Monday, September 15, 2008

Watching the RNC

Last week's column in The Freeport Focus is presented here for a "fair and balanced" account of the other national convention.

Watching the RNC

Or Being Embedded with C-SPAN

By

Roland Tolliver


“Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much.” --Every speaker at the RNC after their introductions.

Our media maverick, Al Bebach, spent the last week embedded with C-SPAN, otherwise known as Continuous Sarah Palin Action News, this past week during the Republican National Convention. He is a little blurry-eyed after his back-to-back convention attack, but he was willing to share his thoughts with us again this week. (If you missed last week’s convention coverage, it may be viewed at http://pretzelcity.blogspot.com/).

Roland: Tell me, Al, how was this convention compared to the DNC in Denver?

Al Bebach (AB): I didn’t see as many celebrities. There was Pat Boone and Jon Voight, but no Arnold or Clint. Nothing like the DNC with Oprah, P. Diddy, or a host of Hollywood’s biggest stars, who were all clamoring to touch the hem of Barack Obama’s garment.

Roland: How was the mood of this convention?

AB: Much more businesslike for the first couple of days. There was a rush of enthusiasm for Wednesday night, though. Everyone was waiting for the main speech of the convention.

Roland: Do you mean Mike Huckabee’s or Fred Thompson’s?

AB: No, you silly goof. I’m talking about Sarah “Barracuda” Palin.

Roland: What did she have to say to the adoring crowd?

AB: I didn’t follow the words at first, so I had to watch it a second time on You Tube.

Roland: Why didn’t you watch her speech the first time?

AB: Because I spent the entire time just watching her. She’s like Lois Lane, I was just waiting for her to take off her glasses and let down her hair. If Obama should be on GQ, Sarah will end up on Vanity Fair or something like that. McCain looked like a doting grandfather when they were on stage together.

Roland: What about the content of the speeches, though. Any unusual revelations like you noticed last week?

AB: Let’s see. There was Mike Huckabee who told a long story about students not having desks. I guess that was relevant for children’s left behinds.

Roland: I believe that is “No Child Left Behind” and he was talking about our veterans’ earning the right for us to have a free education.

AB: You don’t really know Huckabee’s sense of humor, do you? Then Fred Thompson spoke of alligators and swamps. I think he was referring to King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Probably some off-handed reference to Sarah Palin’s dad, Michael, and his friends from Monty Python. I loved the Knights who say “Ni!” “Bring me a shrubbery!”

Roland: Michael Palin is British and is not Sarah’s dad. That would be funny, though, come to think of it. How did her speech go over?

AB: She was definitely the star of the convention. I don’t know that she laid any new policy information on the line, but she laid into the media and told us she did say no thanks to Simon and Garfunkel.

Roland: Simon and Garfunkel?

AB: Sure, she said, “Thanks, but no thanks for the Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”
Roland: That was the Bridge to Nowhere and she did support it at first when Senator “I’ll Fight My Indictment” Ted Stevens tried to get the appropriations for his state.

AB: Whatever. She was dynamic, eloquent and did I say, good looking?

Roland: Yes, you did, but what does that have to do with anything? If she was a man, you wouldn’t even bring it up, would you?

AB: You obviously missed last week’s column. Barack is the Rock Star and Sarah is now the Rock Goddess, though she wouldn’t like that title. You know? No false gods before me and all that. She made the main speaker seem shaky and unsure of himself by comparison.

Roland: You mean, Sarah Palin.

AB: No, Rudy Giuliani.

Roland: I was surprised that it took him almost to the end of his speech to mention 9/11. I realize that this week mark’s the anniversary of that most tragic day in American history, but surely he must have done something besides that in his life.

AB: You mean besides enjoying finding attractive women to marry?

Roland: Yes, besides that. What about the women who spoke other than Sarah Palin? Cindy McCain and Laura Bush were there, weren’t they?

AB: Yes. Cindy McCain had on an outfit complete with full accoutrements to the cost of over $300,000. Laura Bush ensemble was a mere $4000 or so.

