George Smith: It's Tuesday and how's your oatmeal?
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The first Tuesday in November ...
It is the morning of Nov. 4 and I'm heading out to vote. It's on the way to work, and I might as well.
That's a projection for Tuesday morning, the beginning of the day when we will elect Barack Obama president of the United States ... or pull a 1948 ... as in:
Dewey defeats Truman ...
That was a morning headline in a Chicago paper, remember?
Truman won in an upset.
Which is, if you believe polls, exactly what John McCain needs if he's going to become president.
A good guess is that just ain't gonna happen and our next four years will be sort of like:
1. Told you so ... he's the chosen one.
2. Told you so ... ain't no way that guy shoulda been elected.
So where am I going here this morning?
For beginners, I'm not exactly sure I can "endorse this message." because I'm as mixed up on this as a bowl of day-old oatmeal.
And since I'm not in the business of endorsing candidates, you might check with our circulation department for a refund.
(Just kidding, folks, just kidding.)
But I am not kidding 'bout Tuesday morning. Fact is, something Jeff Greenfield, CBS News and of Jewish heritage, recently posted on Slate (Web site), and I quote:
When I listen to the complaints that follow just about every presidential debate, I'm reminded of the well-worn joke about the Jewish mother who buys her son two shirts. When he shows up at dinner wearing one, she says: "What's the matter? You didn't like the other one?"
Me, I'm hung up on my "lesser like."
In the same posting, Greenfield noted that a Republican Party chairman in Indiana's 9th Congressional District suggested the candidates be hooked to lie detectors for their debate.
You wonder if that wouldn't have been a good idea for at least one of the presidential debates.
Truth is, I have no idea on that, because I spent a lot of time watching Law & Order re-runs during the debates, depending on the "experts" telling me who won in the next morning newspapers or TV nets.
That has a lot to do with the current condition of my oatmeal.
At times, there seems to be more voices in the media than there are media consumers, but two things are for sure.
One group will tell you
the Democrat won.
One group will tell you
the Republican won.
In the vernacular, there ain't no middle ground, no sane discussion 'round whatever network table they're sitting. My son and heir, who comes down in the McCain camp with both boots, has expressed a desire I suspect most of us would support.
Basically, what he says is "I'd love to see a discussion where only one side is at the table, another with the other side at the table."
'Course that ain't gonna happen, either.
Whatever, you have 48 hours to do something about your oatmeal.
Good luck ... and let's all pray for all of us …
