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Four years ago, the ABC, CBS and NBC morning shows celebrated the "rock star" Democrats running to replace George W. Bush, and no candidate set journalists' pulses racing faster than Barack Obama. Now, after three years of high unemployment, trillion dollar deficits and an onerous new health care law, how are those newscasts covering Obama's re-election campaign and the candidates vying to replace him?
To find out, Media Research Center analysts examined all 723 campaign segments which aired on the three broadcast network weekday morning programs from January 1 to October 31, 2011, using the same methodology we employed to study campaign coverage on those same programs for the same time period in 2007.
Four years ago, the network coverage promoted the Democratic candidates and cast their strong liberal views as mainstream. This year, our study finds the networks are disparaging the Republican candidates and casting them as ideological extremists:
- This year, network reporters have employed 49 "conservative" labels to describe the Republican candidates, compared with only one "liberal" label for President Obama.
- Four years ago, when Obama was a relatively unknown candidate, the morning shows also provided just a single "liberal" label to describe his ideology, and never once labeled Hillary Clinton, John Edwards or the other Democrats as "liberal."
- By a 4-to-1 margin, ABC, CBS and NBC morning show hosts have employed an adversarial liberal agenda when questioning this year's Republican candidates. But those same hosts' questions for President Obama leaned in his direction, with mostly liberal-themed questions.
- Four years ago, questions for the Democratic candidates tilted by more than two-to-one to the left, a friendly agenda.
- In 2007, Democratic candidates were regularly tossed softball questions. This year's interviews with Republicans have been much more caustic, with few chances for the candidates to project a warm and fuzzy image.
- Despite the poor economy and low approval ratings, the morning shows continue to treat Barack Obama as more of a celebrity than a politician, airing positive feature stories about the President and his family — a gift not bestowed on the conservative Republican candidates.
During the 2008 campaign, the network morning shows acted as cheerleaders for the Democratic field. This time around, they are providing far more hostile coverage of the various Republicans who are running, while treating Obama's re-election campaign to the same personality-driven coverage that was so helpful to the then-Illinois Senator four years ago.
If the real decisions in our democracy are to be in the hands of voters, then the news media owe viewers a fair and unbiased look at the candidates in both parties. That means asking the candidates questions that reflect the concerns of both sides — liberals and conservatives alike. And the syrupy coverage awarded year after year to the Democrats' celebrity candidates in no way matches the pretense of journalists holding both sides equally accountable, without fear or favor.
In less than a year, Americans will go to the polls to choose a new President. The stakes in November 2012 will be high: voters will either reward Barack Obama's left-wing approach, or they will reinforce the conservative message of the 2010 midterm elections. As both sides make their case over the next 12 months, the media will be their battleground.
Four years ago, the broadcast networks were swept up in enthusiasm for Obama's historic "rock star" candidacy. Now, after three years of high unemployment, low growth, super-sized government and record deficits, how are those networks covering Obama's re-election campaign, and the candidates vying to replace him?
To find out, a team of Media Research Center analysts examined every Campaign 2012 segment on the three broadcast network weekday morning programs from January 1 to October 31, 2011. Our analysts used the same methodology we employed four years ago to review the campaign coverage on those same programs for the equivalent time period (January 1 through October 31, 2007).
These shows reach a sizeable audience of potential voters: ABC's Good Morning America, CBS's The Early Show and NBC's Today averaged more than 12.5 million viewers in October, many times more than the combined audience for the Fox News Channel, MSNBC and CNN at the same hours (about 1.5 million viewers).
Unlike the networks' evening newscasts, the two- and four-hour long morning shows can spend far more time delving into a candidate's record. And unlike the networks' Sunday morning shows, the morning news shows are not geared toward political junkies, but rather the everyday voters that campaigns seek to reach. Consequently, the broadcast morning shows are a prime battleground in the candidates' competition for media attention and positive coverage.
For this study, our analysts tabulated the total amount of coverage given to each of the candidates, including all field reports, interviews and brief news items. Then they undertook a more detailed examination of the interviews conducted with either the candidates or their designated surrogates, tallying the airtime and the ideological orientation of the questions posed.
