Eight Post Election Reflections

1. The secret 47 percent video of Romney speaking to his donors made the biggest single difference of this election or any that I recall, with the single exception of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate. Now, hardly more than a week after, it’s hard to remember anything else amid the exaggerations and lies. What surprises me is that the person responsible remains unknown. Who did it and how did he or she know what Romney would say? I imagine the Republicans still have a bounty out while the TV/cable folks are drooling over what might be a made-for-TV movie, if only the mystery person would step forward. Now was it a smart phone, an iPad or?…

2. All through the Republican primaries the pundits at MSNBC were gloating at how the disparaging remarks made by Romney’s opponents would be glorious food for the Obama campaign. I don’t remember a single clip that got aired as an ad, either of one or more of the opponents attacking Romney or one of Romney’s gaffes in response.

3. It was sad when it came time to announce newspaper endorsements. This used to be a big-time event, for no other communications medium habitually makes a point of picking sides in an election. Imagine a local TV news program doing this? My first thought was whether this might be the last time or very near the last time. With the onslaught of instant news on the Internet and Craigslist taking away the classified, what future could print newspapers have? Just around the time of the election I saw “All the President’s Men” on TCM. That painstaking and long Watergate investigation would be impossible today when there are worries over whether the rent will be paid. The worst thing is that the future of investigative journalism on the local level is in peril.

4. Even within the Republican Party, nobody much cares for Romney. In case you didn’t catch it, Gov. Christie of New Jersey personally called the President to congratulate him, while only sending Romney an e-mail of condolence. Goes to show you don’t have to be Jewish to have chutzpah.

5. Will Paul Ryan be helped by the selection as Republican vice president? My guess is no because the Tea Party view of politics and unyielding opposition has been undermined. It’s a huge statement that Ryan wasn’t used a single time in his home state of Wisconsin. It was still another when he had to have his mother with him in Florida to defend his voucher system. Ryan was bigger at the beginning and smaller at the end.

6. MSNBC made a very, very wise move adding Steve Schmidt to the panel of commentators. It’s hard to tell what’s real about anyone who appears on television, but to me he seems truly repentant about his role with Sarah Palin being potentially a heartbeat away from the presidency. There was no one else who gave a decent man’s view of the Republican side of things and, besides, he was smarter and the best mannered in the group discussions.

7. Nothing better could have happened for MSNBC than being free of Keith Olbermann. She may be in your face, but Rachel Maddow works at the job of getting lead stories based on facts happening at the moment, and doing so without bombast. Too bad those who differ are afraid to appear to give their side. But I wonder: does she need a raise to wear clothes beyond worn-out jeans with gray or black sweaters all the time?

8. Finally, there was chagrin over the colossal amounts of money spent by both sides. I recall Brian Williams mentioning the good things that might be done with a fraction of the amount. Alas and alack, the money wouldn't be spent at all on "good things" without self-interest. Just look at the Papa John's story, where the owner says Obamcare will cost pizza to have an additional 11 to 13 cents added to the price tag while he lives in a mansion that, besides all else, has a 22 car garage.