Oscars for the Low-Information Voter

The Academy Awards for No-Nothings....

I saw Argo last weekend.  It was a pretty entertaining show that  mirrored a bit of today's headlines.  Unrest in the Middle East, an ineffective US foreign policy, a befuddled White House.  Package that up with good editing, a decent cast, a humorous Hollywood angle and a taut dramatic ending and what more could you want?  Not to mention director and actor Ben Affleck's underdog status going into award season?

Argo poster

Well, it just wasn't true.  Pretty much all made up.  Oh yeah, CIA operatives created a backstory for six Americans suggesting they were part of a Hollywood movie production in order for them to get out of the country easier - but it was nothing like the movie depicted.  They created mutliple faux story lines to make it "more dramatic" - even though they claim this was a true story that no one knew until now.

BS.  In fact many of this year's contenders have flaunted history.


Fifteen minutes.

In December, I saw Lincoln, and as a Civil War buff, I was expecting it to be a sweeping epic of masterful proportions.  Ultimately, I thought it was a incredible bore of a movie (and that James Spader, as a colorful lobbyist, was really the only interesting character).  From the baffling opening sequence of Lincoln being blatantly scolded by a black Union infantryman for not getting paid as much as "white folk", you pretty much knew this was a Spielberg homage to leftism - even though it should have been a profile about a courageous Republican president.

Since it's release, historians have criticized the film for its other innacuracies including the final scenes revolving around the vote to abolish slavery.  Not only did they mischaracterize how certain congressmen voted "for dramatic effect" they also did not pay attention to the means of order on how each representative voted (by alphabetical order instead of by state) which has upset many states and heirs as to their historical place in this vote.  This was a film that many of its participants boasted of its historical accuracy and it basically goofs dramatically about the part of the Lincoln's legacy it strives to highlight the most.

Philadephia freedom...

And then you have Zero Dark 30 which has been shrouded in issues since its release.  The reality is that any Oscar based on actual facts should go to Silver Linings Playbook because as Maureen Dowd said "we all know how crazy Philadelphia Eagle fans are".  For once, I agree with her.

I understand dramatic license, but certainly in this age of low-information voters many people (i.e. votes) really do believe what they see on TV and the movies.  While the 300-page book Game Change covered Hillary's failed presidential campaign, John Edwards infidelity, and Bill Clinton's racism - the only context that was displayed by the HBO production was the 18 pages devoted to Sarah Palin.  And endless Hollywood awards.


D'oh

The national media is not only distorting recent political news, but also our treasured national history.  There is no award for that.


Danica Patrick Wins Pole for Daytona 500

She's finally on the pole....

And for more women in the news (besides a lying Hillary) - newly minted NASCAR driver Danica Patrick made history last Sunday by being the first female to qualify for the pole position for this weekend's Daytona 500.  In other words, it's the top starting positon for a field of 40+ cars commencing the race in rows of three.  Congratulations Danica. 

Go daddy...

Benghazi 2013: "What Difference Does It Make!?"

Seriously, what the diff....?  I have a campaign to run.

Indeed.  What difference does it make?  Four dead Americans.  A failed foreign policy on display a a mere days after the Democratic National Convention that droned on and on (no pun intended) about how Al Queda is "on the run" and Obama has conquered all.  Since then we have had nothing but lies and obfuscation from the administration about their failure to protect our embassies abroad on the 11th anniversery of September 11.  They did well to lie their way to a win in November, but the untruths keep coming in 2013.

First, we have last month's Hillary Clinton hearing before Congress where Democrats showered her with bon mots and Republicans were too busy making speeches that they never gave her the opportunity during those five-minute segments to let her hang herself on her own words - the very words we know lead to mistruths because she did nothing but purvey innacuracies about the incident since last September. 

Hillary inexplicably proclaimed that she never saw cables from the late-Ambassador asking for more security prior to September 11.  This is the Secretary of State (!) who is getting verbal kisses from Democrats for what a great job she did but she didn't know about "her dear friend" Ambassador Stevens impassioned pleas for help?  Or did she just not act?

Hillary claimed she had a "clear-eyed view" of the problems in the Middle East but she didn't review despairing cables from her dear friend?  When she did have time to answer questions (instead of time filled up by blustery, long-winded questions from Congressmen) she filled her bloviated answers with procedural nonsense and listing of long-worded-named agencies. And when she did become flustered upon the minimal direct questioning about her non-involvement in a 'state' activity she threw up her hands and exclaimed "At this point what's difference does it make!?"  Her testimony was dispicable and certainly untruthful.

Three weeks later, outgoing CIA Chief Leon Panetta said he did not talk to President Obama after his 5 PM meeting the day the Benghazi attacks occured.  He also said he did not talk to Hillary.  He claimed the State Department did not ask him to act.  Meanwhile the attacks went on for another 9 hours.  What were they doing?  No, what the f--- were they doing?!!!

Nothing to see here...it's all good.

A week prior to this admission, the CBS 60 Minutes program (long-known for its hard hitting investigative journalism) interviewed both President Obama and Hillary as an apparent homage to their unlikely Cabinet pairing after being bitter rivals for the presidency in 2008.  No questions were asked about Hillary's performance at the Congressional hearings or recent issues about Benghazi.  CBS's Steve Kroft just blew them kisses - and later admitted it.  Mike Wallace is rolling over....


"...like peas and carrots..."

While we have a complicit and immoral press, it is apparent that more Americans will die needlessly abroad and nothing will be done about it. The mainstream press refuses to ask questions.  Welcome back to the era of Yellow Journalism.

I Didn't Know That They Let Navy Play in the Title Game.....

Luck of the irish...?

Well, I sure enjoyed that Alabama - Navy game this past Monday. I thought it was supposed to be the National Champtionship game but somehow the BCS slipped the Middies in there instead. Well good for them. I'm glad they scored.