2016 Feb 8^th

We have a Thomas Sowell column today and, once again, Dr. Sowell’s remarks are predictable. He is not happy about Donald Trump’s successes and blames “the media” for asking shallow questions of the candidates during debates. He suggests that each candidate have a one-on-one interview with a knowledgeable interviewer and that interview would give us a better indicator of the candidate’s views. He’s right about that. Then he goes on to fault the networks for not doing those interviews because the networks are chasing ratings. Really? And why are they chasing ratings? They chase ratings because they are operating in a profit based system that Sowell eagerly defends until that system finds itself so focused on ratings (making money) that it fails the public trust. Public television and public radio, which do not depend on ratings, but on private and government funding, could do exactly that sort of interviewing; but the government funding of NPR and PBS really upsets most folks of Sowell’s persuasion. Sowell wants to eat the fruit but hates caring for the tree.

I doubt that Sowell’s column was written after the truly ignominious performance by Senator Rubio. This Senator, even after being accused of using canned speeches by Governor Christie, used literally identical words over and over again to attack President Obama. He did this even after Christie called the audience’s attention to what he was doing. It was clear that Rubio could not think of anything else to say so he fell back on his script for a response in spite of the hazard that presented.

So the result will be what? In spite of pundits comparing this to Lloyd Bentsen’s take down of Dan Quale with his, “You’re no Jack Kennedy, Senator,” I doubt that this will have much negative effect on Rubio or positive effect on Christie when the votes are tallied tomorrow. Let’s face it, in spite of that very effective put-down, Quale ultimately became Vice-President and Bentsen did not.

Likeability still matters. Let’s face it, several of these candidates are just not very likeable and some I’d enjoy talking to or meeting for coffee. At the top of the list I’d put Jeb Bush and John Kasich…and maybe Marco Rubio. (These are in no particular order.) At the other end there are a few I’d prefer not to talk to at all. At the very bottom I’d place Carly Fiorina. From her TV appearances I doubt that she is capable of listening if she could be talking. (In that regard she is a little like Donald Trump.) Her companions at the bottom would be Governor Christie and Senator Cruz; both of them look like they’ve taken a brief break from a crime drama movie set where they play a pair of unprincipled heavies. I’ll ignore those who have dropped out of the race…except for Senator Lindsay Graham whose politics, although disagreeable, compensates for that with his wit.