Roland: Does that mean anything?

AB: The differences should tell you something. One comes from money and isn’t afraid to let it be known, no matter how many houses they have. The other one has served her country admirably and would probably like to return to a home on the range.

Roland: That brings us to the final night and the most anticipated event of the night.

AB: Obama being interviewed by Bill O’Reilly?

Roland: Ha! Ha! No, I’m talking about Senator McCain’s acceptance speech. Did he hit a “home run”?

AB: Let’s just say that he has served his country and that age shouldn’t matter as much as the American media makes it out to be of significance. On the other hand, he should probably be like most successful mates in a relationship and let Sarah do the talking from now on.

Roland: Thanks, Al. I can’t wait to hear your input over the next sixty days leading up to the election.

AB: It has felt like sixty months since this year’s election process started. I’m going to bed and hibernate until Christmas. Wake me when it’s all over.

Roland Tolliver is a freelance writer and contributor to The Freeport Focus and Village Voices. You may read additional writings and view photos from the Sesquicentennial celebrations at http://www.pretzelcity.blogspot.com/.

Friday, September 12, 2008

The Quiet Morning Sky

I lay in bed yesterday morning and heard the planes flying overhead. There is a distinct pattern of flight from points west to O'Hare Airport that goes directly over Freeport around 6:00 a.m.. I could set my alarm to the early morning drone of the jets. Yesterday marked the seventh anniversary of the day the jets quit flying for several ominously eerie days. The nation was at a standstill while the impact of the terrorist attacks of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and United Flight 93 were felt throughout our country and the world. It was the day the skies stood still.

All of the articles about "Where were you?" have been written to commemorate the date. The politicians put away their animosities for a one day truce. The memorials were held and the names of the victims were read and the bells tolled for those who gave their lives that day. Taps were played from the roof of the Pentagon and the sad refrains from the bagpipes echoed through the courtyard.

Local ceremonies were held throughout the country and law enforcement officers and fire department personnel were asked for their views on the tragedy and how it has affected our nation over the past seven years. Schools held moments of silence or stood at attention for "Taps" or the national anthem. Some said prayers for the victims and their families. Others went about their day, as if it were just another day.

I looked at the sky and wondered how something like that could happen and could it or would it happen again? Are there enough safety precautions now at our nation's airports, rail stations, and bus terminals? How much difference does it make if we take our shoes off or are strip-searched? Do we feel safer for ourselves and for our children? How much lip service has been given and how much actual action to ensure our country's protection has been taken?

There are plenty of reasons to question the war in Iraq and how it actually has affected the fact that there have been no more attacks on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001. There were legitimate reasons to go to Afghanistan and yet, Osama Bin Laden has still not been located. We've lost more soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq than died on 9/11 and we wonder to what end.

We are coming to an election and the "change" that is being touted is not really about true change in the way things are done, but in a change of the face of leadership. Will it matter much whether it is McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden if there is no change in the Congress? Once either one gets into office, the first term is about not screwing up too badly in the first two years, so that the next two years can be spent trying to stay in office with the next election.

Whether lipstick on a pig is an issue or who is the real agent of change really matters are left to public opinion, but it is really about having a vision for our country and the ability to convey that message to the citizens who are the ones whose lives are affected. Take away the TelePrompters and you still have human beings with doubts, human faults, and an occasional idea that takes us beyond the rhetoric and into a real sense of desire to accomplish something. Bring it to the level of everyday citizens and they might even find that their message resonates into community action.

We remember. We live. We go on. We move on. And in another year, we'll remember again. We should remember each and every day, though, about the days the skies stood still and our lives were changed. Forever.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Watching the DNC

Watching the DNC
Or How to OD on the Democratic National Commercial
By
Roland Tolliver

“Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you all very, very much.” --Every Speaker featured on Primetime Television’s version of the long infomercial known as the DNC.

