Published: September 07, 2008 11:47 pm            

Mike Reliford: The last two weeks of television: 9/8/08

... have been a mixed bag for viewers of regular programming, but then that’s been nothing new since the big writer’s strike last winter wiped out a lot of the shows, some of them permanently.

Two straight weeks of political conventions must have made non-politico types bonkers. But, for the two political parties who are ready to go to war with each other, it was like throwing red meat to starving snarling beasts.

Surfing the Web on a lazy Saturday, trying to come up with a plan to chill for a week of vacation, I was somewhat surprised to find how much folks — not only in the good old U.S. of A but in other countries — had to say about our national conventions, especially the selection of Sarah Palin for vice president.

I’m not talking about right-wing and left-wing bloggers here, I’m talking about people who are writing to their newspapers here and in England and Germany, even one from Africa. They are concerned how their lives will be affected.

I know, as Americans, we could give a flying leap what they think (which, of course, is a big mistake) but it still makes for interesting reading. If, by the way, you think other nations should stay out of our business, consider this: They think it is there business since we are “the big guy” and our president is “leader of the free world.” It’s kinda like folks who don’t live in Ashland paying attention to the city’s election, especially since the payroll tax gave them somewhat of a stake in it.

There were good and bad comments made about all of the four remaining combatants in the two parties, but the overwhelming number had to do with Palin. After all, most had never heard of her until, suddenly, she’s the new Queen of Sheba.

Most everybody agreed she gave a good speech and had a good appearance (though none of them called her a “babe” like Rush Limbaugh did). They did seem worried about her lack of experience, and they weren’t buying the spin that her “executive” experience made her more qualified than Barack Obama or Joe Biden or, for that matter, John McCain.

But executive experience wasn’t even an issue until Palin entered the picture. It will be ballyhooed now. But wisdom, leadership and awareness of the world trumps pencil-pushing any day.

Palin is a hands-off commodity right now. The press is being kept far away. In a way I don’t blame the McCain campaigners. They saw what happened to Obama, and they see what bloggers and others are saying about Palin now. But they are stonewalling legitimate press along with the bottom feeders, and there are things that must be understood about the candidate before the election.

Palin is pretty much unknown everywhere but Alaska. McCain is 72 years old and has had several bouts with cancer, which increases his chance of being called to that “Big Pork Barrel in the Sky” during his term.

That’s why we need to know all about her, to have access to her. Forget about her social politics or gender. She could well be handed the keys to this world’s strongest, most aggressive military arsenal and will face the smoldering economic, political and social struggle between West and East. We all need to know if she was truly the best pick for the country, or a political maneuver, or McCain playing his “maverick” card.

It’s not too much to ask if this is sacrificing the future for a political coup now.

MIKE RELIFORD can be reached at mreliford@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2647.

        

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