The results show none of the Republican candidates received the celebrity "rock star" coverage meted out to the top Democratic candidates (Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards) four years ago. Instead, the networks highlighted perceived controversies and gaffes among the candidates. In interviews, the morning hosts hit the Republicans with questions drawn largely from a liberal agenda.
And, in spite of the terrible economic situation, Barack Obama was still treated mostly as a celebrity, with the networks providing the President and his political team a forum to trash their competitors, but offering relatively little scrutiny of the incumbent's record.
Together, the broadcast networks aired a total of 723 campaign segments on the three morning shows, less than the 797 segments produced during the same period four years ago. About three-fifths of this year's items (437) were long segments — either full reports from field correspondents or interviews with candidates or analysts. The remaining 286 were relatively brief discussions of the campaign, mainly short anchor-read news stories.
Coverage of the presidential campaign has picked up considerably since the end of the debt ceiling talks in early August. Through the end of July, the network morning shows had aired just 362 stories this year (an average of about 50 stories per month), compared to 517 through the same period four years ago. Yet since August 1, the rate of coverage has more than doubled, to 120 stories per month (361). Four years ago, the networks generated only 280 campaign stories from August through October.
As might be expected, given the lack of a contest for the Democratic nomination, most of the segments were about the Republican nomination process. Yet of the approximately 60 percent of items that mainly focused on just one candidate, there were more than three times as many segments about President Barack Obama's re-election campaign (129) than about any individual Republican candidates. (This tally only includes stories that discuss Obama as a candidate, excluding items that dealt with him strictly as President.)
Among Republicans, the most coverage went to Texas Governor Rick Perry (39 segments), followed by Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann (35) and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (32). Rounding out the field, Mitt Romney was the focus of 26 segments, followed by Herman Cain (23), Jon Huntsman (13), with Ron Paul and Rick Santorum bringing up the rear with eight segments apiece. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was the focus of 14 morning show segments before he dropped out of the race in August.
Significant airtime went to three potential candidates who never actually entered the Republican race: Sarah Palin (50 segments), Donald Trump (27) and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (27). Palin's tally, in fact, eclipsed that of all of the actual candidates. (These numbers only include stories/segments about these individuals as potential candidates.)
So why did Perry, Bachmann and Gingrich lead the field in coverage? The key reason seems to be that the network morning shows chose to highlight negative stories about each of those candidates. Similarly, both Palin and Trump were on the receiving end of largely skeptical stories, too, with Trump's story count inflated by negative coverage of his baseless public doubting of Obama's birth records.
NOTE: The sex harassment scandal that broke on October 31, the final day of our study period, led to an avalanche of Herman Cain stories on the weekday morning shows, with the ABC, CBS and NBC morning shows generating 46 items in just the first week of coverage. If the full week had been included in this study, Cain would have easily outstripped the other Republicans as the target of the most morning news stories.
While in 2007 the morning shows were promoting that year's top Democrats, this time around, those shows aimed to showcase what they saw as the weakest elements of the Republican field — even as President Obama continued to enjoy some of the same celebrity coverage that helped his campaign four years ago.
Still Getting Thrilled By Obama: Compared to four years ago, there's not as much gooey celebrity coverage of Obama this year, but there is some. Good Morning America, for example, was tickled to see the President quiet a crying baby back in June, 'Is President Obama a baby whisperer?' lifestyle anchor Lara Spencer excitedly wondered. 'The leader of the free world worked his magic on this munchkin.... Presto, the tot is simply transfixed.'
As they did four years ago, the morning shows had a real warm spot for Obama's family. In a typical softball segment on the October 12 Today, Al Roker asked Michelle Obama about eating healthy food and exercising: 'You got a campaign coming up, you got to hit the trail, how do you work those things in when you're traveling like that?...Do you have to get in shape to go out and campaign?...Do you have to motivate the President and the girls, or are they fairly self-motivated when it comes to this?'