We put our friend and pundit in front of C-Span for four straight days to get his interpretation of the Democratic National Convention this past week. Our man of the hour, the pugnacious prognosticator of the press, Al Bebach, spent considerable time not only deciphering the double-speak and diatribe (don’t worry, in all fairness, he’ll report on the Republican National Commercial, er, Convention, if it is held next week), but reading “between the lines” or tells you what was not said, or at least omitted from the highlight reels.

AB: Should I start with the big speech?
Me: You mean, Senator Obama’s?

AB: No, you silly man. I meant the one by the woman in the tangerine travelling pant suit.
Me: Sure. Go ahead. What did she say?

AB: It wasn’t what she said. It was what she left out. “I’m here tonight as a proud mother, a proud Democrat … as a proud senator from New York … a proud American … and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.”
Me: So. What’s the problem?

AB: Don’t you think it was a little, well, rude of her not to mention being a proud wife? Bill is sitting there mouthing his little, “I love yous” and she doesn’t even acknowledge him.
Me: Maybe she was getting back at him for that Monica Lewinsky thing in the White House?

AB: Perhaps, but that had to be embarrassing for the former President. Then she brings up her support of Senator John McCain when she said, “Know the way. Know the how. Know McCain!” and then the whole crowd started shouting, “Know McCain!” I mean, wasn’t she at the DNC?
Me: I think she said, “No way. No how. No McCain.”

AB: That’s what you think. I had a chance to see a draft of the speech and I think she was subliminally trying to support McCain. She plans on taking her 18 million voters with her and going home to … now where did she say she’s from? New York, Illinois, Arkansas, Washington, D.C.?
Me: What else do you have?

AB: My favorite line was about the most important job being taking care of our families and to “help every child live up to his or her God-given potential … ”
Me: That sounds like a good idea to me.

AB: The most important line must have been cut from the telecast, though.
Me: And that was …?

AB: … except the ones that we never want to give the chance to be born … Every human life deserves a chance to reach his or her potential, but there is no chance if there is no birth. What is God-given about that?
Me: I see your point. How about any of the others? What about Joe Biden?

AB: Let’s see. “Barack and I took very different journeys to this very destination, but we share a common story …” What he left out was that he’s shared a common story with others before.
Me: What do you mean?

AB: Don’t you recall how he used the story of British Labor Party Leader, Neil Kinnock, even plagiarizing his words as his own during a speech at the Iowa State Fair during the 1988 presidential campaign? He did the same thing when he was in college, but it was only “stressless scholarship” then, whatever that means?!
Me: So, he’s told a few lies. That shouldn’t disqualify him as a politician.

AB: Touché, sir. Touché! Then there was his line “My parents taught us to live our faith, and to treasure our families.” He, like Hillary, keeps leaving out the caveat, except the family members that don’t get a chance to live in the first place.
Me: I’m getting the impression that you are pro-life, Mr. Bebach.

AB: Well, Mr. Biden and the rest of the speakers are definitely on the opposite side of the fence on that subject.
Me: That is a major part of the Democratic platform. It does seem to go against the grain of the faith that Mr. Biden was alluding to, doesn’t it? How about Bill Clinton’s speech? Any insights?

AB: I think he said it all pretty much in his second sentence, “Now, in the end, my candidate didn’t win.”
Me: I didn’t think it was the end, but isn’t it the beginning of the final stage of this race?

AB: Yeah, of course. What was in his mind’s teleprompter went something like, ‘Now I don’t get to go back to the White House. Man, I had some fun there, but if Obama doesn’t win the general election, then McCain will be really old, and Hillary can run again and … why did I get the primary process changed … why did we let Barack Obama speak at the DNC four years ago? Why? Why? Why? … and …’
Me: And, what?

AB: I don’t know. He went on so long that I fell asleep and when I woke up there was a sustained applause when I think he said something about concluding his speech.
Me: And then there was the spectacle of the final night and the historic nomination of this country’s first African-American for a major party candidate for President.

