My profession is the most despised in this society. That's right, the Mafia has higher approval ratings than do journalists. Of course, I'd like to think a big reason for this is that the owners of media companies have invited so many frauds and posers and screamers into our business that the voices of those of us classically trained in the work are no longer able to be heard.
In this regard, I'm probably fairly typical. Laboring away here in this obscure blog space, I continue to devote half of my posts to supplying journalistic analysis based on the facts that are available in an intellectual context that is meant to inform, not persuade. Columnists craft logical essays; editorial page writers make arguments; the self-righteous pundits pound their own chests.
Sadly, through my eyes, everything is hazy and uncertain until a path of words emerges to help carry me through the pollution. Tonight, I'm grappling with the news that a bipartisan legislative panel has unanimously ruled that Governor Sarah Palin is guilty of an abuse of power in "Troopergate," the kind of political/personal scandal more often seen in a small town than on the national stage.
But, we're stuck with what we're stuck with. Until I can read this new report, line by line, I will refrain from judgment. It may be B.S. or it may be gospel. Probably somewhere in between.
Equally big, and probably unrelated, is that Palin has reportedly agreed to appear on SNL ten days before the election. As anyone not living in a cave at Tora Bora knows, Tina Fey's return to SNL to portray Palin three times this fall have been the comedic highlights of the campaign.
It boggles the mind to imagine Palin and Fey appearing side by side on SNL, although in this age of blurred boundaries, it has its own twisted logical inevitability. Our people, left as well as right, me as well as you, seem to value show over substance.
The struggle just consumes all of us. Thinking as deeply as I can, it seems possible that McCain may dump Palin from his ticket (due to corruption), but add Fey, who can pull the Palin act off every bit as well, and is much better connected with the media elite and has far better developed political instincts.
Meanwhile, Palin could join the SNL cast, where the pay and the future career path is far more lucrative than being Governor of Alaska. SNL badly needs a replacement for Fey, who has her own show now, not to mention if she (Fey) joins the GOP ticket.
Many other actors would rally to this set of changes -- the Governator out here in California, (soon to be) Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, Gov. Jesse Ventura, and all the other actors, posers, and fakes, including Ronald Reagan's ghost. There's a lot of star power that would embrace this...David Letterman, Jon Stewart, probably even South Park (excepting Cartman).
(I would hope my main crush -- Sarah Silverman -- would also climb aboard this train before it leaves the station, but she doesn't even know I exist.)
I'm not sure where all this is going, it's getting hazy again, which is the classic problem for every writer as he becomes re-lost, but I'm pretty sure if this perfectly logical scenario unfolds, the charges in Alaska, at least, will be dropped, the musical chairs will be shuffled, and we can all get back to the serious job of fixing this god-damned economy, with one eye on the TV to make sure we don't miss the other distractions that help us avoid the iceberg straight ahead in our deadly path...
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