GMU Political Journalism

Birthers...Get over it!!

2010-12-10T09:57:00.009-05:00

No American president's origins have ever been questioned like President Obama's. I have trouble understanding why some people are obsessed with the birthplace of the president who was democratically elected.

Even after two years in the White House, many Americans are still trying to prove that their President is somehow a faker who was not born in the U.S. and therefore should not hold the highest office in the country!

The latest voice of the so-called birthers, is Baltimore Orioles' player Luke Scott who told Yahoo Sports that President Obama "does not represent America, nor does he represent anything what our forefathers stood for."

He also said "he was not born here... That's my belief... The man has dodged everything. He dodges questions, he does not answer anything. And why is that? Because he's hiding something. You know what people who are deceivers or are not of honor and integrity- that's how they act."

I don't see why the bithers want President Obama to put everything on hold and answer the nonsense question, that official documents have already answered. There are so many important issues the president has to take care of and his birthplace does not have to be one of them.

The president does not and should not waste his time to satisfy the obsession of the birthers, just like he should ignore questions about his "secret faith," which no one has looked into better than Keith Olbermann in his special investigation.

Meet the New Boss(es)...

2010-12-06T13:21:00.015-05:00

An article in today's Washington Post brings to mind an interesting topic that has come up in several discussions over the course of the Fall 2010 semester: Just what is this change we've been hearing so much about? What HAS changed?

As we've discussed, the 2010 elections reflected growing discontent with President Obama and the Democratic Party, as the American public continues to struggle with everything from high unemployment to mass property repossessions and outrageous gas prices.

Voters cited these economic issues, among others, as failures on the part of the Obama administration to deliver on his promise of "Change We Can Believe In."

In November 2008, the month that Senator Obama defeated John McCain in the national election by 192 electoral votes, the national unemployment rate stood at 6.9%, the highest rate of the decade, according to the United States Department of Labor.

The nation collectively booted the Republican party to the curb in this election and welcomed not only America's first African-American president, but a young, charismatic Senator who personified the idea of progression.

In November 2010, however, the national unemployment rate stood at 9.8%, having reached a high, during that span, of 10.1%.

Americans felt slighted. While some changes were made, including the much-criticized health care bill, the nation continued its downward spiral, with little "hope" left to cling to. Voters expressed their discontent by electing several fresh new faces from the GOP and the upstart Tea Party Movement.

But what "good" change can we expect from this latest about-face? More Americans are out of work, out of their homes, and seemingly out of hope. They're willing to embrace change, which would include a drastic reduction in the national debt which stands, as of the moment of this writing, at $13,857,074,872,764.

But their newest elected leaders? It would seem that once they reach positions of power, they're quite content carrying on "business as usual."

The article in today's Washington Post focuses on the participation of the incoming GOP freshmen in big-money fundraisers, in what is described as an effort to recover the accrued debt that is customary in a high-level political campaign.

Who are these contributors, you may ask? The same K Street lobbyists that were deemed despicable and unacceptable by these same first-time legislators as recently as one month ago.

With millions of dollars in debt needing to be re-cooped, and citizen-contributors hanging on to what little they have left, the only dollars left to be donated are the same that -- according to the GOP -- got the country in such big trouble in the first place.

Same as the old boss, indeed.

Sports is all Political

2010-12-03T17:44:00.005-05:00

Over the last few months, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), has been looking around the world for countries that could host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

Fox Sports even ran a convincing article on the USA 2022 bid, showing how hard it would be to vote against it.

George Mason University was one location looked at as a possible practice facility if the United States won the 2022 bid. The university's student media newspaper, Broadside, ran an article about it that can be seen here.

While England appeared to be a frontrunner, with the United States close behind for 2022, FIFA announced that Russia would host the 2018 Cup and Qatar would host the 2022 Cup:

While the announcement of Russia was a bit surprising, listen to the audience reaction and the reaction of the BBC commentator when Qatar was announced.

With the western world shunned by the committee, western countries have cried out that something is wrong with the governing body itself.

BBC Sport showed concern with the fact that England, Australia and the United States received a total of six votes between them in the first round even though they appeared to have the strongest bids. England was eliminated in the first round of 2018 bidding, Australia was eliminated in the first round of 2022 bidding, and the United States fell to Qatar in the final, fourth round of 2022 bidding.

England's 2018 bid chief executive has even called for the country to stop bidding until the process is reformed.

In a sporting event that brings the citizens of a country together and boosts nationality worldwide, the voting and bidding is taken as seriously as economic summits, like the one held in South Korea and executive elections.

Reform of the process might come, but it will definitely not come before Qatar, the smallest country to ever win a bid, works the bid in 2022.

Even Bill Clinton could not convince the voters. But he has some thoughts on why his country lost. Maybe Qatar really did give FIFA a way to say "here’s a good non-terrorist, non-bigoted way of embracing the modernization attempt of the Middle East," so he thinks.

But do we really have to go through the new TSA screening process in 2022 just to see a soccer game or two?

Healthy Food for Kids... Government Takeover

2010-12-01T13:38:00.006-05:00

Ever since she was introduced to the nation Sarah Palin has been obsessed with attention that she sure gets. Whether through her fiery slogans, racist comments, or weird behaviors such us writing a cheat sheet on her palm and coining new words just like Shakespeare, the annoying Palin is not going away anytime soon!

One of the latest claims of the half-term governor, is another accusation to the socialist government of President Barack Obama but more specifically the anti obesity campaign that First Lady Michelle Obama has launched.

Palin said during an interview on the show Laura Ingraham that the government should stay "out of our backs" and should not dictate what we should feed our kids calling the "Let's Move" campaign a government "takeover."

I do not understand the self proclaimed grizzly mom's opposition, especially that she is only good at attacking and not giving concrete alternatives that can actually be applied. One more time, she does not even seem to know what she is talking about and it is scary that a lot of people still listen to her and admire her!

There is nothing wrong with encouraging parents and children, schools and food companies to feed healthy foods. This would only help their well being and nation as well.

A report published recently predicted that 50 percent of Americans will have diabetes by 2020 and will cost the U.S. health care system $3.35 trillion if the current trends are not changed.

Photo credit: White House

Forced to Adapt

2010-11-30T10:44:00.003-05:00

In an interview with students participating in a distance learning class between the University of Denver and George Mason University, with the help of C-SPAN, Ken Auletta, author of “Googled: The End of the World As We Know It,” made a crucial statement.

“Many newspapers are being destroyed by the Internet,” he said. “Will that kind of journalism drown or will it figure out a way to ride the wave? Jury’s out.”

But print media is doing its best to keep up with technology, from a variety of places.

The Washington Post is perhaps one of the most respected news establishments to embrace the iPad culture. Here is a video of how they are working with it, featuring Ben Bradlee, Watergate scandal investigative reporter Bob Woodward and sportswriter Michael Wilbon:

Even the Sweedish media group Bonnier has launched News+ as a way to get readers included in a real-time news stream:

But news groups are not the only people making the most out of this technology wave as a way to reach new clientele. Popular Mechanics has recently released its own app as well. Here is a video of their Editor-In-Chief demonstrating his new iPad app:

Tea Party Influence in 2010 and beyond

2010-11-26T17:04:00.003-05:00

In recent classes, we've been discussing the influence of the Tea Party in 2010.

Many pundits, as well as members our class were very curious to see how well the Tea Party would perform in the elections. The results? Mixed. Below are some of the losses of key races for the Tea Party:

Nevada: Sharon Angle lost to Harry Reid
Delaware: Christine O'Donnell lost to Chris Coons
Colorado: Ken Buck lost to Michael Bennet
Alaska: Joe Miller lost to Lisa Murkowski
West Virginia: John Raese lost to Joe Manchin

Despite these losses, the Tea Party did have some success on the election night. Below is a list:

Kentucky: Rand Paul defeats Jack Conway
Florida: Marco Rubio defeats Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek
Pennsylvania: Pat Toomey defeats Joe Sestak

Despite these wins, you can argue that Kentucky, Florida, and Pennsylvania were winnable for Republicans anyways.

With all this in mind, let's look at how Sarah Palin's endorsements went. In 2010, she made 64 endorsements total, with the majority of those endorsements going to Tea Party candidates. Of her 64 endorsements, 20 candidates lost and 33 won. While her endorsement seemed to help Senate and Gubernatorial candidates, it was less effective on the Congressional level.

In the 32 endorsements that she made for the U.S. House of Representatives, 19 candidates lost, and 13 won. For a more in-dept analysis of Sarah Palin's contribution to 2010 politics, click here.

It remains to be seen what will happen with the Tea Party. Several Republican winners, including two in Virginia, have announced that they will not join the Tea Party caucus, even after winning with Tea Party support.

With a platform of less spending and less government, it will be interesting to see how the Tea Party can govern and work with a Democratic Executive Branch. Will we have two years of the parties working together, or two years of road blocks?

