My wife's parents have just told her that they plan to vote for President Bush come November. This may not mean anything at all, but I take it as a good sign. Although both of them live very conservative lives and her Dad is a Korean war vet, they are not reliable Republican voters.
They share a populist streak, which is very common here in the Upper Midwest (and the subject of much longer future post). This streak often manifests itself in a distrust of those in power, and a strong dose of suspicion of anyone with wealth. A lot of it is based on class envy and the belief that those at the top did not really earn their place there. There is also a tendency to embrace conspiracy theories.
Which explains why they voted for Jesse Ventura in 1998. In 2000 they decided that they could not vote for either Bush or Gore. I think they went for Buchanan, but they could have gone for Nader as well. It didn't really matter who they were voting for; it was a protest vote against the two major parties.
Since then they have been fairly muted in their political views. They strongly supported the President after 9/11, but haven't been as keen on Bush since then. I do suspect my father-in-law loathes John Kerry. However, until today, we were unsure how they would vote this year, and thought that there was a decent chance they would go the way of a third party candidate once again.
As I mentioned earlier, this may signify nothing at all in larger terms for the election. But, coming on top of what was a very bad month for Kerry and a very good week for the President, it is yet another indication (micro) that, for now at least, things seem to be going Bush's way.
Friday, September 03, 2004
The Illustrated VDH
The Friday column by Victor Davis Hanson today on NRO is, per usual, outstanding. I was particularly heartened to see this clear eyed student of history look ahead to November 2 with this prediction:
If Bush wins in November, and I think he will, then there will be recriminations and fury of the like we have not seen since the Right imploded after 1964. For many of us lifelong Democrats, the very sight of Michael Moore perched next to Jimmy Carter at the convention in Boston says it all - the sorry coming together of conspiratorial anti-Americanism and self-righteous appeasement.
Also interesting to note his reference to being a life long Democrat, something I didn't realize about ol' VDH. With the likes of him and Zell Miller supporting the Bush candidacy, and assuming they represent a broader, pro-robust national defense, pro-American wing of traditional Democratic voters, I'm starting to believe Bush may pull away with this thing yet.
Perhaps because he's a Democrat, Hanson does a superb job in identifying the essence of the modern Democratic party and why they have the potential to alienate so many voters in their traditional base.
When upscale protestors swear at delegates and parade obscene signs in New York while John Kerry goes windsurfing in shades and racing gloves, you have a recipe for disaster for wannabe populists.
Americans instinctually are repelled by these images and right now this is what the party of the Left offers. The more the people get to see this, the more votes they are going to lose. So, I say rage on children of the revolution and sail on John Kerry. Just continue to be yourselves and everything should be all right. At least as far as the election goes. Because, as VDH reminds us, come Nov. 3, the world will still be there waiting for us:
We are not at the end of history, but rather at its new beginning. All the old truths--conventional warfare, the Atlantic alliance, petroleum-based affluence, conventional political debate, etiquette, principled disagreement, and the old populist Democratic party are coming under question. And the only thing that is clear from what will follow is that it will all be loud, messy, full of surprises - and occasionally quite scary.
If Bush wins in November, and I think he will, then there will be recriminations and fury of the like we have not seen since the Right imploded after 1964. For many of us lifelong Democrats, the very sight of Michael Moore perched next to Jimmy Carter at the convention in Boston says it all - the sorry coming together of conspiratorial anti-Americanism and self-righteous appeasement.
Also interesting to note his reference to being a life long Democrat, something I didn't realize about ol' VDH. With the likes of him and Zell Miller supporting the Bush candidacy, and assuming they represent a broader, pro-robust national defense, pro-American wing of traditional Democratic voters, I'm starting to believe Bush may pull away with this thing yet.
Perhaps because he's a Democrat, Hanson does a superb job in identifying the essence of the modern Democratic party and why they have the potential to alienate so many voters in their traditional base.
When upscale protestors swear at delegates and parade obscene signs in New York while John Kerry goes windsurfing in shades and racing gloves, you have a recipe for disaster for wannabe populists.
Americans instinctually are repelled by these images and right now this is what the party of the Left offers. The more the people get to see this, the more votes they are going to lose. So, I say rage on children of the revolution and sail on John Kerry. Just continue to be yourselves and everything should be all right. At least as far as the election goes. Because, as VDH reminds us, come Nov. 3, the world will still be there waiting for us:
We are not at the end of history, but rather at its new beginning. All the old truths--conventional warfare, the Atlantic alliance, petroleum-based affluence, conventional political debate, etiquette, principled disagreement, and the old populist Democratic party are coming under question. And the only thing that is clear from what will follow is that it will all be loud, messy, full of surprises - and occasionally quite scary.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
In Livin' Color
9:12pm Live from sprawling Strom compound in North Minneapolis we are watching the President's speech. Here is a chronicle of our reactions. Lots of flag waving: jingoistic patriotism is running rampant in the room.
9:15pm The crowd here eats up the Reagan reference. Maybe we should name a highway after him...
9:17pm Strom boos progress in education.
9:18pm Crowd down on prescription drug coverage.
9:19pm Atomizer boos American workers.
9:20pm Crowd wildly applauds tax cuts.
9:21pm Tepid reaction to working moms at MSG. Flag waving continues here.
9:22pm Flags waving like crazy here. Permanent tax relief is very popular.
9:23pm More flag waving. "Kill the lawyers now," chant begins.