AB: Yes, there was. And it was a truly momentous occasion in our country’s history. But then he, like Hillary, managed to commend a variety of occupations, but with a plan for national health care, both failed to mention the people who will be providing this health care.
Me: The clinics at Wal Marts and Walgreens?

AB: No, though it may come to that. I’m talking about doctors. I guess they don’t fall into the category of “ordinary men and women” who “found the courage to keep it (the American dream) alive.”
Me: I suppose it is just reward enough to keep people alive.

AB: Yeah, I’m sure that’ll fit nicely on a placard. I have to admit that Senator Obama has a way with words, but he sure uses the words “I will” a lot. He seems to forget about a Congress that has to be dealt with, though he’s only actually spent about 150 days there since he was elected as an Illinois state senator, and there is the issue of actually winning the election first. Then he keeps referring to shows like “Eight is Enough.” I wonder if Dick Van Patten will have a place in Obama’s cabinet?
Me: I’m exhausted just listening to you. How did you stay awake to see all of those speeches?

AB: It was the politicians and speakers abilities to keep offering everyone in America so much hype!
Me: I think they were saying, “hope.”

AB: You don’t know much about politics, do you?

Dr. Roland Tolliver is a contributing writer for the Freeport Focus.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Sesquicentennial Ball

Sesquicentennial Parade August 30, 2008

Debate Sesquicentennial Freeport 2008

Lincoln Douglas Sesquicentennial: Part 2

Additional photos from the Lincoln-Douglas Sesquicentennial Debate re-enactment from Freeport, Illinois on Saturday, August 30, 2008 in Freeport's Debate Square. Click on the photos to enlarge the picture.























Lincoln Douglas Sesquicentennial: Part 1


The following photos were taken from the Lincoln Douglas Sesquicentennial that took place in Freeport, Illinois on Saturday, August 30, 2008. George Buss portrayed Abraham Lincoln and Tim Connors is Stephen Douglas. Click on the photos to enlarge the pictures.





















Dr. Ed Finch as Captain Silas Terry









Friday, September 05, 2008

Guitar Hero or Rock Star: The Candidates' Version

The great debate is on. I was no where near being in the money in my GOP vice-presidential nominees. I, along with millions of other Americans, said, "Who?" when her name was being bantered about prior to the official announcement. Then I heard her speak at the nomination announcement and along with millions more, said, "Wow!" I really don't know much about her policies besides what has been written by the medial or has been presented by some of the "talking heads" but I couldn't help but be impressed by the strength of her speech. I know that a speech does not make a candidate, but no one can deny that eloquence of speech has not helped Obama. There is always more to a candidate than their comfort behind a microphone or in front of an audience. Of course, there is often less than meet's the eye as well once the teleprompter is no longer on.

There are those that can make a book come alive with the spoken word, but who cannot utter an intelligent thought on their own. There are others that are better when thinking on their feet or persuading people to believe in them or their ideals. Much in this way the two party's tickets are much alike, though in reverse order. Senator Obama's speaking ability is a given, when he is reading from a prepared text, so far, Governor Palin has proven just as adept in this format. If you've ever had the chance to see John McCain in an informal setting, he can be charming and disarmingly humorous and a quick thinker. Joe Biden, while long-winded and often evasive with his rhetoric, nonetheless, does better in a debate-style setting, than in front of a group of people. Witness the dryness of McCain's and Biden's speeches at the RNC and DNC respectively. Palin and Obama each drew around 40 million viewers for their speeches and clearly stirred up their respective audiences and core constituents.

How will all of this play out on the national stage? What will the debates prove? None of the candidates have been specific about policies. None of them have done much more than tout promises that will be all but impossible to implement or to pay for. None of them have the ability to circumvent a congress that is hellbent on maintaining their levels of power at whatever cost to the American public and Jill or John Q. Taxpayer.

All of the "I wills" in the world do not translate into effective action. None of the "crossing the aisles" will amount to anything if the other party is not willing to sacrifice or commit themselves to a global vision of a nation in need of healing. The infomecials known as the conventions are good show, but lacking in substance. Gentlemen and lady, state your positions!