BAD TELEVISION FOR PRESIDENT

A few hours ago this interface was not working. Now it is. Thank you to whoever makes such adjustments.

I can't listen to the news without hearing some kind of comment about the so-called debate that happened on tv last Wednesday. I listened to about 5 minutes and turned it off. Obama was stammering and stuttering like it was his first time on tv and Romney, coached by Karl Rove strategies, played Reagan, sometimes even using Reagan's voice where he could. Romney wasn't saying anything, but gave the appearance of meaning by suspension of disbelief using references to Reagan's flippant attitude toward Carter. Though Reagan never said anything worth hearing, his "Where's the beef?" statement stole the show with a predictable theatrical device. He shot that educated liberal right down with the ignorance trump card. I'd been wondering what Karl Rove had up his sleeve with only a month left of the countdown. These things I know: Karl Rove does not lose; Karl Rove has no bottom to how low he's willing to go.

I felt for Curious George playing President, the man who lives every minute of his life in the cross-hairs of assassins. I know it's not right, but every time I see him, I see Curious George, the children's book. It is such a likeness I wonder if it had something to do with all the white middle-class twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings carried away in his run for presidency. They knew Curious George like I knew Howdy Doody. Would I be carried away like that if Ted Koppell were to run for president? I don't think so. Curious George was as familiar to them as Reagan was to Death Valley Days viewers in the Fifties, and movies I never wanted to see. He was down there with Burt Reynolds, Charlton Heston and Victor Mature. If a movie had him in it, that told me it was not worth the time it would take to watch it, and certainly not worth the ticket price, whatever it was, even a free pass.

I felt for Obama's experience with coached ignorance that night like I felt for Carter up against coached ignorance on international tv and radio. A tight-rope to walk. In the short time I heard Obama talking, I was ashamed of him, though not entirely. He knew he was up against Karl Rove. He knows Rove's strategic mind, has studied it. I could hear Rove laughing at Obama in my mind. I had to turn it off. Rove stumped him good. So far, Obama has countered Republicans by exposing the lies with facts. He'd do well to forget that strategy. Rove is coming at him stepping around Obama's reminder of lies. Yeah it's a lie, so what. He'll pull something else next time. These "debates" are already confessed to be about style only. Obama attempted to insert substance, but was shouted down by ignorance. That's what I hear when the news plays excerpts from the exchange. Why so curious? OK, so you got facts--nobody cares. Romney sounded to me like Faulkner's line, full of sound and fury signifying nothing. That's all I hear when he talks. I see now that Rove is using the "debates" for the home stretch strategy, go into the last turn high and swing low like a slingshot. It's all or nothing from here on. Obama better listen to Samuel L Jackson.


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