9:25pm It's safe to say that any talk of tax cuts and simplification is playing to a receptive crowd here.
9:27pm Cheaper health insurance plan greeted with skepticism. HSAs much more well received. Portability is key.
9:29pm Bureaucrats booed lustily. Medical malpractice reform is cheered.
9:29pm Atomizer says he has a home.
9:29pm Saint Paul sips his beer.
9:31pm Strom calls for more war talk.
9:32pm Social security reform and personal accounts are very well received.
9:33pm Possible Jack Kemp sighting.
9:34pm More education funding booed.
9:36pm Saint Paul demands to know where the Mexican flags are. Strom and Atomizer are getting in an education pissing match.
9:38pm No live blogging from Power Line or Captain Ed. What are we paying these guys for anyway?
9:39pm Shots at Kerry as an old-school tax and spend Democrat are applauded. Enough with the chanting though.
9:41pm Fatigue setting in for Saint Paul. Shot at activists judges raises him out of his slumber. "Screw the libertarians," Strom cries. Strict constructionist judges play well.
9:42pm Hollywood bashing and trashing Kerry's conservative values have the crowd in a frenzy. Or maybe it's just the Scotch.
9:45pm War talk brings the flags out again. Can someone please crush that dissent now?
9:48pm Quiet now as Bush talks of Iraq and the rationale for the war. Good tie in with 9/11 and the madman. Defend America every time line is crowd pleaser.
9:50pm Progress on democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq cheered.
9:51pm Good explanation of why democracy in those countries is important to halting terrorism.
9:52pm Nice shot at Kerry with troops returning home with honor. Letter from soldier in field is effective. Flag waving for the troops. I told you it was a jingoistic crew.
9:56pm Don't tell me Kerry voted against the $87 billion? An oft used line, but still quite good.
9:57pm A Sarah Janecek sighting?
9:59pm Good defense of the coalition. Strom calls for more French bashing.
10:00pm Freedom good. Evil bad. I need another beer.
10:01pm Brief mention of Israel. More coming? I hope.
10:03pm Bangin' on the New York Times? Beautiful. And there was much rejoicing.
10:05pm Call to duty. The country requires us to stand together. To stand with Bush.
10:07pm Nice use of self-deprecating humor. Swagger line is killer. A nod to mom. Shortcomings and strengths nicely interplayed. Saint Paul scratches his eye.
10:08 Somber reflection on challenges of being a war time president. Loss is difficult, but for a higher purpose. Tears from the women here.
10:09pm Back to 9/11. Resurrection of NYC. Religious undertones. The hard core left must be hating this.
10:10pm A time for every season. Atomizer mentions the Birds. Some people.
10:11pm He opens my beer. All is forgiven. Bush wraps speech up. Strom thinks Laura Bush is a babe.
10:13pm Positive reports in the immediate aftermath on MSNBC.
10:14pm Our grades:
Saint Paul: B- Not enough use of foreign languages.
Margaret: B Clintonesque
My wife: B Good jokes, good slams
Atomizer: B+ Needed more hellfire.
Policy Guy: B- Too long, too disjointed.
Peggy: A Best speech she's ever seen him give.
The Warrior Princess: A+ I am a shameless partisan hack
David: A Ended on a high note.
Next door neighbor guy: B+ Good beat, easy to dance to
The Elder: B+ A bit wandering, but overall strong.
9:15pm The crowd here eats up the Reagan reference. Maybe we should name a highway after him...
9:17pm Strom boos progress in education.
9:18pm Crowd down on prescription drug coverage.
9:19pm Atomizer boos American workers.
9:20pm Crowd wildly applauds tax cuts.
9:21pm Tepid reaction to working moms at MSG. Flag waving continues here.
9:22pm Flags waving like crazy here. Permanent tax relief is very popular.
9:23pm More flag waving. "Kill the lawyers now," chant begins.
9:25pm It's safe to say that any talk of tax cuts and simplification is playing to a receptive crowd here.
9:27pm Cheaper health insurance plan greeted with skepticism. HSAs much more well received. Portability is key.
9:29pm Bureaucrats booed lustily. Medical malpractice reform is cheered.
9:29pm Atomizer says he has a home.
9:29pm Saint Paul sips his beer.
9:31pm Strom calls for more war talk.
9:32pm Social security reform and personal accounts are very well received.
9:33pm Possible Jack Kemp sighting.
9:34pm More education funding booed.
9:36pm Saint Paul demands to know where the Mexican flags are. Strom and Atomizer are getting in an education pissing match.
9:38pm No live blogging from Power Line or Captain Ed. What are we paying these guys for anyway?
9:39pm Shots at Kerry as an old-school tax and spend Democrat are applauded. Enough with the chanting though.
9:41pm Fatigue setting in for Saint Paul. Shot at activists judges raises him out of his slumber. "Screw the libertarians," Strom cries. Strict constructionist judges play well.
9:42pm Hollywood bashing and trashing Kerry's conservative values have the crowd in a frenzy. Or maybe it's just the Scotch.
9:45pm War talk brings the flags out again. Can someone please crush that dissent now?
9:48pm Quiet now as Bush talks of Iraq and the rationale for the war. Good tie in with 9/11 and the madman. Defend America every time line is crowd pleaser.
9:50pm Progress on democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq cheered.
9:51pm Good explanation of why democracy in those countries is important to halting terrorism.