Also - what about the Tea Party influence in 2012? It is very obvious that Palin is still very popular among the more conservative wing of the GOP. With mixed results for the Tea Party in 2010, I'd say its hard to predict what will become of the Tea Party and Sarah Palin in 2012.

Shear speaks to the GMU Political Journalism class

2010-11-24T22:47:00.004-05:00

The New York Times Caucus Blog columnist Michael Shear spoke on Nov. 18 to college students about his career, as well as his involvement with reporting on recent presidential elections.

Shear was one of the reporters who traveled with 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

One thing that surprised Shear while riding with McCain on the Straight Talk Express bus was that the candidate was very open and accessible to reporters.

Shear illustrated his point by saying that he has over 200 hours of audio interviews with the candidate, and that such access to a high-profile presidential nominee, as a reporter, was rare.

“You’ll [usually] see other candidates every few weeks,” Shear said.

Students were also very interested in speaking about McCain's 2008 running mate, Sarah Palin.

Shear was asked if he thought Palin’s new TLC reality show “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” was appropriate.

“I think the reality TV show thing [for Palin] fits perfectly in today’s political climate,” Shear said.

Some students expressed concern that Palin’s reality TV show could jeopardize her chances of running for president in the future.

Shear felt that Palin’s approach with her television show could be appealing to potential voters.

“We are past the notion of what is, and isn’t, presidential,” Shear said.

Shear likened Palin’s television show to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movie career. He said that voters today are open to new ways of seeing potential candidates than they were in previous election cycles.

“We are in a culture where [reality TV shows] doesn’t bother [voters,]” Shear said.

Photo credit: The Huffington Post

Tension Rising After North Korea Attacks

2010-11-24T14:49:00.002-05:00

As uncertainty and tension quickly rise in the wake of Tuesday's attack on South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, U.S. warships have been sent to the region as a show of solidarity with the nation, as well as a strong force against North Korean armed forces and their leader Kim Jong-Il.

"It is a long-planned exercise," said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"That said, it is meant to send a very strong signal of deterrence and also work with our very close allies in South Korea," Mullen said on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS."

North Korea has been viewed by U.S. officials as an area of concern for most of the past decade due to their public push to proliferate a nuclear weapons program, which drew much ire in 2007 after the communist nation tested several nuclear devices, including five short-range missiles which were launched by the North into the sea off its eastern coast, in violation of U.N. resolutions.

Those tests pushed South Korea to join the Proliferation Security Initiative, a global effort that aims to stop trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern.

Created by President George W. Bush in 2003, the Initiative includes more than 90 countries that agreed to interdict suspicious cargo ships.

The day after South Korea's decision to join, North Korea claimed that the South had nullified the agreement they had made in 1953 -- the armistice that ended the Korean War by barring either nation from imposing a naval blockade -- by joining the anti-proliferation effort.

The North also said it would not respect the legal status of five islands on the South's side of the line, which may have included Yeonpyeong.

Over the past 18 months, however, a push has been made by North Korean officials for more diplomacy with South Korea and the U.S.

Having been rebuffed in those efforts, Tuesday's attacks could be viewed as an effort by North Korea to show what consequences its southern counterparts -- and their allies -- could face if they are ignored much longer.

Ron Paul Debates TSA Screenings - CNN 11/19/10

2010-11-24T13:48:00.001-05:00

The TSA and ridiculous security measures

CNN's John King moderated a panel with Representative Ron Paul of Texas and CNN contributor and former Bush Homeland Security Adviser Fran Towsend about the controversial security procedures of the Transportation Security Administration.

Paul's responses seem to be more in-sync with the sentiments of most Americans Whereas, Towsend responses were more measured. She said the government needs to do a better job of explaining why these procedures are necessary.

I agreed with most of Paul's points. So, the proceeding paragraphs will focus more on his remarks.

Congressman Paul has proposed, "The American Travelers Dignity Act," in response to the TSA's new invasive security procedures at our nation's airports.

Paul rightly asserts the government has no business trampling on the rights of its citizens in order to make them feel safe. King asks Congressmen Paul what if they take away these security measures and we have another terrorist attack?

Paul responded by saying that the airline would do a much better than the government at ensuring safety.

The problem is that even if airports opted-out of the TSA, these private companies would still be obligated to adhere to these same procedures.

So, the only option is to do away with these "cattle-prodding" procedures.

Paul passionately railed against the notion that once a person buys a ticket they are obligated to surrender their rights..

Paul said there is no such thing as perfect safety and that the government's main obligation is to protect our rights not to ensure our safety.

Paul believes that everyone in Congress and in the White House including cabinet members should be forced to undergo these security procedures. So, they can understand why the America people are so upset.

Paul, however, then goes and attacks our foreign policy and blames that for making more terrorists. Up until that point I agreed with everything he said. But, to blame the U.S for inciting terrorism simply isn't true.

2010-11-24T13:27:00.001-05:00

2010-11-23T20:22:00.005-05:00

Republican statwide elections and redistricting

2010-11-23T13:50:00.003-05:00

An article written by ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/republicans-historic-win-state-legislatures-vote-2010-election/story?id=12049040&page=2 discusses how Republican victories in state elections will effect how districts are drawn.

The recent historic gains by Republicans in the House of Representatives overshadowed what the G.O.P did in state elections throughout the country.

• Republicans took control of at least 19 Democrat-controlled state legislatures
• Republicans gained a total of 650 seats in state legislatures

Why is this important one may ask?

Well, because 44 states will be up for redistricting which could effect the 2012
election. Usually, the majority party has significant input in how districts will be drawn.

This bodes well for the eventual Republican nominee because the G.O.P won key gubernatorial races in several battleground states

• Michigan
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania

This is key because recent presidential elections have come down to one state. In 2000, it was Florida and in 2004 it was Ohio.

This can be helpful but it doesn't mean it's a shoe-in for Republicans. A number of factors including the economy will determine who wins the White House.

If unemployment stays at 9.6 percent, then no matter who the Republican nominee is they will probably win. However, if the unemployment rate drops, then President Obama will win a second erm.

Norm Solomon on Glenn Beck

2010-11-22T08:47:00.003-05:00

One of the things I respect most about recent guest Norm Solomon is that he is critical not just of Republicans but of Democrats as well. He was able to recognize the flaws of both sides and I think that ultimately made his points seem more credible.

This video of Solomon appearing on Glenn Beck's show demonstrates his unique ability to see both sides of an issue. At about three minutes in he criticizes CNN and things turn ugly.

Solomon talks about the issue of "corporate reporting" or the idea that the stories a particular news network covers (or decides not to cover) are often dictated by the companies that own that network.

The angrier an opinion makes Glenn Beck, the more likely I am to agree with it.

Twitter and Political Campaigns

2010-11-22T08:31:00.004-05:00

Last week, Mike Shear of the “New York Times Caucus Blog” talked to us about a variety of topics including the midterm elections, the impact of blogs (such as this one) on politics and Sarah Palin’s reality show. One point that really stuck with me was a comment Shear made about politicians’ use of Twitter and their incorporation of this particular new technology into their campaigns.

This is such a clear shift in the way politicians get their message out to the people. In a sense, this could be seen as an example of the “micro-targeting” that Amy Gershkoff discussed at the beginning of the semester. Twitter allows candidates to directly communicate with people who want to receive their messages. It allows candidates to say things without having to go through a media that is increasingly obsessed with short sound bites.

A great article further investigating the impacts of social media on political campaigns can be found here.

The ultimate effectiveness of Twitter on the political process will remain to be seen over the next few elections, but for now appears to be on the rise. For a quick laugh check out Sarah Palin’s Twitter here.

Third Party candidates in the United States

2010-11-20T15:33:00.001-05:00

While since grade school we have been taught that America is governed by a two-party system, it appears that in recent years third-party candidates are on the rise. The election of Independent Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island, as well as the third party candidacies of Tom Tancredo in Colorado and Charlie Crist in Florida bring into question the real influence of third party candidates.

The last time that there was a viable third party candidate nationwide was in 1992. Since then, third parties have had their ups and downs, mainly representing either the far right or far left.

However, I recently saw one interesting exchange by a third party candidate at a New York gubernatorial debate. Let's watch.

The gentleman in that video is Jimmy McMillian, the founder of the Rent is Too Damn HighParty. Upon reviewing his website one will see that rent controls are his only issue.

During his 2010 election, he received 40,900 votes (1% of the popular vote).

He's not the only one issue candidate in U.S. history. The Alaskan Independence Party advocates for Alaska to become an independent country.

While the above video above did provide us some entertainment, the question arises, how productive are third party candidates? They can be a major source of frustration for mainstream party candidates. For example, let's look at the 2008 Presidential elections in North Carolina.

Barack Obama: 2,142,651 (49.7%)

John McCain: 2,128,474 (49.38%)

Bob Barr: 25,722 (.6%)

As you can see, its plausible to think that John McCain might have won the state if Bob Barr wasn't on the ballot.

Looking at the Connolly-Fimian race, let's see how well third party candidates did.

