09.24.18- A Fine Start
Once again it’s campaign season and I was hopeful that candidates in the General Election would start off on a better foot than the mess we endured in the Primary. Well, I could hope…
Dave Berman highlighted the launch to the Randy Fine campaign in a recent column. It picks up where Fine’s “scorched earth” character assassination philosophy of the County Commission D-4 race left off.
Rather than tout whatever success Fine believes he has had in the legislature, he begins by sending an RPOF funded and Fine approved mailer attacking Democratic opponent Phil Moore’s driving record. Yes, his driving record.
I suppose some things could be less relevant than that, but it isn’t the best of starts. I was simply hoping for (and I do expect more of) a Republican who has been serving in Tallahassee.
If after two legislative sessions you have to begin by running down an opponent rather than pointing to your accomplishments, your record must be lacking. I suppose even Harvard can’t help you remedy that.
09.25.18- Let’s NOT lose the republic
They are among the most vilified of Americans: lawyers and journalists. Yet, if we lose them and their abilities to do their jobs we will likely lose the republic as we know it.
A couple of examples this week highlight this. First it’s the Brett Kavanaugh nomination, or rather, the rabid activism to derail it.
For most universities having an alumnus of your law school nominated to be a Supreme Court Justice would be an exalted honor. Not to Yale. They supported student protests on campus and in DC to try and stop the nomination. Having the law students brief both sides of this may have been a better use of their time. Future lawyers fighting to toss a nominee on accusation alone are scary.
The second is an editor of student publications at Durham University being removed from his jobs for daring to ask if it was a crime to say women don’t have penises.
You may not care for lawyers or journalists, but losing the freedom of both would be the beginning of the end.
09.26.18- WV Leads in Voting Tech?
Unless you’re talking poverty, obesity or per capita population with Black Lung disease, it’s rare for my home state of West Virginia to be recognized as a leader.
Well, say no more, WV now leads the nation in the latest method of voting…& that’s by smart phone.
While security minded folks are scared to death of this idea, the Mountain State has partnered with a Boston company to allow voters in 26 of its 55 counties to vote by smart phone.
They say it’s secured by facial recognition and thumbprint technology as well as that which allows Bitcoin and other crypto currency to be secure.
It was less than 50 years ago that I was travelling WV with my dad as he sought and bought obsolete phones from rural West Virginians. No dials, no buttons just the phone, the cord in the wall and an operator on the other end.
Sarah, before you hook me up to Aunt Bea, mark down these votes for me in the election, please. It sounds a lot safer than what’s being proposed!
09.27.18- Phil Archer pitches near perfect game…under further review
It may hold up, Phil archer’s perfect game. We won’t know for a while because the final play is under review.
The State Attorney’s Office is 3 for 3 in convictions in the Mitch Needelman/Blueware corruption case. Matt Dupree, lobbyist, Needelman crony and eventual BlueWare executive and BlueWare CEO Rose Harr stand convicted and are in the custody of the state for at least a couple of years.
Mitch Needelman was also convicted but this is the under review part. Jury misconduct got the conviction vacated and Needelman awaits another trial that is not yet scheduled.
This play could be reviewed rather simply. Needelman could try and limit his exposure to extensive jail time by seeking and entering a plea agreement before the new trial gets under way. If so, the Archer record is intact and justice is served.
If not, we have a do-over that will cost the state even more, and hopefully, invite justice’s hammer when it comes sentencing time…and Archer’s record will still be 3 for 3.
09.28.18- New York Times Cowers to Twitter
It’s a sad day in the country when The New York Times, the Gray Lady herself, cowers to Twitter.
Like every other media entity, the Times was covering the Kavanaugh Senate hearing. Like every other media the Times wanted to be relevant and timely in its coverage, and now thanks to social media, its interaction with its audience.
They posted a poll on Twitter asking followers if they found Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony credible. The response was immediate outrage from the social media keyboard warriors.
Instead of sticking to their courageous media guns, the Times caved to the pressure, pulled the poll and apologized for the insensitivity. Never mind that the same question was coming with Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony.
When social media can kill a discussion from “the newspaper of record” we are giving far too much credence to the ignorant masses.
You’ll find the poll about credibility at BillMick.com. Somebody has to stand up!