Parker's "Bafflement," Late Night TV, the Democratic Platform and Sid Goes on a Pilgrimage

My very favorite conservative columnist, Kathleen Parker, who writes regularly for the Washington Post, and whose columns appear occasionally on the Palm Beach Post's Op-Ed page, recently wrote a column about Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.  It is reproduced below in its entirety.  I have highlighted certain excepts, but I urge you to read the whole column.
Jack Lippman 

Kathleen Parker: Romney and Ryan need to tell the entire story

 

By Kathleen Parker, Washington Post -Aug. 29, 2012

TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have one big problem that must have Barack Obama walking on air: They're running against themselves. 

How do you win an election when you are trying to distance yourself from ... yourself? 

 Between Ryan's convention speech, in which he denounced Obama policies and maneuvers that closely resemble some of his own, to Romney's relentless humility, the Republican ticket consists of two men trying hard to be anything but who they are. 

      It is a bafflement. 

Ryan has been called out on some of his statements that were not-quite-true, or at least not complete. These were simple, factual misrepresentations that could be easily checked — and were — or that were well-known to those who know a little about recent history. 

In one instance, Ryan criticized Obama for ignoring the recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles commission. What Ryan didn't mention is that he served on the commission and that he voted against its proposals. 

There's nothing wrong with either of those facts except their omission. His criticisms would have carried more weight had he mentioned them and elaborated. What's wrong with saying, "I served on the commission and while I had problems with it and voted against it, it was the right approach. We just didn't go far enough and the president simply looked the other way." 

Or words to that effect. Instead, Ryan ignored his role in the process, essentially deleting his participation and his past. Whom does this serve? Certainly not the Romney/Ryan ticket, which risks being perceived as less than straightforward. This is crucial given a recent Gallup poll that found Obama leading Romney (48 percent to 36 percent) on the question of who is more trustworthy. 

In another example, Ryan criticized Obama's plan to cut $700 billion from the growth of Medicare. Ryan's own plan also calls for $700 billion in cuts, though with different details. Why not acknowledge this? Everyone knows it — unless Ryan believes that his audience isn't really up to speed — so why not set the record straight? 

Why not say, "Look, I want to cut $700 billion, too, but there are ways to do this without hurting people. Here's how"? Again, it's as though he wants no one to remember "that guy." Now he's this guy, the one who wants to protect Medicare and who didn't participate in the commission.  

Finally, Ryan mentioned the downgrading of American credit and blamed Obama. You can blame Obama for a lot of things, but the credit degradation was owing to a lack of confidence in the American political system. 

While Republicans love Ryan and his "Let's get this done" attitude, Romney and Ryan need more than internal support. They need the folks who voted for Obama last time and who feel betrayed. They need independents, specifically. But how can independents be coaxed to vote for a guy who runs away from his own record? 

This is a Romney sin as well. He's no longer that governor who supported abortion choice and gay rights, which can be justified as a function of evolving views. But more to the point, Romney seems unwilling to share his biography beyond chronological bullet points. His personal record is platinum, yet he runs from it.

Romney's reticence is perhaps owing to his reluctance to discuss his faith, which largely informs his deeds. After all, he had to work hard to gain the support and faith of evangelicals and others who view Mormonism with skepticism. Why open that door? 

Why? Because it is Who You Are. 

Romney is a Mormon, you may have heard. He is a man of immaculate faith. He is a wildly successful businessman whose company outsourced jobs, as most did, not to rob Americans but to provide profits to investors and to keep prices down for American consumers who, despite their moaning, still want the cheap jeans. 

How many Americans know that Romney gave away his inheritance? Or that he has worked several jobs, including the governorship of Massachusetts, for no pay? Or that he has given to and made millions for charities? These are all on his personal résumé, but he doesn't want you to know. Because? 

It would be bragging and men like Romney don't brag. But he should, just a little. And Ryan should edit his own resume; a little less. There's no dishonor in giving or accepting credit (or blame) where due, but you can't win voter confidence if you lack it in your own record.  You can run, but you can't run from yourself.                        

                                               

Hmmm.  She neglected to mention Massachusetts' "RomneyCare" program.  But I will.   

And while on the subject of the conventions, It is very difficult to figure out what is going on in this election if you get your news from sources which are biased.  The trouble is that these sources do not acknowledge their prejudices because they believe that their viewpoint is an accurate and fair one.  It isn’t.

  Shown above:  Fox's Megyn Kelly, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow  and CNN's Soledad O'Brien

If you get your news from Fox, it is heavily slanted in a conservative direction.  If you get your news from MSNBC, it is heavily slanted in a liberal direction.  Of course, both attempt to include different viewpoints, but the bias still comes through, even if it does so based on omissions as well as on what they actually cover or report.