Keith Fimian: 110,739 (48.22%)

Gerry Connolly: 111, 720 (49.22%)

Total Third Party Candidate vote: 4,492 (1.99%)

Clearly, third party candidates have some work to do on the local level.

It remains to be see what influence Third Party candidates can have in future elections. The biggest "Elephant in the Room" is what will happen with the Tea Party and their influence in American politics.

An outsider's perspective

2010-11-17T23:01:00.003-05:00

A Taiwanese perspective on the 2010 American midterm elections, back when Christine O'Donnell was rising in popularity. It's in a foreign language, yes. But you don't need subtitles to really understand what's going on in the video.

The video is, in my view, a surprisingly accurate depiction of that particular phase of American electoral history. I guess the accuracy has to do with the fact that the video is made from an outsider's perspective, and thus, have a more objective perspective on things.

Here's another funny one. This one involves the recent TSA shenanigans:

Murkowski write-in campaign successful

2010-11-17T18:37:00.008-05:00

Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has succeeded in keeping her Senate seat after a long and arduous battle against Republican Joe Miller in the 2010 midterm election.

The Associated Press said today that Murkowski has retained her position in the U.S. Senate.

This announcement was delayed due to write-in errors and misspellings that were discovered during a vote recount.

Even with this concern, CNN has been reporting for the past week that Murkowski had a 10,000 vote lead over Miller, with 89 percent of precincts reporting.

Murkowski lost the Alaska Republican Senate primary in August to Tea Party-backed Miller. This move caused Murkowski to start a write-in campaign on Sept. 17, running as an Independent.

Write-in campaigns historically do not result in an election victory, but Murkowski’s victory is not the first in the U.S. Senate.

Strom Thurmond (D-S.C.) was elected to the Senate via a write-in campaign in 1954.

From the majority to the minority

2010-11-17T17:56:00.009-05:00

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives announced today that current Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, will become the minority leader in the 112th Congress.

The Washington Post reports that Pelosi was elected minority leader with a secret vote of 150 to 43, and that she had one competitor for the position: Heath Shuler (D-N.C.)

Pelosi announced shortly before the midterm elections that she would seek to run for minority leader, and that she will still campaign strong for Democrats, if elected.

"We have no intention of allowing our great achievements to be rolled back. It is my hope that we can work in a bipartisan way to create jobs and strengthen the middle class,” Pelosi said in a statement released before she was elected as minority leader.

Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm election. As of Nov. 17, the Republicans gained 64 seats, and a sizable majority in the House.

The Democrats managed to keep hold of the Senate, with a six-seat lead.

Current House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) will succeed Pelosi as House majority leader next year when the 112th Congress reconvenes.

Image credit: U.S. House of Representatives.

Polling

2010-11-08T22:20:00.003-05:00

Daily tracking polls can essentially make or break elections, according to Jay Campbell, vice president of Hart Research.
“A daily tracking poll asks a handful of questions every day,” Campbell says. “These polls are important towards the end of election season because opinions can change dramatically.”
Bill Mcinturff, director of Public Opinion Strategies, was also a lead pollster for presidential candidate John McCain during his 2008 election. He believes that everyone should have an equal opportunity to be represented in these polls and with this technology advancing; there are new ways to poll.
“I don’t even know what is in store for 2012,” Mcinturff says.
Mcinturff joined students participating from the George Mason University Video Studio, along with Steve Scully, the political editor for the C-SPAN networks and students from the University of Denver.
Both Mcinturff and Campbell work for polling firms.
According to Mcinturff, there are many questions one should ask when conducting a poll.
“We should ask – what do we want people to look at? What is driving this midterm election? How does this election cycle compare with past cycles?” Mcinturff says.
Polling can be confusing to many, including Mason students.
“I don’t understand it. It’s gibberish to me,” says Pras Gustanto, a junior biology major.

Midterms- more of the same?

2010-11-06T16:35:00.018-04:00

We came, we rallied, we voted, we cried and we fought. And in the end when the smoke cleared, some Democrats and Republicans were left to cry and fight some more.

The Republicans enjoyed sweeping gains across the United States.
They captured the House with a majority of more than 60 and just missed out on taking control of the Senate.
Republicans also took a majority of the 37 governorships, and gained control of 19 state legislatures.

The rest of us, however, are left asking the million dollar question: What now?

Will President Obama cut taxes for the wealthy, a position he has openly opposed? Can Republicans reduce the deficit? How will the Democrats run a deeply divided Senate? And how will the Republicans manage their new House majority, which includes the small-government Tea Party faction? Will the Republicans be successful if they repeal Obama's healthcare bill?

At a White House press conference, after the midterm elections, President Obama acknowledged the losses suffered by the Democrats.

He also acknowledged the growing frustration with the American public towards government, the unemployment rate and the economy.

Despite major losses for the Democrats, President Obama spoke hopefully about future collaborations and compromises with the Republican Party.

So, keeping my fingers crossed and faith alive, I ask my million dollar question: Can we all just get along and work together?

Attack ads, circa 1800

2010-11-02T13:43:00.001-04:00

Christine O'Donnell may be the least of our worries

2010-10-28T00:16:00.006-04:00

My reaction when I read this article.

Salon.com recently made an article that listed some rather frightening people who are currently running for office.

The article listed what Salon.com saw to be the ten most frightening congresspersons who are running for office. Here's a quick rundown of the things Salon.com found out about these candidates that almost made me want to soil my pants.

Jesse Kelly (Arizona) is a xenophobe who is endorsed by white supremacists.
Allen West (Florida) writes in a misogynistic publication.
Tom Ganley (Ohio), Brad Zaun (Iowa) and Ben Quayle (Arizona) have deep, sex-offense-related histories.
Renee Ellmers and Illario Pantano -- both of North Carolina -- are outspoken Islamophobes. The latter also murdered two unarmed prisoners while in the military.
Jeff Perry (Massachusetts) is a pedophile.
Austin Scott (Georgia) wants mandatory drug testing for Americans who receive unemployment.
Scott Desjalais (Tennessee) dry-fired a gun near his ex-wife.

Suddenly, Christine O'Donnell doesn't seem all that bad. She may be incredibly dumb. But she's no pedophile or murderer.

Oh my goodness, America...

Please don't vote any of these people into office.

By the way, all these would-be congress persons happen to be Republican. I wonder what that says about the Republican Party. The Democratic Party has its own series of rotten apples -- Joe Liebermann, Ben Nelson, Max Baucus, and their ilk can attest to that. But I haven't seen any Democrats as outspokenly and blatantly extreme as the ones on this list.

If there are, then those Democrats are doing a damn good job hiding their extremist views.

What happened to ads to support a candidate?

2010-10-20T23:10:00.000-04:00

After last week's videoconference session with Darrell West, I wondered if candidates even make ads that don't attack an opponent. Almost all the ones we viewed were not in support of a candidate but attacking another. I could pick and choose almost any election and this would hold true, but let's focus on the 2008 presidential election.

Here is a TV ad from Barack Obama:

In that ad, President Obama mocks the amount of houses John McCain owns and makes the point that he is out of touch.

Here is a TV ad from Senator John McCain:

In that ad, Sen. McCain mocks President Obama's status as a celebrity, showing images of Britney Spears in Paris Hilton.

I show these two videos, because while they are effective in their own ways, wouldn't it be better to create an ad that showed a candidate's platform? One that says what he/she will do and defend him or herself?

Here are two more videos, this one from President Obama again:

And one from Sen. McCain:

I personally think that this ad is considerably more effective--it shows what he's done and what he wants to do.

I think it's important to point out how many less views that the positive ads had compared to the ones that attack the opponent.

In my (most humble) opinion, I think ad attacks are becoming petty--they are not effective to me. Instead of focusing on what one opponent might say or do, I simply focus on what the other component hasn't done.

Is this bad for democracy?

2010-10-04T22:21:00.013-04:00

I'm sure that many know that recently a "One Nation" rally was held in Washington, D.C. To many people, this was seen as a response the recent Glenn Beck rally.

The rally featured Ed Schultz, a liberal commentator and talk-show host for MSNBC. Various labor unions and pro-gay rights groups were also present at the rally. During the rally, Schultz blamed the GOP for much of America's problems.

With projected Republican gains in Congress this year, many anticipate divided government for the next two years. While some can argue that divided government can produce some accomplishments; for example during the 1990s a Republican Congress and and Democratic President passed welfare reform and balanced the budget.

However, during divided government, the government was shut down, and Congress impeached the President. In other words, divided government can lead to backlog, partisan fighting, and no new legislation.

Polls show that Americans are increasing divided. Even though President Obama's approval rating is below 50%, the Republican Party brand isn't much better. Look at the following graphic below and see.

This raises the question: Is polarizing behavior good for a democracy? Perhaps George Washington had it right when he warned against political parities in his farewell address.

It's gotten the case where candidates don't even run on the issues anymore, they just run attacks on character, trying to pull out their side of the vote. Heck, they just have ads making statements with nothing to back up their claims. Check out this ad:

I didn't learn anything about Ben Quayle or his campaign for Congress. Did you?

