Of Legislators and Orators

Years ago when a state representative that is a friend was up for reelection, he called me to pick my brain (or what there is of it.) In the course of the conversation he admitted he hated to campaign, but he loved to legislate. He was right, he was a great legislator, but he lacked the personal charisma of someone like JFK. Very few people knew about his accomplishments in the State House of Representatives (and later the State Senate.), because he didn’t speak in sound bites. 

It takes good “sound bites” (those 30 second or less lines that attract attention) to make the evening news, but the oratory necessary to convince people to vote for (or against) a bill is usually longer and is ignored by the media.

What brought this to mind is the quip a media type made about John McCain and Barack Obama. Obama is a “sound bite” politician; McCain is an orator. McCain gets things done; while Obama is talking about getting things done. Unfortunately, it will be Obama who hits the evening news not McCain. And, what McCain gets done will be ignored by the media unless it’s something like McCain/Feingold campaign finance reform. It’s hard to ignore something that has your name pasted all over it and the media does like campaign finance reform, because it plays right into their hands. How? If you limit what a PAC can spend, you take their influence away; and the media becomes even more influential by showing those 30 second “sound bites” that they love so well. All the rest gets censored.

Yes, censored. While the mainstream media rears it’s ugly head roaring against censorship, it’s the biggest practitioner. Ask yourself the following question, “Who decides what goes into a newspaper (or on the TV screen.)” It’s the media

How bad is the censorship? Did you know the Mexican Army has invaded the United States? No you didn’t read that wrong. There have been incursions over the border numerous times over the last 10 years, but recently a small contingent of the Mexican Army (they were in uniform, had army issued guns and id’d themselves to the Phoenix police) came into the Phoenix metro area. They shot at some residents of a private home and admitted they would have shot at Phoenix police, but they ran out of bullets. Now, it could be they lied, stole the uniforms and weapons, etc., and were really drug smugglers. (They were going after a drug smuggler who was in a private Phoenix residence.) They could also be both members of the Army and drug smugglers. Ah, I’ve got you there, but the drug and human smuggling that goes on the in the desert southwest, is often aided and abetted and joined by the Mexican Army. And, the only reason this came to light in the Phoenix area was because the police union is getting fed up with the antics of Phoenix’s mayor, Democrat Phil Gordon. Last winter a Phoenix police officer was killed by an illegal immigrant who had been let go a few weeks earlier with just a ticket.   It seems the police were not allowed (by edict of the Mayor) to ask if he was legal or illegal and had to let him go without asking his residency status. Less than a month later he killed the police officer. And, yes, that news was censored by all but the Arizona media.

Under ordinary circumstances, an incursion by another army onto sovereign soil is considered an act of war. Ask Israel.

And, so Senator “sound bite” Obama will get the press and Senator Orator McCain will be ignored. And, your friends will tell you about all the wonderful things Obama says and nothing about what McCain does. .

Is the water getting hot enough for you yet?

Symbolism vs. Substance

I once heard a political pundit say something that struck me. A sign by a school that says something like “this is a drug free (or gun free) zone” is only symbolism. He was right on the mark. Saying it and making it so are two different things.

You can take that and translate it into this year’s presidential campaign. Some candidates speak only in symbols, but there is no substance behind what they say. Enter Barack Obama. I listened to one of his speeches and in the words of former Presidential Candidate Walter Mondale, “Where’s the Beef?”

While Barry ranted and raved and people fainted and cheered (even when he blew his nose), he said nothing of substance. Ok Barry you want change and so do your minions. What are you going to change? How are you going to do it? Who’s going to pay for it? At last Hillary Clinton to her credit answers the first two questions. It’s the who’s going to pay for it that always gets neglected.

But if you’re charismatic not being able to answer those questions is unimportant. But if charisma is your thing remember, Adolph Hitler was charismatic, too. Look what happened to Germany. Do we think they thought enough about it to consider the ramifications? At the outset even Germans of Jewish heritage backed Hitler. Remember, you too might end up paying for the change that everyone else expects.

Least you think that’s not possible because you don’t make enough money—wrong. You make 50,000 or less so you won’t be taxed. Are you sure? How about if you made only $13,000 last year? No taxes right? Wrong? My daughter found that out the hard way one year when she was in college, worked 3 part time jobs to pay for her college education and paid taxes on her job-related income. Unfortunately $3,000 of her income was capital gains from stocks we cashed in to help pay for her college education. Her taxes that year were $1,300. She was hysterical because she didn’t have any money to pay it. Now, I’m sure her grandparents paid taxes on the money before they gave her money for birthdays, Communion, etc so it was taxed twice. So remember even if you earn $50,000 or less a year, if any part of it was capital gains, you’ll still pay taxes, because you are among the much maligned rich who will be taxed for health care for the poor, etc.

The fact that the taxes have put you in the poor house is a fine point that Barry, Hillary, et al don’t want you to even think about. You’re just thinking that you’re getting even with Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc because they’re rich and you’re not. Now, they can afford to give ¾ of their income and still have lots of money, but if you earn $50,000 or $60,000 and you get taxed even more, you will need government funded health care, because you won’t be able to pay for it on your own when more than half your money goes for taxes. 

Ah symbolism, ah substance, ah choo.

Is the water hot enough for you yet?