July 16, 2006
The News: Ripped from the Pages of Tom Clancy?
Make time for some political Thoughts

Recent world headlines are grim. The first half July has wrought the North Korea missile strike, Iran's increasing defiance over nuclear weapons, a massive bombing in India and a suddenly hot war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. These events are sharp reminders of a very dangerous world. Joined together will they pierce our comfortable veneer in ways that the daily death toll in Iraq has failed to do so far? Maybe they will because there is something grand, for lack of a better term, occurring. Grandly horrible if you believe Newt Gingrich who on Meet the Press said that America needs to recognize World War III has already begun. That wakes people up. Whether you agree with him or not it puts the world's fires together as an inferno impossible to ignore.

In many ways the stories over the last few weeks could have been ripped from the pages of Tom Clancy. Hezbollah extremists kidnap two Israeli soldiers thereby challenging an untested Prime Minister who retaliates with a wave of bombs into Lebanon. Bombs are returned crossing deep into Israel and against one of her warships by an Iranian-made, radar-guided C802 missile seeming to bring Iran into the crisis. Meanwhile a poorly coiffed Dr. Evil wannabe in North Korea flaunts his recent missile tests that bring American warships into the region at their highest concentration in 50 years. All while Muslim insurgents strike out in Iraq, Afghanistan and India. Even in North America there is danger as recent terrorist plots in Florida and Canada have been broken up. World leaders meet in Russia with a full plate of problems. Where is Jack Ryan to tie everything together when we need him?

Through the novels of Clancy and shows like 24, NCIS and The Unit we get used to the world at war because people return to normal at the end of the story. Real life does not have endings, at least not clear cut ones. The war on terrorism will not end one sunny morning for instance. Even traditional wars, like WWII which officially ended in terms of hostilities had effects that pushed the story into new, uncharted chapters like the Cold War. Our current times are full of events that seem destined to shape history once again. It may not be Newt's WWIII exactly but these multiple hot spots are begging for a global strategy that pulls together resources and focus to look at the big picture. President Bush once famously attempted to link threats together through his "Axis of Evil" but chose to focus on what was in hindsight the least dangerous of the three in Iraq. Now he has to take into account more of the globe including the longstanding Israeli/Palestinian conflict, which he preferred to stay distant from upon his election.

In coming months I will try to write more like this in my politics section. Also to stay more in tune with world affairs as to not do seems irresponsible. I still want my superfluous pop culture, want my new music and days at the beach but I also want to know about these sticky foreign situations and hear from the best minds on how to resolve them.

A character that appears in many current shows, movies and books is that of the U.S. President. On TV currently there exists President Logan (24), Allen (Commander in Chief), Bartlett (West Wing), Santos (also West Wing as of last Sunday). Add to that Dennis Quaid in the new film American Dreamz, President Ballentine in The Sentinel and the just announced new project, 28th Amendment, which is about a young president who discovers a secret cabal that wants him dead.

It hasn't always been this way. Portrayals of fictional U.S. presidents were somewhat rare. There was of course Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers), Fail Safe (Henry Fonda) and Superman II (E.G. Marshall) but not that much more. Certainly nothing on TV that touched the oval office. Even the early Tom Clancy books stayed away from the chief executive, instead featuring the head of the CIA and other heavies.

That has all changed within the last 10 years. I think beginning with Michael Douglas as The American President. Perhaps having the personable and youthful Bill Clinton in the real office humanized the role. Certainly his sexual issues broke down the barrier between the man and his office. It brought us into his libido and mental state unlike any president before him. Writers and producers jumped into the fray to give us more of that potent medicine.

Since 1996 we have seen presidents Bill Pullman (Independence Day) and Harrison Ford (Air Force One) as action hero presidents. Jeff Bridges (The Contender), Morgan Freeman (Deep Impact) and James Cromwell (Sum of All Fears) as pragmatists, and Jack Nicholson (Mars Attacks), Chris Rock (Head of State) and Leslie Nielsen (Scary Movie 3 and 4) as comedic commanders in chiefs. Just to name a few. It provides wish fulfillment on one level and high level voyeurism on the other. We get to see what it's like to be the head of the free world. All it's trappings, pomp and problems. Who doesn't want that? Then when you add a juicy twist (ie. Logan is the master villain on 24) or Air Force One is held hostage, we love to see the president get dirty.

Check out how many others have played the president. Roy Scheider has been elected at least three times!  

These are tense times. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the nation's worst natural disaster and upon the anniversary of our biggest terrorist attack we are fragile people. We are further stressed by the ongoing situation in Iraq and rising gas prices at home. We therefore need to be sheltered from everything that dredges up bad memories.

According to reports, the government will soon ban anything that threatens our ability to smile and be happy. From now on, the name Katrina shall be disallowed for newborns. ABC's new TV show Invasion will never see the airwaves. It hits too close to home with a devastating hurricane in episode one. And most importantly, "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by The Scorpions will be purged from the face of the Earth. This will be harsh for classic rock radio stations, sports arenas and Germans. But our sense of inner peace is worth more than petty entertainment.

I wrote about F/X's Iraq War drama Over There before it aired. But I have still not watched it. I have both episodes on my DVR waiting, while instead I have picked other shows, many more light-hearted, to watch. That's perhaps because it covers a war that I am seeing and hearing too much of unfortunately. This is a war that is sadly escalating and becoming bloodier.

