Hits and Misses
MISS: Last week, former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke pulled the plug on what once looked like a formidable presidential campaign after failing to dislodge himself from the low single digits in most polls. Compared to fellow Democrat Joe Sestak, however, O’Rourke’s campaign was a mighty colossus. Sestak, a former Philadelphia congressman who came close to winning a Pennsylvania Senate seat in 2010, has been waging a low-key presidential campaign that has gained almost no attention. He has not qualified for any of the debates, and has not registered in any polls. Sestak is a figure worthy of respect, and has had an admirable career, but he will not be the Democratic nominee for president, no matter how unsettled the field appears right now. It’s time for Sestak to follow O’Rourke’s lead and devote his energies to other, more fruitful pursuits.
MISS: Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Northwestern University in Illinois recently and, as they should have, student journalists at the campus newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, covered Sessions’ appearance and noisy protests that accompanied it. But then, the newspaper published an editorial where they – wait for it – apologized for covering the event after some protesters complained. The editorial groveled, saying that “photo coverage of the event” caused “harm” to students, and that such photos were “retraumatizing and invasive.” The editorial concluded, “While our goal is to document history and spread information, nothing is more important than ensuring that our fellow students feel safe.” The newspaper’s staff has absolutely nothing to apologize for. They covered a newsworthy event, as they should have, and if protesters felt “retraumatized” by such coverage, then they should have never ventured out of their dorm rooms in the first place. It sounds like administrators at Northwestern need to add some lessons on developing a thicker skin to the university’s curriculum.
HIT: In 1973 and 1974, the television-viewing habits of millions of Americans were thrown into disarray by wall-to-wall coverage of the Watergate hearings. Each of the three major networks and PBS aired the hearings, pre-empting game shows, soap operas, cartoons, reruns of old sitcoms and movies and all the programs that were part of the daytime television menu almost a half-century ago. Given that we now live in an environment where Americans have hundreds of channels at their fingertips, it was worth wondering whether the three major networks and PBS would make the same decision for this week’s impeachment hearings. They decided to do so. They made the right call, since President Trump is now one of only four U.S. presidents subject to an impeachment inquiry. And, as PBS host and former White House press secretary Bill Moyers noted, “Plenty of Americans still rely on good old broadcast TV to get the word.”
MISS: Pennsylvania is one of the states where the most car crashes with deer happen, and November is the peak month for such accidents. So it’s best to be careful out there in the next few weeks. Drivers should remember to be cautious around dawn and dusk, be alert when driving near wooded areas or water, wear seat belts and don’t try to swerve if a crash can’t be avoided. Of course, wearing seat belts is wise around this time and throughout the whole year.