Wednesday, October 15, 2008

P.S. on the Debate

Several folks wrote me that I needed to see the debate, rather than hear it on the radio as I did, to appreciate how poorly McCain did. I just watched most of the video on my TiVo and they're right. He looked crankier and more desperate...and even less convincing when he did his "I know how to fix this" lines. Obama looked cool and serious and for all the world like a guy who can afford to just sit on a big lead.

By the way: After the festivities, I listened to two local radio newsguys discussing what we'd just heard. One of them said, "You know, this may just be a lot simpler than people are making it out to be. This election may just be a matter of the public deciding that Republicans have gotten us into all the messes we're in so it's time to vote for whoever has the 'D' after his name, and there's nothing McCain can do about that." I'm not sure I don't agree with that.

• Posted at 11:40 PM · LINK

Third and Final

I was out but managed to catch most of the debate on radio. From the sound of what I caught, it didn't sound like I missed much. These guys didn't do three debates. They did one debate three times. I'll be surprised if public reaction is much different.

Still, it sounded to me like McCain lost more points than usual for being cranky and for trying to convince us in every other sentence that Obama wants to raise taxes. I'm a little fuzzy on just what Mr. Maverick is claiming here. Obama says he would only raise taxes on about 5% of Americans...so is McCain claiming that that's a lie and that Obama would really raise them on everyone or almost everyone? Or is that claim here that raising taxes for anyone, even if it's only the wealthiest 5%, is wrong or dangerous? If the latter, I wish he'd say that.

Also, I think any time anyone says, "This is the wrong time to raise taxes," they should be required to tell us when the right time might be. If they can't, they oughta be honest and just say, "There is never a good time to raise taxes."

In any case, it won't make a difference in this election. Most of the 95% take Obama at face value when he says that their taxes will not increase...or at least, they believe him as much as they believe any politician who ever says that. The other 5% probably weren't going to vote for him anyway.

McCain lost more points when the two men were asked to explain why each running mate would make a good President. Obama expained why Joe Biden was qualified. McCain explained why Sarah Palin was a good role model for women, a good governor for Alaska and a good mother for her kids...but not why she was qualified for the Presidency. And he just sounded whiny complaining about attack ads against him, especially considering what his side has put on the air. When he said Obama has spent more money than he has on negative ads, I was waiting for Obama to say, "Only because you've run out of money."

The only real news seemed to be the discussion about ACORN, which was incoherent on the part of both men, and the exchange about William Ayers. McCain said he didn't care about it but that Obama had a responsibility to explain the nature of the relationship. Obama offered something that won't satisfy his detractors. Nothing short of a confession of treason and a concealed radical agenda will satify them. But it'll probably do it for anyone who might vote Obama-Biden, and there are already more than enough of them. Obama also won points for not itemizing some of the sleazy folks who McCain has palled around with over the years.

I'll also add that I thought Bob Schieffer did a much better moderating job than anyone else has. This one almost sounded like a debate at times.

Big Loser? McCain, because he's running out of time to change the game and nothing tonight did. Big Winner? Joe the Plumber, whoever he is. My friend Shelly Goldstein called to wonder who we'll see playing Joe the Plumber on Saturday Night Live this weekend. She's thinking John Goodman.

• Posted at 8:59 PM · LINK

Jack Narz, R.I.P.

TV legend Jack Narz passed this morning at the age of 85 after suffering two massive strokes in the last three weeks. Narz was a fixture of early television, primarily as a game show host but also as an announcer and actor. His career went back to the first episode of the Superman TV series (the George Reeves one) where he served as narrator, and to the early science-fiction TV series, Space Patrol. He achieved greater fame as the on-camera announcer of the early situation comedy, Life with Elizabeth (1952) starring Betty White.

But it was the game shows for which he was best known, starting with Dotto in 1958. Dotto was an enormously popular series, broadcast in daytime and nighttime versions, up until the revelation that it was rigged. The famed Quiz Show Scandals pretty much started with this disclosure and Dotto was hastily axed. But the outrage did not touch Narz, who soon rebounded as the host of Top Dollar, followed shortly by Video Village and Seven Keys. Among the others shows he hosted were Concentration and Now You See It. He also worked as an announcer, panelist and/or producer on a dozen more shows, mostly for the Goodson-Todman company. (It was apparently a family thing. His brother, Tom Kennedy, also hosted a pretty impressive list of game shows over the years.)

Narz was extremely active in charitable causes over the years. I met him maybe a half-dozen times and he was a delightful source of anecdotes and information on television. He knew everyone. He'd worked with everyone. He seemed to get along well with everyone. A lot of folks will be very sad to hear that we've lost him.

Back in April of '07, Jack was a guest on Stu's Show, that great Internet radio show I'm forever plugging on this site. Item before last, I told you to listen in today when Stu Shostak interviews Tom Hatten and Jimmy Weldon at 4 PM Pacific. Now, I'll suggest you TiVo or tape the final Presidential Debate this evening and remain tuned to Shokus Internet Radio. Right after he interviews Hatten and Weldon live, Stu is going to replay his two-hour conversation with Jack Narz. One of the folks you'll hear calling in to praise Mr. Narz is me. (And if you want to watch Obama and McCain duke it out live, then you can hear the Narz interview tomorrow night in the same time slot — 6 PM 'til 8 PM Pacific.)

• Posted at 1:18 PM · LINK

Wednesday Morning

Hey, wasn't George W. Bush promising to cut our budget deficit in half before this year was over? I somehow have the feeling that ain't gonna happen.

• Posted at 9:15 AM · LINK

Kids' Shows Superstars

We've lost a couple of legends of local Los Angeles TV lately but fortunately, we still have a couple to have and to hold. Better still, you can hear them interviewed later today and even call in and ask them questions. Stu Shostak's guests on Stu's Show, everyone's favorite weekly Internet radio station, will be Tom Hatten and Jimmy Weldon.

If you grew up in Los Angeles and you're close to my age, no further explanation is necessary. You remember how Tom Hatten hosted the Popeye cartoons on Channel 5 for much of my childhood and how he put his skills as a cartoonist to good use on those programs. He used to sketch the Popeye characters and give little drawing lessons, and if you think that didn't have a lot to do with my interest in cartooning, you're wrong. KTLA used him as a host for many years in many time slots, and he's more recently served as an entertainment reporter for KNX radio. This is in addition to his busy career as an actor...and he's also a classy, smart guy.

Opposite him at times, over on KCOP Channel 13, one could watch cartoons hosted by Jimmy Weldon and his ducky pal, Webster Webfoot. "Uncle" Jimmy was a master of duck talk and he not only spoke for his puppet pal Webster but also for Yakky Doodle, the baby duck on The Yogi Bear Show. He has since become a motivational speaker, flying all over the continent to fire up audiences...but always taking li'l Webster along with him. He's another great guy with a long career in broadcasting and a generation or two of kids who grew up watching him.

If you were/are such a kid, or if you just want to hear about the fine art of kids' show hosting from two masters, tune in Stu's Show today for a live broadcast. It all happens from 4 PM to 6 PM Pacific Time, which is probably 7 PM to 9 PM Eastern Time...and you can figure out the other time zones based on that. To listen in, go to the website of Shokus Internet Radio at the appointed hour and click as directed. This oughta be one of Stu's best episodes...and he's had some pretty good ones lately.

• Posted at 12:40 AM · LINK