9:52pm Nice shot at Kerry with troops returning home with honor. Letter from soldier in field is effective. Flag waving for the troops. I told you it was a jingoistic crew.
9:56pm Don't tell me Kerry voted against the $87 billion? An oft used line, but still quite good.
9:57pm A Sarah Janecek sighting?
9:59pm Good defense of the coalition. Strom calls for more French bashing.
10:00pm Freedom good. Evil bad. I need another beer.
10:01pm Brief mention of Israel. More coming? I hope.
10:03pm Bangin' on the New York Times? Beautiful. And there was much rejoicing.
10:05pm Call to duty. The country requires us to stand together. To stand with Bush.
10:07pm Nice use of self-deprecating humor. Swagger line is killer. A nod to mom. Shortcomings and strengths nicely interplayed. Saint Paul scratches his eye.
10:08 Somber reflection on challenges of being a war time president. Loss is difficult, but for a higher purpose. Tears from the women here.
10:09pm Back to 9/11. Resurrection of NYC. Religious undertones. The hard core left must be hating this.
10:10pm A time for every season. Atomizer mentions the Birds. Some people.
10:11pm He opens my beer. All is forgiven. Bush wraps speech up. Strom thinks Laura Bush is a babe.
10:13pm Positive reports in the immediate aftermath on MSNBC.
10:14pm Our grades:
Saint Paul: B- Not enough use of foreign languages.
Margaret: B Clintonesque
My wife: B Good jokes, good slams
Atomizer: B+ Needed more hellfire.
Policy Guy: B- Too long, too disjointed.
Peggy: A Best speech she's ever seen him give.
The Warrior Princess: A+ I am a shameless partisan hack
David: A Ended on a high note.
Next door neighbor guy: B+ Good beat, easy to dance to
The Elder: B+ A bit wandering, but overall strong.
Don't Believe The Hype
Can we please quit with the talk about how this speech or that speech will impact the precious "undecided" voter? Zell Miller's speech last night was red meat for Republicans and demagogic fascism for the Democrats. Do you really think that legions of undecided voters were watching it? Not bloody likely.
Look, if you've made it to this point of the election cycle without making up your mind, it's probably because you don't care about politics all that much. And if politics isn't your bag, the chances of you pulling up a chair and watching speeches by anyone other than the candidates themselves are slim to none. Hell, I'm as big a political geek as the next guy, but last night I was flipping the channels between convention coverage, the Twins game, and South Park.
Today Republicans are howling with delight about Zell's zingers and Democrats are howling in self-righteous anger. Both sides are trying to convince themselves that the speech will somehow swing the election their way. I enjoyed watching Miller rip into his party after having endured months of Bush bashing from the Kennedys, Carters, Gores, and Moores. However, the reality is that the Miller speech just doesn't matter, no matter how much the wonks try to tell you that it does today. It might be hard for those of us who live and breathe this stuff to accept, but the whole world is not watching.
If Bush grips it and rips it tonight or if he slices into the deep rough, it may move the polls slightly. But if he delivers what I expect; a solid but unspectacular effort, the impact will likely be minimal.
Kerry received little if any bounce from the milquetoast DNC. From what I've watched so far, the RNC has been very well run and has gone pretty much exactly according to the GOP plan. But, I still don't see it doing much for Bush. Those who loathed him before will still loath him tomorrow. Those who loved him going in will love him going out.
The undecideds? They're busy with the pennant races and Trading Spaces. Oh, they'll make up their minds sometime between now and November 2nd. But they likely won't be thinking about Zell Miller's speech when they do it.
Look, if you've made it to this point of the election cycle without making up your mind, it's probably because you don't care about politics all that much. And if politics isn't your bag, the chances of you pulling up a chair and watching speeches by anyone other than the candidates themselves are slim to none. Hell, I'm as big a political geek as the next guy, but last night I was flipping the channels between convention coverage, the Twins game, and South Park.
Today Republicans are howling with delight about Zell's zingers and Democrats are howling in self-righteous anger. Both sides are trying to convince themselves that the speech will somehow swing the election their way. I enjoyed watching Miller rip into his party after having endured months of Bush bashing from the Kennedys, Carters, Gores, and Moores. However, the reality is that the Miller speech just doesn't matter, no matter how much the wonks try to tell you that it does today. It might be hard for those of us who live and breathe this stuff to accept, but the whole world is not watching.
If Bush grips it and rips it tonight or if he slices into the deep rough, it may move the polls slightly. But if he delivers what I expect; a solid but unspectacular effort, the impact will likely be minimal.
Kerry received little if any bounce from the milquetoast DNC. From what I've watched so far, the RNC has been very well run and has gone pretty much exactly according to the GOP plan. But, I still don't see it doing much for Bush. Those who loathed him before will still loath him tomorrow. Those who loved him going in will love him going out.
The undecideds? They're busy with the pennant races and Trading Spaces. Oh, they'll make up their minds sometime between now and November 2nd. But they likely won't be thinking about Zell Miller's speech when they do it.
Separated At Birth?
Conservative smart alleck Joe Scarborough and hen-pecked smart alleck Chandler Bing?
Heart Like a Wheel, Head Like an Anchor
On Tuesday evening, during a commercial break on the Hugh Hewitt program, I was scanning the TV dials (between CSPAN convention coverage and Seinfeld reruns on TBS) and came across a Peter Jennings ABC World News Tonight interview with Karl Rove.
