Is anyone really surprised that a vain and pretty rich man who talked way too much about his concern for the impoverished and loved to tell you about his millworker father but never talked about his hedge fund work or his life as a vain and pretty rich trail lawyer, is guilty of feeding his ego by sleeping with another woman?
This is news?
It's the salacious slice of the week, from a media culture obsessed with enforcing a moral code they could never uphold themselves, casting stones and pondering the results of their stone-casting. Gay Republicans in airport bathrooms or straight Democrats in hotel bathrooms, it's all the same. Give us the pictures, the love letters, the stained dresses, the quotes from friends of friends. Tell us why this is important and why we need to stay tuned.
This will be the first time that all seven band names from Google News come from one story, an unconfirmed story that you may not know about, since (most of) the media is pretty much not reporting it, because it pretty much is nothing but rumor at this point. But still, surely one of these names would be a great name for your band.
...is that you are probably a decent, tolerable, tolerant person who doesn't pretend to walk on water, nor do you think you are the country's King Maker. Also, your hair is not pin-striped.
From Wikipedia: A pundit is someone who offers mass-media opinion, analysis or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically political analysis, the social sciences or sport), on which they are presumed to be knowledgeable. As the term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities lacking special expertise, however, it can be used in a derogative manner. Pundit is also a slang term for politically biased people pretending to be neutral.
And for the last time, America, they're called punDITS, not punDINTS.
Pundits are nothing more than glorified bloggers who get paid. They also have whiter teeth. I recently heard Chris Matthews (hawking a book on CSPAN's "Book Notes") speak disparagingly of bloggers. He maintained that bloggers aren't bold like those in his profession, who are out there in the trenches doing battle face-to-face with people they oppose. He suggested that bloggers can hide in anonymity and toss bombs while pundits might run into their victims in the corridors of power and therefore have an obligation to maintain civility in their criticisms. Which I guess is why they say things like, "My good friend Senator Jones is a big, fat lying sack of crap."
The comments section has always been open here, Chris - you glorified blogger.
And the pundits have proven they don't know any more than bloggers this year.
As Obama gets set to announce his official candidacy today, it's time to evaluate the websites and packaging of the three leading Democratic contenders. For most of the voting American public, it's not about the issues; it's about the image. We're a shallow people, by and large. The candidates won't acknowledge that, but there's a reason they hire teams of handlers, pollsters, PR gurus, speechwriters, strategists and media specialists. Promises made on the campaign trail are rarely delivered upon. It's mainly fluff and bluster. So let's look at the packages.
Hillary Clinton's website trys very hard to be all about "a conversation," but she has yet to offer blogging abilities, promising that this "crucial part of our exciting national conversation" is forthcoming. Throughout the site she is rarely referred to by her last name. Everything is "Hillary" this and "Hillary" that. Even her official logo is simply "Hillary." We're also invited to join "Team Hillary." Too much. Too fake. Too desperate. Are you Oprah or Senator Clinton? Stop trying so hard to be my friend.
Barack Obama's website is the MySpace of candidate sites, offering a "MyBarackObama.com" sign-up that allows you to blog about Obama, share funny stories with your fellow Obamaniacs and probably even download Obama's favorite music from iTunes. You can watch "BarackTV" and cruise over to the ObamaStore for all your Obama apparel needs. Obama's tone is serious and he wants very much to "work together." He wants you to roll up your sleeves like he does and start getting in the trenches. He's got a "real" look about him and a nice logo, too. He will gain on Hillary after today.
The John Edwards site is a disaster of web design, for starters. Apparently a templated design, the colors will jar you right off the bat. His logo is extremely weak and the organization of content is not very well planned out. To his credit, he's the only candidate to offer a prominent "En Espanol" button. His merchandise section is horrendous. (Example: nasty trucker hat above.) Step it up, Johnboy, if you hope to catch these two.
We'll tackle the Republican websites at another time. Where's My Jetpack? is not affiliated with any political party and sits on the fence until voting time. Also, we don't reveal who we voted for. That's why they have a curtain at the voting booth.
Obama's campaign is off and running. His calculated decision to go tieless in this video and the fact that his people put it up on YouTube say we are in for perhaps a different sort of campaigning. Setting up a presidential exploratory committee is likely just a technicality and formality that basically means he'll officially announce next month.
I wouldn't mind being a consultant on this campaign. It will be fun to watch. It already runs the risk of being lampooned as too folksy. Sharpen your knives, Democratic co-contenders, this is the new front-runner.
Advice to John Edwards: You are not Bobby Kennedy. Please knock off the drippy poverty talk. You are a very wealthy former trial lawyer with nice hair and a smile. That may have worked on Carolina juries, but this is the Big Show. You can hang out with poor blacks all day long, but Obama is black. You're sounding and looking wimpy these days. We'll need to see some genuine wrath if you're to be believed.
Advice to Hillary Clinton: Sorry, there's nothing you can do. You wore out your welcome the first year of your husband's presidency. Your recent attempts to appear middle-of-the-road are horribly transparent and make you look as though you don't know where you stand. In desperation, you might start calling Obama by his full name of Barack Hussein Obama.
Advice to Chris Dodd: Never in a million years, Chris. Why are you even in this race? The Spanish fluency will serve you well, but you're still an unknown blue-blood.
Advice to Joe Biden: You're smart and knowledgeable, with some great ideas and a sharp wit, but this is a contest of telegenics. The new teeth are nice, but why did you stop at the forehead when you had hair replacement surgery?
Advice to Dennis Kucinich: You're joking, right, Denny? You've got more baggage than a contender has ever carried. You'd be way too easy to slam dunk. They'll start by mocking your veganism. Get out now before it gets ugly. The author of this blog is a proud independent and favors no political party.
Back when we were kids, the advertising people told us that "in the future" we'd all be free from disease and living in peace, flying around with our own jetpacks. The future is now...and we're still waiting.
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