Newt Gingrich has risen from the dead again winning the South Carolina Primary. His resurrection attributed to blasting away at the Republican establishment, élite media and the power of oratory. The debates have been good to Newt, particularly successful is the strategy of attacking debate moderators. Hey, it plays well to the audience in the debate hall. What is good for the ‘Grich’ may not be good for Republicans looking to mount a successful challenge to President Obama. It may also signal something far worse for the Grand Old Party itself.
-85 Year-Old South Carolina Voter To The Washington Post
One of the things particularly concerning is the constant references to being a ‘Reagan Republican’. This is followed by an allegiance to a ‘Reagan ideology’. This all sounds great as it as become Republican boilerplate, an accepted way of making your GOP bones. Reagan was not wedded to an ideology, in fact Reagan worked to get consensus as the basis to build on his agenda. The exact opposite of the polarized political environment we currently suffer.
President Ronald Reagan served from 1981-1989. What does it say about a political party when a candidate has to reach back 23-years to find and inspirational leader whose legacy has been perverted to make it work? Why the constant need to look back and not forward? Has the party not had a leader worthy of building on in almost the last quarter century? This general trend of dependence on the past is worrisome.
I was watching the replay of a C-SPAN panel discussion from the University of Chicago this weekend. Two of the panelist, political strategist Alex Castellanos and New York Times Columnist David Brooks, gave voice to the problem of having a party than seems overly prone to looking backward.
“When you go to the campaign, at every rally in New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, is a bunch of middle aged white people saying the country is going down the toilet, you do begin to wonder if this is people pining for a country that will never come back.”
“The Republican Party is pinioned to declining parts of the population and declining institutions.”
-David Brooks
“Nothing new grew under the shade of the big Bush tree…our next crop isn’t quite ripe yet.”
“There is a Republican Party out their that attracts younger voters with socially libertarian policies, but fiscally conservative…we’ve got a new world to conquer.”
-Alex Castellanos
The fact is the world has changed. America is more diverse than ever. The power structure and social structure has shifted and will continue to shift. To most of our 25-year-olds Reagan is just a picture on a chart of presidents. It is past time for the Republican Party to get current. The elephant in the room is change. If the GOP is not careful, a lack of change will squish the life out of the party.
C-SPAN Video: University of Chicago: Path to the Presidency. Broadcast January 19, 2012. Quotes taken after the 58 minute mark in the video.
I guess you would call this a new low for those producing local television news, either that or the comedy segment is the latest news trend showing up on our screens. Here is the deal, an Akron, Ohio television station, WOIO, is portraying the courtroom proceedings of a local corruption trial using puppets….yes puppets. So much for that journalism degree. Who knew puppetry would be the entre into TV news.
Look, I am not against the typical ‘kicker’ story which is used to end the newscast on a humorous note. Hey, after stories involving three murders, two car fatals, elderly abuse, unending unemployment and the skyrocketing cost of living, we all need a laugh. This is about a government corruption trial, serious stuff that needs to be treated as such. If media handles its subject matter in this way it is no wonder they are held in such low regard by the public.
This also makes me wonder how long it will be before the reporters and anchors are replaced by puppets.
Often times it seems our political system is pretty sad. Candidates who are uninspiring, a primary process that misses the concerns of the masses (jobs, jobs & jobs) and a tsunami of money polluting and killing the process. It restores my faith in mankind when a comedian has the spheroids to bring clarity to it all! This is an ad actually running in advance of the South Carolina primary.
Steve Colbert, I am with you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Like the lantern in Boston’s Old North Church you are a beacon to patriots everywhere. Dare I say, “Three if by Colbert Nation!”
The media circus surrounding Denver Broncos Quarterback Tim Tebow had its tents fall in the team’s second play-off game. The New England Patriots destroyed Denver both offensively and defensively leaving ‘Tebow Magic’ crumpled and lusterless on the sideline. As a Patriots fan I loved it. As a sports fan I continue to wonder about the genesis of the hoopla?
All week prior to the game on sports talk radio, I heard exorbitant praise and condemnation of the rookie QB. People have either compared him to Joe Montana or a crusader. According the them he is either a great talent or has God on his side. Neither is the case. None of this is of his making. The fact is took his team to the play-offs in his first season without the benefit of the a real training camp. I would consider that a successful first season.
It concerns me when the public ascribes role model status to athletes. It is even more distressing when religious significance is given to what happens on a football field. Is this a sign we are bankrupt of real role models or is organized religion really tanking and a football player who exhibits a deference to a higher power is someone who can be followed to the promised land?
Whatever the case, the person I feel sorry for is Tim Tebow. He has a tough enough task ahead in continuing his development into a complete NFL quarterback. I think far more non-football related pressure is being placed on his shoulders than he deserves. The Broncos need a more diversified offense, read passing game, to get to the next level. Delivering that will be Tebow’s off-season goal. Hopefully the needless distractions will not impede his progress. Otherwise, he will be a victim of his own success and there will be no magic in that.
Jan 15
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Those running television, cable networks and cable providers have got to be quaking in their shoes these days as what they do is about to change radically. Apple, one of the big dogs of the internet, wants to get into the broadcasting business. The inventor of the iPod is set to bid on the broadcast [...]
Dec 30
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The obtuseness of American business is just unbelievable. The month of October saw Bank of America pounded like a piece of raw beef when it tried to impose a five-dollar fee on its debit card users. Bad press rained down upon the company like a rain forest monsoon. Times are tough, everyone has their hand [...]
Dec 12
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My wife and I have just severed a long time relationship. It is one that goes back to the early 1980′s . We had a good run, but it is over now. It was entirely preventable. No, it is not what you are thinking. Thirty-something years ago I met my wife while working at Sears. [...]
Dec 6
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All the hub bub surrounding the Iowa Caucus reminds me of little children on Christmas Eve. Lots of excitement, but little real meaning. Granted it is December, a traditionally slow news month. News organizations are falling all over themselves tracking Newt Gingrich’s ascendency to the top spot in the polls of republican candidates. So what! [...]
Dec 4
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For most people the fact that unemployment checks can keep coming for 99 weeks seems to be an absurdly long time. I hear many stories about how ‘someone’ is bilking the system, not looking for work, watching Jerry Springer, basically willing to suck at the public nipple until it runs dry. I agree wholeheartedly that [...]
Nov 29
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Most Americans pay little attention to news that seems to have little to do with the United States. For many that means ignorance of the growing storm in Europe. I almost fell off my chair when I read that the British government is warning of riots in the wake of the collapse of the euro, [...]
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