In my quest for information NOW, I typically only give the network news programs about 2 seconds before zipping on by with the remote for more fertile ground. But the sight of Rove, a remarkably articulate and folksy presence (who would make a hell of a candidate in his own right), caused me to linger ever so briefly. Which gave me the opportunity to hear this question from Jennings, which stopped me in my digital TV tracks entirely:
JENNINGS: Okay. I know you like the president. Is it too strong a phrase to say that you love him?
ABC News devotes all of 22 minutes for it's prime time news presentation (WORLD news, mind you), and its star anchorman gets the Senior Advisor to the President of the United States on for an interview, and he uses up this precious time asking him THAT?
Absurd, buffoon level journalism. The average reporter for a high school newspaper would know better than to ask this question, of any government official, let alone a man of Karl Rove's stature. Because as any junior high journalist already knows, the correct way to broach this topic is to say:
JENNINGS: Okay. I know you like the president. But do you "like" like him?
For a split second, Rove's face revealed he was flummoxed by the ridiculous nature of the question. But since about half of the interview consisted of snide, bizarre, leading questions by Jennings, Rove was prepared and made a quick recovery. (Read the whole interview to get the gist of Jennings approach, and note, they put the questions out of order, the interview ended with the love talk.)
I was impressed with Rove's answer. It's a lesson for any politician or operative. When asked an unexpected question, just tell the truth.
ROVE: No, I love him. I mean, he is one of the most remarkable people I've ever met, and that's not too strong a word.
It's a great answer. He doesn't come off as a creepy metrosexual type, which is the impression you'd probably be left with if John Kerry were asked if he loves John Edwards, or vice versa. (Something tells me Jennings will never ask either of them such a question). Nor does he come off as an obsessed W. worshipper, which I'm sure was Jennings intent in asking the question in the first place. Or he wanted Rove to clumsily deny it, spawning headlines the next day "ROVE HATES BUSH".
Jennings motive in this interview was to validate the demonization of Rove that the Democrats and their willing accomplices in the press have engaged in for years. And I must say, Rove smoked 'em on this one.
For an example of the opposite, a political operative getting smoked by a real journalist, read Hugh Hewitt's interview with DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Excerpt:
HEWITT: John Edwards yesterday said that he should sell the Iranians nuclear fuel. Do you agree with that, Terry McAuliffe?
MCAULIFFE: What did John Edwards say?
HEWITT: That we ought to do a deal with the Iranians that if they don't get to produce their own nuclear fuel but that we will sell it to them in exchange for strict controls. Do you think that's an answer to the situation on terror?
MCAULIFFE: If John Edwards said that's what John Edwards feels and I'm sure that he talked to John Kerry about it.
It's an amazingly revealing look into the essence of McAuliffe. But, no, there's nothing in this interview about who McAuliffe's loves. For that, we'll have to wait for Peter Jennings to chime in. Or someone else of his journalistic caliber. Perhaps Chuck Woolery is guest hosting tonight on Nightline.
In my quest for information NOW, I typically only give the network news programs about 2 seconds before zipping on by with the remote for more fertile ground. But the sight of Rove, a remarkably articulate and folksy presence (who would make a hell of a candidate in his own right), caused me to linger ever so briefly. Which gave me the opportunity to hear this question from Jennings, which stopped me in my digital TV tracks entirely:
JENNINGS: Okay. I know you like the president. Is it too strong a phrase to say that you love him?
ABC News devotes all of 22 minutes for it's prime time news presentation (WORLD news, mind you), and its star anchorman gets the Senior Advisor to the President of the United States on for an interview, and he uses up this precious time asking him THAT?
Absurd, buffoon level journalism. The average reporter for a high school newspaper would know better than to ask this question, of any government official, let alone a man of Karl Rove's stature. Because as any junior high journalist already knows, the correct way to broach this topic is to say:
JENNINGS: Okay. I know you like the president. But do you "like" like him?
For a split second, Rove's face revealed he was flummoxed by the ridiculous nature of the question. But since about half of the interview consisted of snide, bizarre, leading questions by Jennings, Rove was prepared and made a quick recovery. (Read the whole interview to get the gist of Jennings approach, and note, they put the questions out of order, the interview ended with the love talk.)
I was impressed with Rove's answer. It's a lesson for any politician or operative. When asked an unexpected question, just tell the truth.
ROVE: No, I love him. I mean, he is one of the most remarkable people I've ever met, and that's not too strong a word.
It's a great answer. He doesn't come off as a creepy metrosexual type, which is the impression you'd probably be left with if John Kerry were asked if he loves John Edwards, or vice versa. (Something tells me Jennings will never ask either of them such a question). Nor does he come off as an obsessed W. worshipper, which I'm sure was Jennings intent in asking the question in the first place. Or he wanted Rove to clumsily deny it, spawning headlines the next day "ROVE HATES BUSH".
Jennings motive in this interview was to validate the demonization of Rove that the Democrats and their willing accomplices in the press have engaged in for years. And I must say, Rove smoked 'em on this one.
For an example of the opposite, a political operative getting smoked by a real journalist, read Hugh Hewitt's interview with DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Excerpt:
HEWITT: John Edwards yesterday said that he should sell the Iranians nuclear fuel. Do you agree with that, Terry McAuliffe?
MCAULIFFE: What did John Edwards say?
HEWITT: That we ought to do a deal with the Iranians that if they don't get to produce their own nuclear fuel but that we will sell it to them in exchange for strict controls. Do you think that's an answer to the situation on terror?
