John Kerry

Any objective viewer would say Kerry excelled in presidential debates.

Ignore the pundits, though. Just vote.

LOST is the new black

I wrote a few days ago that gay-themed shows were the new black. I'll now clarify that they're the new black as a genre of shows.

LOST, with its whopping 6.8 rating among 18-49 year olds, is the highest-rated new show.

I'll give it another look next week and try to skip TOP MODEL.

LOST's nearest competition was NBC's HAWAII. I predict it will be canceled soon, if not for NBC lacking something to replace it. But I think NBC has plenty of FEAR FACTOR reruns on the ready.

In the key demo, it's essentially a 5-way-tie for last place on Wednesday nights. Household numbers are a little different but not by much.

I am thrilled for my man J.J. Abrams and ABC.

Corporations, Media, Ugly

Posted by Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting.

FCC: Jesus Christ is a 4-letter word

You may have missed it on the Emmy's this year. I did.

But when "Jesus Christ" was uttered by award-recipient Elaine Strich, it was muted out for broadcast. Meanwhile, her "f'n" variant on the f-word was broadcasted freely and clearly.

It seems Jesus Christ, spoken aloud for national broadcast, may be considered "indecent" by the federal government. No shit.

This flies in the face of my intuitions of free speech protected by the First Amendment--not to mention constitutional doctrine separating church and state.

After the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction from CBS' Superbowl broadcast, the networks are Super-sensitive to government fines and regulation. CBS has been fined $550,000 by the FCC.

Jesus Christ!

I suspect CBS will appeal the FCC fine.

A Big Florida Mess

Just as meteorologists could predict the hurricanes' paths to Florida, bloggers and political scientists can foresee a protracted legal battle involving Florida's elections this November.

There is plenty of evidence to raise serious doubts about the Diebold-made electronic voting machines. Recall, Diebold's leaders have worked hard to get George Bush re-elected.

In 2000, there were poorly explained reasons why the numbers didn't add up. Some claimed outright fraud.

Supporters of these machines say they are much better. Indeed, they are being used in another important swing state, Ohio. Critics say that will only lead to more problems.

Diebold insists their machines are accurate and election-ready. Yet, more news has surfaced on missing votes from these allegedly accurate vote counters. Unfortunately for us, this isn't from the 2000 debacle, but from just last week.

Vote By Mail. It's the best way.

Tough luck, if just some Iraqis vote

Donald Rumsfeld has essentially said just that. Let freedom ring!

Apparently, Republicans feel the same way here at home in America. They aren't interested in allowing everyone to vote. In Ohio, the Republican Secretary of State wants to throw out applications to vote because the paper cardstock isn't thick enough. It is no coincidence that most of these potential new voters are registering as Democrats.

What's more, former president Jimmy Carter--who has monitored over 50 international elections--has called Florida's upcoming elections poor, and predicts a repeat of 2000.

Feel like doing something in Florida? I do, too.

Consider Election Protection in Florida. Tax-deductible, too!

Turning Arizona Blue

It will be an exciting, emotional Presidential race.

Over the weekend, I drove with ten volunteers from southern California to Scottsdale, Arizona, in a growing trend sweeping the nation. Non-swing state residents are traveling to help their swing-state neighbors.

Specific to Arizona, the goals are to register new voters, encourage currently registered voters to Vote By Mail, and turn the state Blue (a.k.a. Democratic).

This is a formidable goal, given Arizona's historic Republican tradition. Both of Arizona's Senators are Republican.

But the demography of Arizona is rapidly changing. New residents from states like California have moved in--and in big numbers. Consequently, the electoral mix becomes more progressive and more Democratic. For instance, Arizona elected its first Democratic governor in many years--and a woman to boot.

Additionally, the "ground forces" are engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Something Democrats are best at, according to a Democratic spokesman. This article is worth the read based on her quote alone.

Meanwhile, I will be traveling to Arizona throughout the next 5 weeks doing my best to do my part. You can too. Just get involved and start here.