Or how about this ad?

Another negative ad. That ad features Keith Fimian attacking Gerry Connolly on his record as Fairfax County Board chairman and as a congressman.

I didn't learn anything about Fimian's policies in the ad. It's just a hit piece. All it does is keep the people already voting for Fimian on board.

So what benefit does all of this do for American politics? Are Americans smart enough to do independent research on the candidates and make their own conclusions? Or are we stuck with this divisive mentality forever?

Tea Party Chairperson Speaks Out

2010-09-30T02:34:00.008-04:00

The Tea Party has been seen all over the media recently, but do we really know what they stand for? Amy Kremer, chairperson of the Tea Party Express, spoke about her group’s origins, platform, and future to college students on Sept. 23, 2010.

Kremer, a former flight attendant with no prior political history, became tired of hearing about what she felt was out of control spending by the federal government during the Bush administration. She utilized Facebook and Twitter during the 2008 presidential election to find other like-minded conservatives.

Kremer soon realized that many people shared her beliefs after organizing a handful of Tea Party demonstrations through Twitter. Her movement quickly spread like fire, resulting in over 30,000 people in attendance at over 50 rallies nationwide.

With a highly-contested midterm election looming on the horizon, Kremer made it clear that the Tea party was its own group, unaffiliated with any established political party.

“We are not here to send Republicans to Washington,” Kremer said, adding “We are here to send conservatives to Washington.”

She further cemented her beliefs by claiming that many Republicans, including former Alaskan governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, did not represent the Tea party movement.

Kremer joined students participating from the George Mason University Video Studio along with Steve Scully, the political editor for the C-SPAN networks, and students from the University of Denver. Many students were concerned with Kremer’s stance on various issues facing the nation. Kremer stated that the Tea Party did not touch on social issues, and that they only focus on fiscal issues like tax reduction.

Kremer was asked how she felt about programs like Social Security in the eyes of a fiscally conservative Tea Party representative. Kremer claimed she was not qualified to determine exactly what national spending needed to be cut since she was not an economist. She did, however, explain that governmental programs are paid with money that the government does not have, and that Americans have to ultimately foot the bill with higher taxes.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell recently said on Meet the Press that the Tea Party lacked an agenda. When asked about her opinion on Powell’s comments, Kremer decided to cite recent Tea Party successes in Delaware and elsewhere. She also claimed that inside-the-beltway politicians like Powell did not “have their pulse on America.” George Mason students felt that Kremer did not fully answer the question, so she was asked again. Kremer revealed that she disagreed with Powell, claiming that the Tea Party’s platform was fiscal responsibility, limited government and free markets.

Kremer also acknowledged that the Tea Party movement has received negative feedback from others in the media. Even with this criticism, Kremer legitimized the Tea Party movement itself is a referendum on both Democrats and Republicans.

“[The Tea party] is a direct result of [everybody] being fed up with both political parties,” Kremer said.

Kremer’s response to both Powell questions, as well as other inquiries about her views on the Tea party’s platform and beliefs, made some students question her knowledge of the inner-workings of Washington politics, including her understanding of what the Tea party needs to do to be successful.

“I think Kremer is simply a Tea party advocate and likes the idea of what they stand for, but [she] isn't too sure how they are going to accomplish [their goals],” Nikki Carnemella said. Carnemella, a Journalism student at George Mason University, likened it to a television show fan being very passionate about the program, but not knowing the actor’s names in the show, or what goes on behind the scenes.

We will soon see if the Tea party will have a big effect on the 2010 midterm elections. Christine O’Donnell is a Tea party-backed Republican senatorial candidate from Delaware. Although her recent victory in the primaries has put the spotlight on her and the Tea party, many are predicting she will not bring Kremer’s movement into the Senate.

Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer recently said on FOX News that O’Donnell has a “one in ten” chance of becoming the junior senator from Delaware.

The distance learning course, which is produced by C-SPAN, is a unique opportunity for students to interview guests via video conference. The course airs on C-SPAN 3 on Fridays at 5 p.m. and it also streams online.

Multi-media Platform: Facebook!

2010-09-25T21:16:00.004-04:00

If Facebook was a nation, it would be the third largest country in the world, according to Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Last week, Lee Rainie spoke regarding the various multi-platform tools Americans use these days. One such tool is Facebook.

The young are addicted to it; the old can’t get enough of it; and the rest of us just can’t seem to take a break from it.

"People get their news from multiple platforms on their own terms," said Rainie. "It's when they want it, how they want it."

Rainie, who also was the managing editor of the “U.S. News & World Report”, joined the students participating from the George Mason University Video Studio along with Steve Scully, the political editor for the C-SPAN networks; John Harris, editor of the “Politico”; and students from the University of Denver.

Nowadays, people organize special blackout events where they can take a break from social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter or FourSquare.

The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, will hold a week-long ban on social networking websites as well as instant messengers on its campus computers.

After the event is over, students will write a critical analysis about their experience without social media. The event is taking place as a result of a study released by comScore Inc., which indicates that web users spend more time on Facebook than Google.

This has caused some uproar throughout the country. The university has been accused of infringing upon First Amendment rights. However, many students and faculty members are up to the task.

This just shows how important social networking has been in this day and age.

It seems that almost everyone that is connected to the Internet is either updating their status on Facebook or Tweeting or showcasing their location on FourSquare.

Social media has taken over journalism as the new form of sharing information to the public. Whether it’s a court trial or a basketball game, people are Tweeting the most up-to-date details about what’s happening. It is changing news because it is much easier to become a journalist.

In a way, everyone who reports on stories online is pretty much a journalist.

Social media is becoming the new addiction. When people cannot live without using social networking sites or they start to panic when they lose their blackberries for a second, it is an addiction.

So, what's next? Will we have instant thought updates that are directly sent from our brain to the computers? Well, I don't know that but I do know that it's time for me to go update my Facebook.

The distance learning course, which is produced by C-SPAN, is a unique oppurtunity for students to interview guests via video conference. The course airs on C-SPAN3 on Fridays at 5 p.m. and also streams online (http://www.c-span.org/Distance_Learning).

Is social media a fad or revolution?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Knight-Batten Awards

2010-09-21T23:48:00.010-04:00

Media news outlets are going through major changes because of constantly expanding waves of technology.

This year, professor Steve Klein and several of his journalism students attended the Knight-Batten awards hosted by J-lab.

This ceremony honored journalists who not only learned how to adapt quickly, but also significantly changed the way audiences receive and interact with news.

Some of these notable innovators included:

Ushahidi-Hati:

A website that engaged the help of citizens all over the world to help with the Haiti recovery effort during the 2010 earthquake.
Volunteers created an up-to-date crisis map of Haiti, gathered reports and translated text messages in real time to help locate and rescue survivors.

Long Shot Magazine:

A magazine made start to finish in a 48 hour time frame.
Took the best entries they received via facebook, email and twitter.
Articles published included submissions from notable writers, local artists, photographers and even regular citizens who had something interesting to say.

Politifact:

2009 Pulitzer Prize winner
Website designed to check exactly what was promised by politicians and whether or not they kept their word.
Supplies evidence to support or compromise what politicians said they would do if elected.

If you didn't get a chance to go to the Knight-Batten symposium, Irecommend you check out some of these websites. They truly give you an idea of where media is headed and how to stay current with the new trends.

David Carr, a columnist for the New York Times, closed the ceremony with some insightful advise for college students.

He encouraged aspiring journalist to get involved, to have an edge over your peers by getting your name out there and to put your good ideas into action.

Carr concluded his speech by saying, "Potential employers are not going to care what your GPA is. They're going to care about what you've done."

Waiting until you graduate to get noticed is no longer the status quo.

Are the media liberal?

2010-09-16T12:50:00.005-04:00

Well, is it? I have always been fascinated by a documentary called The Myth of the Liberal Media, where various media scholars say that there is no evidence for a liberal media.

Here's a clip from that documentary, which sums up its thesis in a couple of minutes:

Here's a quick transcript of some of the things they say:

"The most commonly repeated theory is that the media tilts toward the left or toward the liberal end of the political spectrum. What's curious about this view is that there's almost no evidence to support it. In fact, the bulk of evidence suggests the media tend to be biased the other way. The spectrum of opinion most often represented goes from center to right, while voices from the left are generally absent."
-- Justin Lewis

‎"In the last 10 or 20 years, there's been massive research documenting the fact that the media are extraordinarily subordinated to external power. Now, when you have that power, the best technique is to ignore all of that discussion, ignore it totally and to eliminate it by the simple device of asserting the opposite. If you assert the opposite, that eliminates mountains of evidence demonstrating that what you are saying is false. That's what power means."

-- Noam Chomsky

-

From what I've gotten in Steve Farnsworth's book, it seems like his evidence contradicts what the people in this documentary say. However, one defense I've read about the documentary's claim is that their definition of "liberal" is different from general definitions of liberal.