MCAULIFFE: If John Edwards said that's what John Edwards feels and I'm sure that he talked to John Kerry about it.
It's an amazingly revealing look into the essence of McAuliffe. But, no, there's nothing in this interview about who McAuliffe's loves. For that, we'll have to wait for Peter Jennings to chime in. Or someone else of his journalistic caliber. Perhaps Chuck Woolery is guest hosting tonight on Nightline.
Carnival Of Carnies
In case you have not heard, this Saturday marks the second official social gathering of the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers (or MOB) and their readers, groupies, and stalkers. The inaugural event was held at Keegan's Irish pub in July and it was a spectacular success.
This time we're taking it to the Minnesota State Fair. We'll be at the beer garden in the International Bazaar at 3:30pm. As an added incentive to show up (and a way to fill air time), we'll be putting bloggers on the air on the NARN broadcast from 2:30pm-3pm. Stop by the AM-1280 The Patriot booth, just down Judson from the International Bazaar, and plug your blog to our vast and influential audience.
These MOB events are non-partisan in nature, and we strongly encourage bloggers of all political persuasions to attend. Yes, even that guy who speaks Klingon.
If you plan on showing up, hit this post at Shot In The Dark and leave a comment for Mitch.
This time we're taking it to the Minnesota State Fair. We'll be at the beer garden in the International Bazaar at 3:30pm. As an added incentive to show up (and a way to fill air time), we'll be putting bloggers on the air on the NARN broadcast from 2:30pm-3pm. Stop by the AM-1280 The Patriot booth, just down Judson from the International Bazaar, and plug your blog to our vast and influential audience.
These MOB events are non-partisan in nature, and we strongly encourage bloggers of all political persuasions to attend. Yes, even that guy who speaks Klingon.
If you plan on showing up, hit this post at Shot In The Dark and leave a comment for Mitch.
Another Fraters Inspired Blog...In Poland?
Poland, Ohio that is. You've read her e-mails here in the past, now catch her thoughts on her very own blog. Join us in extending a warm welcome to Abigail Brayden.
Another One Bites The Dust
The Elder caught me red handed yesterday...or, I suppose you could say, red-eared. I was, indeed, listening to Air America even without the motivational influence of a loaded gun leveled at my temple. I did have a very good excuse for my actions, however.
After running across this Powerline post regarding Al Franken's latest display of tolerance at the RNC, I needed more details. Laura Ingraham briefly addressed the kerfuffle on her program, but I wanted to hear it from the horse's ass...er, I mean mouth...himself.
That's how I found myself on the Air America web page searching for their local affiliate, since it seems to change on a monthly basis. While I was there, I noticed with some astonishment that the Prince of Pronto Pups himself was slated to be on Wednesday's show. I quickly fired off an e-mail to alert the Fraters Libertas staff of Hugh's impending slaughter of yet another dim-witted leftie, and those who took heed were greatly rewarded.
Al Franken is, quite simply, a horrible talk show host. I speak with some authority on this matter as I have first hand knowledge of some very skilled radio artists (myself, most assuredly, not included). It takes the man a lifetime of Sundays to ask a simple question and, by the time his nasally ramblings have finally been punctuated with a merciful pause, one tends to forget what his intended point happened to be. Such was the case today with Hugh.
Lest you think that Franken's failings lie solely in the technical realm of the radio world, rest assured that he is equally incompetent in the intellectual realm. For the majority of the interview, Franken kept trying to hammer home his quarter-baked notion that the President's familiarity with the infamous August P.D.B. should have driven him to immediately link the impact of the first airplane on the morning of 9/11 to Osama bin Laden. Hugh deftly shot this bit of nonsense down (read it yourself...Hugh has promised a transcript here).
The other prong to Al's thrust was the complaint that no speaker at the RNC had yet to mention bin Laden by name while Saddam's name was being dropped more often than the Cleveland Indians' outfield drops fly balls (those are my words, not Franken's...an eight game lead in September tends to make a man gloat). Hugh, again, succeeded in popping Al's balloon by pointing out that his complaint makes it evident that the left simply does not grasp the scope of the war on terror (again, read the transcript) and that if this was to be the left's tactic for the remainder of the campaign, they're going to lose 50 states to none. I think "beat them like a bongo drum" was Hugh's exact phrasing.
The subtitle of Hugh Hewitt's new book is "Crushing The Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It". Wednesday's domination of Franken on the tail of Tuesday's smackdown of Terry McAuliffe shows that Hugh is willing to do just that...one Democrat at a time.
After running across this Powerline post regarding Al Franken's latest display of tolerance at the RNC, I needed more details. Laura Ingraham briefly addressed the kerfuffle on her program, but I wanted to hear it from the horse's ass...er, I mean mouth...himself.
That's how I found myself on the Air America web page searching for their local affiliate, since it seems to change on a monthly basis. While I was there, I noticed with some astonishment that the Prince of Pronto Pups himself was slated to be on Wednesday's show. I quickly fired off an e-mail to alert the Fraters Libertas staff of Hugh's impending slaughter of yet another dim-witted leftie, and those who took heed were greatly rewarded.
Al Franken is, quite simply, a horrible talk show host. I speak with some authority on this matter as I have first hand knowledge of some very skilled radio artists (myself, most assuredly, not included). It takes the man a lifetime of Sundays to ask a simple question and, by the time his nasally ramblings have finally been punctuated with a merciful pause, one tends to forget what his intended point happened to be. Such was the case today with Hugh.
