Tuesday, July 27, 2004
'bwamp bwaaaam'
Why are political or other news events so often followed by the equivalent of a muted trumpet playing a 'comic' 'bwamp bwaaaam'? Why does bathos always rush in? Why must everything devolve 'safely' into farce? Why does every sentence end with a fatuous giggle?
After giving his absolutely electrifying, brilliant keynote speech tonight, Barack Obama had to endure...er, I mean was briefly interviewed by, 'CNN Senior Political Correspondent' Candy Crowley. Among other things, Obama talked about how he put together his coalition to win the primary in Illinois using a non-ideological, common sense approach (keep your eye on Obama, BTW). She asked, 'What advice would you give Senator Kerry..to..ehh...help him with Illinois voters?' Obama, who might have been introduced to Crowley as CNN's 'Senior Political Correspondent', paused, a little puzzled, then explained to her that 'John Kerry is going to win Illinois'. Does CNN'S 'Senior Political Correspondent' not know that Illinois is not a swing state? Maybe it was a long day for Candy, but...there's plenty of cluelessness around other than Convention Week.
One thing many people, from cranky lefties to cranky righties, might agree about is the atrociousness of pundito coverage of both daily news and political news. I don't know how I was ever able to put up with some of the bad tv heads, but I sure can't now. And that includes Lerher on PBS. It's like listening to a review of a rock or hip hop concert by your great-grandfather ('You know, when I was a boy...'.). I'm not comparing this convention to a rock or hip hop show, obviously, but it's that kind of madning, bewildered, almost willful clulessness. It's as if they were reading talking points from a page...oh, wait...
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After giving his absolutely electrifying, brilliant keynote speech tonight, Barack Obama had to endure...er, I mean was briefly interviewed by, 'CNN Senior Political Correspondent' Candy Crowley. Among other things, Obama talked about how he put together his coalition to win the primary in Illinois using a non-ideological, common sense approach (keep your eye on Obama, BTW). She asked, 'What advice would you give Senator Kerry..to..ehh...help him with Illinois voters?' Obama, who might have been introduced to Crowley as CNN's 'Senior Political Correspondent', paused, a little puzzled, then explained to her that 'John Kerry is going to win Illinois'. Does CNN'S 'Senior Political Correspondent' not know that Illinois is not a swing state? Maybe it was a long day for Candy, but...there's plenty of cluelessness around other than Convention Week.
One thing many people, from cranky lefties to cranky righties, might agree about is the atrociousness of pundito coverage of both daily news and political news. I don't know how I was ever able to put up with some of the bad tv heads, but I sure can't now. And that includes Lerher on PBS. It's like listening to a review of a rock or hip hop concert by your great-grandfather ('You know, when I was a boy...'.). I'm not comparing this convention to a rock or hip hop show, obviously, but it's that kind of madning, bewildered, almost willful clulessness. It's as if they were reading talking points from a page...oh, wait...