As far as I know, popular definitions of liberal in the United States limit the definition to only center-left in the political spectrum. The documentary scholars' definitions, as far as I know, define liberal to include far-left things like anarchism, communism, socialism and the like.

I am reminded of something that Chomsky has said in the past:

"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum - even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate."
-- Noam Chomsky

-

So what do you think? Are the media liberal?

You have 10 seconds. Go!

2010-09-16T12:00:00.004-04:00

So you think you have what it takes to run for president, right? In 1988, Michael Dukakis did.

In Steve Farnsworth's book, The Nightly News Nightmare, one of the things that was discussed was the biggest mistake Dukakis made in the 1988 presidential election.

''I said in my acceptance speech at Atlanta that the 1988 election was not about ideology but about competence. I was wrong. It was about phraseology. It was about 10-second sound bites. And made-for-TV backdrops. And going negative" said Dukakis.

Dukakis' observation has continued over the past 20 years in a landscape that caters to an audience with shrinking attention spans.

For more on what Dukakis and other presidential candidates have learned, make sure to pick up a copy of Farnsworth's book, The Nightly News Nightmare.

Republicans in Congress

2009-11-22T18:52:00.000-05:00

What did Newt Gingrich say?!

2009-11-16T16:59:00.003-05:00

While our session with Newt Gingrich is still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Nov. 19 at noon.

Steve Scully shared these links of mentions from our C-SPAN session Nov. 12 with the former House Speaker:

-- http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/11/gingrich_contract_with_america.html

-- http://www.thefoxnation.com/media/2009/11/13/gingrich-contract-america-round-2

-- http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/13/gingrich-the-rncs-preparing-a-new-contract-with-america-sort-of/

-- http://trueslant.com/rickungar/2009/11/15/gingrich-readies-%E2%80%98back-to-the-future%E2%80%99-plan-for-2010-elections/

-- http://polijamblog.polijam.com/?p=10941

-- http://blog.savejersey.com/2009/11/14/gingrichsteele-plot-new-contract-with-america-for-2010.aspx?ref=rss

Jon Stewart: $2 million per word

2009-11-08T18:21:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Moment of Zen - Two Million Dollars Per Word

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

What did Bill Press and Steve Farnsworth say?!

2009-11-08T17:23:00.002-05:00

While our dual session with Bill Press and Steve Farnsworth are still fresh on your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Nov. 12 at noon.

Our guest on Thursday Nov. 12 from 3-4:15 p.m. in the GMU video studio will be Newt Gingrich.

What did Michael Wolffe say?!

2009-10-24T16:24:00.003-04:00

While our session with Michael Wolffe, author of "Renegade: The Making of a President," is still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 29 at noon.

According to the syllabus, our scheduled guest on Thursday a 3 p.m. is Joe M. Allbaugh, former campaign manager, George W. Bush for President 2000. The topic: The 2000 presidential campaign and how Bush won.

What did Amy Gershkoff say?!

2009-10-17T12:18:00.005-04:00

While our session with Amy Gershkoff, managing partner of Changing Targets Media, is still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below (see this report and story).

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 22 at noon.

Our guest on Thursday in the video studio is Michael Wolffe, author of "Renegade: The Making of a President."

Rush Limbaugh: I love to ‘yank media’s chain’

2009-10-12T17:14:00.000-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

What did Bob Kerrey say?!

2009-10-10T14:25:00.004-04:00

While our session with former Nebraska senator and governor Bob Kerrey is still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below.

You may also do a separate comment for extra credit on Peter Wallison, author of "Better Parties, Better Government: A Realistic Program for Campaign Finance Reform." You may choose Wallison's book if you'd like for your second book review, which is due in class on Nov. 5.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 15 at noon.

Please remember that your book review of Michael Wolffe's book, "Renegade: The Making of a President," is due in class Thursday Oct. 15. It should be in the form of a book review (two pages, double-spaced).

Meet the Press: The left-right divide

2009-10-04T19:00:00.001-04:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

What did James Rosen and John Dean say?!

2009-10-04T16:46:00.004-04:00

While our sessions with Fox News correspondent James Rosen and former Nixon White House counsel John Dean on Oct. 1 are still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below.

You may do a combined comment on the two sessions.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 8 at noon.

Kyl: 'I Don't Need Maternity Care.' Stabenow: 'Your Mom Probably Did'

2009-09-28T18:24:00.001-04:00

What did John Dickerson say?!

2009-09-27T08:49:00.003-04:00

While our session with CBS correspondent and Slate.com columnist John Dickerson on Thursday Sept. 24 is still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below.

You can follow John Dickerson on Twitter at jdickerson.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 1 at noon.

Steve Farnsworth on the Virginia governor's race

2009-09-20T19:01:00.000-04:00

What did Bill Burton say?!

2009-09-20T12:48:00.003-04:00

While our session with White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton on Thursday Sept. 17 is still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post your comments below.

You can follow Bill Burton's on Twitter at billburton44.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Sept. 24 at noon.

What did Matt Felling say?!

2009-09-13T19:58:00.003-04:00

While our session with Matt Felling on Thursday Sept. 10 is still fresh in your minds, this is the best time to post comment below.

Remember: This is a graded exercise worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Sept. 17 at noon.

Shatner does Palin (a poetry reading)

2009-07-29T11:03:00.000-04:00

John Hodgman at Radio & TV Correspondents' Dinner

2009-06-21T16:16:00.000-04:00

'The Entrepreneurial Age of Journalism'

2009-04-05T08:59:00.001-04:00

John Harris on the 'entrepreneurial age of journalism' from Merrill College on Vimeo.

CBS Sunday Morning: Stop the Presses

2009-03-29T20:41:00.000-04:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

President-Elect Obama addresses economic policy at GMU

2009-01-08T18:23:00.001-05:00

Return of "The West Wing"?

2009-01-06T15:35:00.001-05:00

WashPost's Dan Milbank on the 2008 campaign

2008-11-26T20:01:00.004-05:00

What did Rep. Christopher Shays say?!

2008-11-13T20:13:00.003-05:00

Everyone is responsible for a comment here on the Rep Christopher Shays video conference appearance Thursday. You can access the video conference on the C-SPAN3 site (flash presentation).

Please keep in mind that your third and final 2-page video conference story is due Thursday Nov. 20. Please check your syllabus regularly for all assignment deadlines and descriptions.

Remember: Blog commentary is a graded assignment worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Upcoming:

In-class visit with Bill Outlaw at 3 p.m. on Nov. 20. Outlaw has worked as press secretary to the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), as a press officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development and as press secretary for former Delaware Gov. Pete DuPont's 1988 presidential campaign. As a reporter, Outlaw covered foreign affairs and general assignment issues for the Washington Times. He also was a reporter and an editor for the Associated Press in North and South Carolina and at several South Carolina newspapers. Outlaw was elected a vice president of the Washington chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and received the Diamond Award in June 2001 for his professional service to the chapter. In addition, he is an adjunct instructor at George Mason University.

What did Kevin Anderson say?!

2008-11-09T10:21:00.004-05:00

Everyone is responsible for a comment here on the Kevin Anderson video conference appearance last Thursday. You can access the video conference on the C-SPAN3 site (flash presentation).

Please keep in mind that your 2-page book review or political activism report is due in class on Thursday Nov. 13. Your third and final 2-page video conference story is due Nov. 20. Please check your syllabus regularly for all assignment deadlines and descriptions.

Remember: Blog commentary is a graded assignment worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Upcoming:

Video conference with Washington Post political reporter Ann Kornblut at 3 p.m. Thursday Nov. 13. Please bring questions for Kornblut to class. We will meet in 428 Innovation Hall, as usual, at 1:30 p.m. TOPIC: What happened election day and why? What's next for the Democrats & the GOP? Kornblut has traveled extensively this year on the campaign trail and can offer her first-hand accounts on this campaign AND the role news media played in Campaign 2008.
In-class visit with Bill Outlaw at 3 p.m. on Nov. 20. Outlaw has worked as press secretary to the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), as a press officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development and as press secretary for former Delaware Gov. Pete DuPont's 1988 presidential campaign. As a reporter, Outlaw covered foreign affairs and general assignment issues for the Washington Times. He also was a reporter and an editor for the Associated Press in North and South Carolina and at several South Carolina newspapers. Outlaw was elected a vice president of the Washington chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and received the Diamond Award in June 2001 for his professional service to the chapter. In addition, he is an adjunct instructor at George Mason University.

What did Dee Dee Meyers say?!

2008-10-24T05:33:00.002-04:00

Everyone is responsible for a comment here on the Dee Dee Myers video conference appearance last Thursday.

Please keep in mind that your 2-page book review of DKG's "Team of Rivals" is due in class on Thursday Oct. 30. Please check your syllabus regularly for other assignment deadlines.

