Pundits, Semantics and Chameleons
Whether I like Andrea Mitchell and respect her is not the point. I feel it was still stupid for her boss to arrange her having an interview with Gen. Petraeus in Iraq. The interview was typical with the typical hypotheticals etc. The intended purpose was, of course, to lay land mines for impending direct talks with Sen. Obama. “Elementary, my dear Watson.”
This evening and watching the evening news on the cable channels, I was struck by the different titles attached to political pundits. They seem to have different titles for the same work load. Kind of weird. They pontificate over the same issues thrown out time and time again by the presiding moderator’s flavor of the day. One may wonder are the different titles an issue of hierarchy, part of some journalistic pecking order or just ego stroking and thereby a money thing.
-OK! OK! If you insist on being a damn pest about it, I’ll explain the different categories you can check on this application. Sheesh! If you thought about majoring in ceramics if you ever decide to go to college, we haven’t considered basket weaving yet, you check Political Analysis. Right here. See. Check that box. Now if you have problems with five syllable words, check this one. The box that says Political Consultant. No, no! Not that one! This one. (Fool!) Now if we can get a letter from your Rabbi, Priest or Minister, you are eligible to check the box Political Hubrist. This is a new category usually associated with reporters and pundits reporting about Sen. Obama. That particular one, for some reason, does not pay as much as the others. Now for Political Strategist, you need to pass an audition for a gift to gab. That’s a hard test, I understand because you can’t laugh at your own bull shit. That’s when most of the applicants fail. That’s absolutely crucial not laughing at your own abilities to push bull shit. And now the last box, the one that says Foreign Affairs Correspondent, you have to have some diplomatic connections. Either married to one or have one as a family member. Well, those are your choices and you can move from one category to another especially moving from one TV or radio station to another.
The constant with a chameleon is the fact it is a reptile regardless how many changes it has on its color palate. The constant with political pundits is the fact they are human regardless how many changes are made to their titles (And appearance). And so we have titles like Political Analysis, Political Strategist and Foreign Affairs Correspondent. I have yet to hear the title Political Scientist amongst the regulars. Political Science is a discipline to which a college degree is attached. At this time, I can not name a regular on the cable news shows introduced as a Political Scientist but the times they are a-changing.
The question then becomes what exactly is a Political Analysis, a Political Strategist and a Foreign Affairs Correspondent et. al? Are they also degreed persons or are they just as the chameleon, a reptile capable of changing its color palate as needed? Good gossips come to mind. Some better than others. “Much ado about nothing” plant hoppers. How differently does each one really report the news?
NEWS FLASH: Obama farts.
As always,
BB
This evening and watching the evening news on the cable channels, I was struck by the different titles attached to political pundits. They seem to have different titles for the same work load. Kind of weird. They pontificate over the same issues thrown out time and time again by the presiding moderator’s flavor of the day. One may wonder are the different titles an issue of hierarchy, part of some journalistic pecking order or just ego stroking and thereby a money thing.
-OK! OK! If you insist on being a damn pest about it, I’ll explain the different categories you can check on this application. Sheesh! If you thought about majoring in ceramics if you ever decide to go to college, we haven’t considered basket weaving yet, you check Political Analysis. Right here. See. Check that box. Now if you have problems with five syllable words, check this one. The box that says Political Consultant. No, no! Not that one! This one. (Fool!) Now if we can get a letter from your Rabbi, Priest or Minister, you are eligible to check the box Political Hubrist. This is a new category usually associated with reporters and pundits reporting about Sen. Obama. That particular one, for some reason, does not pay as much as the others. Now for Political Strategist, you need to pass an audition for a gift to gab. That’s a hard test, I understand because you can’t laugh at your own bull shit. That’s when most of the applicants fail. That’s absolutely crucial not laughing at your own abilities to push bull shit. And now the last box, the one that says Foreign Affairs Correspondent, you have to have some diplomatic connections. Either married to one or have one as a family member. Well, those are your choices and you can move from one category to another especially moving from one TV or radio station to another.
The constant with a chameleon is the fact it is a reptile regardless how many changes it has on its color palate. The constant with political pundits is the fact they are human regardless how many changes are made to their titles (And appearance). And so we have titles like Political Analysis, Political Strategist and Foreign Affairs Correspondent. I have yet to hear the title Political Scientist amongst the regulars. Political Science is a discipline to which a college degree is attached. At this time, I can not name a regular on the cable news shows introduced as a Political Scientist but the times they are a-changing.
The question then becomes what exactly is a Political Analysis, a Political Strategist and a Foreign Affairs Correspondent et. al? Are they also degreed persons or are they just as the chameleon, a reptile capable of changing its color palate as needed? Good gossips come to mind. Some better than others. “Much ado about nothing” plant hoppers. How differently does each one really report the news?
NEWS FLASH: Obama farts.
As always,
BB
posted by BB at 4:46 AM
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