Lest you think that Franken's failings lie solely in the technical realm of the radio world, rest assured that he is equally incompetent in the intellectual realm. For the majority of the interview, Franken kept trying to hammer home his quarter-baked notion that the President's familiarity with the infamous August P.D.B. should have driven him to immediately link the impact of the first airplane on the morning of 9/11 to Osama bin Laden. Hugh deftly shot this bit of nonsense down (read it yourself...Hugh has promised a transcript here).
The other prong to Al's thrust was the complaint that no speaker at the RNC had yet to mention bin Laden by name while Saddam's name was being dropped more often than the Cleveland Indians' outfield drops fly balls (those are my words, not Franken's...an eight game lead in September tends to make a man gloat). Hugh, again, succeeded in popping Al's balloon by pointing out that his complaint makes it evident that the left simply does not grasp the scope of the war on terror (again, read the transcript) and that if this was to be the left's tactic for the remainder of the campaign, they're going to lose 50 states to none. I think "beat them like a bongo drum" was Hugh's exact phrasing.
The subtitle of Hugh Hewitt's new book is "Crushing The Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It". Wednesday's domination of Franken on the tail of Tuesday's smackdown of Terry McAuliffe shows that Hugh is willing to do just that...one Democrat at a time.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Behind The Mike
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last few weeks, you probably are aware that the Northern Alliance Radio Network has been enlisted for double duty out at the Minnesota State Fair. In addition to our regular Saturday show from noon 'til 3pm, we're also doing a Sunday show during the same hours for two straight weekends. You can listen locally on AM-1280 The Patriot or via our live internet stream.
Last weekend was our first one at The Fair and it was an eye opening experience. You often hear how hard it is to do a remote broadcast, and locally you always hear about the challenges that the State Fair presents. But you can't really appreciate them until you experience them yourself (or read Chumley's daily chronicles).
The Fair is a grind. Don't get me wrong. It can be a great deal of fun , but there's just something about it that saps your energy. The crowds, the smells, the noise. The MPR booth. It just gets to you after a while. And we were only there for a weekend. I have no clue how a guy like Chumley manages to keep his sanity (insert joke here) during the dog days of The Fair. Or Anthony, a Salem employee who has been pretty much living on The Fairgrounds for the past three weeks helping get the booths set up. It's really an interesting sociological experiment at work. What happens when you take a cynical, hard-nosed radio pro from L.A. and drop him in the middle of the Great Minnesota Get Together for nearly a month? Talk about a guy who deserves some combat pay. And probably some counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder after he gets back to LA.
Saturday actually went pretty well. I rolled in at around 11:30am, we cranked out three hours of radio with the help of Mike Nelson and Hugh, enjoyed a couple of post-show beverages, and even managed to catch Al Franken's stump speech at the DFL booth. Have I described just how awful it was? Uninspiring, unfunny, and unprepared. As Saint Paul noted, "I did more prep work for today's show than Franken did for his speech." Now that's saying something.
Before Franken was introduced, Matt Entenza (House DFL minority leader) called Franken and Mike Erlandson (State DFL Chairman) the "twin towers of the Democratic Party in Minnesota". Besides being a bit inappropriate, the remark demonstrates the sorry state of the DFL today. If Franken is one of your towers, you've got a lot of rebuilding to do. And if anyone thinks that this putz can stand on the same stage as Norm Coleman and not get his head handed to him, they're delusional. When it comes to Al Franken running for the Senate, I say, "Bring him on."
Sunday was tougher.Mrs. Elder The Elderette My wife was running in her first 5K race, The Milk Run at The Fair, which commenced at 7:45am. Saturday had been a late night, and so, when I dragged myself out of bed at 6:30am on Sunday morning, I wasn't exactly bright-eyed and bushy- tailed. We got to the starting line right when the gun sounded. I considered it perfect timing. My wife did not share that opinion. But the results were good, as she finished eighty-eighth out of five-hundred and eighty some women who ran and eleventh in her age group. Not bad for her first time out.
She headed home for a shower while I wandered around the Fairgrounds before finally arriving at The Patriot broadcast booth. The booth itself is very small and is surrounded by a facade intended to give the impression of a mansion. We like to refer to it as The Plantation. There's even a white picket fence for leftists to sneer at and dismiss the suburban conformity of it all. The fence also affords a modicum of protection from the crowd passing directly in front of us, although I would prefer it to be a bit higher with more concertino wire.
At 9:30am Saint Paul and I joined David Strom on the Taxpayer's League show. Chumley grabbed a seat and jammed with us as well. I don't know if it was the time of day, the fact that we were all pretty exhausted, or just the right chemistry, but it was probably the most laid-back, relaxed hour and a half of radio that I've ever done. I had to nudge Saint Paul once in a while to make sure he was still awake.
After an hour break while Rabuse on the Right was airing, we were back at 'er at noon. Three more hours of State Fair radio, with all its twists and turns. The highlights were probably an agitated Kerry supporter trying to debate King on the state of the economy (a bit like me trying to wrestle Brock Lesnar) and Saint Paul's gut-busting riffing on the parade that passed directly in front of our booth. I'll never be able to watch the University of Minnesota's marching band in the same way again. Especially the tuba players.
Sunday also featured an appearance by The Northern Alliance Gospel Chorus (with help from The Man From Silver Mountain) as we faced off in a musical competition against Marcoux Corner, a very talented a cappella quartet. They sang "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", we sang the National Anthem. It was a close call, but I believe the audience found their performance slightly more enjoyable than ours. We'll get 'em next time.