Remember: Blog commentary is a graded assignment worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Upcoming:

Steve Scully informed me after class that Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee will be unable to join us on Oct. 30 at 3 p.m. (hey, I'm disappointed, too). An update on the class will follow.
Election recap with C-SPAN Political Editor Steve Scully on Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
In-class visit with Bill Outlaw at 3 p.m. on Nov. 20. Outlaw has worked as press secretary to the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), as a press officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development and as press secretary for former Delaware Gov. Pete DuPont's 1988 presidential campaign. As a reporter, Outlaw covered foreign affairs and general assignment issues for the Washington Times. He also was a reporter and an editor for the Associated Press in North and South Carolina and at several South Carolina newspapers. Outlaw was elected a vice president of the Washington chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and received the Diamond Award in June 2001 for his professional service to the chapter. In addition, he is an adjunct instructor at George Mason University.

The latest from 'Sturday Night Live'

2008-10-24T05:30:00.001-04:00

Here's the latest from "Saturday Nigh Live": The endoresement John McCain thought he always wanted ...

SNL: Real Sarah Palin on SNL (Part 1)

2008-10-19T11:52:00.003-04:00

What did Doris Kearns Goodwin say?!

2008-10-18T06:56:00.002-04:00

Everyone is responsible for a comment here on the Doris Kearns Goodwin video conference appearance last Thursday. The C-SPAN video is available online (also here).

Please keep in mind that your 2-page book review of DKG's "Team of Rivals" is due in class on Thursday Oct. 30. Please check your syllabus regularly for other assignment deadlines.

Remember: Blog commentary is a graded assignment worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Upcoming:

Former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. in the GMU video studio on the election of Bill Clinton and the state of the current presidential race.
Former Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee on Watergate Oct. 30 at 3 p.m.
Election recap with C-SPAN Political Editor Steve Scully on Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.

What did Pat Buchanan say?!

2008-10-14T06:29:00.004-04:00

Everyone is responsible for a comment here on Pat Buchanan's video conference appearance last Thursday. My apologies for not getting this post up sooner for you. Although I have watched the C-SPAN video, I particularly look forward to your comments since I missed the class.

For extra credit (since all of you were not in class), do a separate comment on "The Politics of the Presidency" co-author Charles Pika.

Please keep in mind that your second video conference story assignment is due this Thursday, Oct. 16; you may submit a story on any of the video conferences or Professor Steve Farnsworth's class presentation on Oct. 2. You may attach your first story to the second so that I can see your improvement from the first story assignment. I am looking for growth in your writing, so this is important and benefits you. Don't forget to include at least one quote (with a solid transition and strong attribution tag) from a source other than the speaker (like a classmate).

Remember: Blog commentary is a graded assignment worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 16 at noon.

Finally, please prepare more of your excellent questions for our video conference guest on Thursday, Doris Kearns Goodwin. Although your book review of "Team of Rivals" is not due until Oct. 30 (when she was originally scheduled to join us), you should be making progress in finishing the book and be ready to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

My question: If Sen. John McCain were to join a President Barack Obama cabinet, in what position would that be? Conversely, what cabinet position might Sen. Obama fill in a President McCain administration?

What did Steve Farnsworth say?!

2008-10-04T15:56:00.002-04:00

While we wern't in the video studio on Thursday, everyone is responsible for a comment here on Professor Steve Farnsworth's class presentation. Keep in mind that your second video conference story assignment is due on Oct. 16; you may submit a story on Professor Farnsworth's presentation.

Remember: Blog commentary is a graded assignment worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 9 at noon.

What did Tavis Smiley say?!

2008-09-27T15:55:00.003-04:00

While all of you may not have been in the video studio for Tavis Smiley of PBS on Thursday, everyone is responsible for a comment here on his class presentation, which is available online on the C-SPAN site (also here). Keep in mind that your second video conference story assignment is due on Oct. 16.

Remember: This is a graded assignment worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale.

Deadline is no later than Thursday Oct. 2 at noon.

What did Tucker Carlson say?!

2008-09-18T21:12:00.002-04:00

Well, we may not have gotten in many questions with Tucker Carlson, but the ones we did get in were good ones. Make your entry on our video conference Thursday here.

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale).

Deadline is no later than Thursday Sept. 25 at noon.

What did Thom Mozloom say?!

2008-09-08T20:48:00.002-04:00

I'm a little bit ahead of the game here, but I wanted to post our discussion for Thursday's class session with Thom Mozloom of The M Network.

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale).

Deadline is no later than Thursday Sept. 18 at noon.

Our pre-video conference lecture with C-SPAN Political Editor Steve Scully and Pace University Professor Chris Malone will be Campaign 2008 and the American Presidency: An Overview.
Thom Mozloom will address Campaign ’08: Branding, Advertising and Polling.

Sitting in for me will be Professor Steve Taylor, a former ABC Radio White House correspondent.

The Eastern Media Elite

2008-09-08T18:05:00.004-04:00

So, what's it like to be part of the Eastern Media Elite?
And just how do you do the secret handshake?
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank dishes.

What did Matt Felling say?!

2008-09-03T19:53:00.002-04:00

While our session Thursday with Matt Felling is still fresh in your minds, this the best time to post your comment below.

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale).

Deadline is no later than Thursday Sept. 11 at noon.

What did you learn about grassroots politics?

2008-09-03T19:42:00.008-04:00

While our session Thursday with Frank Puelo of the Northern Virginia McCain campaign and Kyle Lierman of the Northern Virginia Obama campaign is still fresh in your minds, this the best time to post your comment below.
Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale).

Deadline is no later than Thursday Sept. 11 at noon.

Comm374-001/Political Journalism: Week #2

2008-08-30T16:36:00.005-04:00

We have an exciting class scheduled for Thursday Sept. 4.
We will meet at 1:30 p.m. SHARP in 328 Innovation Hall as usual.
We will spend the first half hour talking about interviewing technique, asking good questions (please bring the Tim Russert handout), and how to write a nut graph.
At 2 p.m., local representatives from the McCain and Obama campaigns will stop by to talk about grassroots organizing and how YOU can volunteer (for class credit).
At 3 p.m., Matt Felling will be our guest and talk about the Republican and Democratic conventions and campaigns. Since Matt will be leaving for Anchorage, Alaska, Sept. 15 to be the new CBS TV (KTVA) affiliate's anchor, he should have an interesting take on John McCain's choice for vice president, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
You are responsible for bringing at least one question for Matt Felling to class.

It is important that you get into your reading of both "The Politics of the Presidency" and "Team of Rivals."

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.
Enjoy your weekend.

REMINDER: Don't forget to join me and others from the Communication Department for the semi-annual Communication Day events on Tuesday Sept. 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Dewberry Hall of the Johnson Center. It's a great chance to network, meet professors, mix with your fellow Comm students, and learn about Student Media.

Eleanor Holmes Norton on Colbert

2008-02-14T14:54:00.002-05:00

For those of you who missed it, DC Superdelegate Eleanor Holmes Norton appeared on The Colbert Report last night. It was a hilarious interview focused on how Rep. Norton is actually the perfect combination of Democratic nominees Barrack Obama and Hilary Clinton. Colbert points out that like Obama, she is african-american, like Clinton she is a woman, like Clinton she has spent a long time in Congress, but like Obama she has absolutely no voting record to be held against her.

Hillary on "Meet the Press" Sunday

2008-01-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah, it's been quiet around here lately.
No posts for a month!
I don't know if any of my Political Journalism students have been checking the blog now that the semester is over (unlikely!), and they were my main audience.
I would like to keep the blog active, however.
And I'll start with Hillary Clinton's appearance on "Meet the Press" Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
We'll get to see if there really is a gentler, kinder Hillary. She'll be live from South Carolina for the full hour.
This campaign cycle, "Meet the Press" has interviewed the major candidates from both parties: Former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), and former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC). If you missed any of the first 12 interviews, you can watch the encore presentations or read the transcripts archived on the program's website.
You've got to admit that the program's pull is impressive.
Since Nov. 6, 1947, "Meet the Press" has featured headline-making interviews with world leaders and U.S. newsmakers every week on NBC. Now, as the longest-running show in the history of television celebrates its 60th anniversary, the program is taking a look back at those six decades of milestones with a special anniversary section of its website where you can find a slideshow of historic Meet the Press milestones, a 60th anniversary video retrospective, special interviews with longtime guests Ted Kennedy, David Broder and Robert Novak, and pictures from the 60th Anniversary Gala reception.
Finally, here's a cartoon on the media's performance predicting the New Hampshire primary.

No longer the CBS Public Eye

2007-12-17T17:30:00.000-05:00

Matt Felling, until today the editor of the CBS Public Eye blog, has been a friend of this class, a friend to George Mason University, and a friend of mine.
So this note from Matt deeply saddens me:

It’s with mixed feelings that I share the information that – effective as of mid-afternoon last Friday – I have been let go at CBSNews.com in a “restructuring” of the Interactive division. Here’s a little more on the story if you missed it (‘Restructuring’: the “downsized” of the new millennium.).

Why the mixed feelings, then? Well, to paraphrase Mark Twain, one should write while angry and disappointed, but edit with a bit of remove.