When I watched the conventions, I spent about 25% of my viewing time on Fox, about 25% on MSNBC and about 50% on CNN, and I hope that what I saw was balanced.  I discounted Bill O’Reilly’s claim that the Democratic Convention was poorly planned as illustrated by its horrible acoustics just as I ignored the description of the G.O.P. conclave as “amateurish” on MSNBC’s Morning Joe when compared to the Democrats' meeting.

JL
                                       
                                                                          

Democratic Party Platform Changes Pro-Israel Plank

The 2012 Democratic Party Platform Comittee significantly changed the wording of the "plank" concerning Israel which it had contained in 2008.  This was very disturbing, eliciting comments from many observers, including Alan Dershowitz.  Coincidentally, that day I received a request for a campaign donation from Michelle Obama.  I reproduce below my immediate September 5 response to her.  A copy was also sent to the Democratic National Committee.   

Dear Michelle:         

Wonderful speech last night! But please, don't ask me for any further contributions until the severe harm which was dealt to your husband's campaign by the platform committee is reversed.  I know the committee consists of politicians but that is not an acceptable excuse for stupidity.

Eliminating the 2008 language from the platform which mentioned Jerusalem as Israel's capital and not continuing to refer to Israel as our greatest friend in the Middle East serves to confirm the lies that Republicans have been spreading about Barack's relationship to Israel over the past four years. They accuse him of being pro-Arab and "shoving Israel under the bus."

I have worked hard and continually pointed out to these people that the President has provided more military hardware to Israel than any of his predecessors, and there are valid reasons for keeping the Embassy in Tel Aviv and that he is a great supporter of Israel. These are not easy arguments and the platform is serving to make me look like a fool for supporting the President. I have already received Emails to that effect.

The danger, Michelle, is that the Jewish vote in Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Massachusetts (over 100 electoral votes) is now in jeopardy. The Democratic platform can elect Ryan and Romney and result in both Houses going Republican. Jewish votes in those states can make the difference. It is almost as if Sheldon Adelsohn's money reached the committee.

Here is what must be done: Short of revising the platform with a voice vote from the floor so that it is unchanged from 2008 in regard to Israel, all convention speakers from here on in must clearly state their opposition to the change in the platform, mention Jerusalem as Israel's capital and reiterate that Israel is our best friend in the Middle East. Otherwise, the election is as good as lost as of today.

I understand that there was some disagreement in the administration as to the change in the platform regarding Israel and that the President did not want the platform changed. If "others" were strong enough, however, to get it done, I fear their influence on him is too great.  

And as I said, please don't ask for any more contributions until this is taken care of. I do not make donations to support stupidity. 

Jack Lippman


Within a few hours, the "voice vote from the floor" which my Email requested took place and support for Jerusalem as Israel's capital was put back in the platform. Obviously, either I carry great weight with the Democratic Party, or many other communications similar to mine were received. 

This partially addressed the problem but it was not reassuring because the "voice vote" on the convention floor was far from unanimous (actually it sounded like it failed rather than passed) and the freshly revised language, while supporting Jerusalem as Israel's capital, did not equal the 2008 plank's broader language about Israel.  

President Obama's acceptance speech did indeed specifically state that we would not waver in our support of Israel's security and Vice President Biden's remarks were similarly reassuring.


                                      

Nevertheless, while this and the revised plank may somewhat blunt Republican criticism of the original platform plank, I don't know if it goes far enough to recapture the votes which the original platform language may have lost. 

If the Republicans win the election by capturing Pennsylvania, Florida or Ohio because of the Jewish votes lost there because of changes in the platform's plank from that of 2008, it will be the fault of "the others" in the administration referred to in the next to last paragraph of my Email to Michelle Obama.

I am sure there will be editorial comments on this question over the next few weeks, and this blog will attempt to address this as well. 

I repeat that more than just the support of Jerusalem as Israel's capital had been omitted from the 2012 platform plank concerning Israel.  Reinserting this support concerning Jerusalem in the 2012 platform plank did not remedy these other differences between the current platform and that of 2008.  

Perhaps the same influences which put a pro-Palestinian, if not overtly anti-Semitic, overtone on some of the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations earlier this year were at work in the Administration and on the platform committee.  Airing this dirty laundry, however, should not be done in a manner which would benefit Republican candidates (whose platform plank concerning Israel's capital, incidentally, is significantly weaker than the similar plank in their  2008 platform).

Jack Lippman

                                

 
Anti-Semitic Overtones to "Occupy Wall Street demonstration.

