tim Walz, Michelle Bachmann, John Kline, Keith Ellison, James Oberstar--retained their seats in Congress. Erik Paulsen kept the Third District seat in GOP hands with his win over Democrat Ashwin Madia, following in the footsteps of Bill Frenzel and Jim Ramstad.
Senator Coleman had the gall to declare victory and for Franken to concede. But now they and the rest of us must wait to see which one of them joins the club in Washington. It can't come soon enough.
We're hearing plenty of theories as to why we're in this situation. One is that neither candidate was fully embraced by the voters, given all the negative advertising we've been subjected to. Another is that an Independence Party candidate (Dean Barkley this time) has once again played spoiler to both candidates in a statewide election. Maybe one of these days, someone other than Jesse Ventura can actually win one of them.
Barack Obama may have kept Minnesota's streak of voting for the Democratic presidential candidates alive. But he couldn't alter the status quo. All the incumbents--Tim Walz, Michelle Bachmann, John Kline, Keith Ellison, James Oberstar--retained their seats in Congress. Erik Paulsen kept the Third District seat in GOP hands with his win over Democrat Ashwin Madia, following in the footsteps of Bill Frenzel and Jim Ramstad.
Senator Coleman had the gall to declare victory and for Franken to concede. But now they and the rest of us must wait to see which one of them joins the club in Washington. It can't come soon enough.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
After The Cheering Stops
As the world celebrates the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States--no small achievement in itself--and explores the significance of it, we wonder what's going to happen once the cheering dies down come January 21, 2009.
No new president ever has it easy, inheriting the messes created by the outgoing Commander-in-Chief. Obama could very well spend the next four years (and maybe four more if he's so inclined?) undoing the damage to American prestige at home and abroad caused by President George W. Bush, leaving precious little time for the president-elect to pursue his own agenda.
Bush' s legacy--two wars, obsessive secrecy, general incompetence, and the nice parting gift of a recession, among other things--have been well documented. Obama has challenges of his own--a new energy policy, climate change initiative and a health care plan--in an age of the trillion-dollar deficit. A Democratic-controlled Congress, which Obama was part of until recently, won't always accede to his wishes. Ask Bill Clinton.
The people Obama chooses to carry out his agenda in the next few weeks will make all the difference between success and failure. The first to heed the call is Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel, chosen as the President-elect's Chief of Staff.
Looking back at the campaign for a moment, John McCain goes back to his day job as Arizona's U.S. Senator wondering what the heck happened. He is a good man who would have been elected if it weren't for:
No new president ever has it easy, inheriting the messes created by the outgoing Commander-in-Chief. Obama could very well spend the next four years (and maybe four more if he's so inclined?) undoing the damage to American prestige at home and abroad caused by President George W. Bush, leaving precious little time for the president-elect to pursue his own agenda.
Bush' s legacy--two wars, obsessive secrecy, general incompetence, and the nice parting gift of a recession, among other things--have been well documented. Obama has challenges of his own--a new energy policy, climate change initiative and a health care plan--in an age of the trillion-dollar deficit. A Democratic-controlled Congress, which Obama was part of until recently, won't always accede to his wishes. Ask Bill Clinton.
The people Obama chooses to carry out his agenda in the next few weeks will make all the difference between success and failure. The first to heed the call is Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel, chosen as the President-elect's Chief of Staff.
Looking back at the campaign for a moment, John McCain goes back to his day job as Arizona's U.S. Senator wondering what the heck happened. He is a good man who would have been elected if it weren't for:
- conservative Republicans hijacking his campaign.
- funding, or the lack of it. McCain's war chest was nowhere near Obama's, pointing out the limits of public financing.
- racist yahoos, which he neither encouraged or discouraged.
- the Great Wall Street Meltdown, making him look like a modern-day Herbert Hoover.
- President Bush as a millstone around his neck.
Then there's the selection of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. How the Alaska governor went from an overnight phenomenon to a punchline in a few short weeks is simply breathtaking. Whether you love her or dislike her, Palin won't be going away. We could be seeing her again in 2012.
History was made Tuesday with the first African-American elected president (biracial for you nitpickers), decades removed from the time when blacks were discouraged from voting through intimidation, Jim Crow laws and outright violence. People of all races have reason to celebrate this development. The next four years will tell us if President Barack Obama will become more than just a footnote.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
If You Believe . . .
We're not in the endorsement business, nor are we going to predict a winner, because we don't want to tell you who to vote for. Instead, we'll just say that you have a decision to make on Tuesday. You can vote for the candidate of your choice, or you can sit home and watch others on TV decide for you.
If you do vote, make sure it's for the right reasons. We've listed some of those for the presidential race between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, along with the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota between Senator Norm Coleman and Al Franken. It goes like this . . .
Vote for Barack Obama if you believe . . .
If you do vote, make sure it's for the right reasons. We've listed some of those for the presidential race between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, along with the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota between Senator Norm Coleman and Al Franken. It goes like this . . .
Vote for Barack Obama if you believe . . .
- eight years of President George W. Bush is enough.
- the war in Iraq needs to end.
- McCain is too old to be president, and Governor Sarah Palin is too inexperienced to step in should the worst happen.
- the middle class won't be soaked in taxes.
- American prestige at home and abroad needs to be improved.
- his life story confirms that in America, anyone can run for President. Anyone.
Vote for John McCain if you believe . . .
- the policies of Bush should continue in some form.
- the war in Iraq needs to end--in victory.
- Obama is too inexperienced to be President.
- the middle class will be soaked in taxes.
- it's a dangerous world out there, and you need an experienced hand at the wheel.
- Palin would make a great vice-president. You betcha.
- his life story confirms that it's never too late to be President.
Vote for Bob Barr or Ralph Nader if you believe . . .
- neither Obama or McCain has the chops to run the country.
In the U.S. Senate race, vote for Norm Coleman if you believe . . .
- he will be a different senator once President Bush is out of office, reaching across the aisle to get things done.
- Al Franken is a raving lunatic who writes porn and makes offensive jokes.
- that Franken is behind a lawsuit days before the election, alleging that a top Coleman donor used a Texas company to pay $75,000 to a Minneapolis insurance firm employing Coleman's wife.
Vote for Al Franken if you believe . . .
- six years of Coleman is enough.
- he had nothing to do with the lawsuit allegedly slandering Coleman's wife.
- someone with no previous political experience deserves the job over someone who does.
- Coleman's too much in lockstep with the Bush administration.
- bailing out Wall Street was a bad idea.
- the Democrats need a veto-proof majority in Congress.
Vote for Dean Barkley if you believe . . .
- this campaign between two guys from New York City has been the worst in recorded history.
May the best person win. Or is that too much to ask?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Phinally, The Baseball Season Is Over
Before the Major League Baseball playoffs began, everybody assumed that a certain franchise with a history of losing would finally break through and win a championship. And that's exactly what happened, though it wasn't the team everyone thought it would be.
The Philadelphia Phillies, the only American sports team to lose 10,000 games in its history, are this year's World Series champions. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, another perennial sad sack franchise (though they've only been around for ten seasons), in five games. The only other time the Phillies stood on top of the mountain was in 1980, the year Ronald Reagan was elected president.
This was not a flawless World Series by any means. The umpires blew some calls, the play was erratic, and the weather in Philadelphia was better suited to an NFL game between the Eagles and the Buccaneers.
Game 3 on Saturday was delayed for two hours by rain. It started at 10 p.m. in the East, and ended at close to 2 a.m. By the time the game ended, Fox's only competition was infomercials and reruns of Larry King Live.
It was nothing compared to Game 5, which began on Monday evening. By the sixth inning, the rain was making play hazardous. If B.J. Upton of the Rays hadn't scored the tying run, Major League Baseball and its commissioner Bud Selig would have been scorched for awarding the Phillies the title in a rain-shortened game. Wisely, they chose to make this the first suspended game in World Series history.
Two days, 46 hours and one Barack Obama infomercial later, the game resumed in the bottom of the sixth, and Philadelphia went on to win the game 4-3.
Thanks to the lousy weather conditions (which wasn't a problem when the first two games were played in St. Petersburg, Florida. In a domed stadium.), sports pundits have been advocating that MLB should go the way of the Super Bowl and the college basketball Final Four and play the World Series at a neutral site. Purists say no way. But as the Series creeps closer to Thanksgiving, and there's no chance the regular season or playoffs will be shortened (too much money involved), MLB may have to seriously consider the idea.
Philadelphia fans had better enjoy this championship. Who knows when there will be another one?
The Philadelphia Phillies, the only American sports team to lose 10,000 games in its history, are this year's World Series champions. They defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, another perennial sad sack franchise (though they've only been around for ten seasons), in five games. The only other time the Phillies stood on top of the mountain was in 1980, the year Ronald Reagan was elected president.
This was not a flawless World Series by any means. The umpires blew some calls, the play was erratic, and the weather in Philadelphia was better suited to an NFL game between the Eagles and the Buccaneers.
Game 3 on Saturday was delayed for two hours by rain. It started at 10 p.m. in the East, and ended at close to 2 a.m. By the time the game ended, Fox's only competition was infomercials and reruns of Larry King Live.
It was nothing compared to Game 5, which began on Monday evening. By the sixth inning, the rain was making play hazardous. If B.J. Upton of the Rays hadn't scored the tying run, Major League Baseball and its commissioner Bud Selig would have been scorched for awarding the Phillies the title in a rain-shortened game. Wisely, they chose to make this the first suspended game in World Series history.
Two days, 46 hours and one Barack Obama infomercial later, the game resumed in the bottom of the sixth, and Philadelphia went on to win the game 4-3.
Thanks to the lousy weather conditions (which wasn't a problem when the first two games were played in St. Petersburg, Florida. In a domed stadium.), sports pundits have been advocating that MLB should go the way of the Super Bowl and the college basketball Final Four and play the World Series at a neutral site. Purists say no way. But as the Series creeps closer to Thanksgiving, and there's no chance the regular season or playoffs will be shortened (too much money involved), MLB may have to seriously consider the idea.
