Here are four small observations I've had this past few days and been meaning to discuss with you all.
ONE
The so called Republican Presidential Debate Thursday night was terribly disappointing. I don't feel the Republican field has the depth or credibility of the Democrat field overall. Only Rudy Guilani came off well in the sound bite competition (you cannot call this stupid format of inane questions at 60 second answers a debate).
TWO
Representative Tom Trancredo (R-CO), whom I have previously praised for his leadership on Darfur, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback are immediately disqualified from any serious consideration for holding any office at any level (including dog catcher).
By raising their hands to certify they DO NOT BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION, they perhaps were trying to validate their deep faith, but, in reality, they revealed their ignorance of basic and established science. Such people cannot be entrusted with any real authority. If they were pandering to the Christian Coalition, they are still disqualified from any serious consideration.
THREE
Stephanie Miller guest hosted the morning show on MSNBC for three days this past week. While I hoped for a stellar performance and a long term contract for Stephanie, her performance was awful.
At first I enjoyed her barbs directed at conservative radio show talk hosts, columnists and bloggers, but she turned into a one trick pony. Her pointless attacks at rival talk show and television hosts quickly grew tiring and then embarrassing. The woman is obsessed and it follows a sad tendency among liberal radio hosts and bloggers.
Stephanie must have mentioned Ann Coulter at least fifty times in three days! Ann isn't in the news. Ann hasn't said anything important lately. In fact, has Ann ever said anything important? I mean really important? Ann isn't an influential spokesperson for anything. She is, a best, a sharp witted ultra conservative commentator, nothing more.
When Stephanie wasn't obsessed with Ann Coulter, she was devoting huge chunks of time to critiques of Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh. What in the world is Stephanie's problem. She clearly needs help. None of these people are elected leaders, none are particularly influential. Not one of them has done a thing that was newsworthy. Who in hell cares what they say or do!
Stephanie, don't you remember the old adage: "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people."
Stephanie, I tuned in to hear you take on the issues of the day from a liberal or progressive perspective. Instead I got school yard name calling.
I really missed Don Imus. He had guests that discussed current events, news, and real ideas. Name calling, which got him fired, was a rarity.
All in all it was the three least informative days in the entire history of MSNBC. And that's too bad. An opportunity missed.
FOUR
I'm not sure who blinked, but the the Copyright Royalty Board suddenly delayed the collection of the new retroactive Internet Radio Royalties until July 15, 2007. It had been set for May 15th.
Internet Radio fans are calling this a victory, but I'm not sure it isn't simply designed to slow momentum, which was on the Internet Radio broadcaster's side.
I'll keep you informed. I'm watching this issue closely. Meanwhile, please contact your Representative in Congress and request he or she co-sponsor HR-2060, which would provide a fair and level playing field for all radio broadcasters.
TECHNORATI TAGS: REPUBLICAN REPUBLICAN DEBATE HR 2060 RADIO TOM TRANCREDO RUDY GUILANI STEPHANIE MILLER INTERNET RADIO DON IMUS SAM BROWNBACK FREE SPEECH MIKE HUCKABEE
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3 comments:
I caught most of the debate on the radio as I did my part-time job. I am curious to know you opinion of Mitt Romney. Frankly, I was rather turned off by some of his answers on his changing positions on various issues. His commercials are already running here in South Carolina and one of them boasts of his "lifetime membership" in the NRA and his years hunting. The things he fails to mention is that his lifetime membership just started a few months ago and he has been hunting twice in his life.
Ron Paul appealed to my Libertarian side and as you wrote Rudy can off well in the sound bites.
What really hooked me with this post was how you wrote about missing Imus. While working third shift at my last job I always looked forward to unwinding by watching a could of hours of Imus. The kissy face morning show on the networks would make me nauseous and CNN's morning people were boring.
Imus's rough in your face attitude with his guests was refreshing compared to the ass kissing the GMA or Today people do. Funny though, I thought Rev Al and Jessy were suppose be leading a campaign to end nasty talk on the air waves. Haven't heard much from them since Imus was axed.
beach bum, I sadly agree with you on Mitt Romney. I was actually enthused about his potential run for the President when it was first rumored a year or more ago. But then he began to change his postion of almost every key issue that would have made him a candidate I could support.
And, like you, I didn't believe for even one minute his changes were genuine or believable. He is just pandering for votes. Who knows what he really believes.
And the NRA stance is just the latest round of pandering. What a joke.
I prefer a candidate with real and grounded beliefs and the courage to stand up for them. I respected Guilani precisely because he was alone in defending a woman's right to choose and the use of federal funds for stem cell research. That is a real profile in courage from the Reagan Library.
Likewise, I admired John McCain for exactly the same reason. He defended his beliefs, unpopular as they are, in the eye of the storm. That is courage.
And I want a President with courage and conviction, not one who gets his "lifelong" beliefs from the latest poll numbers.
Imus was a real rarity with both the power and courage to have a single guest for up to 30 minutes and actually allow the guest to talk. For example, I learned more about John Kerry from his Imus appearances than I ever learned from the debates.
Imus asked real, engaging questions and then allowed the guest to answer. Often the guest hung himself with hiis own rope.
I don't understand the current cable news approach which seems to limit guests to 3 to 5 minutes, oten sharing the spotlight with an "opposing guest." As a viewer, we learn virtually nothing except the latest scripted soundbite.
1. I liked Wiz's four-point set up.
2. I think Stephanie Miller is one bright 'girl' with a quick wit and much more attractive than Imus to look at. But both are very irritating to listen to, for the reasons Wiz details.
3. I have always thought Mitt Romney to be the most formidable candidate the GOP-ers could muster. All of the others, IMHO, trail him in cross-over appeal.
4. Nice to see you back in circulation, Beach.
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