Category: Media Watch

If you haven’t caught President Barack Obama’s appearance on Jerry Seinfeld’s webcast show, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” make the effort to catch it. It’s funny and a reminder that the president is really good at this stuff.

Seinfeld was shown in the Oval Office, as well as knocking on a window outside the Oval Office. They tooled around a bit in a 1963 Corvette Stingray and then in the back seat of the presidential limo. What might have been even more interesting is how exactly the details were worked out with a Secret Service that has become a national security joke.

* “Relations between Russia and the United States are crucial to ensuring global security.”–Part of the New Year’s message sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin to President Barack Obama.

* “God’s hand of retaliation will grip the neck of Saudi politicians.”–Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader.

* “Europe’s open borders that facilitate free trade also assure freedom of travel to homegrown terrorists.”–Patrick J. Buchanan, Creators Syndicate.

* “As President Obama pivots into the final phase of his presidency, he seems to be heading in a new direction, toward greater candor, fewer inhibitions, no apologies. He has felt muzzled and misunderstood for much of his time in the White House. I sense a catharsis.”–Frank Bruni, New York Times.

* “The president will be focused on finishing strong on his foreign policy agenda, including implementation of the Iran deal, ratification of TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership), follow-through on the Paris climate change accord and making the Cuba normalization irreversible.”–Benjamin Rhodes, deputy national security adviser.

* “Call it a digital surge. … We need multiple concurrent offensives to retake and hold the digital battleground. … The Islamic State is already at a disadvantage: It does not own the platforms. And the values of the tech companies that build these platforms and the vast majority of people who use them are diametrically opposed to the Islamic State’s ideology of violence.”–Jared Cohen, founder and director of Google Ideas.

* “Were it not for Donald Trump, the big political story of the year would be the emergence of a new New Left–visible in the continued potency of Black Lives Matter, the turmoil on college campuses, and the appeal of an avowed socialism on the Democratic Party’s campaign trail.”–Ross Douthat, New York Times.

* “This (Donald Trump) is not a serious person, and he’s not going to be president, but he makes it harder for the likely nominee to be able to beat Hillary Clinton.”–Jeb Bush.

* “You have to surround yourself with good people. And he (Ben Carson) hasn’t demonstrated that he can do that.”–Barry Bennett, former Carson campaign manager.

* “Marco Rubio would be in much better shape if he would devote his time and energy to campaign building and infrastructure. It would boost him in early states, and sustain him through Super Tuesday. As it stands, his path to victory depends–in essence–on luck. And if anything goes worse than he expects, he’s finished.”–Jamelle Bouie, Slate.

* “If a national service program were open now to all American men and women ages 18 to 26, and if the areas of service included nonmilitary opportunities like tutoring low-income children, cleaning up urban slums, and participating in conservation projects, it could have a major impact on this country. … Young people are not needed today on farms or in factories. But they could be used in meeting unmet societal and environmental needs.”–William Byron, professor of business and society at St. Joseph’s University.

* “Just because you train that you can use force doesn’t mean you should.”–Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

* “Even the Force cannot protect ESPN.”–BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield, on expectations that the sports channel will become Disney’s most troubled business as consumer behavior continues to shift.

* “If you’re one of the many Americans resolved to eat healthier and lose weight in 2016, ignore the frantic activists and keep it simple. Eat more fruits and vegetables, fewer calories overall, and incorporate more exercise.”–Dr. Joseph Perrone, chief science officer at the Center for Accountability in Science.

* “The Cubans move very slowly; they don’t move quickly for anything.”–Mike Mauricio, president of Tampa-based Florida Produce, which hopes to win approval from the Cuban government to open a warehouse distribution facility in Cuba.

* “We need to be cautious. Frankly, our economy isn’t growing fast enough in this state to sustain the levels of tax cuts that we’ve had an appetite for.”–State Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon and outgoing Senate Appropriations Committee chairman.

* “You don’t have to have open carry to have effective public safety.”–Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, legislative chair of the Florida Sheriffs Association.

* “We have a state that has a history of disenfranchising voters. We have to continually be on the watch for legislation that moves us backward instead of forward.”–Pamela Goodman, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida

* “We either need to demand superior performance from our students now, or employers will be forced to tell them that they are unqualified later, when they apply for work.”–Tampa attorney Rhea Law, outgoing chair of the Florida Council of 100.

