I'm breaking libertarian principles here by saying you did wrong this morning if you watched MSNBC instead of CNBC. You must mount your De Lorean and return in order to rectify your lives.
The Morning Joe gang was stunned by yesterday's poll reporting the four-way dead heat in the Iowa caucus race. So they naturally brought in Chris Mathews to help them regain their composure. He led them through a therapeutic session based on the novel ideas that (1) Republicans don't much like Romney (2) Gingrich has a lot of personal baggage and (3) potential voters can be a pretty flighty bunch early in the election cycle. Thanks, Chris. We didn't know.
Just when I thought it was over, Mika -- of all people -- said some viewers might think their reporting was merely blasting Republicans rather than addressing what is "good for the country." Heads nodded and we got a nice little coda emphasizing that the good of the country requires policies sort of splitting the difference between Obama and Romney. Good idea -- averaging out pi and 3.15.
Need I mention that the name of Ron Paul, second in the poll, went unmentioned?
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Clicking my magic wormhole over to CNBC, I found the the financial talkies letting Darell Issa speak his piece -- giving him time to complete his sentences and even short paragraphs.
I discovered myself almost admiring a misdemeanant (at least) and Patriot Act backer who, here in 2011, is capable of talking about the right things, structuring government for efficiency and a good chance of freeing people to succeed or fail on their own merits. I suppose a lot of the Left will call him a sorehead for mentioning Solyndra.
(I totally forgot to check Fox News for thigh reveals. Must be getting old.)
Nov 16, 2011
Nov 15, 2011
The Iron Man Ron Paul
This surprises me, even though I've always credited Dr. Paul with support well beyond what the famous talkers concede him.
Ann Selzer is the gal who specializes in measuring Iowa opinion, and she's typically good at her job. She just released a new poll of likely Iowa caucus goers, and Paul is No. 2.
Ranking of everyone with a chance:
Cain 20
Paul 19
Romney 18
Gingrich 17
Yep, a statistical tie for first with all three of the others.
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TBC after I make some progress on a more pleasant task -- rummaging through the vault and reloading shack for an eight-foot table's worth of stuff neither I nor any of my pals can use. I mean, being a crack political analyst is all well and good, but it's more noble to be thought of as a crack Loophole Vendor.
Ann Selzer is the gal who specializes in measuring Iowa opinion, and she's typically good at her job. She just released a new poll of likely Iowa caucus goers, and Paul is No. 2.
Ranking of everyone with a chance:
Cain 20
Paul 19
Romney 18
Gingrich 17
Yep, a statistical tie for first with all three of the others.
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TBC after I make some progress on a more pleasant task -- rummaging through the vault and reloading shack for an eight-foot table's worth of stuff neither I nor any of my pals can use. I mean, being a crack political analyst is all well and good, but it's more noble to be thought of as a crack Loophole Vendor.
Making even O'Rielly seem like a news reporter
Chelsea Clinton is now a big-time journalist for NBC, joining Jenna Bush and Meghan McCain in a new triumvirate of lucky sperm kids who will explain the world to us. The network assures us she wasn't hired as just another pretty face.
Chelsea Clinton "made it very clear that this is not going to be a surface-deep relationship," (NBC News President) ) Capus told the New York Times. "She wants to be in the field for the shoot and in the edit room for the edit."
And if that doesn't terrify you I'll kiss your arse in the Rainbow Room and sign a model release for every camera crew you can cram into the joint.
(For Chelsea's first effort, maybe she could treat us to a retrospective on her ma's heroic conduct under intense fire in the Sandbox.)
Chelsea Clinton "made it very clear that this is not going to be a surface-deep relationship," (NBC News President) ) Capus told the New York Times. "She wants to be in the field for the shoot and in the edit room for the edit."
And if that doesn't terrify you I'll kiss your arse in the Rainbow Room and sign a model release for every camera crew you can cram into the joint.
(For Chelsea's first effort, maybe she could treat us to a retrospective on her ma's heroic conduct under intense fire in the Sandbox.)
Paranoia revisited
Or: "Gee it's fun to yell wolf-wolf-wolf at the kids."
Down at the Athens of the Corn Fields, someone reported a man threatening a woman with a gun, "somewhere in Iowa City." University of Iowa officials flashed out an e-alert (a "Hawk Warning") telling the 31,000 students to stay put and avoid the horrifying risk of being outdoors in the sprawling city of 68,000.
Local teevee found one of the panic-stricken students.
“We were terrified because we were going to have to walk back and everyone told us not to leave,” said ... a freshman student who was at a local restaurant when she received the message."
She was not alone in fright:
Down at the Athens of the Corn Fields, someone reported a man threatening a woman with a gun, "somewhere in Iowa City." University of Iowa officials flashed out an e-alert (a "Hawk Warning") telling the 31,000 students to stay put and avoid the horrifying risk of being outdoors in the sprawling city of 68,000.
Local teevee found one of the panic-stricken students.
“We were terrified because we were going to have to walk back and everyone told us not to leave,” said ... a freshman student who was at a local restaurant when she received the message."
She was not alone in fright:
“The girl taking our orders was freaking out," (another coed) said. “Everyone behind us was like ‘Oh my God.’”
The police investigated and reported: "
the suspect was located in Muscatine, where he planned to spend the night with a family member. Local police talked to the man, but did not find a gun in his possession. Iowa City police are not planning on filing any charges because there is no concrete evidence in the case...
You can chalk up some of this to teevee doing what teevee lives for -- creating the highest possible drama from every pee-leg 911 call. Panic on campus draws viewers.
And much of it to university officials petrified at the thought of having a public relations problem, of not being seen as custodians of a venue safe as Sunday school.
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There's nothing wrong with some sort of communications system reporting potential danger, but these panic attacks every time a jittery citizen sees a firearm pretty much negates the value of any alert system.
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