Philadelphia fans had better enjoy this championship. Who knows when there will be another one?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
" . . . And I Approved This Message".
Under the category of Stuck For a Topic, we thought we'd monitor one of the local newscasts in the Twin Cities to see how much political advertising they could cram into 35 minutes. We chose WCCO-TV's 10 p.m. newscast for Tuesday, October 28, though to be honest, virtually the same ads could be seen on every other station. They make tons of money for the stations, which is an important thing to consider in these tough economic times. Our discomfort is their gain.
Our unscientific timeline is as follows:
10:09 Senator Norm Coleman talks about his leadership, and his efforts for bipartisanship in the halls of the U.S. Senate. This is one of the "sincere" ads Coleman's been running since renouncing the attack ads. Oh, and he also touts his endorsement by nearly every major newspaper in Minnesota. Even the Star Tribune.
10:10 An ad urging folks to vote yes on the Clean Water Amendment, so more money can be raised for our environment and the arts.
10:22 Challenger Al Franken claims Coleman takes money from lobbyists and supports President George W. Bush most of the time. Then a Democratic group tells us Franken (whose picture makes him look like Ozzie Nelson) is "The Only Choice For Change".
10:24 In an ad for a Democratic organization, they claim GOP Sixth District Rep. Michele Bachmann took money from Wall Street interests.
10:27 In an ad for a Republican organization, they claim Third District Democratic congressional candidate Ashwin Madia would raise your taxes. Then GOP representative John Kline asks voters to sign an online petition urging Congress to cut wasteful spending (we take it Kline isn't too worried about his re-election chances).
10:28 According to Bachmann, Democratic opponent El Tinklenberg hired cronies when he was head of Minnesota's Department of Transportation and increased taxes as mayor of Blaine, all done in the style of a silent movie comedy. (KSTP gave this ad a D grade) Then Republican Erik Paulsen claims his opponent Madia lied about not raising taxes and not voting for Bush.
10:29 See a pattern? Madia will raise your taxes. Then we see one telling us that Franken is unfit for office because he wrote jokes offensive to women and minorities.
10:30 Madia jogs while telling us he joined the military because he "wanted to give something back".
10:31 Franken will raise your taxes!
10:32 John McCain would tax your health care benefits, according to Barack Obama. Interestingly, it sounds as if McCain has given up on Minnesota, judging from the lack of advertising that's been on the local airwaves lately. Obama, on the other hand, has outspent his Republican opponent in the state by a 2-1 margin.
10:33 A Tinklenberg ad takes Bachmann to task for her "anti-American" comments, and for her undying support of Bush. Then, an ad for Democratic congressional incumbent Tim Walz notes that his GOP opponent would vote the party line every time.
And there you have it. In these ads that mostly point fingers at the other guy, we found that:
Our unscientific timeline is as follows:
10:09 Senator Norm Coleman talks about his leadership, and his efforts for bipartisanship in the halls of the U.S. Senate. This is one of the "sincere" ads Coleman's been running since renouncing the attack ads. Oh, and he also touts his endorsement by nearly every major newspaper in Minnesota. Even the Star Tribune.
10:10 An ad urging folks to vote yes on the Clean Water Amendment, so more money can be raised for our environment and the arts.
10:22 Challenger Al Franken claims Coleman takes money from lobbyists and supports President George W. Bush most of the time. Then a Democratic group tells us Franken (whose picture makes him look like Ozzie Nelson) is "The Only Choice For Change".
10:24 In an ad for a Democratic organization, they claim GOP Sixth District Rep. Michele Bachmann took money from Wall Street interests.
10:27 In an ad for a Republican organization, they claim Third District Democratic congressional candidate Ashwin Madia would raise your taxes. Then GOP representative John Kline asks voters to sign an online petition urging Congress to cut wasteful spending (we take it Kline isn't too worried about his re-election chances).
10:28 According to Bachmann, Democratic opponent El Tinklenberg hired cronies when he was head of Minnesota's Department of Transportation and increased taxes as mayor of Blaine, all done in the style of a silent movie comedy. (KSTP gave this ad a D grade) Then Republican Erik Paulsen claims his opponent Madia lied about not raising taxes and not voting for Bush.
10:29 See a pattern? Madia will raise your taxes. Then we see one telling us that Franken is unfit for office because he wrote jokes offensive to women and minorities.
10:30 Madia jogs while telling us he joined the military because he "wanted to give something back".
10:31 Franken will raise your taxes!
10:32 John McCain would tax your health care benefits, according to Barack Obama. Interestingly, it sounds as if McCain has given up on Minnesota, judging from the lack of advertising that's been on the local airwaves lately. Obama, on the other hand, has outspent his Republican opponent in the state by a 2-1 margin.
10:33 A Tinklenberg ad takes Bachmann to task for her "anti-American" comments, and for her undying support of Bush. Then, an ad for Democratic congressional incumbent Tim Walz notes that his GOP opponent would vote the party line every time.
And there you have it. In these ads that mostly point fingers at the other guy, we found that:
- Republicans hate taxes and people who write dirty jokes for a living.
- Democrats dislike Bush supporters and anyone who took money from special interests.
- Most ads are shown between the weather and sports segments.
There's one more week of these enlightening ads to go. Then it's time to bring out the holiday ads.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Timberwolves: Same As It Ever Was
There has been so little buzz about the Minnesota Timberwolves this season that you would be forgiven if you thought they, not the Seattle Supersonics, had moved to Oklahoma City.
While the Sonics traded in Seattle's lattes and rainy weather for whatever it is that's in Oklahoma, the situation remains the same in the post-Kevin Garnett era for the Wolves. Same owner (Glen Taylor), same GM (Kevin McHale), same coach (Randy Wittman), and same arena (although we hear Target Center is due for a fixup). About the only change is in the Wolves' logo and uniforms, commemorating their 20th NBA season.
Otherwise, the Wolves' chances of improving on last season's 22-60 record hinge on how well two new acquisitions from Memphis fit in with their new star, Al Jefferson. Mike Miller and rookie Kevin Love from UCLA came in the draft day trade with the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo, the phenom who treated USC like a way station to the NBA. Also, the team needs a little help from the likes of Sebastian Telfair, Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes.
Change may be coming to Washington, but not to the Timberwolves. They won't make the playoffs this year, either.
As for the rest of the NBA, here's who we think will make the playoffs.
EAST Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards.
WEST Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets and Utah Jazz.
While the Sonics traded in Seattle's lattes and rainy weather for whatever it is that's in Oklahoma, the situation remains the same in the post-Kevin Garnett era for the Wolves. Same owner (Glen Taylor), same GM (Kevin McHale), same coach (Randy Wittman), and same arena (although we hear Target Center is due for a fixup). About the only change is in the Wolves' logo and uniforms, commemorating their 20th NBA season.
Otherwise, the Wolves' chances of improving on last season's 22-60 record hinge on how well two new acquisitions from Memphis fit in with their new star, Al Jefferson. Mike Miller and rookie Kevin Love from UCLA came in the draft day trade with the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo, the phenom who treated USC like a way station to the NBA. Also, the team needs a little help from the likes of Sebastian Telfair, Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes.
Change may be coming to Washington, but not to the Timberwolves. They won't make the playoffs this year, either.
As for the rest of the NBA, here's who we think will make the playoffs.
EAST Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards.
WEST Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets and Utah Jazz.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Political Rundown (And Runover)
A 21st Century McCarthy
By now everyone's heard about Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's adept insertion of foot into mouth during her appearance on MSNBC's Hardball.
The Sixth District Republican, prompted by host Chris Matthews, was "concerned" that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama might hold anti-American views, and that there needs to be a media expose of Congress to determine which one's a patriot and which one isn't.
Bachmann isn't the first to suggest that the Senator from Illinois is anything but the Typical American she claims to represent (and, unfortunately, she won't be the last). As for that expose, would Fox News be interested?
Bachmann has a history of making idiotic statements, but this one might end up costing her a second term in Washington. Elwyn Tinklenberg, her Deomocratic opponent, just saw his long shot candidacy get a major boost from contributors to the tune of a million dollars. And a national Republican organization has pulled its money and ad support from Bachmann.
Since her MSNBC appearance, Bachmann has been distancing herself from the things she said on Hardball. But the damage has been done. In this election year, being a big fan of President Bush (she voted with him nearly 90% of the time) and raising the ugly specter of Joseph McCarthy isn't going to win you any friends.
I don't live in Bachmann's district, but the things she says and does should be an embarrassment to all Minnesotans.
Palin Dresses For Success
There are reports that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 so vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin could dress better than Tina Fey. The Alaska Governor has been supposedly getting her clothes from such stores as Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Wonder how that will go over with folks who, if they shop at all these days, do so at Wal-Mart and Target?
Will It Be "Dewey Defeats Truman" All Over Again?
In spite of the double-digit leads Barack Obama enjoys over Republican John McCain in most of the major polls, we still think the election could go either way between now and November 4. So for all those of you who are figuratively measuring the drapes in the White House in anticipation of Obama's arrival, we have two words for you: Thomas Dewey.
Dewey was the Republican presidential nominee whom everybody (meaning newspaper and radio commentators and the polls) considered a shoo-in to win the 1948 election over President Harry Truman, who was not a popular man at that point. But a strange thing happened. Thanks to vigorous campaigning in the closing weeks, Truman was able to stage one of the greatest upsets in American political history.
Obama, to his credit, is taking nothing for granted. McCain, to his credit, is publicly embracing his "underdog" role. Let's all wait and see if history does (or doesn't) repeat itself.
By now everyone's heard about Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's adept insertion of foot into mouth during her appearance on MSNBC's Hardball.
The Sixth District Republican, prompted by host Chris Matthews, was "concerned" that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama might hold anti-American views, and that there needs to be a media expose of Congress to determine which one's a patriot and which one isn't.