* “Even though we are doing very well in the eyes of the world in a lot of areas, we don’t have enough transportation options and the longer we wait, the more expensive it becomes and the more congested it becomes.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

* “There’s the old saying: ‘Demography is destiny.’ The normal narrative we hear is there are a lot of great things going on in downtown St. Pete, but that’s sort of a thin market. You have young professionals and retirees. The bigger story is young families with school-age children moving into Hillsborough County.”–Jacob Cremer, a land-planning attorney at Stearns Weaver Miller.

* “We’re going to get this done one way or the other. It’s too important for West Tampa and the west side of the Hillsborough River.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who hopes to use money from Amendment I–earmarked for land purchases, restoration and conservation–to help finance Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.

After reading Lake Superior State University’s annual, tongue-in-cheek wish-list of words (“problematic,” “stakeholder,” “vape”) that should be jettisoned from the Queen’s English, I’m tempted to add on. In fact, I yield to temptation. To wit:

* “Like.” Not the verb, but the preposition that should introduce a functional simile. For example: “The overuse of ‘like’: It, like, drives me crazy.”

* “No problem.” Still not the politely correct response to “thank you.” It’s actually “you’re welcome.” Thank you.

* “Notoriety” is not the same as fame. Any more than notorious means famous.

* Unless a reference to awe-inspiring is intended (think: sunsets and full moons) pass on the empty hyperbole that is “awesome” for the most mundane of contexts. “Those (boxer shorts, Seth Rogen movies, American Idol contestants) are awesome.”

* “Swagger”: Walking around with an air of conceit and insolence used to be rather ill thought of. Now–at least in the athletic arena–it’s a quality seemingly worth courting. As in: “We need our guys to play with more ‘swagger.'” Do we really need to up the ante further on boorish, braggadocious behavior?

* “With all due respect.” When’s the last time this phrase ever preceded anything remotely respectful?

* “All things being equal… .” But they never are.

Who doesn’t like lists?  Whether they’re people or places or businesses. Even if we now have too many too often put out for self-promotional purposes. They still get our attention.

And then there’s always the (relatively) venerable Gallup Poll, the one listing Americans’ choices for the Most Admired Man and the Most Admired Woman in the world since 1948. For the record, Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt topped the lists that first year.

Typically, the U.S. president finishes first–and this is no exception in 2015 with Barack Obama. And Hillary Clinton made it for the 14th year in a row.

But what is always perversely interesting is who all is in the hunt. Let’s just say that were we not talking Gallup, it’s highly unlikely that Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, Sarah Palin and Ellen DeGeneres would wind up in the same sentence. Ditto for the men with Barack Obama, Pope Francis, The Dalai Lama and Donald Trump.

BTW, the oddest pairing had to be 1995: Bill Clinton and Mother Teresa.

* Normally, the Washington Post cartoon that depicted an organ grinding presidential candidate with his kids as trained monkeys would be outrageously objectionable. The candidate, in this case Ted Cruz, is fair game. His kids, cute little girls, are off limits. Of course they are.

But once again, context matters. The Post cartoon was satirizing a video campaign ad that Cruz had been running. The homespun, primary ad featured his wife and two young daughters and some scripting. One daughter notably referenced a “private server.” Really.

The rule-of-thumb is now this: If your candidacy includes the politically crass use of your kids as props, then that whole process–including your shameless judgment–is now fair game. No less than your strategy of using an orchestrated episode as a campaign rationale for attacking the mainstream media.

* By now it’s more or less a given that the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump is a new low for American politics. Even for Republicans needing to appeal to that “Deliverance,” “Duck Dynasty” base.

But maybe, just maybe, we should have seen this coming. Trump was preceded by George W. Bush, who blustered on about needing an Iraqi invasion and a regime change. His inarticulate jingoism should have been the reddest of commander-in-chief red flags. Had the Republican Party had its way, we would still be saddled with the manifestly uninformed Sarah Palin still a heartbeat away from the presidency.

And now, possibly, Trump? There were signs.

* Anybody else feel this way? Enough about the over-hyped, gyrocoptering mailman from Ruskin who is now considering running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Ironically, he can run because being a felon doesn’t preclude it. Were it to happen, however, he wouldn’t be able to vote for himself.