On Wednesday, 14 U.S. Marines were killed in the deadliest roadside attack in the war to date. After a few hours, it was not even the top story. The coverage shifted to the president's reaction to the deaths; an analysis of the politics instead of the war itself.

With this tragedy in mind during my channel surfing I landed on last night's Over There and lingered for a moment. It was too real. I saw a military convoy at a dangerous roadside checkpoint and did not want to watch. At least not for now. Maybe in a week or so I will watch the first few episodes of the series. I certainly want to, but being that it covers a current war, it will always be a harsh reminder of the real headlines and real tragedies occurring every day.

It doesn't take long for media outlets to give titles to disasters and other breaking news stories. This time with the horrible bombings of last Thursday, another numerical name is born alongside "9/11" and "Madrid 3/11" to represent terrorist attacks. "London 7/7" has been quickly utilized and dispersed. The dates become symbolic in themselves, easy to mark for future anniversaries. If only there was "Pearl Harbor 12/7" or "Appomattox 4/9" to commemorate those famous events.

(Kevin Larmee "War & Peace" - Oil on canvas)

The Iraq war is going to be a treasure trove for the entertainment industry. This will come across as cynical and somewhat frivolous, but hear me out. Since the Trojan War epics of Homer, we have always been fascinated with war stories. The drama of lives being lost in clashes of will has a natural home in literature, theater and more recently film and TV.

Read on

Not only do we care whether it's Alan Alda or Jimmy Smits who will become the next West Wing president, or that Geena Davis is going to be ABC's Commander-in-Chief next fall, but in 3 short years we will be in the midst of the real race for the presidency. A recent national poll by Marist College (whatever that is) shows that registered Republican and Democrats are looking for a Hilary Clinton/Rudy Giuliani face-off. At least as of today.

More, including full list of candidates and votes

Feb. 21, 2005
Poll: No Love For Washington

Today is the President's Day Holiday, a glorious 3-day weekend where most people go snowboarding or retreat to cozy Bed and Breakfasts. Unless you are a C-Span junkie you probably do not sit and ponder our nation's presidents. In recent rankings by ordinary people, not historians, the founding fathers including George Washington are suffering from a lack of recency. In one particular poll 15 percent named Ronald Reagan as the greatest president, Bill Clinton by 10 percent and George W. Bush by 8 percent. Washington was picked by just 6 percent. Sure some older presidents fared well, like Abraham Lincoln, the lead vote getter with 20 percent, FDR (12 percent) and JFK (11 percent), but they all get those cool documentaries and specials on The History Channel.

There was once a time when we used to celebrate the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln, both born in February. American workers would get both days off work. But that was years ago and now we celebrate all presidents, from the father of the country to Tippecanoe and Tyler too, on the same day.

Washington Lags in Polls of Top Presidents {Yahoo!}
Ranking the Presidents {Infoplease}

For all those too upset for the dawning of Bush II, Part 2 on Thursday, there are several anti-events and minor protest movements to make you feel more worthy of driving your Prius. The shorthand for the inauguration is "J20" as an abbreviation for "January 20th." Abbreviations seem to evoke a cooler and younger vibe, or so say the Marketing Execs who came up with names like "C2" or "Sunny D."

One grassroots effort that probably hit your email inbox is called "Not One Damn Dime Day," which asks you to not spend (you guessed it) one damn dime that day. The site says to "Please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target. Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food." We get it, these companies represent evil American interests but would it be okay to go to Ikea or buy a vintage metal T-shirt on Melrose? The movement goes on to say that while some people dance at the inauguration balls, others are dying in Iraq. But would they have objected to a President Kerry inauguration?

Another group advocates going to the Inauguration and turning your back when Bush drives by in the motorcade and begins his speech. They tell participants to leave their protest signs and buttons at home so as to blend into the crowd. If you can't make it to D.C., they advocate getting a mask, dressing up as George W, and get a crowd to turn their backs on you.

If you are in Portland, first sorry about all the rain, but there seems to be an abundance of events to take part in. J20 Portland Front Page

Also there is another JibJab Bush piece by Gregg and Evan Spiridellis that sets the stage for the second term.

Following the reelection of George W. Bush, the media is now taking aim at the back stories of the campaigns. A Newsweek exclusive tells in fascinating detail of how Kerry apparently offered Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) not only the vice-presidency, but total control over foreign policy and the Department of Defense. A true co-presidency. Teresa Heinz-Kerry is called a hypochondriac, Clinton wanted Kerry to come out in favor of the gay marriage bans (he wouldn't) and the Bushies relive the excitement of discovering Kerry's "I voted for it before I voted against it" quote. Good read.

Also Page Six has the knives coming out from Kerry insiders finding blame for the loss. Alexandra Kerry and P. Diddy, it's your fault.

Trench Warfare {MSNBC}
Culprits in the Kerry Camp {Page Six}

Meanwhile reports are that Americans are visiting the Canadian immigration Web site in droves. Don't go there, it's cold and the people talk funny.

American flock to Canada's immigration Web site {Reuters}

With the end of the elections, so goes a toning down of political news. Therefore, expect no post-election analysis or observations for a few days. We have been too wonked out lately. Must go back to writing about Ugg boots.

But, if you are jonezing for the halcyon days of last week, or even Tuesday at 4 p.m when uncertainty ruled and spin was massive, check out the recent political posts:

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