Bachmann isn't the first to suggest that the Senator from Illinois is anything but the Typical American she claims to represent (and, unfortunately, she won't be the last). As for that expose, would Fox News be interested?
Bachmann has a history of making idiotic statements, but this one might end up costing her a second term in Washington. Elwyn Tinklenberg, her Deomocratic opponent, just saw his long shot candidacy get a major boost from contributors to the tune of a million dollars. And a national Republican organization has pulled its money and ad support from Bachmann.
Since her MSNBC appearance, Bachmann has been distancing herself from the things she said on Hardball. But the damage has been done. In this election year, being a big fan of President Bush (she voted with him nearly 90% of the time) and raising the ugly specter of Joseph McCarthy isn't going to win you any friends.
I don't live in Bachmann's district, but the things she says and does should be an embarrassment to all Minnesotans.
Palin Dresses For Success
There are reports that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 so vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin could dress better than Tina Fey. The Alaska Governor has been supposedly getting her clothes from such stores as Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Wonder how that will go over with folks who, if they shop at all these days, do so at Wal-Mart and Target?
Will It Be "Dewey Defeats Truman" All Over Again?
In spite of the double-digit leads Barack Obama enjoys over Republican John McCain in most of the major polls, we still think the election could go either way between now and November 4. So for all those of you who are figuratively measuring the drapes in the White House in anticipation of Obama's arrival, we have two words for you: Thomas Dewey.
Dewey was the Republican presidential nominee whom everybody (meaning newspaper and radio commentators and the polls) considered a shoo-in to win the 1948 election over President Harry Truman, who was not a popular man at that point. But a strange thing happened. Thanks to vigorous campaigning in the closing weeks, Truman was able to stage one of the greatest upsets in American political history.
Obama, to his credit, is taking nothing for granted. McCain, to his credit, is publicly embracing his "underdog" role. Let's all wait and see if history does (or doesn't) repeat itself.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Just So You Know
We've been experiencing technical difficulties in getting this blog out to you. Joe the Plumber did not take a pipe to the site, nor did Michele Bachmann issue a witch hunt against us.
We just thought you'd like to know. A real post is forthcoming, so hang in there.
We just thought you'd like to know. A real post is forthcoming, so hang in there.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
This Old Debate
Senators Barack Obama and John McCain squared off for the final time Wednesday night in Hempstead, Long Island. Not far from there is the New York Stock Exchange, where the Dow fell more than 700 points, losing more than a trillion dollars.
So naturally, the economy was Topic A. Both presidential candidates trotted out their by-now-familiar positions on how to fix it, before things really get out of hand.
If anything new was added to this debate, it was McCain's inclusion of Joe Wurzelbacher, a supporter from Ohio he met along the campaign trail. "Joe the Plumber" was used as an example of how small business people like him would be hurt by Obama's tax proposals. Then both candidates were talking about "Joe the Plumber" as if he were a real person. (It must be true. ABC's Nightline interviewed him by phone after the debate.)
Moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News asked better questions than his predecessors of Obama and McCain, who were sitting beside each other, in a format that seemed like an extended version of Face The Nation (which he hosts on Sunday mornings).
For instance, Schieffer got them to talk about the negative campaigning that both of them had been running. McCain kept bringing up Obama's connection to William Ayers,a 1960s-era radical (now considered a terrorist) whose violent methods were repudiated by the Illinois senator. ACORN, an organization that's been accused lately of getting out the vote for Obama through phony names and payments, was also brought up. Obama, for the most part, simply shrugged them off. But McCain did back off on Reverend Wright.
McCain did a much better job this time, but the split-screen reaction shots on TV told you all you really needed to know about both candidates. McCain was the animated one, ready to freak out at a moment's notice. Obama remained calm and collected throughout. Which one would you rather have in a moment of crisis?
Considering the fact that McCain now trails Obama in most of the major polls with less than three weeks to go, we wonder if the Arizona senator's performance will make any difference. It's going to take more than "Joe the Plumber" to fix his leaky campaign.
So naturally, the economy was Topic A. Both presidential candidates trotted out their by-now-familiar positions on how to fix it, before things really get out of hand.
If anything new was added to this debate, it was McCain's inclusion of Joe Wurzelbacher, a supporter from Ohio he met along the campaign trail. "Joe the Plumber" was used as an example of how small business people like him would be hurt by Obama's tax proposals. Then both candidates were talking about "Joe the Plumber" as if he were a real person. (It must be true. ABC's Nightline interviewed him by phone after the debate.)
Moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS News asked better questions than his predecessors of Obama and McCain, who were sitting beside each other, in a format that seemed like an extended version of Face The Nation (which he hosts on Sunday mornings).
For instance, Schieffer got them to talk about the negative campaigning that both of them had been running. McCain kept bringing up Obama's connection to William Ayers,a 1960s-era radical (now considered a terrorist) whose violent methods were repudiated by the Illinois senator. ACORN, an organization that's been accused lately of getting out the vote for Obama through phony names and payments, was also brought up. Obama, for the most part, simply shrugged them off. But McCain did back off on Reverend Wright.
McCain did a much better job this time, but the split-screen reaction shots on TV told you all you really needed to know about both candidates. McCain was the animated one, ready to freak out at a moment's notice. Obama remained calm and collected throughout. Which one would you rather have in a moment of crisis?
Considering the fact that McCain now trails Obama in most of the major polls with less than three weeks to go, we wonder if the Arizona senator's performance will make any difference. It's going to take more than "Joe the Plumber" to fix his leaky campaign.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Three Weeks To Go
In the days before the final presidential debate on Wednesday night, things are getting downright ugly on the campaign trail. In this case, it's not just the economy, stupid.
The polls tell us that Democratic Senator Barack Obama has opened up significant leads in key states over Republican Senator John McCain. But not everyone is comfortable with the idea of a biracial man with an exotic name as President of the United States.
At McCain's campaign rallies, the tone has lately become more bellicose against Obama. If Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, isn't accusing Obama of "palling around" with 1960s-era terrorists, then audience members stoked on too many McCain campaign ads were more than happy to supply their own epithets--possibly to the point where certain federal agencies should get involved.
The Senator from Arizona must have noticed the harm this was doing not just to his campaign, but also to civil discourse. At a rally in Lakeville, Minnesota, McCain called Obama a "decent family man" to a woman who thought his opponent was "an Arab".
Governor Palin's problems haven't helped the campaign, either. An inquiry into the dismissal of Walt Monaghan, Alaska's public safety commissioner, found that while she may have abused her power in this matter, she was in the right to fire Monaghan. And she also got booed at a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game, where she dropped the ceremonial first puck (Big deal, They boo everybody in Philadelphia, regardless of political affiliation. Even Santa Claus.).
Things may look bleak for the McCain campaign right now, but there is still time to turn it around before November 4. The economy could improve. Obama could make a major mistake that costs him votes. And Osama bin Laden might decide to stick his nose into the campaign by releasing a tape, just like he did before the 2004 election, cementing another four year term for President George W. Bush. Hey, anything can happen.
The polls tell us that Democratic Senator Barack Obama has opened up significant leads in key states over Republican Senator John McCain. But not everyone is comfortable with the idea of a biracial man with an exotic name as President of the United States.
At McCain's campaign rallies, the tone has lately become more bellicose against Obama. If Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, isn't accusing Obama of "palling around" with 1960s-era terrorists, then audience members stoked on too many McCain campaign ads were more than happy to supply their own epithets--possibly to the point where certain federal agencies should get involved.
The Senator from Arizona must have noticed the harm this was doing not just to his campaign, but also to civil discourse. At a rally in Lakeville, Minnesota, McCain called Obama a "decent family man" to a woman who thought his opponent was "an Arab".
Governor Palin's problems haven't helped the campaign, either. An inquiry into the dismissal of Walt Monaghan, Alaska's public safety commissioner, found that while she may have abused her power in this matter, she was in the right to fire Monaghan. And she also got booed at a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game, where she dropped the ceremonial first puck (Big deal, They boo everybody in Philadelphia, regardless of political affiliation. Even Santa Claus.).
Things may look bleak for the McCain campaign right now, but there is still time to turn it around before November 4. The economy could improve. Obama could make a major mistake that costs him votes. And Osama bin Laden might decide to stick his nose into the campaign by releasing a tape, just like he did before the 2004 election, cementing another four year term for President George W. Bush. Hey, anything can happen.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Norm Coleman: No More Mr. Mean Guy?
It's amazing what's happened to Senator Norm Coleman this election year. He has transformed himself from just another Republican politician in thrall to President George W. Bush's administration into Mr. Bipartisan, selling himself to Minnesota voters as a man who seeks support from Democrats to get important legislation passed in this era of bad feeling between the two parties.
Recently, Coleman decided to drop those ads trashing his Democratic opponent Al Franken, citing the worsening economic situation. Which means that we won't be seeing any more of those ads depicting Franken as a raving lunatic who wrote sex jokes and doesn't pay his taxes. They've been replaced by new ads featuring his daughter and a cute kid living with cancer. Who knows? The Bowling Alley Guys might stage a comeback.
Could this kinder, gentler approach have anything to do with Coleman's poll numbers, which are now falling behind Franken and just ahead of Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley? Naah!
Coleman's opponents aren't buying this Mr. Nice Guy act. Among other things, they say, the Senator has been in Bush's back pocket way too much, takes favors from special interests, and--along with the rest of Congress--has been asleep at the wheel when it came to reining in those Wall Street executives getting rich off of other people's money. Even those independent organizations who support Coleman have yet to back off from their negative advertising.
Whether the new-and-improved Coleman convinces enough voters to give him another six year term remains to be seen. He's gone through more changes than David Bowie: Brooklynite to Minnesotan, campus anti-Vietnam War activist to conservative U.S. Senator, Democrat to Republican, etc. It's hard to know where Norm Coleman the Chameleon ends and Norm Coleman the man begins, and that's why he's an election target.