* “The recent (terrorist) events proved how important it is to invest in justice, the police, the army and intelligence services.”–Belgian King Philippe.

* “He gets bipartisan criticism on terrorism … This is now Topic A for Americans, and this critique that he’s not tough enough has persisted and grown.”–Carroll J. Doherty, director of political research at the Pew Research Center, on the perception of President Barack Obama on national security.

* “I think it’s not so easy to change Europe when you are alone. … I am very, very skeptical for the future.”–Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

* “I think a lot of what he says resonates with me.”–Former Louisiana politician and KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, on Donald Trump.

* “As his biographer, I think it is fair to say that his life story is that of a man who has succeeded–repeatedly–by appealing with great precision to the worst impulses in others. It’s as though he has built his success by ticking off each of the seven deadly sins, unapologetically marketing them to his Trump tenants, casino gamblers, TV viewers and now voters. He once told me that ‘for the most part, you can’t respect people, because most people aren’t worthy of respect.'”–Michael D’Antonio, author of “Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success.”

* “Irony doesn’t work in the world of digitized campaigning.”–Jeb Bush.

* “Arming more people to do what … I think is not the appropriate response to terrorism.”–Hillary Clinton.

* “‘The Last Hurrah.’ A lost world of heart and humanity, politics when it was pre-ideological.”–Peggy Noonan, on why (Edwin O’Connor’s) ‘The Last Hurrah’ remains her favorite book about American politics.

* “In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice.”–Pope Francis.

* “I’d like to apologize to the lady I just called by mistake saying ‘Hello, is this planet Earth?’–not a prank call–just a wrong number!”–British astronaut Tim Peake, the first Briton to visit the International Space Station.

* “The economic recovery has clearly come a long way, although it is not complete.”–Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen.

* “Here she comes back. Bull’s eye.”–Marc Eisenberg, CEO of OrbComm, whose 11 satellites were deployed by a SpaceX rocket, after the booster returned to land vertically at Cape Canaveral.

* “We’re seeing an exponential curve, so yes, it is a concern.”–Cmdr. William Marks, Navy spokesman, on the increasing incidence of consumer drones interfering with military-base operations.

* “Safety is our top priority. So, while we know that hoverboards are among this year’s most-requested gifts, the potential for danger cannot be ignored.”–Marie Therese Dominguez, administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration.

* “Airlines have to be pretty close to 85 percent load factors just to break even anymore.”–Ken Qualls, CEO of Flight Management Solutions.

* “Someone who cleans floors in a hotel is supporting you. That’s very humiliating.”–Dr. Lino Alberto Neira, an orthopedic surgeon who practiced in Cuba for 23 years before leaving for Miami in 2013.

* “It’s troubling to me that a lot of people are hurtling into the 21st century with very few lessons learned. It seems reckless.”–Historian-author Gary Mormino, in warning about Florida leaders pursuit of a growth-at-all-costs agenda.

* “A majority (of voters) see governors as having some impact on the economy but not a huge amount.”–Aubrey Jewett, political science professor at UCF.

* “There’s a flood of Chinese money coming into Florida for investment. A lot of Chinese money wants to come over for safety and security–it’s the stability of the American economy.”–Robert Stern, a Tampa attorney specializing in real estate law.

* “Suspension of your license is life-changing in a negative way for many people. We believe this event can be life-changing in a positive way and get them back to a position so they can get back to work.”–State Rep. Dana Young, R-Tampa, who is a sponsor of the Driver’s License Reinstatement Day on Jan. 8 at the George E. Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa.

* “In 2011, no one had a clear understanding what the basic demand would be. But several carriers have come in and we’ve gone from two flights a week to nine in our peak period. It’s doing very well.”–TIA vice president of marketing Chris Minner, on charter flights from Tampa to Cuba.

* “That’s a perfect example. You have Chili’s and Mons Venus and that’s about it.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, using the setting for Raymond James Stadium as an example of weak economic synergy when modern sports facilities aren’t located in a downtown.

* “I would be happy to invite Mayor Kriseman over to give a presentation to our board of county commissioners. Conceptionally, I believe this is the type of project that could make Tampa Bay a world-class region.”–Hillsborough Commissioner Ken Hagan, on prospects for a Tampa-to-St. Petersburg ferry service.

