Wednesday, August 31, 2011

We Need A Centrist Media

As I listen to and read the media hype about the Republican candidates, I wonder if Rick Perry didn't have the head of hair he has would he be getting the same amount of attention.  I'm not hearing ideas.  Only self aggrandisement and criticism of what is.

Actually I'm getting tired of the cult of personality ruling the  headlines.  Where the heck are the centrists and independents?  I do my best but with my handful of readers, many who rarely agree with me, I have no impact.

What we need is a press corp who will pay attention to candidates who actually have ideas rather than those playing to a specific crowd.  The conservatives get far more press than they deserve while the moderates get very little.  Who is covering Romney and Huntsman?  Especially Huntsman who is probably the best of the lot though there are subjects on which I disagree with him. That's to be expected.  But where is he?  What is he talking about these days?  The same with Romney.  I could care less whether or not he and Perry like one another.
And Herman Cain.  Is his lack of press because they feel he has no chance? Even Ron Paul who always makes a good showing in the polls.

If the center lets the far right steal the march it will be their own fault for not being vocal enough, though admittedly it's difficult to be vocal if no one picks up on it.

I heard today Sarah Palin is heading to New Hampshire over the Labor Day weekend to talk jobs.  Speculation has it she's getting ready to enter the race.  With a little bit of luck Bachmann, Perry and Palin will cancel each other out.

If it's true they all need the independents to win, they certainly aren't showing it.  No one is wooing us in either party.  But this isn't about the Democrats unless the progressives succeed in getting Hillary to mount a challenge.  It's about the Republicans and a laughably weak field unless you happen to be a staunch Christian Conservative.

I hear about third party efforts all the time but they have no traction.  A non-party, the Tea Party, has hijacked the process with demands that make no sense yet the moderate Republicans seem so afraid of losing their congressional seats they've been rendered impotent.  Some choice.  Far left or far right. It's said the pendulum always swings back.  The problem is the political pendulum we're now witnessing just swings from one extreme to the other.  It seems to be in perpetual motion with no signs of slowing, what's more stopping - in the center.

2 comments:

Margie's Musings said...

I was just reading today how Jon Huntsman's new jobs proposal (as well as most other Republican tax reform proposals) suggests, in the name of those mysterious "job creators," to eliminate all taxes on long-term capital gains (more than one year) and dividend income.

So here is the unspoken underlying context: If you have $1 million in investments or more (or even less), it is incredibly easy to set up a fairly-low-risk portfolio that delivers virtually ALL income in the form of long-term capital gains and dividends.

In addition, if you are an upper-level manager in most businesses, your employer will likely gladly set you up (especially if this passes) to receive most of your income in the form of deferrals and stock that pays out in the form of capital gains (many bonuses are already set up this way). You only need one-years' worth of cash to get you through to the point where most of THIS year's income is from capital gains from LAST year, and thus tax-free.

Let this sink in a minute: If you have reached the bottom tier of "wealthy," you can set yourself up so that you will, from this point onward, pay zero dollars in income taxes on the great majority of your income.

Will the voters see through this scam?

Word Tosser said...

I couldn't agree with you more DW.
That is why I posted let me know who the survivor is... because just when I think the Republican's can't get anyone worse than they have... the lower the bar and another one pops up... What ever happen to the media news as it is, not with their own opinions and where the heck is the Democrat party? Obama is going to be their only choice? Yep, the Cafeteria Party is going to be on a diet this time around as the pickings are really thin..