By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Aug 13, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET
1. Maybe, just maybe, the presidential debate will turn substantive: The past few weeks have seen some of the most disgusting and despicable campaign charges in recent memory — from the Obama Super PAC implying that Romney killed a man’s wife to Romney’s completely mendacious claim that Obama is eliminating the work requirement from Bill Clinton’s welfare reform. The choice of Paul Ryan places his economic policy vision on the front stage, and allows the country to witness a thorough, meaningful debate on whether FDR’s Welfare State should survive this Age of Austerity. It will also put in clear focus one of the critical themes of modern America — growing income inequality — and I hope will force the Obama campaign to develop concrete plans to deal with it.
2. Mitt Romney’s campaign could be the next victim of the “Aspen Curse”: As an Obama supporter, it is comforting to know that the “Aspen Curse” — which victimized me and so many of my friends — could turn on Mitt Romney. As I detailed in this piece a few months ago, I was the member of the Inaugural Class of the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellows program, that brought together young political leaders from across the country for bipartisan dialogue. Unfortunately, every one of us that sought major statewide office over the next several years lost — from contributing RP Michael Steele to New Jersey’s Tom Kean to Missouri’s Robin Carnahan to most recently Nebraska’s Jon Bruning. Paul Ryan, and seven other young incumbent Congressman, were originally named to our class; but due to their busy schedules and strict Congressional ethics rules, Aspen dropped Congressmen from the program. Still, the Aspen Curse victimized sorta-Rodel-Fellows Florida’s Kendrick Meek when he ran for the U.S. Senate and contributing RP Artur Davis when he ran for Alabama’s Governor. So maybe too Paul Ryan will meet the same fate.
3. It demonstrates that the Romney campaign is in trouble. As nearly every insta-analyst of the pick has agreed, Paul Ryan was the riskiest pick among the VP finalists, which included former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, and my spring prediction, Ohio Senator Rob Portman. Romney and his campaign have been playing it safe since the beginning of the primary season, avoiding controversy whenever possible. The Ryan pick indicates that they felt they needed to shake up the dynamic that has Obama up 7-9 points in national polls, despite their looming cash advantage.
4. It is great news for Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. The tiny, extraordinary school, which hosted the 2000 Vice-Presidential debate, will get its second chance to be in the world’s spotlight this fall. Having a debate between two bright, spirited men, with deeply contrasting visions of the country’s economic future, will lift the debate in significance and historical weight. It will be another great moment for small town Kentucky.
5. It is great news for my daughter, Emily. Of course, I personally view this as #1. As Emily heads next week to freshman orientation at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, her outstanding choice of higher education will rise in national attention as the alma mater of the GOP Vice Presidential nominee. Moreover, I’m thrilled that the presidential campaign will become a central part of campus dialogue, making Emily’s first experience in the voting booth — casting her ballot for Barack Obama — all the more special.
6. (UPDATED) Of the four men on the two major presidential tickets, the only Protestant is the..uh..”Muslim”
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Aug 9, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET
As the fall season approaches, there are few shows that I am more eagerly anticipating that Showtime’s “Homeland.” Not only did the suspenseful drama keep me enthralled all last year, but the new season is filmed in Tel Aviv! (It is based on an Israeli series.) Doesn’t get much better than that!
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Aug 8, 2012 at 4:00 PM ET
If you’ve been watching the Olympics…
OK if you have a pulse and electricity in your home…
You’ve undoutbedly seen a promo of the much anticipated NBC series, “Go On,” starring Friends’ alum Matthew Perry as a sports radio talk show host who has recently been widowed.
If you are not already hooked, here’s another reason to watch: My cousin, Allison Miller, plays Perry’s assistant on the show. Allison, (at left, and at the far left in the picture to the right) has previously starred in Terra Nova and Kings, but this might be her breakout moment. So don’t you dare miss it.
So, stay up after the Olympics tonight (or if you are old like me, don’t forget to program your DVR). A star will be born! Or at least, I guarantee many laughs.
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Aug 8, 2012 at 2:00 PM ET
The American gold medalist explains to the New York Post that her choice of “Hava Nagila” for her floor routine was in dedication to the Munich 11 who lost their lives at the 1972 Olympics and for whom a moment of silence was denied by the International Olympic Committee:
“I can only imagine how painful it must be for the families and close personal friends of the victims.”
But by refusing to hit the pause button for a measly 60 seconds, Rogge and other organizers have committed a sin nearly as grave as denying there was ever a Holocaust.
Were it not for young Aly and her wedding dance/bat mitzvah accompaniment, the Munich dead may have never gotten their due.
“I am Jewish, that’s why I wanted that floor music,’’ Raisman said.
“I wanted something the crowd could clap to, especially being here in London.
“It makes it even much more if the audience is going through everything with you. That was really cool and fun to hear the audience clapping.’’
Raisman’s eyes opened as wide as the gold medal she would win when the judges announced her score of 15.600 points after her mistake-free routine.
Her top finish was the first by an American woman in the Olympic floor exercise, and the win gave Raisman her second gold medal. Raisman admitted the 40th anniversary of the Munich Games made her “hora” gold even more special.
“That was the best floor performance I’ve ever done, and to do it for the Olympics is like a dream,’’ Raisman said.
Raisman did not go to the Games with the star power of her teammate Gabrielle Douglas or the résumé of world champion Jordyn Wieber,
But those who know her best said she works as hard as anyone, and, more importantly, her heart is in the right place.