                                           

                                                 

Some Late Night TV Thoughts

                        

                                                                Then and Now   

                                       

One particular episode of the Tonight Show from the days when Johnny Carson was its emcee sticks in my mind.  He had received a letter (this was in pre-Email days) from a viewer offering a method for gentlemen to get the best possible shave.  Carson read the letter which basically said “shave twice,” and chuckled.

Well, half a century later, when a man goes out to buy a razor, beside the single blade variety, he can purchase two blade razors, three blade razors, four blade razors and even razors with five blades.  When you run one across your chin, you are actually shaving twice, thrice or even more times simultaneously.  What was just humor back in the sixties is reality today. Putting more than one shaving edge in a razor was a 20th century technical advancement exceeded in importance only by our putting a man on the moon.

 

And speaking of late night television, how many of us remember Dave Garroway, George Goebel, Jack Paar and of course, Johnny Carson?   The shows are still around but the hosts are different.  CBS’s David Letterman, NBC’s Jay Leno and most recently, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel (whose show is moving into direct competition, time-wise, with Leno and Letterman after years of hitting the airwaves 30 minutes later) are now America’s late night hosts.  These competing programs are important for the stations that carry them because the TV channel which is on when you go to bed is the channel that hits the screen when the set is turned on the following morning, and that means advertising dollars to the stations.

   
    Leno                                                                Carson

 

 O'Brien and Kimmel

 

 

 

 

 

 Letterman and Goebel

 

 

Paar, Garroway and friend

It won’t be very long before aging hosts such as Leno and Letterman fade away joining Carson, Paar and the others in TV history as their aging audiences dwindle,  while younger hosts like Jimmy Kimmel succeed in attracting younger late night viewers.  Of course, it won’t be long before Conan O’Brien (the evicted heir to Leno on NBC) returns from his well-paid cable exile on TBS to a major network late night slot too.  That is inevitable.

JL

                                   

                                                                  

Sid's Corner    

Memories from a clan gathering   8-18-12

Reluctant traveler that I am not withstanding, I joined the Bolotin clan’s pilgrimage to Lewis Bay in West Yarmouth on Cape Cod for seven days of togetherness in August 2012. Having missed out the prior two years due to ailments, and with the promise of being chauffeured by my children as if I were a UPS package, I was actually eager to join the safari.

            Folding my six foot frame into my oldest son’s long-sought-for Porsche convertible

            My head poking up above the windshield

            His wife caravanning behind us in her sporty convertible with my wife beside her

            Followed by his youngest daughter driving her SUV packed with food and luggage

           

            Vroom, vroom maneuvering for three hours through heavy traffic

            From his house in Swampscott twenty miles north of Boston

While his oldest daughter trailed us from Boston in her own car

Our other progeny in their own tortured motorcades in Cape traffic

Trekking from Western Massachusetts and Vermont

To rendezvous at the rented six bedroom, five bath vintage home, built in 1936

Elegantly perched on a one acre grassy knoll right on the beach

            Marveling at the superb planning of daughters-in-law

            Who planned for eat-in meals and beverages with military precision

            Foraging daily for bagels and cream cheese

            Even remembering my requested prune juice, soy milk, and Cheerios

            Drinking beer and bonding with older grandchildren while discussing

            Mars Rover, marriage, Karma, God, politics, college, future plans, books

            Sharing sixteen-year-old Jonah’s photo record of his month-long adventure in Belize

Clustering with my three middle-aged sons on the beach

Reminiscing about their childhood events and actions

Conches collected from Cape vacations and displayed 
On plywood in their bedrooms

And teen secrets hidden from me, like where they concealed their pot stash

Swimming daily in the warmish, calm waters of the bay

Flooded with memories of my childhood swims in Plymouth

During summer stays at my grandfather’s house

Walking the beach with my wife

Finding horseshoe crabs as I did when a youngster

All fifteen of us gathering ‘round the dining room table

Celebrating our gratefulness with a traditional New England clambake

Happily stuffing ourselves with lobsters and steamed clams

My surge of fatherly pride as I watched two of my sons…one an avid fisherman, the other a voracious golfer…eagerly collaborate to scour the internet

In last minute, successful hunts for multiple fishing trips and golf excursions

To provide my five grandsons with action-filled activities      

A day trip to Provincetown followed by

Another lobster fest hosted by my youngest son’s friend

At his magnificent two-house retreat in the Cape Cod National Seashore Park

Overlooking the eighty-foot-high dunes in Truro

And finally the vroom, vroom of the Porche's poignant journey back to Swampscott.

                

                          

 Sid Bolotin

                                                   

                                                    

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