Let's Go to the Tape

While I may bemoan the current state of the media, and what the 24-hour news cycle has done to us, it certainly does provide for entertaining television.

Watching politicians go on TV and say the exact opposite of what they did years ago, that is.

Yes, Republican talking head types -- President Obama politicized the killing of Osama bin Laden. Was it a bit tacky? Sure. Would you have done it? Damn right.

This isn't an election for Prom Queen. It's an election where billions (trillions?) of dollars will be spent in an effort to control the direction of this country for the next four years. To not do it would be akin to lowering the drawbridge when the marauders rang the doorbell.

So, yes, it's all politics and talking points and trying to lessen the damage of any kind of attack coming your way.

But at a certain point, all these talking heads just need to start telling the truth rather than the talking points. Just come out and say that the Obama ad was a bit douchey and get on with it. Don't tell us you're offended and we should be offended because you wouldn't do it. Because you doing it is on tape.

Let's face facts -- almost everyone has a camera on their person at all times. It shoots still photos, decent-enough video and records sound at a clarity that will make any point you try to make clear enough that someone can use it against you.

And if you've been on TV talking about it, forget about it. Everything in the last 20 years or so is safely stored away on some digital medium that can be searched and called up within hours -- if not minutes.

Yes, this latest round of attacks is more political grandstanding rather than pure hypocrisy. More getting everyone on message for the long road ahead -- and protecting your own guy.

But by attacking on this issue now, when there are still SIX months left until we have a vote that matters, aren't you painting yourself into a corner? When your attack ad comes that plays into protecting us from another September 11 attack (how many times did President Bush, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and more name-check that while campaigning?), will you be standing on your moral high ground then?

Look, both sides are guilty of this. I'm picking on the right because they're in the news with it now.

But, man, we've got six more months of this. Can we stop talking about style points and start talking about the points that actually are going to matter to this country? The ones that are actually lead to solutions to our problems? The ones that will end the gridlock (and cynicism) in Washington?

I can only hope. But I figure we'll be in for a long six months.