‘’I’m so happy for Aly,” Douglas, the first African-American to win the all-around title, said after the floor competition. “She deserves to be up on that podium.’’
“She is a focused person,” said Rabbi Keith Stern, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Avodah in Newton Centre, Mass., where the Raisman family are members.
“She’s very proud and upfront about being Jewish. Neither she nor her family explicitly sought to send a message. But it shows how very integrated her Jewish heritage is in everything that she does.”
Stern said he remembers picking up young Aly from preschool, and never imagined she’d be some sort of megastar.
He described the US team captain as a big sister-type who is a mother hen to all her younger siblings.
“I can’t wait to have her at the temple to talk about her experience,” he said.
“I know her sister’s bat mitzvah is coming up, so maybe I’ll catch up with her then.”
Stern said that he, too, was stunned by the IOC’s refusal to hold a moment of silence.
“I’m happy to hear any other explanation,” Stern said. “But short of some racist grudge somebody is holding, I can’t figure out why it would be a terrible thing to do.”
Stern said he watched the routine and was blown away. Even so, he said he is more proud of Raisman’s gold mettle than he is of the new jewelry around her neck.
“I have to say, the statement just warmed me to the very depths of my being,” Stern said.
He compared it to the iconic black-power, raised-fist protest made by track stars John Carlos and Tommie Smith on the medal stand at the 1968 Mexico City Games.
“They’re not going to forget that,” the rabbi said. “I certainly won’t.”
By Jonathan Miller, on Fri Aug 3, 2012 at 9:15 AM ET
As you read this, hundreds of Kentucky’s political activists are driving down the Western Kentucky Parkway to attend a weekend-full of political festivities, centered around the celebrated Fancy Farm picnic that will take place tomorrow at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in the tiny hamlet of Fancy Farm, Kentucky.
Fancy Farm weekend represents the very best of American politics — a nostalgic revsiting of true grassroots, retail politicking, filled with stump speaking, great Southern cuisine, and special, deserved attention paid to rural far-western Kentucky, the most physcially remote area of the state, that too often is ignored by the state capital.
Unfortunately, the two-to-three hour political speaking forum at the Fancy Farm picnic represents today’s politics at its very worst — an ugly, often disgraceful exercise in mean-spirited, hyper-partisan name-calling, a microcosm of everything that’s wrong with today’s politics.
Check out this column that I wrote after last year’s Fancy Farm for The Huffington Post:
The first Saturday in August is permanently etched into the calendar of every aspiring state politician — and most political junkies — who make pilgrimage to far Western Kentucky to endure insufferable heat and humidity, feast upon some of the country’s most savory barbecue (Try the mutton… seriously), and participate in a weekend’s worth of small-town meet-and-greets, bean suppers and ham-and-egg breakfasts all over the Jackson Purchase.
Most of Fancy Farm weekend features some of the very best of politics, just the way the old-timers remember it: plenty of hand-shaking and baby-kissing and back-slapping and stump-speaking. For one weekend, the most remote area of the state (and one of the country’s regions worst hit by the flight of manufacturing jobs overseas) gets the full respect and attention of the big city slickers and the state capital politicos. The beleaguered, budget-debilitated press corps also attends in full force, hyping effusive praise on one of the few events that their editors will still pay for them to attend. Big money media buys be damned: This is grassroots politics at its finest.
But unfortunately, for two hours on Saturday, Fancy Farm represents politics at its very worst. As political candidates take the stage at 2:00 PM to prepare for their five- to ten-minute speeches, angry, super-partisan crowds lurk right next to the stage, ready to unleash vocal abuse on their perceived enemies. Once the first speaker clears his throat, the acrimonious chanting, the blindly furious yelling, commences. To describe this as “heckling” would be absurd understatement. This is verbal warfare, and the language used and the insults hurled make a mockery of the tranquil church setting.
By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Jul 30, 2012 at 1:30 PM ET
With three states nearing initiatives to legalize marijuana this fall, Julian Brookes thinks that we are near reaching the tipping point: [The Daily Beast]
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Jul 26, 2012 at 7:40 AM ET
The RPette and I made a detour on our visit to Israel to check out the Jewish State’s most friendly neighbor, Jordan. We checked out Petra, one of the seven modern wonders of the world, and the hype was no exaggeration.
Our first visit was to the Treasury, Petra’s most elaborate ruin, which is hewn into the sandstone cliff. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery filmed Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade here, so I tried to bring some Kentucky blue to the Hoosier mentality.
The majestic work, which was probably constructed between 100 BCE and 200 CE ,was named for the rumor that pirates often hid their loot in it. My attempt to throw around the fact that I ran the Kentucky Treasury for eight years was met by confused shrugs and offers to ride a camel.
We moved on to Petra’s famed amphitheater, which was built by the Nabataeans out of the rock around 1 CE. It originally had 11 rows with 300 seats. Later, after the Romans conquered Petra in 106 CE, they increased the seating capacity to between 3000-4000 people.
I delivered what I thought was a very powerful speech about financial literacy and Texas hold ’em poker, but unfortunately the historic address met upon deaf ears, except of course for one very embarrassed teenage girl.
Finally, after the Jordanians got wind that I was an inveterate gambler — and after one two many awful “Air Jordan” and “Crossing Jordan” jokes — we were thrown out of the country to return to our Zionist roots.
The picture at left was snapped by a Jordanian security official upon the condition that should the RPette ever return, it would be with her mother instead.
