Fib Finding
Another fact-check on the first Presidential Debate, this one courtesy of our friends at Spinsanity. […]
Author: Mark Evanier
Posts by Mark Evanier
Today's Political Rant (Second Thought)
I just re-read a line I posted earlier and changed my mind about it. It was the one that went, "I don't think we have any real post-debate polls yet. When we do, I wouldn't expect them to reflect any real gain for Kerry." I'm thinking I discounted the "horse race" mentality of the press, […]
Saturday Night Library
The E! Channel now owns the rebroadcast rights to all the past seasons of Saturday Night Live. So far, they have stuck to the last few years with occasional dips into the Phil Hartman/Dana Carvey years. But this last week — with reruns throughout this weekend — they've offered a fun overview of the series. […]
Today's Political Rant
Jeremy Waite wrote to ask, "If you don't like people saying that someone 'won' a Presidential Debate, what term would you use?" I'd say that someone helped or hurt their candidacy…and the measure of that doesn't necessarily have to translate into a significant swing in the polls in the days following. Kerry reportedly received a […]
What I Did This Morning
Just fixed the link on the Frank Rich article (sorry) and added a bit of additional info to my new page about Space Mouse. A fine way to start the day. […]
Late Late, Late Show News
Three different folks have written to tip me off to the name of the person who, they say, has been quietly signed to host The Late, Late Show (i.e., the 12:35 show that follows Letterman). All three asked me not to mention the name here, so I won't. But I don't think it would be […]
Recommended Reading
Frank Rich on a new documentary that claims we must re-elect George W. Bush because he's either Jesus Christ or the next best thing. Apparently, Christ would have made a darn good wartime president. […]
Secrets of the Comics
My pal Lou Mougin is not the first person to write me and ask… I remember, and have on scans, some of the Space Mouse comics from Dell in the early sixties. Problem was, even though it was copyright by Walter Lantz, I never saw a Space Mouse cartoon on TV. Did the character ever […]
Topical Talk
Another big winner last night was Jon Stewart. His live post-debate edition of The Daily Show got its highest rating ever — 2.4 million viewers, up from a previous "best" of 1.9 on 1/21/04. (John McCain was his guest that night.) This goes to what I was saying in a few earlier posts about how […]
The Morning After
Obviously, I'm pleased with the general consensus that Kerry clobbered Bush in the debate last night. But I find myself in the odd position of feeling that Bush didn't do as poorly as some of his most loyal followers are now conceding. Or maybe it's that I think he's always been like this. I want […]
Recommended Reading
William Saletan points out — and I think he's right — that George W. Bush is not about doing the right thing but about having the right nobility of character. […]
Truth-Stretching
The Washington Post fact-checks the debate. So does The Los Angeles Times. So does The Associated Press. […]
Final Thoughts 4 Tonight
All the post-debate polls are saying Kerry "won" (I still don't think that's the right word) and an amazing number of Conservative websites and pundits are either agreeing or claiming it was a draw. And these last are the kind of partisans who'd be claiming Bush won big if there was any possible way they […]
Recommended Reading
E.L. Doctorow has some withering criticism of George W. Bush. (Thanks to Mike Groman for the link.) […]
Thoughts After the Debate
I thought Kerry did well, though maybe not in a way that will translate into more votes. He looked presidential and he gave what were mostly short, easy-to-follow replies. I don't understand how people can look at Bush's "deer-in-the-headlights" blank stares and see a leader. But then I never understood how women can look at […]