Recently, Coleman decided to drop those ads trashing his Democratic opponent Al Franken, citing the worsening economic situation. Which means that we won't be seeing any more of those ads depicting Franken as a raving lunatic who wrote sex jokes and doesn't pay his taxes. They've been replaced by new ads featuring his daughter and a cute kid living with cancer. Who knows? The Bowling Alley Guys might stage a comeback.
Could this kinder, gentler approach have anything to do with Coleman's poll numbers, which are now falling behind Franken and just ahead of Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley? Naah!
Coleman's opponents aren't buying this Mr. Nice Guy act. Among other things, they say, the Senator has been in Bush's back pocket way too much, takes favors from special interests, and--along with the rest of Congress--has been asleep at the wheel when it came to reining in those Wall Street executives getting rich off of other people's money. Even those independent organizations who support Coleman have yet to back off from their negative advertising.
Whether the new-and-improved Coleman convinces enough voters to give him another six year term remains to be seen. He's gone through more changes than David Bowie: Brooklynite to Minnesotan, campus anti-Vietnam War activist to conservative U.S. Senator, Democrat to Republican, etc. It's hard to know where Norm Coleman the Chameleon ends and Norm Coleman the man begins, and that's why he's an election target.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Minnesota Wild: Shoud Gaborik Stay, Or Shoud He Go?
The Minnesota Wild starts the 2008-09 NHL season with a dilemma: Should they sign their biggest star Marian Gaborik, trade him, or let him go to free agency next year?
We in Minnesota have been down this road before: Letting go of a big-name player because he has either become too expensive for a small-market team, or has become frustrated with his situation in which the team will never move forward as long as he's still there. That's why the Twins parted with Johan Santana, and the Timberwolves said adios to Kevin Garnett.
In Gaborik's case, he's a prolific goal-scorer stuck on a defensive-minded team coached by Jacques Lemaire (who also has to decide whether he wants to stick around). And for the first time in anyone's memory, Gaborik played a whole season without doing some kind of damage to his groin.
The defending Northwest Division champions have a goal of getting past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs--something they haven't done since the spring of 2003. To accomplish that, they brought back Andrew Brunette from Colorado and Owen Nolan from Calgary to help out Gaborik, and said goodbye to Brian Rolston (to New Jersey) and Pavol Demitra (to Vancouver).
Depending on what the Wild decide to do with Gaborik, they have a decent shot at making the playoffs again. The division title, however, will go to Calgary.
NHL 2008-09
The season actually began last weekend in Europe, as the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators played games that matter for paying customers in Prague and Stockholm. The NHL is considering expanding to the Continent sometime in the near future, once they settle their differences with a Russian-based superleague. Why do that when they're having problems growing the game in certain parts of the United States?
Self-described "hockey mom" (and vice-presidential candidate) Sarah Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' home opener. Does this mean that Barack Obama might do the ceremonial tip-off at an NBA game?
The Chicago Blackhawks are apparently back from the dead, getting big crowds at United Center to watch a much-improved team. They will host this year's outdoor game on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field (curse alert) against Detroit. And Chicago superstation WGN will be televising some of their games. Unlike other leagues, the NHL must be thrilled to get all the extra exposure.
The Detroit Red Wings are everybody's choice to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, which would be quite a feat since the Wings were the last team to do that--ten years ago. It's hard to see how, with an aging roster and the letdown that inevitably follows a championship. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost to the Wings in six games last spring, are more than ready to take that final step.
Here's who we think will be spending their spring on the ice instead of the golf course:
East Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres.
West Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.
We in Minnesota have been down this road before: Letting go of a big-name player because he has either become too expensive for a small-market team, or has become frustrated with his situation in which the team will never move forward as long as he's still there. That's why the Twins parted with Johan Santana, and the Timberwolves said adios to Kevin Garnett.
In Gaborik's case, he's a prolific goal-scorer stuck on a defensive-minded team coached by Jacques Lemaire (who also has to decide whether he wants to stick around). And for the first time in anyone's memory, Gaborik played a whole season without doing some kind of damage to his groin.
The defending Northwest Division champions have a goal of getting past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs--something they haven't done since the spring of 2003. To accomplish that, they brought back Andrew Brunette from Colorado and Owen Nolan from Calgary to help out Gaborik, and said goodbye to Brian Rolston (to New Jersey) and Pavol Demitra (to Vancouver).
Depending on what the Wild decide to do with Gaborik, they have a decent shot at making the playoffs again. The division title, however, will go to Calgary.
NHL 2008-09
The season actually began last weekend in Europe, as the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators played games that matter for paying customers in Prague and Stockholm. The NHL is considering expanding to the Continent sometime in the near future, once they settle their differences with a Russian-based superleague. Why do that when they're having problems growing the game in certain parts of the United States?
Self-described "hockey mom" (and vice-presidential candidate) Sarah Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' home opener. Does this mean that Barack Obama might do the ceremonial tip-off at an NBA game?
The Chicago Blackhawks are apparently back from the dead, getting big crowds at United Center to watch a much-improved team. They will host this year's outdoor game on New Year's Day at Wrigley Field (curse alert) against Detroit. And Chicago superstation WGN will be televising some of their games. Unlike other leagues, the NHL must be thrilled to get all the extra exposure.
The Detroit Red Wings are everybody's choice to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, which would be quite a feat since the Wings were the last team to do that--ten years ago. It's hard to see how, with an aging roster and the letdown that inevitably follows a championship. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost to the Wings in six games last spring, are more than ready to take that final step.
Here's who we think will be spending their spring on the ice instead of the golf course:
East Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres.
West Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Nashville Snooze
Once again, a presidential debate failed to live up to the hype. Senators Barack Obama and John McCain sparred verbally for ninety minutes Tuesday night in Nashville, but neither really slipped up nor had a knockout punch.
The format this time was supposed to be like one of those town hall meetings McCain's so fond of, moderated by Tom Brokaw of NBC. Instead of a lively debate, what we got was a pre-screened audience with prepared questions who might as well have been sedated before the broadcast began. Was this being sponsored by Ambien?
Another problem is that, if the candidate answered a question from someone in one half of the audience in a theatre-in-the-round setting, they'd be turning their backs on the other half.
Questions on the economy and foreign policy, not on rehashing ancient history as far as the candidates' relationships with alleged domestic terrorists and scandal-plagued bankers were concerned, dominated the proceedings. Both Obama and McCain stuck to their familiar talking points without really answering the questions. Sometimes they rambled on for so long that Brokaw had to remind them that they were straying off the agreed-upon format.
In the end, both candidates played to their strengths: Obama was stronger on domestic issues, while McCain touted his experience on international affairs. But two days of a tanking stock market--bailout or no bailout--have cast a looming shadow over anything the two presidential candidates said Tuesday night.
The format this time was supposed to be like one of those town hall meetings McCain's so fond of, moderated by Tom Brokaw of NBC. Instead of a lively debate, what we got was a pre-screened audience with prepared questions who might as well have been sedated before the broadcast began. Was this being sponsored by Ambien?
Another problem is that, if the candidate answered a question from someone in one half of the audience in a theatre-in-the-round setting, they'd be turning their backs on the other half.
Questions on the economy and foreign policy, not on rehashing ancient history as far as the candidates' relationships with alleged domestic terrorists and scandal-plagued bankers were concerned, dominated the proceedings. Both Obama and McCain stuck to their familiar talking points without really answering the questions. Sometimes they rambled on for so long that Brokaw had to remind them that they were straying off the agreed-upon format.
In the end, both candidates played to their strengths: Obama was stronger on domestic issues, while McCain touted his experience on international affairs. But two days of a tanking stock market--bailout or no bailout--have cast a looming shadow over anything the two presidential candidates said Tuesday night.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Three Headlines
Besides watching football and the baseball playoffs (Cubs out? Already?), there was plenty of news on this fine fall weekend. Enough for this, the 200th post.
The Chicken Little Bailout Passes
That $700 billion plan to "rescue" Wall Street passed the House of Representatives Friday, 263-171, then was signed by President Bush. It was really over $800 billion, thanks to the inclusion of congressional pet projects (also known as 'earmarks' and 'pork') both legitimate and not-so-legitimate. It won't solve America's economic woes, at least not right away. But it's the first step in admitting there's a big problem out there.
Star Tribune Poll Gives Obama and Franken Double Digit Leads
Well, the newspaper had to do something to offset reports that they are on the verge of bankruptcy. But this is definitely something that makes you go huh? The Minnesota Poll has Barack Obama leading John McCain in the presidential race 55 percent to 37 percent, while Al Franken leads Norm Coleman in the U.S. Senate race 43 percent to 34 percent, with third-party candidate Dean Barkley getting 18 percent. Every other poll in the state has Obama and McCain running neck and neck in the presidential race, while Coleman has been leading Franken by 10 points.
The economic crisis has obviously helped Obama's cause, in spite of being nonexistent on the ad front when compared to McCain (although that's changing, we understand). But what to make of Franken? Seems people really are being turned off by the ads both Senate candidates have been running--particularly Coleman's, which are getting increasingly desperate. Depicting Franken as someone who wrote jokes on rape and goes on profanity-laced tirades is old news, and exploiting a cute kid with a fatal disease just to win votes is offensive. And why Franken's wife chose this time to reveal in an ad that she's a recovering alcoholic is puzzling.
Incidentally, we all knew that the Hubbard family, which owns KSTP-TV, are in the tank for the Republicans. But interrupting an ABC News report on the bailout vote for a McCain ad was just tacky.
O.J. Simpson Convicted of Armed Robbery and Kidnapping Charges
The fact that the verdict came in the middle of the night in a Las Vegas courtroom was telling. We suppose stealing sports memorabilia isn't as sexy a story as the murder of Simpson's wife and her friend, complete with racial implications. Maybe we've seen too many African-American athletes paraded in front of courtrooms on various charges, ranging from the heinous to lapses in good judgement, to see this as anything but just one more. Or maybe we're so over O.J. Simpson.
