By Staff
Today is turkey day. We're on the road. Rumors are we're having fried bird. One of our kids is chef of the day and he promises a perfect turkey. But on the other hand we've had political turkeys frying each other for most of November.
The huge financial investment in winning the presidency of the United States has fueled continuing and increasingly shrill fault finding by political partisans of both parties. We've certainly had a surfeit of sanctimonious caterwauling. Truth seems to be a one way street and each talking head has the signs correctly deciphered.
Media bashing
And when the political operatives tire of pounding and trashing the other side, they turn toward the media. I'm among those more than bored by partisan media bashing. Charges of liberal bias are especially comic. The sad reality is most of America's media is too superficial to sustain any deep bias.
Competition does help erode both political and journalistic standards. The politician's goal is to win the election. The network news teams have a goal of getting the election called before other media. Our need for immediacy in election results helps spur this media competition.
And now we've got the combatants squaring off in one court and then another. Justice trashing is becoming a popular sport. You don't like the decision? Just like basketball, blame the officials.
The continuing fiddle of individual ballots has escalated to legalistic rock tossing that will likely reach the Supreme Court of the United States. I find some irony in the party of big government using local counters and courts to manage the fiddle while the party which champions local government petitions the courts of big government for relief.
Bonanza
The whole thing is a continuing bonanza for comedians and commentators. Sally and I are on the road and must miss Mark Russell's local performance. However, the Meridian Community College Arts and Letters Series has a terrific scheduling coup with a Nov. 28 performance by this dean of political observers.
And just as the premier presidential provider of comic material in decades, William Jefferson Clinton, was being to fade away. The election of 2000 has created a new high, or is it low, in topical humor.
Marvelously timely. And who better than Mark Russell to polish these nuggets of fallibility.
But all in all I'm saddened by the whole spectacle. Both parties have sold me that they trust neither the people nor the system unless they get the results they desire.
Performance bar
On the other hand I've been heartened by the many responsible local and state officials who seem to be searching for fairness in maelstrom of partisan nit picking.
As one of those who had very low expectations of either candidate, I am setting the performance bar even lower. Anything either achieves as president will exceed my expectations. And on the up side? All this post election posturing reminds me how well each of the candidates takes directions.
But on the other hand, who is giving the direction? The folks who wrote the checks, the fundraisers and the party bosses. These are the people who know what's best for the voters. For you and for me. Leftovers, anyone?
Bill Scaggs, president emeritus of Meridian Community College, is senior consulting editor of The Meridian Star. E-mail him at bscaggs@meridianstar.com.