Palin Pick - Smart Move

John McCain's choice for the VP spot on the GOP ticket is a very smart move. Sarah Palin, the current governor of Alaska solidifies the still wavering Conservative base, she comes from a state with a first hand interest in and the means to help solve the energy challenge, she's articulate and she totally negates the Joe Biden Democratic VP choice. Biden, who was chosen for among other reasons his pit bull, attack dog style simply can not use this style when debating Palin. It won't work. He'll come off like a grumpy old man lashing out at a woman. There are a myriad of other reasons why Palin is a smart choice. She is as far from a Washington insider as you can get, she was 8 years old when Joe Biden first entered Washington (so much for Obama moving in a fresh new direction) and in her short tenure as Alaska's Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Palin has a track record of taking on big government and saving taxpayer dollars. Sure, she doesn't have a deep resume but neither does Obama. And then there is the Hillary factor. I'm sure the McCain campaign is banking on disenfranchised women voters to make the jump out of their frustration with Barrack Obama. It is going to be an amazing race for the White House. The Jeff Whitaker Show will be on top of the daily discussion Monday through Thursday nights at 6 on WOND. See you on the radio next week with coverage of the Republican National Convention. We'll be running a best of show Monday (Labor Day) and then back life and ready to go Tuesday night at 6. Spread the word for the best election talk in town. 

PS. Last night when Barrack Obama addressed the Democratic Conventioneers one of his lines talked about Republicans offering the same old, same old and that real change doesn't come from Washington but to Washington.... Hummmmm, Obama is a sitting Senator as his Biden and now with the introduction of Sarah Palin in the mix Obama might want to rethink his rhetoric. You think?

A Mothers Advise

     So I'm reading today that John McCains mother says when it comes to her sons electability, some in the Republican Party will just have to "hold their noses" and vote for her son.  Gee, thanks Mom!  What that points out to me is that even she realizes her son doesn't appeal to a lot of the GOP despite his increasing reference to the Reagan Revolution and pandering to the Right.  Strange how so many  main -stream media pundits refer to McCains broad appeal.  Too many people are discounting the base support needed to take McCain to victory.  Without the core Conservative base of the party, it's going to be rough ride.   Over 200 million people in this great US of A and we can't come up with more dynamic, qualified candidates for the office of President.  The shame is Mrs. McCain might be right.  Only a lot of voters might hold their nose with both hands leaving no way to pull the lever.  So they'll just stay home on election day!

Sorry For Slavery?

     So our state legislators vote to apologize to people who weren't alive when an injustice occurred on behalf of people who had nothing to do with what the legislators are apologizing for without those they are supposedly apologizing on behalf of ever asking them to apologize in the first place.  And that is supposed to accomplish . . . what? 

     Ironic isn't it; these same legislators who spend their time apologizing for the injustice of enslaving a people two hundred years ago refuse to find a way to free the citizens of New Jersey of all races which they (the legislators) enslave in debt, high taxes, levies, laws and fees that everyday force native sons and daughters out of this state.  Actually ironic is a nice way of putting it.  In reality, it's unconscionable and it's the members of the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly who should be ashamed of themselves and apologize to us for the shackles they place on all of us in 2008, not 1788.  On second thought.  Don't apologize.  Just do something about it.  That's why you were elected. 

      Just makes you shake your head in amazement doesn't it.

Watch Out! Here Come The Thought Police

     When the New Jersey State Assembly meets in its final session this coming Monday legislators will vote on a measure which if approved, will go a long way toward eroding our First Amendment rights.  The sad fact is, most people won't even pay attention and those who do take note most likely won't even understand what's at stake.   The legislation is A-4591, a measure designed to toughen hate crimes laws in New Jersey.  The State Senate already voted in favor of the companion measure last Thursday.  

     So what in the world could be wrong with being opposed to hate crimes.  Well, for one hate crimes legislation in general is severely flawed in its logic.  We've all heard the argument.  Someone kills an individual.  During the course of prosecution, we discover the murderer committed the crime because of their hate for the victim because of their race, gender or sexual orientation.  Oh, really.  Now we really have to punish the murderer.  I don't get the logic.  The victim is dead.  Does it really matter what the assailant was thinking when he or she committed the crime.  The crime is horrible enough.  I've never understood what difference it makes what the person was thinking when they intentionally committed the crime.  The result is still the same.  The punishment should be to the fullest extent of the law.  I don't care if the murderer was thinking, "Gee, I really hate this person" or "Gee, I have to kill them because if I don't they'll identify me to police when I leave the scene of the crime."