The Chicken Little Bailout Passes
That $700 billion plan to "rescue" Wall Street passed the House of Representatives Friday, 263-171, then was signed by President Bush. It was really over $800 billion, thanks to the inclusion of congressional pet projects (also known as 'earmarks' and 'pork') both legitimate and not-so-legitimate. It won't solve America's economic woes, at least not right away. But it's the first step in admitting there's a big problem out there.
Star Tribune Poll Gives Obama and Franken Double Digit Leads
Well, the newspaper had to do something to offset reports that they are on the verge of bankruptcy. But this is definitely something that makes you go huh? The Minnesota Poll has Barack Obama leading John McCain in the presidential race 55 percent to 37 percent, while Al Franken leads Norm Coleman in the U.S. Senate race 43 percent to 34 percent, with third-party candidate Dean Barkley getting 18 percent. Every other poll in the state has Obama and McCain running neck and neck in the presidential race, while Coleman has been leading Franken by 10 points.
The economic crisis has obviously helped Obama's cause, in spite of being nonexistent on the ad front when compared to McCain (although that's changing, we understand). But what to make of Franken? Seems people really are being turned off by the ads both Senate candidates have been running--particularly Coleman's, which are getting increasingly desperate. Depicting Franken as someone who wrote jokes on rape and goes on profanity-laced tirades is old news, and exploiting a cute kid with a fatal disease just to win votes is offensive. And why Franken's wife chose this time to reveal in an ad that she's a recovering alcoholic is puzzling.
Incidentally, we all knew that the Hubbard family, which owns KSTP-TV, are in the tank for the Republicans. But interrupting an ABC News report on the bailout vote for a McCain ad was just tacky.
O.J. Simpson Convicted of Armed Robbery and Kidnapping Charges
The fact that the verdict came in the middle of the night in a Las Vegas courtroom was telling. We suppose stealing sports memorabilia isn't as sexy a story as the murder of Simpson's wife and her friend, complete with racial implications. Maybe we've seen too many African-American athletes paraded in front of courtrooms on various charges, ranging from the heinous to lapses in good judgement, to see this as anything but just one more. Or maybe we're so over O.J. Simpson.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Biden vs. Palin: Style and Substance in St. Louis
To everyone's relief, tonight's Vice Presidential debate in St. Louis between Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska wasn't the train wreck it could have been. Both of them did rather well.
Biden, Barack Obama's #2, did not make any outrageous statements, nor did he act in a condescending manner towards Palin. John McCain's running mate came across less like the head of a state than as the candidate from Lake Wobegon, but at the same time shed her Floyd R. Turbo persona, a deer-in-the-headlights character Johnny Carson once did on The Tonight Show.
At times, it was Palin who blew Biden off the screen, talking directly to the TV audience instead of to moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS. She even ignored some of Ifill's questions, as if to say, "I don't have to talk to you, you smug, inside-the-beltway know-it-all who wrote a book about my opponent." Now who's the condescending one?
As for the substance of the debate, Biden kept hammering away at McCain's being in lockstep with President Bush on many issues. Palin recited many of the Republican talking points, injecting Reaganisms such as "shining city on a hill" and "there you go again", and Bushisms such as "nucular" whenever possible. Other than that, she stuck to what she knew, steering the conversation over to her experience as a reform-minded mayor and governor.
On international affairs, Biden seemed more comfortable talking about what he and Obama would do to get troops out of Iraq, and to improve relations with countries that McCain and Bush alienated. Palin resorted to accusing Biden and the Democrats of surrendering when victory in Iraq is close at hand, believing in the fiction that they are the central front in the Bush War on Terror.
Call it a draw, folks. Biden won on substance. Palin won on style. As for how this affects the polls, in which Obama now leads by as many as ten points over McCain in key states, the numbers won't change much until after the next presidential debate on Tuesday.
Now that their one and only debate is finished, Biden can go back to stumping for Obama. Palin can go back to the protective cocoon the McCain campaign has been keeping her in for weeks, at least until after the election.
Biden, Barack Obama's #2, did not make any outrageous statements, nor did he act in a condescending manner towards Palin. John McCain's running mate came across less like the head of a state than as the candidate from Lake Wobegon, but at the same time shed her Floyd R. Turbo persona, a deer-in-the-headlights character Johnny Carson once did on The Tonight Show.
At times, it was Palin who blew Biden off the screen, talking directly to the TV audience instead of to moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS. She even ignored some of Ifill's questions, as if to say, "I don't have to talk to you, you smug, inside-the-beltway know-it-all who wrote a book about my opponent." Now who's the condescending one?
As for the substance of the debate, Biden kept hammering away at McCain's being in lockstep with President Bush on many issues. Palin recited many of the Republican talking points, injecting Reaganisms such as "shining city on a hill" and "there you go again", and Bushisms such as "nucular" whenever possible. Other than that, she stuck to what she knew, steering the conversation over to her experience as a reform-minded mayor and governor.
On international affairs, Biden seemed more comfortable talking about what he and Obama would do to get troops out of Iraq, and to improve relations with countries that McCain and Bush alienated. Palin resorted to accusing Biden and the Democrats of surrendering when victory in Iraq is close at hand, believing in the fiction that they are the central front in the Bush War on Terror.
Call it a draw, folks. Biden won on substance. Palin won on style. As for how this affects the polls, in which Obama now leads by as many as ten points over McCain in key states, the numbers won't change much until after the next presidential debate on Tuesday.
Now that their one and only debate is finished, Biden can go back to stumping for Obama. Palin can go back to the protective cocoon the McCain campaign has been keeping her in for weeks, at least until after the election.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Baseball 2008: Twins Lose Playoff Game, Did Better Than Expected.
The Minnesota Twins ended their season losing a one-game playoff to the Chicago White Sox Tuesday night 1-0, meaning that the Mighty Whities are the American League Central division champions.
It wasn't all that surprising when you think about it. The Twins, with their suspect pitching and light hitting, had won only two games all year at U.S. Cellular Field. And they hadn't played well on the road, period.
Still, the Twins did better than everyone (including, ahem, us) expected, with a lineup that was thrown together on a discount budget. How appropriate that the new ballpark, set to open in 2010, will be known as Target Field.
Elsewhere in baseball . . .
It wasn't all that surprising when you think about it. The Twins, with their suspect pitching and light hitting, had won only two games all year at U.S. Cellular Field. And they hadn't played well on the road, period.
Still, the Twins did better than everyone (including, ahem, us) expected, with a lineup that was thrown together on a discount budget. How appropriate that the new ballpark, set to open in 2010, will be known as Target Field.
Elsewhere in baseball . . .
- Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium in New York had just completed their final seasons, with neither the Yankees or Mets making it into October.
- But the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers did.
- The biggest flop in baseball this season? Easy. It's the Detroit Tigers, whom everyone thought would roar into the World Series. Instead, they meowed their way to last place in the American League Central.
- No one gives Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens a job.
- The Chicago Cubs will once again find a way to avoid the World Series. One hundred years, and counting.
- Our Series matchup? Boston versus Philadelphia.
The House Flirts With Disaster
The House of Representatives did something on Monday that no foreign army or terrorist organization has managed to do: They came close to damaging the American economy. The Titanic had fewer people deciding its fate before the ship sank.
The House rejected, by a 228-205 margin, a flawed bill that would have bailed out Wall Street's financial behemoths from its own greed and ineptitude to the tune of $700 billion. In response, the Dow Jones industrial average on Monday fell 778 points, the largest drop in recent memory. Another megabank also bit the dust--Citigroup just bought out Wachovia's banking business.
It's all because a few representatives chose to do the right thing for their party and for their re-election, instead of for their country. The vote was along party lines. Democrats had 140 votes for the "rescue" plan, while the Republicans had 133 against.
Those who voted against the bill thought they were sticking it to Wall Street, impressing the constituents back home by not giving the people responsible for this crisis the golden parachutes they really didn't deserve. Well, guess what? Those Masters of the Universe will be getting their money anyway, whether it came from the government or not.
Instead, the "rescue" package was voted down the way other important legislation went by the wayside in the past few years: partisan bickering. Whether it was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivering a speech that offended Republicans, an outgoing President who no longer commands support in either party, or grandstanding by presidential candidate John McCain, maybe none of this should have been a surprise.
So what happens now? In lieu of withdrawing your money from banks and hiding them under your mattress along with your porn stash, we wait for lawmakers to come up with a better bill than the one they just defeated. Maybe this time there will be more room for debate. Maybe this time there will be more protections for average citizens than for CEOs. Maybe the economy can be saved after all. (At least Wall Street hopes so. The Dow gained 485 ponts Tuesday.)
Or maybe not.
The House rejected, by a 228-205 margin, a flawed bill that would have bailed out Wall Street's financial behemoths from its own greed and ineptitude to the tune of $700 billion. In response, the Dow Jones industrial average on Monday fell 778 points, the largest drop in recent memory. Another megabank also bit the dust--Citigroup just bought out Wachovia's banking business.
It's all because a few representatives chose to do the right thing for their party and for their re-election, instead of for their country. The vote was along party lines. Democrats had 140 votes for the "rescue" plan, while the Republicans had 133 against.
Those who voted against the bill thought they were sticking it to Wall Street, impressing the constituents back home by not giving the people responsible for this crisis the golden parachutes they really didn't deserve. Well, guess what? Those Masters of the Universe will be getting their money anyway, whether it came from the government or not.
Instead, the "rescue" package was voted down the way other important legislation went by the wayside in the past few years: partisan bickering. Whether it was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivering a speech that offended Republicans, an outgoing President who no longer commands support in either party, or grandstanding by presidential candidate John McCain, maybe none of this should have been a surprise.
