Of Stale Debates and Strange Memories

I'll fall in line with the complaints of Obama supporters that last night's ABC debate focused on shallow issues and was much tougher on Obama than Clinton.  But Clinton also had a point in her criticism that earlier NBC debates were biased against her.

Perhaps we are witnessing a titanic TV network split in preference between the two Democrats.  We all know that Fox supports McCain, and CBS News seems fairly marginal these days.

I don't really care, to be honest. This thing is taking way too long.

My favorite part of the debate was the question from a woman in Latrobe, PA about why Obama doesn't regularly wear a flag pin on his lapel.  Sure, it's a loaded question--but I thought she was sincere.

All Pennsylvania towns that begin with "L" are the same to me, it seems--her Latrobe location reminded me of Ligonier.  Way back in 1995 (deep in the pre-blog era) Bill and I dined in Ligonier one evening, as part of his visit to Carnegie Mellon.  Dinner was served right on the town square, and during the course of the meal we learned that our waitress liked pornography (or, at least, she didn't look away upon discovering certain videos that her son left in the VCR.)

What a thing to reveal to your guests during dinner!

In light of this confession--and from my gilded perch here in the elite Bay Area--I would like to amend Senator Obama's recent remarks on small town America.  Small towners don't  always bitterly cling to guns and religion. Sometimes they cling to skin.

Comments

[Dean]

Marcus,
A brilliant line, I must say.

Too bad about the bitter comment; for someone who is so good with words, that really was the wrong word to use to describe Pennsylvanians.

Dean

[MarkD]

Was “bitter” really the wrong word to use? The past 30 years have not been kind to the average Pennsylvanian. In many cities and towns across Pennsylvania the population has declined. I’ve driven from one end of Pennsylvania to the other. With the exception of a few counties in the southeast corner – there is a clapped out feel to the place. You drive through many towns and pass empty factories, bordered-up store fronts, dilapidated and or empty houses. Technological change and globalization have laid waste to much of Pennsylvania. I don’t know about you, but if these things happened to me – I’d feel bitter. Much of Pennsylvania shows the downside to technological change and globalization. There are always winners and losers in times of change, and whole swaths of Pennsylvania have lost. Though I firmly believe that globalization and technological change are generally positive (and inevitable) – it might do us all good to remember that some people have been adversely impacted by the new economy.

Maybe Obama didn’t choose his words carefully when he blurted out his observations. But I am glad he did say what he said. For too long America has ignored the downside to change. It is a debate long overdue in America.