By the time the show wound down, I was fried. Four and half hours of live radio at The Fair is not easy, even if you do have a large cast of players. We laughed, we cried. We lived, we died (on the air). Mostly we learned. Learned how difficult it can be to do a show from The Fair. Which leads to my Top Ten List of Challenges in Broadcasting Live Radio From The Minnesota State Fair:
10. Trying to find the time to sprint to the nearest bathroom and make it back before the end of the break.
9. Trying to schedule and bring on the air the various guests, food vendors, animals, and musical acts in some semblance of coordination.
8. Trying to find a decent cup of coffee at The Fair. With the notable exception of Moonbeam, The Fair is sorely lacking places to procure quality java. There's hundreds of variety of fried food. Why can't there be a couple of coffee chains like Starbucks, Caribou, or Dunn Brothers?
7. Trying to use your laptop on your LAP. Having a WiFi connection out there is great, but broadcasting in the "front yard" on lawn chairs makes it tough to surf.
6. Trying to find two minutes to catch your breathe and gather your thoughts amidst the hustle and bustle. When you're in a studio, you have a chance to regroup during commercial breaks and think about the next segment. At The Fair, you're constantly being approached by people who want to chat or ask questions. Mind you, I'm not complaining. It's great that folks stop by to say hi, but it does make it difficult.
5. Trying to answer the oft-asked question, "Who are you and why are you on the air?"
4. Trying to use a remote mike with a marching band blaring away in all their glory two feet behind you.
3. Trying to concentrate on what you're saying as people strolling by stare at you as if they've just seen a three-balled tomcat (I can say that here).
2. Trying not to make fun of said people on the air as you observe them strolling by.
And the number one Challenge In Broadcasting Live Radio From The Minnesota State Fair is...
1. Trying to ignore the siren song of the nearby beer garden with its neon Summit signs and their glow of electric beer. Mmmm...electric beer.
And now all this can be yours. Well sorta. This Saturday we'll be having our second gathering of Minnesota bloggers. Last time around we met at Keegan's Irish Pub and a good time was had by all. This time we will be meeting at The State Fair. Specifically in the International Bazaar Beer Garden at 3:30pm. And if you've been dreaming about going on the air to plug your blog to our vast NARN audience, you'll get your chance. If you show up between 2:30pm and 3pm, we'll put you on the air. Come on down. Meet your fellow bloggers, toss back a coupla cold ones, and realize your radio dreams.
Last weekend was our first one at The Fair and it was an eye opening experience. You often hear how hard it is to do a remote broadcast, and locally you always hear about the challenges that the State Fair presents. But you can't really appreciate them until you experience them yourself (or read Chumley's daily chronicles).
The Fair is a grind. Don't get me wrong. It can be a great deal of fun , but there's just something about it that saps your energy. The crowds, the smells, the noise. The MPR booth. It just gets to you after a while. And we were only there for a weekend. I have no clue how a guy like Chumley manages to keep his sanity (insert joke here) during the dog days of The Fair. Or Anthony, a Salem employee who has been pretty much living on The Fairgrounds for the past three weeks helping get the booths set up. It's really an interesting sociological experiment at work. What happens when you take a cynical, hard-nosed radio pro from L.A. and drop him in the middle of the Great Minnesota Get Together for nearly a month? Talk about a guy who deserves some combat pay. And probably some counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder after he gets back to LA.
Saturday actually went pretty well. I rolled in at around 11:30am, we cranked out three hours of radio with the help of Mike Nelson and Hugh, enjoyed a couple of post-show beverages, and even managed to catch Al Franken's stump speech at the DFL booth. Have I described just how awful it was? Uninspiring, unfunny, and unprepared. As Saint Paul noted, "I did more prep work for today's show than Franken did for his speech." Now that's saying something.
Before Franken was introduced, Matt Entenza (House DFL minority leader) called Franken and Mike Erlandson (State DFL Chairman) the "twin towers of the Democratic Party in Minnesota". Besides being a bit inappropriate, the remark demonstrates the sorry state of the DFL today. If Franken is one of your towers, you've got a lot of rebuilding to do. And if anyone thinks that this putz can stand on the same stage as Norm Coleman and not get his head handed to him, they're delusional. When it comes to Al Franken running for the Senate, I say, "Bring him on."
Sunday was tougher.
She headed home for a shower while I wandered around the Fairgrounds before finally arriving at The Patriot broadcast booth. The booth itself is very small and is surrounded by a facade intended to give the impression of a mansion. We like to refer to it as The Plantation. There's even a white picket fence for leftists to sneer at and dismiss the suburban conformity of it all. The fence also affords a modicum of protection from the crowd passing directly in front of us, although I would prefer it to be a bit higher with more concertino wire.
At 9:30am Saint Paul and I joined David Strom on the Taxpayer's League show. Chumley grabbed a seat and jammed with us as well. I don't know if it was the time of day, the fact that we were all pretty exhausted, or just the right chemistry, but it was probably the most laid-back, relaxed hour and a half of radio that I've ever done. I had to nudge Saint Paul once in a while to make sure he was still awake.
