h/t to Instapundit for this link to a Howard Kurtz piece addressing conservative anger, and/or the lack thereof, over comments by Joe Scarborough about Fred Thompson's wife. I'm not very angry about the comment, particularly as I care very little about anything Scarborough has to say. Frankly, the fact that he was once an elected Republican says something about the sorry state of too many of our politicians today. But more importantly, that what amounts to entertainment in the form of information - and unfortunately, that has to include large portions of talk radio, is increasingly driving political debate in this country is the real problem.
But there are a couple of things bouncing around the blogosphere that have a bit more sex appeal than 10 middle-aged white guys on a stage. They involve (deep breath here) the candidates' wives, especially Fred Thompson's wife. So let's do a little bit of counterprogramming before we dive into the debate chatter.
There are some genuinely informed media voices out there discussing politics in America today. However, I don't think they are always the most popular ones. Unfortunately, more and more, our political discussion seems driven by infotainment, than actual news and solid, worthwhile information. In my opinion, the MSM started this trend by sacrificing pure objectivity for bias and the chasing of ratings through sensationalism when news permits.
But while I'm pleased to see conservative views receiving more attention and new opportunities to be aired, I'm also disappointed to see how uninformed, if not just plain stupid, are so many of the new voices to which we are being exposed. I'm unconvinced the ultimate impact on our nation's political discourse is going to be all good.
We seem to be an increasingly less democratic country, not due to a lack of information, but due to a mostly satisfied population that would prefer to focus on what's entertaining, as opposed to what's important. And both new and old media seems prepared to feed them a steady diet of it so long as it makes a buck.
As a free market capitalist, part Libertarian, part conservative, I can't really oppose it ... but I can at least make a note.
Scarborough was on the money. Check out this floozy.
http://www.redkingpix.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio4/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Celebrities&image=042906Thompson.jpg&img=0&search=Jeri%20Kehn&cat=all&tt=&bool=phrase
But I'd take her over the current disaster with the nutty smile and kabuki makeup any day!
Posted by: macacawins | Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 03:23 PM
Ms. Thompson has Bette Davis eyes. But so what. I like the idea of looking into this rascal Scarborough's lady friends to see what's going on there. See if he finds that funny. MSTV has the habit of picking the worst men and women for anchor positions. Or is it that anchor positions attract the least qualified candidates.
Posted by: Fred Beloit | Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 03:37 PM
Say, mac, do you have any interviews lined up with CBS?
Posted by: Fred Beloit | Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 03:41 PM
What a disgusting comment, Macawins. And you're a pig.
As for the MSM in general, I've noticed a trend to yak about celebrities even on Fox. It's obviously market-driven, but I'm thinking there's more to it than that. With 24 hour cable news, the same news over and over for the cycle can be boring. I'm thinking they have to fill in with stuff that isn't as heavy as the regular news. The news is depressing, and I've quit watching because it all gripes me. I depend more on the Internet now, but I am faithful to Brit and his panel.
Posted by: Phoenix | Wednesday, June 06, 2007 at 09:00 PM
Scarborough became so bitter around the time of Katrina, I stopped watching him. What a hard guy to figure out, he wanted more federal spending on Katrina (weird). He supported Florida democrats in the early 1990's, then ran and won as a fiscal conservative republician, then quit, then became more and more negative each year. I used to think he was psycho, now I just think he's an asshole.
Posted by: tally | Thursday, June 07, 2007 at 12:25 AM
Fred's wife is an otherwise attractive young woman (who could probably use a few makeup hints) ... so what?
Fred had a divorce, and parlayed his charm and with (and undoubtedly, his personal influence) to attract a younger woman. Happens quite often in this nation... It still should have nothing to do with his ability to govern as a President.
I mean, there's "serial marriage" Rudy, and Billy-Bob Clinton was certainly not a prude about making "happy times" for his close female intern, erm, friends.
By a long stretch, Fred is clean.
Posted by: seekeronos | Thursday, June 07, 2007 at 01:52 AM
Furthermore, Fred has 1 foot in the grave. Old men with incurable diseases don't get to be president.
Posted by: macacawins | Thursday, June 07, 2007 at 02:56 PM
mac,you silly, all men, if lucky, get old and all will eventually die of an incurable (because it killed them) disease or a tragic event. Guess you will only accept female candidates, you sly dog.
Posted by: Fred Beloit | Thursday, June 07, 2007 at 04:33 PM
I wonder if Thompson's wife will be First Babe if he wins. First Voluptuary?
Posted by: Phoenix | Thursday, June 07, 2007 at 10:30 PM
Most of you sound so ill-informed its ridiculous. How dare you call her a floozy. Do you know her? If you're a man you are probably jealous of him, if you are a woman, you are probably jealous of her..
She can run circles around all of you:
"Fred Thompson married Jeri Kehn on June 29, 2002, in Naperville, Ill. She was an attorney and political media consultant at the once-powerful Washington firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, and McPherson and Hand.
Before that firm merged with DLA Piper in 2002, some of her "co-workers" were former presidential contender and U.S. Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS), the late Texas Gov. Ann Richards, the late Secretary of State Lloyd Bentsen, and Elliot Abrams, assistant secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan, to name just a few.
Prior to her tenure at Verner Liipfert, she worked for the U. S. Senate Republican Conference and the Republican National Committee.
She and her husband have a four-year-old daughter and a six-month-old son"
Posted by: Beenherebefore | Friday, June 08, 2007 at 03:36 PM
Anyone notice the absence of the media reporting on Iraq concerning our troops? I know the rags are grossly slanted and redundant but this is ridiculous. Believe me, a lot is going on but not being reported because of the Whitehouse squeeze.
Ad infinitum: kind of surprised myself, but I know a couple of U.S. Army Advisors and Trainers working with the Iraqi Army and they told me most of the [peace keepers] are dedicated to their job but are frustrated by insurgent infiltrators. Iraqi politicians also give them stop and go messages that are favorable to their constituents depending on which way the wind blows that day.
One of my Trainer friends also told me some of the Iraqi soldiers love their job and fight like our Marines. Kind of hard to envision, but I have been told the same from another source.
Semper Fi and may those Caissons keep rollin'on.
Posted by: hobo | Monday, June 11, 2007 at 02:15 AM