     As I see it, it's really all about "feel good" legislation.  We'll really give it to the murderer because of the hate.  That will make us all feel better.  It's ridiculous.

     This latest addition to the proposed legislation as written, strongly suggests that any expressed disagreement to homosexual behavior, "gender identity or expression" could be construed as bias intimidation.  In fact the bill specifies that if found guilty of "bias intimidation", the guilty party will be forced to attend "sensitivity training" which could have the effect of indoctrinating you to accept homosexuality or other "gender expressions" and reject your sincerely held beliefs.

     My concern and the concern of many others is that this legislation could dramatically impact free speech and freedom of religious.  How so, you ask?  What if a pastor decides to address his congregation on his Biblically held views regarding homosexuality?  Will he be hauled off to jail or sensitivity class?  We're not talking about someone advocating violence against any group.  We're talking about expression of deeply held beliefs.  What if someone asks your opinion about a certain group of people or issue, are you free to express that opinion without fear of being reported to the "thought police." This is very dangerous.   Our ability as a free people to openly express beliefs is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution.  Don't let that right be taken away. Call your Assembly representative and urge them to vote NO!

Loosing Ground

There is an old saying in politics.  "He who slings dirt, only looses ground."   I emphasize the word old because it apparently doesn't apply to todays climate.  I may sound crazy, but current research shows that the more negative a politician goes, the better his or her chances are of actually winning.  Worse than that, is that much of the "negative" in advertising literature and commercials doesn't even have to be true or substantiated.  The hard, cold facts are that even if an opponents accusations are challenged, by the time they are refuted or corrected, the damage has been done.  With one day to go until Election Day, I am tired of hearing the radio and tv ads touting all the horrible and disgusting things a candidate for office has done; running that persons name through the mud over and over again and then having the nerve to end the commercials by saying, "that's why that individual is running one of the nastiest campaigns in history."  What?  Telling us nasty things about a person and then claiming that very person is himself running a nasty campaign. How twisted is that?  And are we the electorate buying it? Apparently so.  Why?  Because we are sound bite, catch a comment here and there, disconnected people who do little to study the issues or the candidates, vote my name recognition alone or how someone looks or simply party line or in many cases, not show up at the polls at all.  And then we complain over and over again about what we get.   It's not the nasty politician loosing ground. We, the people are the ones loosing ground because we are digging our own graves.

I've Changed My Opinion

Having spent over 25 years in journalism, one of the first questions I still get from people who find out my background is, "Tell me, does the news media have an agenda?  Is there really a bias in the newsroom?"   

Until recently, my answer was two fold.  First of all in the mainstream media there is an overall bias and it leans decidedly to the left.  But I was always quick to add that the bias was not necessarily intentional.  My point being that reporters by and large don't get together each day before they head out to cover the news and say, "Gee, how can we slant today's coverage?"  It's just that most of the people working in journalism (for whatever reason) come from a liberal background.  So, they look at the world through liberal eyes, so to speak.  After all, every one of us comes to our jobs with preconceptions and sometimes they  interfere with our news coverage.  The stories we choose to cover, the way we approach stories and filter the information is going to be influenced by our past.  The goal is to (as best we can) remove those bias's from our coverage.  I've always felt most of time journalists tried their best reach for that goal.

But I'm changing my opinion.  A new poll at journalism.org clearly shows a strong bias in the media and it is decidedly to the left.  I'm afraid that many of journalists today are more interested in activism than journalism.  With the strong influence of cable news and "opinion" based shows disguised as straight journalism, the line is not only blurred, it's in many cases erased.  It's across the board in broadcast, cable, print and otherwise, the bias by the mainstream media is as left of center as it's ever been and getting worse.  The evidence is all around us to point to a vast majority in the media who intentionally slant coverage and interject their own opinion into stories that are broadcast and printed under the banner of objective news.  

The problem is not every consumer of news realizes this.   They hear the commentary and opinion and take it as journalism, not as editorial.  It's amazing that we live in a world where more information than ever is available at our fingertips and yet the electorate is less informed than ever before.   We get our news in short sound bites and sensational copy vying for our easily distracted attention.  Unless the American people wake up to this reality, we will find our nation heading even farther down a path of propaganda difficult to work our way out of.