So with a weekend of simmering, I’m able to say that while I enjoyed my time as Co-Editor and then Editor of the “Public Eye” Web site – I walked in insisting I was an "online columnist" but then, months later, admitted to being a “blogger” – I now am looking forward to a new challenge and a new opportunity.

If you have any suggestions, feedback or random thoughts/musings, feel free to reach out. I look forward to hearing them.

Staci Kramer of Paid Content wrote earlier Monday morning that "CBS.com and CBSNews.com both have been hit hard by today’s layoffs. ... the site is losing roughly 30 percent of its already small staff—15-20 employees. From one company insider perturbed by the spin: 'No other old media company has scaled back their investment in online news. This is a first. That says everything you need to know about CBS Inc’s commitment to news.' ”

While I'm confident that Matt will rebound quickly -- he's too bright, too talented and too great a guy to be out of a main gig for long -- I have to wonder what's going on at the former Tiffany Network. One Matt Felling is worth a dozen Katie Couric's, something the Eye obviously couldn't see.

Don't miss this trailer

2007-12-13T18:45:00.000-05:00

I love movie trailers.
And I love classic movies with a journalism theme.
Everyone praises "All the President's Men," and I always get a kick out of a fairly recent Michael Keaton movie, "The Paper."
But Greg Mitchell alerted to me to a 56-year-old classic about what he calls "the best Hollywood movie about an evil reporter," "Ace in the Hole," starring Kirk Douglas.
Here's the trailer:

No reason for any post-class blues

2007-12-13T18:38:00.001-05:00

OK, so the semester is over. Grades are in. The class has scattered. But the blog is still here, still ready and willing to air your comments, still ready to bash the unbashful. Like Mike Huckabee, who really makes it so easy.
I hope you'll continue to check out our blog for upcoming video conference speakers, starting Jan. 10. Steve Scully should have a schedule soon.

What did Bryan Caplan say?!

2007-11-30T16:06:00.000-05:00

Last time: While our session Thursday with Bryan Caplan is still fresh in your minds, this the best time to post your comment.

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale). Deadline is Monday so that I can begin compiling your final points and grades.

"Meet the Press" on Sunday: Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), a former Secretary of the Navy and decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, is just returning from his first trip to Iraq to talk about what he saw on the ground. How is troop morale? Where do we go from here? The key member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee shares his firsthand account.

I hope you will continue to read our class blog and contribute through comments or by posting your own items.

A look back at 60 years of 'Meet the Press'

2007-11-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

Take a look back at six decades of "Meet the Press" -- at some of the biggest newsmakers and most memorable moments in the program's remarkable history.

A look back at 60 years of 'Meet the Press'

Political strategists on "Meet the Press" Sunday

2007-11-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

With less than 40 days until the Iowa caucuses, "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert will devote the full hour to in-depth insights and analysis on the presidential races from four veteran political strategists: Democrats Bob Shrum and James Carville, and Republicans Mary Matalin and Mike Murphy.

ALSO:
-- Check out Congressional Quarterly's updated political site.
-- There's plenty of video on Mark Halperin's Time magazine site, The Page.

Why Neutral Language Matters

2007-11-20T14:48:00.000-05:00

I know this isn't related to the presidential race, but it is an important point about responsible journalism in general and how the "big boys" mess up, too.

AP posted this story on Monday. And lest you think it's not a big deal, CNN and FOX carried the wire story as well.

Why is this a problem? Because by simply including the word "hooker," the AP put the murders of these four women in a class apart from every other murder. By choosing "hooker" instead of "sex worker," the currently acceptable neutral term, the AP minimized the crime.

While the commonalities between these women are significant from an investigative perspective, because they indicate a trend for law enforcement, these are not "hooker deaths." They are four murders of human beings, and all othering the victims through a headline like this does is titillate audiences into reading the story and reinforce the notion that crimes committed against sex workers are lesser offenses than the same crimes committed against anybody else. It doesn't really matter if these women liked to kick puppies in their free time; it's not the Associated Press editor's job to decide and it doesn't make a difference in the eyes of the law. Yet the coverage focuses almost entirely on prostitution, rather than the actual crimes the headline references.

Coverage of violent crimes against women often goes in this direction. Think about the last time you read about a woman who was raped versus the last time you read about a man who was stabbed. This kind of coverage effectively removes the impetus to resolve the crime, and places the blame on the victim in the minds of the audience - without ever needing to explicitly say that.

It doesn't seem like a big deal, and it's an attention-grabbing headline, but it was an irresponsible decision on the part of the editors to use this.

Journalists don't just have a responsibility to the facts, but to the lives of the people they affect when they choose to present the facts a certain way. I don't know how many of you are thinking of going into journalism, but if you do, remember that.

Katie has some fun

2007-11-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

Now why would Katie Couric make fun of anybody -- even Dan Rather?

Chuck Norris tough?

2007-11-20T08:26:00.001-05:00

Here's the dumbest political ad yet that I've seen, brought to you by Republican candidate for president Mike Huckabee.

Ron Brownstein on "Meet the Press"

2007-11-16T17:49:00.000-05:00

Ron Brownstein of the National Journal, author of the critically acclaimed new book, "The Second Civil War: How Extreme Partisanship Has Paralyzed Washington and Polarized America," will be Tim Russert's guest on "Meet the Press" Sunday.
Roundtable guests include former video conference guests Chuck Todd, Political Director of NBC News, and Byron York, the National Review's White House correspondent.

What did Karl Rove say?!

2007-11-15T19:52:00.000-05:00

While our session Thursday with Karl Rove is still fresh in your minds, this might be the best time to post your comment.
I'd also suggest that you send a thank-you note to Steve Scully and Chris Malone for all they do to make this class so interesting. That would be classy!

Catch an excerpt from the class on Time magazine Mark Halperin's The Page. Halperin, of course, was an earlier guest in our class.

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale). Deadline is start of the next class (which features GMU economist Bryan Caplan, author of "The Myth of the Rational Voter").

Don't forget: The Karl Rove interview is available online on the C-SPAN site.

Social networking 101

2007-11-12T20:05:00.000-05:00

Wondering what all this social networking stuff is all about?
You know: Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn.
Well, this short video by Lee Lefever of Commoncraft tells you what it's all about.

What did Frank Fahrenkopf say?!

2007-11-08T20:46:00.000-05:00

I found Frank Fahrenkopf and our discussion on presidential debates informative. We really owe Steve Scully our thanks for coming up with such interesting guests week after week. I'll look forward to your comments.

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale). Deadline is start of the next class (which features Karl Rove!).

Don't forget: The interview is available online on the C-SPAN site.

Karl Rove revisited

2007-11-06T18:18:00.000-05:00

Perhaps no one gets more attention from Jon Stewart on the "The Daily Show" than Karl Rove, who will be our guest in the GMU-TV video studio (455 Innovation Hall) on Thursday Nov. 15 from 3-4:15 p.m.
I was amazed to discover that Rove attended George Mason University (one of about a half dozen schools he attended without getting a degree) in the early '70s, according to a bio on Wikipedia.
Here's one of "The Daily Show's" most popular videos this year: MC Rove:

The Billion Dollar Candidate?

2007-11-06T16:19:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, this week's Newsweek has a cover story about New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg possibly entering the presidential campaign in '08.

I've talked to some of you during class about how I see Mayor Bloomberg as the ideal presidential candidate for many different reasons.

Bloomberg's political advisor says that "if" Bloomberg does run for president, it will be as an independent and that they would expect to spend $1 billion in campaign expenses (roughly 1/13 of Bloomberg's net worth).

I invite all of you to take a peak at this article if you have some time and post some of your thoughts!

How quick can you flip that story?

2007-11-01T07:06:00.000-04:00

Today in class, we'll discuss the ever-changing landscape of the media impact on the presidential campaign, particularly the quick turnover and response time to events.
Here's some background from today's Washington Post by Anne E. Kornblut and Dan Balz:

After a rare night of fumbles by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination rushed to maximize the damage yesterday, even as her advisers argued that the "piling on" engaged in by an all-male field of opponents will ultimately drive more female voters into her camp.
Clinton strategists grudgingly acknowledged that the performance in Tuesday's debate in Philadelphia was not her finest and they sought to contain the fallout. They worked to clarify her muddled response to a question about whether she supports giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants -- she backs it, they said -- and quickly produced a video, titled "The Politics of Pile-On," splicing together in rapid-fire fashion her rivals' attacks from the event.
The story continues:
Clinton advisers privately [obviously, not so privately if it's in the Post!] criticized her opponents and the debate's moderators. One strategist argued that nearly half of the questions posed by NBC's Brian Williams and Tim Russert were aimed at Clinton, with other candidates taking softball questions about Halloween costumes (Barack Obama) and unidentified flying objects (Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio).
"They really went from 'Let's talk about what I believe' to 'Let me try to do a gotcha against Hillary Clinton,' " said one Clinton adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "Ultimately, it was six guys against her, and she came off as one strong woman."

