Back when such matters occupied a lot of conversations, before bailouts, AIG, and William Ayers, the long-standing debate could happen at any time. The root question?
Who is better? Siskel, or Ebert.
By “better,” the question meant, of course, whose opinion was right. And, as discussions about art, politics, child-rearing, and religion tend to go, there was never a universally agreed-upon stand on the issue. I enjoyed Gene Siskel’s general Devil’s Advocate stance, but sometimes he seemed to be forcing it for its theatrical effect. Roger Ebert’s “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” was generally prefaced by a thoughtful analysis. I favored his choices, as they tended to agree with mine most of the time. To this day, if I need an opinion about a movie, I go to rogerebert.com to see what ol’ Roger has to say.
I was surprised today to find a column of a different sort on Ebert’s website. It began:
I do not like you, John McCain. My feeling has nothing to do with issues. It has to do with common courtesy. During the debate, you refused to look Barack Obama in the eye. Indeed, you refused to look at him at all. Even when the two of you shook hands at the start, you used your eyes only to locate his hand, and then gazed past him as you shook it.
Ebert was reacting to this year’s first Presidential debate, which occurred two days before this column. And he wasn’t reacting to anything that McCain had to say about economic or foreign policy. His issue was interpersonal. He continued:
Obama is my guy. If you are rude to him, you are rude to me. If you came to dinner at my house and refused to look at or speak with one of my guests, that would be bad manners and I would be offended. Same thing if I went to your house. During the debate, you were America’s guest.
I recall visiting some dear friends not too long ago. We spent the afternoon and evening together and had, by all accounts, a marvelous time. They had invited me to stay overnight at their home, and I accepted. While at their house, I was given the John McCain treatment by one of their grown children – the only one of their children, in fact, still living at home. No eye contact, brushing by me in the hallway without an acknowledgement, never saying my name (but never necessitating its use by speaking to me directly). The experience was unnerving. I don’t know if anyone else noticed. Roger?
I’m not the only one who noticed your odd, hostile behavior. Just about everybody did. I’m sure many of your supporters must have sensed the tension. Before the debate, pundits were wondering if you might explode in a display of your famous temper. I think we saw that happen, all right, but it was an implosion. I have instructed my wife to exclude you from any future dinner parties.
Hmmm.
I doubt that tomorrow night’s debate will be much of an improvement, but I’ll admit that my expectations of John McCain are nearly as low as those I had for Sarah Palin in last Thursday’s Vice-Presidential debate.
The world has gotten so small, thanks to the internets and websites like YouTube. I was just looking for the John McCain “Eh?!” video, and I found something even better!
Here is John McCain last Friday, the morning after the vice-presidential debate between his running mate Sarah Palin, and Democratic Senator Joe Biden (the clip is only 13 seconds long):
And here is the reconstruction of that moment, courtesy of YouTube user saveourskyline:
Tonight, another new installment in one of the best shows on television, Mad Men (see preview below). I’ve made no secret of my admiration for this drama, and would rank it way up there with Six Feet Under, Foyle’s War and most of The Sopranos on my all-time-best list.
K. Cortez sent me a link to the flickr page of one Dyna Moe who, apparently, is a graphic artist-genius-magician. The picture above, of Mr. Cooper in his office with the alluring Rothko painting, is just one example of the witty and vibrant interpretations of Mad Men Dyna Moe has created. Check it out (especially Peggy Olson doing the twist and Betty Draper smashing furniture a la The Clash’s London Calling), and be sure to drop your kudos to the Moe in the form of a comment (you know how we all love the feedback).
As I pulled into the parking spot in front of the Crestwood Coffee Company, I spied some scribbling on the asphalt. I pulled back out a few feet and saw this graffito. After snapping the photo, I walked by the patio tables outside the coffee shop and noticed a small cup filled with sidewalk chalk, apparently made available by the proprietors for the creative use of their patrons. Inside, coffee, a banana, and a Good Morning smile awaited me.
Then, on to the Despot to get some primer and paint the basement door.
You can be darn sure that there’s only one place that kind of behavior might get you, kiddo, so be careful what you wish for, doggone it! Okey dokey? Alrighty then.
Better yet, the use of the word ‘maverick’ would have really put me on the floor. I lost count of its use during the debate, especially once Biden did his attack about its use to describe John McCain.
Overall, there were only three uses of ‘main street,” so I only got a moderate and fleeting buzz.
Looks like my sobriety status may remain intact, as ‘main street’ has only been mentioned twice. Both mentions were by Governor Palin. If I had thought this out more clearly, with an eye on getting really heavily soused, I would have chosen ‘nucular’ instead of ‘main street.’ Palin has said ‘nucular’ eight times so far by my count.
Turn on your TV set to any channel discussing politics or current affairs and, within minutes, you will hear someone contrasting Wall Street with Main Street. The phrase ‘Main Street’ has become shorthand for small business, everymen, and small-town America. Not to mention every other person that doesn’t happen to be a Big Financial Power Broker. I just heard ‘Main Street’ used three times by two different people in the last few minutes on MSNBC.
It’s even worse when that sloganeering is appropriated by the handful of people shilling for our votes. Two of them will be on TV tonight, having what is generally referred to as a debate. But tonight’s debate is going to be less a discussion of substance, and more a sideshow, a media circus, with the resultant flubs and sound bites circulating across the internet and airwaves for weeks to come. Hopefully, I am wrong. But history and experience suggests that it will be theatrical politics, as usual.
And, certainly, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will make excessive use of the phrase ‘Main Street,’ as the economy will be a point of discussion. I will be cringing every time they say it.
To ease my pain, and because I feel deprived for never having played the game “Hi, Bob!” I have a plan. There is a sealed bottle of Cuervo Especial tequila in my booze locker. It will be next to me tonight at 8:00, along with a squeaky clean shot glass. Every time that someone in tonight’s debate utters ‘Main Street,’ be it Biden, Palin or moderator Gwen Ifill, I will take a shot. I promise.