So what happens now? In lieu of withdrawing your money from banks and hiding them under your mattress along with your porn stash, we wait for lawmakers to come up with a better bill than the one they just defeated. Maybe this time there will be more room for debate. Maybe this time there will be more protections for average citizens than for CEOs. Maybe the economy can be saved after all. (At least Wall Street hopes so. The Dow gained 485 ponts Tuesday.)
Or maybe not.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Round One A Draw
Tonight's presidential debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain went on as scheduled at the University of Mississippi, hours after McCain deemed the negotiations on the federal bailout of Wall Street sufficient enough for him to split Washington for awhile.
Was it worth the trouble? The debate turned out to be a dead heat, just like the campaign, with neither candidate saying anything memorable or stupid. They both stuck to their well-worn positions on international policy: I'm the experienced one, and you're the new kid on the block. No, Senator, you and your party's policies have failed the country for the last eight years, and now we want our chance. It was like that.
The economy dominated the first part of the debate, to no one's surprise, given the gravity of the last week and a half. Both men offered up tax cuts as one way to solve the problem. But mostly there was the consensus that something had to be done, and quickly.
What stood out, really, was McCain's condescension toward Obama in terms of his experience and military service. He kept saying "You don't know what it's like", as if he were addressing his son on the ways of the world. Obama is a grown man. He can take care of himself.
After the debate, a telling moment came when the Obama campaign provided vice-presidential candidate Joseph Biden for TV interviews. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, was kept out of sight. Understandable, since Palin came across as an incoherent fool when interviewed by CBS' Katie Couric. But it does not bode well for her debate with Biden Thursday night.
Now McCain and Obama can go back to Washington and help save the country from financial ruin, so that the next time they have a debate, they'll actually have something to talk about.
Was it worth the trouble? The debate turned out to be a dead heat, just like the campaign, with neither candidate saying anything memorable or stupid. They both stuck to their well-worn positions on international policy: I'm the experienced one, and you're the new kid on the block. No, Senator, you and your party's policies have failed the country for the last eight years, and now we want our chance. It was like that.
The economy dominated the first part of the debate, to no one's surprise, given the gravity of the last week and a half. Both men offered up tax cuts as one way to solve the problem. But mostly there was the consensus that something had to be done, and quickly.
What stood out, really, was McCain's condescension toward Obama in terms of his experience and military service. He kept saying "You don't know what it's like", as if he were addressing his son on the ways of the world. Obama is a grown man. He can take care of himself.
After the debate, a telling moment came when the Obama campaign provided vice-presidential candidate Joseph Biden for TV interviews. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, was kept out of sight. Understandable, since Palin came across as an incoherent fool when interviewed by CBS' Katie Couric. But it does not bode well for her debate with Biden Thursday night.
Now McCain and Obama can go back to Washington and help save the country from financial ruin, so that the next time they have a debate, they'll actually have something to talk about.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
McCain a No-Show In Yoknapatawpha County?
Senator John McCain thought he was doing the right thing, suspending his campaign for president temporarily, to help work out a bill to bail out Wall Street investment firms' bad business decisions to the tune of $700 billion. The latest example is Washington Mutual, for which the government took over the assets and sold them to JP Morgan.
McCain also asked that Friday's appearance in Oxford, Mississippi with Senator Barack Obama to debate national security issues be postponed. How noble of the Arizona senator, making Obama and the people who run the debates look like fools insisting that the show go on while a national crisis is in progress.
If McCain went through with not showing up, the debate would have to be canceled. No one wants to see Obama debate an empty podium. Also, financial security is on most people's minds these days than national security.
But there are a few flaws in McCain's attempt to look presidential a few weeks before the election.
McCain also asked that Friday's appearance in Oxford, Mississippi with Senator Barack Obama to debate national security issues be postponed. How noble of the Arizona senator, making Obama and the people who run the debates look like fools insisting that the show go on while a national crisis is in progress.
If McCain went through with not showing up, the debate would have to be canceled. No one wants to see Obama debate an empty podium. Also, financial security is on most people's minds these days than national security.
But there are a few flaws in McCain's attempt to look presidential a few weeks before the election.
- Congressional leaders said that, with a deal close to being finalized, neither McCain's nor Obama's presence in Washington was required. They didn't want a preening photo-op with President Bush in the White House to obscure the issue. Well, that's what they got.
- McCain might be putting "Country First" with his focus on the Wall Street crisis. But if he wants to be President, he has to learn how to multitask. Even President Bush knows how to do that.
- Obama is now leading in most polls by as many as 10 points, thanks in part to the economic meltdown.
- After his nationally-televised pledge to suspend the campaign and return to Washington, McCain remained in New York to be interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS, blowing off an appearance on Late Show with David Letterman. We understand Letterman was steamed.
As of right now, there is no agreement among congressional leaders and President Bush to come to the economy's rescue, putting the debate in William Faulkner's home state in jeopardy. All the sound and fury is in Washington, signifying everything.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Chicken Little Bailout
Congress is being asked to approve a $700 billion plan to bail out those financial firms that made bad loans to people who couldn't (or wouldn't) pay them back, leading to foreclosed homes and massive credit debt. Otherwise, we're told, the sky would fall.
Strange. That's what they told us would happen back in the fall of 2001, when Congress was inundated with bills intended to ramp up the nation's security in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Or when approval was needed to go to war with Iraq in the winter of 2003. Not a lot of thought was put into either of those, as we found to our horror.
The way things look now, in spite of all the wary debate going on in Washington and beyond, the bailout will almost certainly pass without much opposition. Because the Bush administration hasn't given Congress much choice. You either do this, they're saying, or risk a depression.
This economic crisis is not all President Bush's fault, though he has been a huge factor in where we are today (see: the war in Iraq). It's been a bipartisan effort dating back to the Reagan administration (with a brief blip when Clinton balanced the budget), leaving a legacy of government catering more to Wall Street than Main Street.
The proposed bailout would put a crimp into presidential candidates Barack Obama's and John McCain's promises of tax cuts, permanent or otherwise. One of them would have to face a massive deficit when they take office in January.
No matter how this turns out, Wall Street executive will get cushy severance packages totalling in the millions, and financially-strapped taxpayers will be stuck footing the bill without seeing much in return. Just like an old nursery rhyme, it's going to take all the king's horses and all the king's men and women to put this economy back together again.
Strange. That's what they told us would happen back in the fall of 2001, when Congress was inundated with bills intended to ramp up the nation's security in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Or when approval was needed to go to war with Iraq in the winter of 2003. Not a lot of thought was put into either of those, as we found to our horror.
The way things look now, in spite of all the wary debate going on in Washington and beyond, the bailout will almost certainly pass without much opposition. Because the Bush administration hasn't given Congress much choice. You either do this, they're saying, or risk a depression.
This economic crisis is not all President Bush's fault, though he has been a huge factor in where we are today (see: the war in Iraq). It's been a bipartisan effort dating back to the Reagan administration (with a brief blip when Clinton balanced the budget), leaving a legacy of government catering more to Wall Street than Main Street.
The proposed bailout would put a crimp into presidential candidates Barack Obama's and John McCain's promises of tax cuts, permanent or otherwise. One of them would have to face a massive deficit when they take office in January.
No matter how this turns out, Wall Street executive will get cushy severance packages totalling in the millions, and financially-strapped taxpayers will be stuck footing the bill without seeing much in return. Just like an old nursery rhyme, it's going to take all the king's horses and all the king's men and women to put this economy back together again.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Emmy Or No Emmy
When the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards began Sunday night after a nice tribute by Oprah Winfrey, the five nominees for best reality show host--Tom Bergeron, Jeff Probst, Howie Mandel, Ryan Seacrest and Heidi Klum--just stood onstage and babbled for what seemed like an eternity, admitting that they really hadn't prepared an opening. Then two of the male nominees proceeded to rip away Klum's tuxedo, revealing a negligee.
Aren't you glad the writers' strike is over?
As for the real business of the evening, the HBO miniseries John Adams won a record 13 Emmys--eight in the previously held Creative Arts awards, and five in the prime time telecast--including outstanding miniseries.
The drama categories went to Brian Cranston for AMC's Breaking Bad as Best Actor, Glenn Close for FX's Damages as Best Actress, and Mad Men for Best Drama.
NBC's 30 Rock won seven Emmys, including two for Tina Fey for writing and for Best Actress, one for Alec Baldwin as Best Actor, and one for Outstanding Comedy.
In one of Fey's acceptance speeches, she told the audience where to find the low-rated 30 Rock in various forms of media, including the show's regular Thursday night slot on NBC. ABC, the network that televised this year's Emmys, must not have been amused.
The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, usually running in tandem on Comedy Central, did the same thing in the comedy/variety category. Colbert won for writing, while Daily Show took home an Emmy for best overall.
It was also a night for nostalgia, with salutes to classic TV shows such as Seinfeld, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Tom Smothers got a writing award for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour--40 years late (Presenter Steve Martin explained that Smothers originally left his name off when the show's staff won the Emmy, so as to not hurt the then-controversial show's chances). And Don Rickles, still delivering comedic insults at 82, was honored for the HBO special "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project".
But the Emmy are still capable of doling out questionable awards such as the one Louis J. Horvitz won for directing this year's Academy Awards telecast. Horvitz just happened to be directing this year's Emmy telecast, and made his acceptance speech from the control room. How lame is that?
Oh yes, we did promise to tell you who won for best reality show host. But first, we should tell you that The Amazing Race won the Emmy for outstanding reality-competition show for the sixth straight year. And that Jimmy Kimmel, spoofing the conventions of reality shows, made the audience wait until after the commercial break to reveal the winner.
Get on with it!
OK, if you insist. The award went to Jeff Probst of Survivor.
Now do you understand why the people who make TV either don't own a set, or are too busy to watch it? They're hoping we don't return the favor.
Aren't you glad the writers' strike is over?
