...isms

…isms

For whom will you vote for President of the United States? Are you actually voting for a particular candidate or against one? It may come down to this. You’re a racist, a sexist or an ageist.

So you’re for Barack Obama. You’re impressed with his youth. You see his relative inexperience as a plus. He hasn’t been in Washington long enough to be tainted by cronyism or the “beltway” mentality. You especially like the idea of electing a black man to the Presidency without having to think about the fact that he is black. But vote against him and no matter how many times you deny it, someone will suspect you’re not voting for him because he’s an African-American. He’s black. You’re a racist.

So you’re for Hillary Rodham Clinton. You think her eight years in the White House as First Lady and her two term tenure as a United States Senator from New York make her uniquely qualified to answer the dreaded “red phone” at 3:00AM. You especially like the idea of electing the first woman to the Presidency. She is the first female candidate to make a serious run at the nation’s highest office. But vote against her and you’re a chauvinist. You’re a sexist.

What about John McCain? You’re voting for him because he’s a bona fide war hero and a Republican Senator who isn’t afraid to challenge his own party and reach across the aisle to Democrats. You like his tough stand and “straight talk” about terrorists. You believe he’s the candidate that will most protect America in the war on terror. But cast your vote for anyone else and there will be those who say you were just too uncomfortable voting for a man who will be 72 when he takes the oath of office, the oldest ever. You’ll disqualify him simply on that basis. Therefore, you’re an ageist.

Pick your poison. Welcome to the age of “ism.”

Let's Get Ready to Rumble

Here’s an easy way to solve the problem Democrats are having with deciding who their nominee for President will be: leave the decision to the elected delegates. So called “super delegates” should not vote. If the super delegates do not vote on the first ballot, neither Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton nor Senator Barack Obama can secure the nomination. That will force at least a second ballot. Under Democratic Party Rules, delegates are released from their obligation to vote for a candidate to whom they are pledged after the first ballot. Now the fun will begin. As long as super delegates stay out of the fray, the decision will rest with delegates who have been elected by the voters of the Democratic Party. The party leadership will not have to deal with charges that they have brokered a nominee in the proverbial “smoke filled room.” Two ballots, three ballots, more…whatever it takes. Whoever the nominee is, charges that they were coronated by the party’s leadership will dog that nominee through November. A floor fight for the nomination that is transparent can only serve to help the nominee. And the hope of a “dream ticket,” Clinton/Obama or Obama/Clinton can come to fruition without the baggage. So super delegates “stand down” and let the people decide. Let’s get ready to rumble.

"Double G"

It was with profound sadness that we learned today of the death of George Gilbert.

George was a legend in local radio. His family announced the death on an internet radio chat board. How appropriate. Thanks to Tom Woods, many of us were able to share our thoughts about George. His son-in-law said George's family shared them with George. Before he died last night, surrounded by his family, George knew how important he was to us.

I've always said that David DeCosmo "discovered" me, but it was George who gave me my big break, taking a chance on an 18-year old newscaster back in 1975.

I saw him last at the funeral for Terry McNulty in 2006. Before that, George was part of Terry's on air retirement party at WNAK. Many of us recorded messages for Terry. I recorded George.

I remember thinking to myself, "George hasn't missed a beat." While much of the discussion over the next few days will be about George's immense talent, please don't lose how much he gave to the broadcasters with whom he worked. As part of the "Sensational Seven" he made WARM Radio a powerhouse. By inspiring and supporting young broadcasters, WARM continued to be a giant.

May God bless you George. May God bless your family.

You are and were, "Sensational."

Charlton Heston

Charlton Heston is dead and I'm not feeling so good myself.

21

Right out of the gate, this is not a review of a movie.

It is about a milestone.

I know a man who turns twenty-one years old on April 2.

He's smart.

He's compassionate.

He has a heart of gold.

I know, it's a little cliche. But it's true.

He is loyal and true.

He is everything I once hoped to be.

He is mature beyond his years.

While I have almost certainly disappointed him, he has never disappointed me.

If you are lucky in life, you may meet him someday.

I suspect you may read him first.

He is an aspiring journalist. He is a very good writer.

By now, you may have guessed I know him well.

You are right. I do.

He is Kevin Christopher Jordan. K.C. for short.

He is my son. I love him more than he knows.

Happy Birthday buddy.

You're the best!

Count On It

Kudos to the County Commissioners for approving an optical scan voting system in Lackawanna County. While the county had a difficult time using the system the first time around in '07, the system will prove to be an advantage. An optical scan voting system uses printed ballots. Voters fill-in the circle next to the name of the candidate for whom they wish to vote. The ballot is then placed in a ballot box and counted once at the polls and again at a central location. But the biggest advantage is the ability to visually inspect a ballot. This is significant during a recount. Inspectors can examine a ballot over and over and come to agreement on just what the ballot says. That is crucial in establishing integrity with voters. Commissioners in other counties should have been so wise.

Damage Control

I had the opportunity to listen to Senator Barack Obama's speech on racism. Mr. Obama was introduced by former Senator Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania. I later watched the same speech on television later. The televised speech seemed more inspiring. It must be the same effect of listening to the Kennedy/Nixon denate on radio and watching it on TV. It was a good speech. It was not great. It was not Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. I would have been more impressed if the Senator had delivered the speech without the swirl of controversy surrounding him and his former Pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I was left with the impression that the Obama capaign was engaged in damage control, full throttle CYA, not a debate on the issue of race in America. Follow the speech with a major faux pas. After throwing his grandmother under the bus as a racist, he later described her as a "typical white person." Excuse me Senator I am not typical. That's stereotyping and, dare I say it, "racist."