After an hour break while Rabuse on the Right was airing, we were back at 'er at noon. Three more hours of State Fair radio, with all its twists and turns. The highlights were probably an agitated Kerry supporter trying to debate King on the state of the economy (a bit like me trying to wrestle Brock Lesnar) and Saint Paul's gut-busting riffing on the parade that passed directly in front of our booth. I'll never be able to watch the University of Minnesota's marching band in the same way again. Especially the tuba players.
Sunday also featured an appearance by The Northern Alliance Gospel Chorus (with help from The Man From Silver Mountain) as we faced off in a musical competition against Marcoux Corner, a very talented a cappella quartet. They sang "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", we sang the National Anthem. It was a close call, but I believe the audience found their performance slightly more enjoyable than ours. We'll get 'em next time.
By the time the show wound down, I was fried. Four and half hours of live radio at The Fair is not easy, even if you do have a large cast of players. We laughed, we cried. We lived, we died (on the air). Mostly we learned. Learned how difficult it can be to do a show from The Fair. Which leads to my Top Ten List of Challenges in Broadcasting Live Radio From The Minnesota State Fair:
10. Trying to find the time to sprint to the nearest bathroom and make it back before the end of the break.
9. Trying to schedule and bring on the air the various guests, food vendors, animals, and musical acts in some semblance of coordination.
8. Trying to find a decent cup of coffee at The Fair. With the notable exception of Moonbeam, The Fair is sorely lacking places to procure quality java. There's hundreds of variety of fried food. Why can't there be a couple of coffee chains like Starbucks, Caribou, or Dunn Brothers?
7. Trying to use your laptop on your LAP. Having a WiFi connection out there is great, but broadcasting in the "front yard" on lawn chairs makes it tough to surf.
6. Trying to find two minutes to catch your breathe and gather your thoughts amidst the hustle and bustle. When you're in a studio, you have a chance to regroup during commercial breaks and think about the next segment. At The Fair, you're constantly being approached by people who want to chat or ask questions. Mind you, I'm not complaining. It's great that folks stop by to say hi, but it does make it difficult.
5. Trying to answer the oft-asked question, "Who are you and why are you on the air?"
4. Trying to use a remote mike with a marching band blaring away in all their glory two feet behind you.
3. Trying to concentrate on what you're saying as people strolling by stare at you as if they've just seen a three-balled tomcat (I can say that here).
2. Trying not to make fun of said people on the air as you observe them strolling by.
And the number one Challenge In Broadcasting Live Radio From The Minnesota State Fair is...
1. Trying to ignore the siren song of the nearby beer garden with its neon Summit signs and their glow of electric beer. Mmmm...electric beer.
And now all this can be yours. Well sorta. This Saturday we'll be having our second gathering of Minnesota bloggers. Last time around we met at Keegan's Irish Pub and a good time was had by all. This time we will be meeting at The State Fair. Specifically in the International Bazaar Beer Garden at 3:30pm. And if you've been dreaming about going on the air to plug your blog to our vast NARN audience, you'll get your chance. If you show up between 2:30pm and 3pm, we'll put you on the air. Come on down. Meet your fellow bloggers, toss back a coupla cold ones, and realize your radio dreams.
A Little Birdie Told Me...
That Hugh Hewitt will be appearing on the Al Franken show at 2:00pm EST today. Okay, it was Atomizer, not a little birdie. Why he was listening to Air America in the first place is a question that he will have to be answer later, and his respone will almost certainly result in extra helpings of ridicule and scorn.
Yesterday McAuliffe, today Franken? Hugh really is earning his pay of late. You can tune in to the show via this Air America Radio stream. (Be patient-it may take a while to load.)
Yesterday McAuliffe, today Franken? Hugh really is earning his pay of late. You can tune in to the show via this Air America Radio stream. (Be patient-it may take a while to load.)
GOP Down With OPP
Funny, no mention of bloggers in this row:
Aside from the guy who held a lollipop up to a dancer's breast and sucked on it, the Republicans were generally well-behaved tonight.
Now, at a strip club being well-behaved entails heavy drinking and consistent lap dances. One group of three men who confessed to being in town for the convention bought at least $400 worth of lap dances, which breaks down to a little over five dances each. They were equal opportunity employers, sampling every race and body type, giving the dancers--many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants--the very shot at fortune Arnold spoke of in his speech. But as one man told me around 2 a.m. that he had been drinking for eight hours straight, it's quite possible they missed the speech.
I'm disappointed that we haven't been getting any crack reporting that seeks to expose the naked truth and get to the bottom of the matter, as this blog does, from Hindrocket and Captain Ed so far. At the 2008 RNC, I think the Northern Alliance will have to send a duo with a better nose for uncovering such news: Saint Paul and The Big Trunk.
Aside from the guy who held a lollipop up to a dancer's breast and sucked on it, the Republicans were generally well-behaved tonight.
Now, at a strip club being well-behaved entails heavy drinking and consistent lap dances. One group of three men who confessed to being in town for the convention bought at least $400 worth of lap dances, which breaks down to a little over five dances each. They were equal opportunity employers, sampling every race and body type, giving the dancers--many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants--the very shot at fortune Arnold spoke of in his speech. But as one man told me around 2 a.m. that he had been drinking for eight hours straight, it's quite possible they missed the speech.
I'm disappointed that we haven't been getting any crack reporting that seeks to expose the naked truth and get to the bottom of the matter, as this blog does, from Hindrocket and Captain Ed so far. At the 2008 RNC, I think the Northern Alliance will have to send a duo with a better nose for uncovering such news: Saint Paul and The Big Trunk.
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