As for the real business of the evening, the HBO miniseries John Adams won a record 13 Emmys--eight in the previously held Creative Arts awards, and five in the prime time telecast--including outstanding miniseries.
The drama categories went to Brian Cranston for AMC's Breaking Bad as Best Actor, Glenn Close for FX's Damages as Best Actress, and Mad Men for Best Drama.
NBC's 30 Rock won seven Emmys, including two for Tina Fey for writing and for Best Actress, one for Alec Baldwin as Best Actor, and one for Outstanding Comedy.
In one of Fey's acceptance speeches, she told the audience where to find the low-rated 30 Rock in various forms of media, including the show's regular Thursday night slot on NBC. ABC, the network that televised this year's Emmys, must not have been amused.
The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, usually running in tandem on Comedy Central, did the same thing in the comedy/variety category. Colbert won for writing, while Daily Show took home an Emmy for best overall.
It was also a night for nostalgia, with salutes to classic TV shows such as Seinfeld, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Tom Smothers got a writing award for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour--40 years late (Presenter Steve Martin explained that Smothers originally left his name off when the show's staff won the Emmy, so as to not hurt the then-controversial show's chances). And Don Rickles, still delivering comedic insults at 82, was honored for the HBO special "Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project".
But the Emmy are still capable of doling out questionable awards such as the one Louis J. Horvitz won for directing this year's Academy Awards telecast. Horvitz just happened to be directing this year's Emmy telecast, and made his acceptance speech from the control room. How lame is that?
Oh yes, we did promise to tell you who won for best reality show host. But first, we should tell you that The Amazing Race won the Emmy for outstanding reality-competition show for the sixth straight year. And that Jimmy Kimmel, spoofing the conventions of reality shows, made the audience wait until after the commercial break to reveal the winner.
Get on with it!
OK, if you insist. The award went to Jeff Probst of Survivor.
Now do you understand why the people who make TV either don't own a set, or are too busy to watch it? They're hoping we don't return the favor.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Brother, Can You Spare a Billion?
In the last few weeks, the United States government has become the owner of last resort to financial institutions that went way overboard in providing bad loans and investments to folks who couldn't afford to pay it back, putting the country's economy at risk. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns, and now American International Group (AIG) have been the beneficiaries.
No such luck for Lehman Brothers, which filed for bankruptcy. Or Merrill Lynch, which quickly sold itself to Bank of America.
(It makes you wonder about the financial health of the local banks--U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, TCF Bank and others--although we have heard reports that Wells is a candidate to buy out Washington Mutual, another institution on the brink.)
As a result of all this, the markets have rebounded sharply in the last couple of days, but the example has been set. If you're a big corporation and you can't pay your bills, Uncle Sam has the deep pockets to get you out of trouble--even though he's got a deficit problem of his own. To paraphrase Paul Simon, the same courtesy isn't available to the mortal man (or woman).
How is it possible for the American economy to get so screwed up? There are too many people living in homes they can't afford, in hock to credit card providers, and are unable to save because of the rising cost of just about everything. Jobs are either being eliminated or sent overseas. And there's no guarantee Social Security will be there for the millions of Baby Boomers and beyond when they retire, because no politician wants to touch it if they want to get re-elected. Neither presidential candidate has much of a plan at this point to remedy the situation.
A plan is in the works to fund an agency that would deal with with bad bank loans, similar to the one that arose out of the savings and loan scandal of the 1980s. It would cost more, certainly, but the alternative--we're told--might be worse.
According to a USA Today/Gallup Poll, 23 percent of respondents believe the country is now in a depression. We may not be there yet, if you believe the government's unwillingness to call the current crisis a recession. But the days of selling apples on the street, Dust Bowls and people jumping out of buildings might be providing a warning for what's to come. And, a few weeks from now, voters will be deciding whether we're going to get an FDR or a Hoover to lead the country out of tough economic times.
No such luck for Lehman Brothers, which filed for bankruptcy. Or Merrill Lynch, which quickly sold itself to Bank of America.
(It makes you wonder about the financial health of the local banks--U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, TCF Bank and others--although we have heard reports that Wells is a candidate to buy out Washington Mutual, another institution on the brink.)
As a result of all this, the markets have rebounded sharply in the last couple of days, but the example has been set. If you're a big corporation and you can't pay your bills, Uncle Sam has the deep pockets to get you out of trouble--even though he's got a deficit problem of his own. To paraphrase Paul Simon, the same courtesy isn't available to the mortal man (or woman).
How is it possible for the American economy to get so screwed up? There are too many people living in homes they can't afford, in hock to credit card providers, and are unable to save because of the rising cost of just about everything. Jobs are either being eliminated or sent overseas. And there's no guarantee Social Security will be there for the millions of Baby Boomers and beyond when they retire, because no politician wants to touch it if they want to get re-elected. Neither presidential candidate has much of a plan at this point to remedy the situation.
A plan is in the works to fund an agency that would deal with with bad bank loans, similar to the one that arose out of the savings and loan scandal of the 1980s. It would cost more, certainly, but the alternative--we're told--might be worse.
According to a USA Today/Gallup Poll, 23 percent of respondents believe the country is now in a depression. We may not be there yet, if you believe the government's unwillingness to call the current crisis a recession. But the days of selling apples on the street, Dust Bowls and people jumping out of buildings might be providing a warning for what's to come. And, a few weeks from now, voters will be deciding whether we're going to get an FDR or a Hoover to lead the country out of tough economic times.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Coleman vs. Franken: Bowlers and Talking Fish
In the most recent Minneapolis Star Tribune Minnesota Poll, the U.S. Senate race just got more interesting. Republican incumbent Norm Coleman still leads his Democratic challenger Al Franken 41 percent to 37 percent, but the margin is much smaller than it used to be.
One reason why might be Dean Barkley of the Independence Party (also known as the Jesse Ventura Party), who has been taking away votes from the other two candidates. The former Senator (yes, he was. You can look it up.) is in third place with 13 percent. The other reason might be that Coleman and Franken aren't endearing themselves to voters, and Barkley is seen more as a protest vote.
Since the local TV stations would rather cover the latest murder in North Minneapolis than the Senate race, most people's awareness of the campaign is limited to the barrage of advertising that's been flooding the airwaves. As you might expect, most of them have been of the finger-pointing variety.
If you watch enough of the Norm Coleman ads that were produced by outside supporters, you might get the impression that Franken is an angry guy who wants to raise taxes while not paying any of his own, cut Social Security and Medicare for senior citizens, and eliminate the secret ballot for union elections (For those of us who don't belong to unions, we've heard several explanations of why this is important. But we still don't get it. Maybe they're making something out of nothing?).
Franken's ads play up the claim that Coleman and President Bush are joined at the hip when it comes to his Senate voting record, even going so far as to show pictures of them embracing. They also employ a talking fish--You know, the one that hangs on your wall and sings "Don't Worry, Be Happy"?--to highlight Coleman's taking trips that may have been paid for by special interests. It's nice to know that Franken, the former Saturday Night Live performer who turned into a dead-serious politician, still has a sense of humor.
Coleman counters with his own ads insisting that his being buddy-buddy with Bush was just a fabrication, producing evidence that the photos the other party uses were retouched. Oh, and those guys from the bowling alley are back, suggesting that if Coleman could bring Vikings and Packers fans together, then certainly he could bring peace to Congress and the Middle East. And, don't forget, Coleman brought hockey back.
It'd be nice if these guys would come out and actually tell us what they would do if they were elected to the Senate. But we've watched enough campaigns to know that the last place you'd want to do that is in a TV commercial. November can't come soon enough.
One reason why might be Dean Barkley of the Independence Party (also known as the Jesse Ventura Party), who has been taking away votes from the other two candidates. The former Senator (yes, he was. You can look it up.) is in third place with 13 percent. The other reason might be that Coleman and Franken aren't endearing themselves to voters, and Barkley is seen more as a protest vote.
Since the local TV stations would rather cover the latest murder in North Minneapolis than the Senate race, most people's awareness of the campaign is limited to the barrage of advertising that's been flooding the airwaves. As you might expect, most of them have been of the finger-pointing variety.
If you watch enough of the Norm Coleman ads that were produced by outside supporters, you might get the impression that Franken is an angry guy who wants to raise taxes while not paying any of his own, cut Social Security and Medicare for senior citizens, and eliminate the secret ballot for union elections (For those of us who don't belong to unions, we've heard several explanations of why this is important. But we still don't get it. Maybe they're making something out of nothing?).
Franken's ads play up the claim that Coleman and President Bush are joined at the hip when it comes to his Senate voting record, even going so far as to show pictures of them embracing. They also employ a talking fish--You know, the one that hangs on your wall and sings "Don't Worry, Be Happy"?--to highlight Coleman's taking trips that may have been paid for by special interests. It's nice to know that Franken, the former Saturday Night Live performer who turned into a dead-serious politician, still has a sense of humor.
Coleman counters with his own ads insisting that his being buddy-buddy with Bush was just a fabrication, producing evidence that the photos the other party uses were retouched. Oh, and those guys from the bowling alley are back, suggesting that if Coleman could bring Vikings and Packers fans together, then certainly he could bring peace to Congress and the Middle East. And, don't forget, Coleman brought hockey back.
It'd be nice if these guys would come out and actually tell us what they would do if they were elected to the Senate. But we've watched enough campaigns to know that the last place you'd want to do that is in a TV commercial. November can't come soon enough.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
More Than A Convention Bounce?
It's now a dead heat in the national polls between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain. But one wonders if McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate has created more than a post-convention bounce. To use an overworked sports cliche, this might very well be a game-changer, taking the Republican duo all the way to the White House.
Palin has become a phenomenon, gracing magazine covers, and a Tina Fey impersonation on Saturday Night Live. Media folk have descended upon Alaska to take a closer look at the governor's role in the Troopergate affair, the Bridge to Nowhere, etc., without revealing anything we didn't already know. Admittedly, she has more executive experience than Obama or McCain combined. If she's not the one running for president, it certainly seems like she is.
