Wake me up on November 5th...
Oct 16, 2008 at 9:11 AM It is official. I have election media fatigue. No actually, I have media and "doom and gloom" fatigue.
I was out last night, but did DVR the debates. I gotta' say, McCain threw some stingers. But it was no KO. Barack was presidential, and smooth. He countered nicely, but didn't show me the teeth I would have like to have seen. I do beleive Barack won it, but by the hair of his chinny-chin-chin.
You could see it all by the body language when they got up at the end. Someone slipped McCain a Viagra or something, 'cause he popped up all spritey with an ear to ear grin. Barack, on the other hand looked worn. He stood a little hunched over...as if he just did Bikram yoga for the first time in a 105 degree room. You had to know that McCain was bringing the heat-- homeboy had nothing to lose.
I would have liked to see some jedi-mind shit from Barack, making McCain fold over on the force of his haymakers and negativity. I didn't see that. I didn't need to. I voted absentee already---and I am a Barack guy. But I know many indies who NEEDED to see that...MORE TEETH. Less sound bitey referencing to the "greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression"-- which after a while, becomes a self fulfilling prophecy; and more "I am gonna' clean this mess up, and it will be a messy kitchen, we will all have to pitch in-- but we will get it done, and put this chapter behind us."
I was hyped to hear the last question about education. Both candidates sounded a little lawyerly for my taste-- but at least they are getting their heads around the language, the hurdles and the potential solutions. Let's face it-- the issue isn't rating or mainstreaming with people. It's not "Oprah Big" yet. I feel Barack will be the more meaningful player in busting up the Unions, and managing the expectations of OVERLY privatizing schools--- the pendulum must sway gently on this issue.
I was with NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein last night-- and he nailed it. He characterizes our failing school system as the single greatest issue in America. I agree. If you thought the fall of Lehman's shook shit up-- how will we deal with a system that pukes out 1/3rd of our kids. The dropout crisis is major---and the icecaps of jobs, problem solving, and industry are melting if we can't create a competitive and capable work force. Klein nailed it...people always say to him-- "You wanna' fix education, well your gonna' have to fix poverty first." His retort is , "no, it is the opposite-- if you want to fix poverty, you are gonna' have to fix education". Can I get an Amen?!?!?!
No more horse manure please.