Jeff Dunham: Achmed the Dead Terrorist

2007-10-27T18:08:00.000-04:00

I'd be more concerned about the political correctness of this comedy routine video, "Achmed the Dead Terrorist," but it comes to me from my good friend Magda Abul-Fadil, director of the Journalism Training Program and Regional External Programs at the American University of Beirut.
I met Magda about two years ago in at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, where we both participated in first-ever online journalism conference in the Arab world.

What did Bill Press say?!

2007-10-25T19:53:00.000-04:00

I found Bill Press and our discussion on religion and politics refreshing. We really owe Steve Scully (and Chris Malone for his lecture) our thanks for coming up with such interesting guests week after week. I'll look forward to your comments (the photo is a Simpsonization of Press!).

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale). Deadline is start of the next class.

Don't forget: The interview is available online on the C-SPAN site.

Russert interviews Colbert

2007-10-19T17:50:00.000-04:00

Well, fantasy meets reality Sunday on "Meet the Press."
In addition to the usual suspects -- Doris Kearns Goodwin, the presidential historian; Kate O'Beirne, Washington Editor of the National Review; Sally Bedell Smith, author of "For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years;" and Judy Woodruff, Senior Correspondent of PBS's "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" -- host Tim Russert will include Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report."

According to my e-mail newsletter from "Meet the Press," "Colbert provides some much needed humor [ratings?] as he joins us in-studio to offer up his take on the issues and personalities of Decision 2008. How important is comedy in national politics? Colbert will talk about his recently declared 'candidacy' and his new book, 'I Am America (And So Can You!)'"

From 'Laugh In' to Laugh Lines

2007-10-19T16:44:00.000-04:00

Best caption: "I don't understand it. Someone said there would be chicks!"
Actual caption: Tens of thousands of people in floatable rubber duck costumes took part in the Great Singapore Duck Race for charity on Sept. 9. It was the last down the Singapore River before a reservoir project begins. (Reuters)

Who can keep up with this stuff?!
The New York Times' (yes, the New York Times) latest blog is Laugh Lines, which includes the best humor from around the Internet (big place, that Internet, so there must be a lot of funny stuff).
We all know that Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report" announced earlier this week that he is is running as a favorite son candidate in the South Carolina primary (but how many of us know that Sam Brownback -- yes, that Sam Brownback -- dropped out of the Republican presidential race?).
Colbert complained on Wednesday that he was not happy with the coverage of his announcement in the Times:

Citizen Journalism at work in the campaign

2007-10-19T16:30:00.000-04:00

Jonathan Dube reports on Cyberjournalist.net that as part of the Huffington Post's OffTheBus citizen journalism project, two dozen citizen journalists in 14 cities reported last weekend on what they saw at Barack Obama campaign events from New Hampshire to California.

Their conclusions? With less than four months to go before the "onslaught of decisive primaries and caucuses, many Democratic voters have not made up their minds."

What's important here to note here is the source of information and the nature of the interactive, participatory journalism being done outside of the mainstream.

A Vision of Students Today?

2007-10-19T16:06:00.000-04:00

This video from a Kansas State anthropology professor is supposed to speak to the state of college academics today.
I think you'd agree, however, that it hardly describes the approach that Steve Scully, Chris Malone and I are taking in this Political Journalism class.

Wake-Up Call

2007-10-19T16:04:00.000-04:00

I won't post unrelated material often on this blog, but if you have a cat (my wife and I do), you will appreciate the short video that follows:

Class update for Oct. 25: Bill Press

2007-10-19T10:55:00.000-04:00

Our scheduled guest from the C-SPAN studio at 3 p.m. is Bill Press, radio talk show host and the author of “How the Republicans Stole Religion: The Republican Party’s Declared Monopoly on Religion & What Democrats Can Do to Take It Back.”
Class begins at 1:30 p.m. in 318 Innovation Hall. We'll move upstairs to the GMU-TV studio (455 Innovation Hall) at 2 p.m. for Professor Chris Malone's lecture on chapter 4 of Stephen Wayne's “The Road to the White House 2008.” Please print out the lecture notes you received earlier this week and bring them to class.
You are responsible for reading chapter 9 for Thursday's class.

ALSO: Now available in your bookstore or (cheaper) online is “Running Alone: Presidential Leadership from JFK to Bush II -- Why It Has Failed and How We Can Fix It” (paperback) by James MacGregor Burns (272 pages, Basic Books, Oct. 8, 2007).

What did Frank Luntz say?!

2007-10-19T10:47:00.000-04:00

Like most of you, I thought Frank Luntz was just outstanding during the C-SPAN segment of our class. Luntz is the author of "Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What You Hear."

Remember: This is a graded exercise (worth one full grading point on a 100-point scale). Deadline is start of the next class.

Don't forget: The interview is available online on the C-SPAN site.

The 'History of Religion' in 90 seconds

2007-10-16T17:56:00.000-04:00

This is so absolutely cool that I have to share it with all of you.
From a site called Maps of War comes the "History of Religion" in 90 seconds:
"How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars? Our map gives us a brief history of the world's most well-known religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Selected periods of inter-religious bloodshed are also highlighted. Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go!"
My thanks to the Chronicle of Higher Education's "*footnoted from academic blogs" blog.

Class update for Oct. 18

2007-10-15T21:10:00.000-04:00

Frank Luntz, author of "Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What You Hear," will be our guest in the GMU-TV video studio (455 Innovation Hall) Thursday from 2-3 p.m.
Luntz, a pollster and focus group expert, will size up the 2008 presidential candidates.
Please bring questions for Luntz to class (graded assignment).

Class will begin at 1:30 p.m., as always, in 318 Innovation Hall.
Following Luntz's session, C-SPAN Political Editor Steve Scully will share video clips on focus groups.
Pace University political science professor Dr. Chris Malone will conclude the class with another fine lecture from the Stephen Wayne text, "The Road to the White House 2008."

Mark Halperin's latest

2007-10-15T21:05:00.000-04:00

Steve Scully points out former guest Mark Halperin's latest venture, The Page, on Time.com.
Make sure you check out "The PageCast."

The Politics of the Inane, part II

2007-10-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

Way to go, Chris.
On "Hardball" today, Chris Matthews furthered his inane pursuit of politics with this question: "Has the Shock Jock [Don Imus] suffered enough?"
It made for good theater if nothing else.
But is that what "Hardball" has become? Nothing else (but the inane)?

The Politics of the Inane (Weekly Award)

2007-10-14T07:27:00.000-04:00

If politics is the new sports, as I've said before, then it is subject to the same inane silliness that sometimes dominates the playing field.
Inane means lacking sense or substance, something that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have made a career of in regard to politics.
Stewart rendered Tucker Carlson to the dustbin of the inane for his role on CNN's "Crossfile" program when the Comedy Central star asked Carlson and co-host Paul Begala to "stop hurting America."

Of course, the "hurting" goes on, so I'm going to take advantage of this blog to begin a weekly award for advancing the Politics of the Inane.
First a note on who qualifies: I don't watch and hear everybody. I tend to favor NBC and MSNBC. I watch a lot of Chris Matthews on "Hardball," and his 5 (and 7) p.m. ET program on MSNBC is followed by Carlson's still-too-typical inanity (I find almost everything he says inane at best and rude at worst). I Like Brian Williams. I like Tim Russert. I don't watch as much CBS (never Katie), ABC and Fox as fairness would dictate.

So, for the week of Oct. 14 (I will make daily awards as inanity warrants), my first Politics of the Inane weekly award goes to Chris Matthews on his own "The Chris Matthews Show" for carrying on about Democratic presidential frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) losing her patience with a questioner in Iowa and about her "cackle" (Matthews shouldn't laugh!).

Mess with somebody's hair (John Edwards) or their lack of a lapel pin (Barack Obama) or taking a cellphone call in the middle of of speech (Rudy Giuliani) -- whatever the inaneness -- and we'll point it out on a weekly basis.

Silly idea, right? Well, that's the point!

Quiz time

2007-10-13T11:44:00.000-04:00

Have a little fun with this quiz in Saturday's New York Times by op-ed columnist Gail Collins.
Sample question:

Fred Thompson said that he is always uncomfortable when he’s in New York City because ...

"The Future of the Future of News"

2007-10-13T11:19:00.000-04:00

This is a little off-topic but worth noting.
On Wednesday night, the opening of the Online News Association conference, CBC News will be host to a special forum called "The Future of the Future of News":

What do you think the future of the news media will look like?
What could or should we be thinking about now when it comes to the future of news?
What do you think of user-submitted content?
How do you want to get your news in the future?

The panel will be streamed live from 6-7:30 p.m., according to Jonathan Dube, CBC News's director of Digital Programming and vice president of ONA.
The CBC has launched an online discussion on the future of news as well.
Panelists include Andrew Keen (author of "Cult of the Amateur"), Leonard Brody (NowPublic.com), and Rahaf Harfoush (Wikinomics). CBC Radio's Brent Bambury will moderate the discussion.
You can e-mail questions now.