BlogHer - CNN - Comments

You can vote more than once for your CNN Hero

Britt Bravo — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:48:53 -0600

Thanks for the reminder BookLady Allison!

I'm Glad to Have Met a Hero

BookLady Alison — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 08:02:00 -0600

I had the fortune to meet with Yohannes Gebregeorgis a couple of weeks back. He is a compassionate man doing something great for the children in his native country. It was lovely to hear him speak of the libraries and the children and I am excited that I was able to meet him in person. I'm happy to say that I will get to help a little with his work during 2009.

I've read about the other nominees too. Whichever one receives the most votes, they are all heroes doing something great for others. You can vote several times, so whether you've voted already or not head over there to http://heroes.cnn.com/ and vote!

BookLady Alison

From Refugees to Heroes at Homeschoolers' Guide to the Galaxy
Gifts for readers and readers to be at GreatFunBooks.com

Maybe We Can Put The "Bradley Effect" To Rest

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:24:54 -0600

Hi Michelle,

After Obama's win maybe now we can put the whole idea of the "Bradley Effect" to rest.

You're right, the McCain campaign was responsible for picking Palin in the first place and they should bear the burden for making such a bad choice.

As far as her performance during the debate, I think she benefited greatly from the pre-debate lowering of expectations. I'm also not sure why more people didn't call her out for the ridiculous winking at the camera she did during the debate. I have a feeling it was so bizzare, the pundits didn't even know how to criticize it, so they just left it alone.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

I Posted The Night Before Election Day

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:16:52 -0600

Hi Jill,

You might have missed the post because I posted the night before Election Day and you, like so many others, might have been a little busy around that time. :)

I thought the video clip linked to in Eric Deggans article was particularly good act showing some of what went on during the campaign.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Partly A Desperate Competition For Ratings

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:08:58 -0600

Hi Kim,

I think a lot of the hyperventilating reporting---I'm talking to you Wolf Blitzer---the fast talking, the urgent tones, were an effort to get ratings. Barbara West, for example I think was simply trying to make a national name for herself.

Unfortunately, some of the other stuff, the racist comments, the sexism, the pandering to the audience---I'm talking to you FOX News---was a grab for ratings but also was an actual snapshot of how some of those pundits and guests really felt.

These were white men---for the most part---who saw their grip on power being snatched away by a woman and a black man. It was a new and very uncomfortable feeling for them and their insecurities and biases came out in full force.

On the flip side, so many good and reasonable people of all races and sexes were appalled by the lows, that can only be seen as something positive.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Partly A Desperate Competition For Ratings

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:08:57 -0600

Hi Kim,

On the flip side, so many good and reasonable people of all races and sexes were appalled by the lows, that can only be seen as something positive.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Bradley effect

Southerngirl — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:05:44 -0600

If I hear about the Bradley effect one more time I am going to SCREAM! That has to be one of the lows for me. There are quite a few Black canidates representing mostly White districts. This alone should have been enough to keep this from being a consistent conversation for the pundits. My other low was Palin's debate performace. Great, back in the game, showing she can hold her own. I was wondering what debate they were watching as my son did better with his second place finish in his 6th grade debate.

The lowest for me is that I do now feel the need to defend Palin. The responsibility for picking a running mate was squarely on John McCain's shoulders. He failed, this failure is not hers to bear alone. That is why canidates are vetted. There is probaly some brillant small town mayor or school board member out there going WTF? That person would have worn her T J Maxx and Marshalls finds on stage, gave great speeches with the chops to back them up and made even me agonize over who to vote for.

Michelle

I blog at http://www.mommycan.blogspot.com/

I feel a little sorry for Palin, too (shhh)

KeegsMom — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:56:45 -0600

I really feel she was in over her head (sorry if that sounds patronizing) ... and pretty much all the blame lay with the GOP braintrust. If campaign people advised or handled her inadequately (once you get past the question of an adequate vetting), and now are making her a scapegoat, well, super shame on them.

KeegsMom blogs at
KIDSFLIX

How did I miss this!?

Jill Miller Zimon — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:40:34 -0600

What a fantastic inventory - thank you so much. It's so important to have this here, Megan, because I don't know about you or other readers, but I can't count the number of times I hear someone say, "sexism? what sexism" or "racism? what racism" or "bias? what bias?" and on and on.

Great job.

Jill
Writes Like She Talks

I Feel A Little Sorry For Palin

Megan Smith — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:30:43 -0600

Yeah, my thing with FOX is if they were just honest about being Republican shills, I would be fine with that. It's that pretense of "fair and balanced" that makes me nuts. That and the majority of their reporters.

As far as Palin, I feel a little---make that a little---sorry for her because it appears she's being made the scapegoat for McCain's loss by many in the McCain camp. Now if reports are correct that the RNC told her to go out and buy three suits and not to spend more than $20,000, I'd say eyebrows should have been raised quite high. But stories like that have a way of changing to cover up bad decisions after the fact.

When you say:

Let's face it, the clothing story would also have been blown up with a male candidate marketing himself as a Wal-mart dude purchasing $3000 suits at Saks. It was the hypocrisy of it all...

I agree with you, but because it was Palin who already had so much going against her in the public eye, it was all the more worse.

Thanks for commenting.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Nice roundup

Kim Pearson — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:51:22 -0600

How much of the idiocy do you think was a function of the desperate competition for ratings?

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

FOX News Tops the "Low Points"

KeegsMom — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:32:51 -0600

They have to take the award here... How can they possibly call themselves journalists, let alone "fair and balanced?" It's really astonishing what they get away with... the last few weeks, hosts and reporters would blatantly say things like, "Well, it's bad news for McCain, these polls, but we can hope something shakes it up!" They would catch themselves and try to cover up... I'm talking about the Fox people who TRY not to appear biased, no point in discussing the others (like the morning crew).

They should have worn McCain buttons through the whole damn thing.

Also, the media getting bashed now for being hard on Palin is interesting... I think they only reported the things she did and said, whatever criticism befell her was brought on by her own actions. Let's face it, the clothing story would also have been blown up with a male candidate marketing himself as a Wal-mart dude purchasing $3000 suits at Saks. It was the hypocrisy of it all...

Anyway, enjoyed your list, Megan.

KeegsMom blogs at: KIDSFLIX

An Update On Taliban or Tal-ee-ban

Megan Smith — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:33:23 -0600

I got a note from someone whose Pakistani husband said the name is pronounced Tal-ee-ban. If anyone else has any thoughts, let me know.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

Finally Saw The CNN Hologram

Megan Smith — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:53:38 -0600

Okay so I finally saw the CNN Hologram. Anderson Cooper just did an interview with Hologram Will.I.Am.

I don't think it's a high or a low, just kinda weird. It works but it makes me think someone at CNN had a little too much money in the election night gadget budget.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute

I'm Only Now Starting To Watch

Megan Smith — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:46:27 -0600

Hi Denise,

I had unexpected guests---my aunt, uncle and cousin, who showed me video of them voting today---so I'm only now starting to watch the coverage and I haven't seen the CNN hologram. As soon as I do, I'll let you know if it's thumbs up or thumbs down.

Megan

BlogHer CE, TV/Online Video

My Personal Blog: Megan's Minute