* “There’s a cottage industry of these dirt-diggers.”–Mayor Bob Buckhorn, in response to a PAC that targets Democrats looking for evidence that he might have misused his office in attending a recent Hillary Clinton fundraiser.

* “It’s ludicrous, it’s stupid, it made absolutely no sense. They need to fund education properly, not waste it on nonsensical things like this.”–Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association president Mike Gandolfo, in criticizing Florida’s Best and Brightest teacher scholarship program that includes teachers’ SAT and ACT scores.

* “Jeff didn’t just want to write a check. He wanted to make it meaningful within the community. It’s personal.”–NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, on Jeff Vinik’s Lightning Community Heroes program that awards $50,000 to a “Community Hero’s” cause at each Lightning home game.

We all have these cultural deficits. Iconic books and movies we’ve somehow managed to avoid over the years.

My wife and I addressed this void, in part, the other night by watching “Georgy Girl.” Early Lynn Redgrave and later James Mason. It’s ’60s London, it’s envelope-pushing on societal and sexual mores and it’s got that pleasant, eponymous “Hey there, Georgy girl, swingin’ down the street so fancy free” theme song.

It was also annoyingly daffy, due in no small part to Alan Bates’ sophomoric, slapstick shtick. But now we know.

We also know this. When a movie from another generation still works even on the small screen with commercials, you know you have a classic. “The Graduate” is still the best.

We all know why Harry Truman used to famously pine away for that “one-armed economist.” He didn’t appreciate their inherently equivocal, “but on the other hand” approach. We were reminded when the Federal Reserve recently bumped up its federal funds rate by 0.25 percent, the first such hike in nine years. Most experts saw the move as a vote of confidence that the economy is now strong enough to handle higher borrowing costs while maintaining growth. Who doesn’t like bullish news?

But it does mean slightly higher consumer costs on credit cards, car loans and mortgage payments. However, on the, yes, other hand, it’s better for savers. Moreover, could there be a pattern at play? Bet-hedging anyone?

The front-page headlines in last Thursday’s two local dailies reflected the usual other-handed reaction. The Tampa Tribune: “Interest Rate Hike To Have Little Effect On Your Wallet.” The Tampa Bay Times: “Fed’s Rate Hike May Sting.” Or not.

* Forbes magazine is out with its annual ranking of the World’s Most Powerful People, and Donald Trump comes in at a somewhat humbling 72. President Barack Obama is 3rd, Hillary Clinton 58th and Bill Clinton 64th. The top 10: Russian President Vladimir Putin, 1; German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 2; Pope Francis, 4; Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping, 5; Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, 6; Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, 7; British Prime Minister David Cameron, 8; Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 9; and Google co-founder Larry Page, 10.

* The most recent economic-impact figure of MacDill Air Force Base is $4.74 billion annually on the Tampa Bay region. That includes the nearly 25,000 jobs created by base activity. Here’s another number: 13,000. That’s the number of Florida jobs expected to result from various plants working on the notoriously overpriced, under-performing F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. That includes about 200 employees to be hired on at the Pinellas Park Lockheed Martin facility.

Three, decidedly non-chamber of commerce words: military industrial complex.

* Speaking of the MIC, only with some Cold War nostalgia, this just in: The U.S. will soon be selling $1.83 billion in arms to Taiwan. Congress has 30 days to review–or rubber stamp–it.

* I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I just can’t help a visceral reaction whenever I see the latest group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Where is Chubby Checker?

The Hall has more than 300 members, including disc jockeys, producers and “early influence” performers such as Les Paul and Miles Davis. But there’s no room for the man who is synonymous with “The Twist” and its various permutations?

The Hall is known for an opaque process and backstage lobbying. Thus, gangsta rap pioneer N.W.A. of “Straight Outta Compton” and “F— tha Police” fame are now in–but Chubby Checker is not.

Maybe the Hall never forgave him for covering Hank Ballard and making “The Twist” iconically successful and career creating. Maybe he just came along at the wrong time–after Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly went in first in 1983.

By all accounts, the Philadelphia native (real name: Ernest Evans), still performing in his 70s, wants in while he’s still around. But who could blame him if he had a “F— tha Hall” attitude after yet another induction snub? Dr. Dre and Ice Cube would understand.

Here’s hoping that all of you have more than a happy holiday. Here’s hoping you all have a very Merry CHRISTMAS.