In her ABC interview with Charles Gibson, Palin demonstrated her lack of foreign policy chops by not knowing anything about the Bush Doctrine (which, roughly translated, means: Do unto others before they do unto you), not being much of a world traveler (unless it's for Alaska state business), and kept steering the conversation back to energy policy as it relates to national security (You'd do that, too, if you ran a state where the energy companies own it lock, stock and oil barrel).
Palin has also claimed that she could see Russia from her home in Alaska, so that makes her an expert on foreign policy. Right. I can see Canada or Mexico from my home in the Twin Cities--but only if I have access to a powerful telescope.
The Obama campaign has yet to find an answer for Palin in a manner that doesn't sound sexist or patronizing to the female voters he's trying to court. Obama also must be kicking himself for choosing Joseph Biden as his running mate instead of Hillary Clinton. It's a move that, more than his race or his lack of experience, could end up costing him the election.
The Republican Party hopes that the voters can put aside unimportant matters such as national security, the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and focus on the change coming to Washington via a 27-year Senate lifer who claims to be a maverick, and a governor who represents a state with more caribou than people. Stranger things have happened. Look at the president we have now.
Palin has become a phenomenon, gracing magazine covers, and a Tina Fey impersonation on Saturday Night Live. Media folk have descended upon Alaska to take a closer look at the governor's role in the Troopergate affair, the Bridge to Nowhere, etc., without revealing anything we didn't already know. Admittedly, she has more executive experience than Obama or McCain combined. If she's not the one running for president, it certainly seems like she is.
In her ABC interview with Charles Gibson, Palin demonstrated her lack of foreign policy chops by not knowing anything about the Bush Doctrine (which, roughly translated, means: Do unto others before they do unto you), not being much of a world traveler (unless it's for Alaska state business), and kept steering the conversation back to energy policy as it relates to national security (You'd do that, too, if you ran a state where the energy companies own it lock, stock and oil barrel).
Palin has also claimed that she could see Russia from her home in Alaska, so that makes her an expert on foreign policy. Right. I can see Canada or Mexico from my home in the Twin Cities--but only if I have access to a powerful telescope.
The Obama campaign has yet to find an answer for Palin in a manner that doesn't sound sexist or patronizing to the female voters he's trying to court. Obama also must be kicking himself for choosing Joseph Biden as his running mate instead of Hillary Clinton. It's a move that, more than his race or his lack of experience, could end up costing him the election.
The Republican Party hopes that the voters can put aside unimportant matters such as national security, the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and focus on the change coming to Washington via a 27-year Senate lifer who claims to be a maverick, and a governor who represents a state with more caribou than people. Stranger things have happened. Look at the president we have now.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Seven Years Later
On the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and the flight that would have crash-landed in the White House, but was diverted to a field in Pennsylvania instead--killing nearly 3000 people--it might be a good idea to ask: Where are we today?
The two remaining presidential candidates--Senators Barack Obama and John McCain--buried the hatchet for a few hours to lay wreaths on the site where the WTC used to stand (and will stand once more, once all the construction delays end around 2015). Tomorrow, they'll go back to debating whether putting lipstick on a pig is sexist.
President Bush announced a drawdown of a few thousand troops from Iraq, meaning what's left is the same number of soldiers he started out with when he invaded the country. The job of ending the war will be left to the next president.
A top military official told Congress that the war in Afghanistan is in danger of being lost because of the resurgence of the Taliban.
A poll finds that one-third of Americans believe another terrorist attack is only a few weeks away.
Major breaches in security are still being found in areas most vulnerable to attack, such as shipping ports and nuclear power plants.
More laws intended to keep Americans safe are instead being used as a means of intimidation. For example, both Obama and McCain voted for a bill making it legal to wiretap your phones.
Pakistan has a new leader, the husband of the late Benazir Bhutto. But his mental fitness is being questioned, which is not a good thing in a country with nuclear weapons that could be stolen by terrorist groups.
By the way, whatever happened to Osama bin Laden? Is he dead, or just hiding in a cave someplace? And why hasn't he been caught?
The two remaining presidential candidates--Senators Barack Obama and John McCain--buried the hatchet for a few hours to lay wreaths on the site where the WTC used to stand (and will stand once more, once all the construction delays end around 2015). Tomorrow, they'll go back to debating whether putting lipstick on a pig is sexist.
President Bush announced a drawdown of a few thousand troops from Iraq, meaning what's left is the same number of soldiers he started out with when he invaded the country. The job of ending the war will be left to the next president.
A top military official told Congress that the war in Afghanistan is in danger of being lost because of the resurgence of the Taliban.
A poll finds that one-third of Americans believe another terrorist attack is only a few weeks away.
Major breaches in security are still being found in areas most vulnerable to attack, such as shipping ports and nuclear power plants.
More laws intended to keep Americans safe are instead being used as a means of intimidation. For example, both Obama and McCain voted for a bill making it legal to wiretap your phones.
Pakistan has a new leader, the husband of the late Benazir Bhutto. But his mental fitness is being questioned, which is not a good thing in a country with nuclear weapons that could be stolen by terrorist groups.
By the way, whatever happened to Osama bin Laden? Is he dead, or just hiding in a cave someplace? And why hasn't he been caught?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
MSNBC: The Place For Confusion
MSNBC has announced that it is removing Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann as anchors of its election coverage, but will be used as commentators. David Gregory, the network's White House correspondent, will now be leading the coverage.
NBC News, which runs the cable network, apparently decided the pairing of liberal-leaning Matthews and Olbermann made them an easy target for the media-hating Republicans, as demonstrated at their convention last week. Remember the derisive chanting? Andrea Mitchell getting snowed under by balloons? What in the name of Huntley and Brinkley is going on?
It's like, I don't know, CNN teaming Lou Dobbs with Jack Cafferty. Or Fox News Channel pairing Bill O'Reilly with Sean Hannity.
It's also possible that Matthews and Olbermann got demoted because they and others were acting like children during the Democratic convention in Denver. As a result, Olbermann was a no-show for the GOP shindig in Minnesota, anchoring out of his New York studio. Obviously, neither of them are being considered for the coveted Meet The Press hosting slot vacated by the late Tim Russert.
MSNBC had the lowest ratings of any of the networks carrying the conventions, and that includes the broadcasters (led by sister network NBC). CNN, which touts itself as "the best political team on TV' every 15 seconds, had the most viewers for the Democratic convention. Fox News, which claims to be "fair and balanced" (only conservatives tend to believe that), took the honors for the Republican get-together. Go figure.
MSNBC remade itself as "the place for politics" and for liberal commentary, with Matthews' Hardball, Olbermann's Countdown, and now Rachel Maddow's new TV show. Matthews is an acquired taste, best heard in small doses. Olbermann can be funny, but he needs to get over his fixation with "Billo, "Comedian" Rush Limbaugh, and the Rupert Murdoch news empire.
(A word about Maddow, who is reportedly the first openly gay person to host a news program. She's competing against herself in some markets--such as Minneapolis-- when her syndicated radio talk show is heard on tape delay in the evening.)
Despite its NBC News pedigree, MSNBC is not the place for reliable news coverage--one reason why they rank near the bottom of the ratings. It is, however, the place for documentaries too lurid to be shown on Dateline NBC. Unless it's a rerun of To Catch a Predator.
Throughout its history, MSNBC has been the most unfocused of all the cable news channels. Do they want to cover breaking news that NBC won't handle? Do they want to fill the air with outrageous personalities (such as Don Imus and Jesse Ventura) who say things they may have to apologize for later--if they aren't fired first? Or do they want to be the liberal version of Fox News Channel? And how long will it be before they try something else?
NBC News, which runs the cable network, apparently decided the pairing of liberal-leaning Matthews and Olbermann made them an easy target for the media-hating Republicans, as demonstrated at their convention last week. Remember the derisive chanting? Andrea Mitchell getting snowed under by balloons? What in the name of Huntley and Brinkley is going on?
It's like, I don't know, CNN teaming Lou Dobbs with Jack Cafferty. Or Fox News Channel pairing Bill O'Reilly with Sean Hannity.
It's also possible that Matthews and Olbermann got demoted because they and others were acting like children during the Democratic convention in Denver. As a result, Olbermann was a no-show for the GOP shindig in Minnesota, anchoring out of his New York studio. Obviously, neither of them are being considered for the coveted Meet The Press hosting slot vacated by the late Tim Russert.
MSNBC had the lowest ratings of any of the networks carrying the conventions, and that includes the broadcasters (led by sister network NBC). CNN, which touts itself as "the best political team on TV' every 15 seconds, had the most viewers for the Democratic convention. Fox News, which claims to be "fair and balanced" (only conservatives tend to believe that), took the honors for the Republican get-together. Go figure.
MSNBC remade itself as "the place for politics" and for liberal commentary, with Matthews' Hardball, Olbermann's Countdown, and now Rachel Maddow's new TV show. Matthews is an acquired taste, best heard in small doses. Olbermann can be funny, but he needs to get over his fixation with "Billo, "Comedian" Rush Limbaugh, and the Rupert Murdoch news empire.
(A word about Maddow, who is reportedly the first openly gay person to host a news program. She's competing against herself in some markets--such as Minneapolis-- when her syndicated radio talk show is heard on tape delay in the evening.)
Despite its NBC News pedigree, MSNBC is not the place for reliable news coverage--one reason why they rank near the bottom of the ratings. It is, however, the place for documentaries too lurid to be shown on Dateline NBC. Unless it's a rerun of To Catch a Predator.
Throughout its history, MSNBC has been the most unfocused of all the cable news channels. Do they want to cover breaking news that NBC won't handle? Do they want to fill the air with outrageous personalities (such as Don Imus and Jesse Ventura) who say things they may have to apologize for later--if they aren't fired first? Or do they want to be the liberal version of Fox News Channel? And how long will it be before they try something else?
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