Obama's birthday on August 4 was a big deal on all three network morning shows. On NBC's Today, correspondent Chuck Todd started off his report by joking how, 'starting today, assuming he becomes an AARP member, the President can now get some discounts at the movies, at restaurants, at hotels. But unlike most people who turn 50, the birthday celebration was combined with a lavish campaign fundraiser in Chicago.'
The tone was similar on ABC's Good Morning America, where White House reporter Jake Tapper cracked: 'They say 50 is the new 40.' Tapper ended his story about Obama's big campaign fundraising by observing that, in spite of his graying hair, Obama 'is still the youngest person running for President in 2012.'
And in June, GMA treated the President to a 15 minute softball interview about Father's Day. Co-host Robin Roberts giggled with Obama about how he could intimidate teenaged boys who might want to date his daughters. Obama chuckled: 'I might invite him over to the Oval Office, ask him for his GPA, find out what his intentions are in terms of career....Malia, Sasha, if you're watching this, I'm just joking.'
Publicizing Newt Gingrich's 'Baggage.' At the start of his campaign, Newt Gingrich was treated to a wave of hostile coverage of his 'baggage,' so much so that it became a cliché. As CBS analyst John Dickerson announced on the March 3 Early Show: 'The personal baggage is considerable.' A few weeks later, as the former Speaker readied his announcement, Dickerson's CBS colleague Jan Crawford recited the same line, telling viewers Gingrich has 'some personal baggage.'
'Newt's biggest problem may be baggage,' ABC's Jon Karl echoed May 11. NBC's Matt Lauer agreed the next morning: 'A messy personal life that includes two divorces, three marriages and a lengthy affair....There is some baggage that comes with Newt Gingrich.'
Four years earlier, the networks did not draw such attention to the baggage former First Lady Hillary Clinton brought to her candidacy. Leaving aside her husband's infidelities, journalists could have highlighted Mrs. Clinton's suspicious $100,000 windfall in cattle futures, her involvement in the shady land deal known as Whitewater, or her testimony to the federal grand jury investigating what was known as the 'Travelgate' scandal, which special prosecutor Robert Ray determined was 'factually false.'
Instead, the networks worked to help Hillary discard the 'baggage' of her past scandals, so she would not be burdened by voters' 'preconceptions.' On The Early Show, CBS's Harry Smith commiserated with Clinton in a January 23, 2007 interview: 'Can you be able to sit in the living rooms of people in Iowa or in town meetings in New Hampshire and get your message across, past the press, past the preconceptions?' The journalist empathized: 'Whitewater, Travelgate, the impeachment process — you were under the glare of the spotlight for eight years, and many of those days have to have been horrible. Why go back? Why go back into the middle of the white hot glare of that light?'
Michele Bachmann, Flame-Throwing Flake: As for Michele Bachmann, the network morning shows held her up as an extremist and a fact-challenged flake. On NBC's Today on June 27, just as Bachmann was about to officially enter the presidential race, correspondent Kelly O'Donnell declared that 'step one' for the Minnesota Congresswoman was 'redefining [her] public image' by 'turning down the flame-thrower persona.'
The next day, O'Donnell highlighted a trivial mistake Bachmann made in claiming that the actor John Wayne was born in Waterloo, Iowa. 'Iowans will tell you John Wayne was born 150 miles away in Winterset — details that fit a pattern of factual errors that hurt Bachmann.' To bolster the point, O'Donnell included a soundbite from Washington Post writer Chris Cillizza: 'Those kind of gaffes will catch up with her, and they're more meaningful and will get more attention because of her status.'
Over on ABC that same morning, co-host George Stephanopoulos scolded Bachmann about her accuracy: 'As you make progress in this campaign, everything you say is going to get more scrutiny. And the Pulitzer Prize-winning website Politifact has said you have the worst record of making false statements of any of the leading contenders.'
Stephanopoulos then used his airtime to dispute Bachmann's statement that the Founding Fathers 'worked tirelessly' to end slavery: 'Now, with respect, Congresswoman, that's just not true. Many of them, including Jefferson and Washington, were actually slave holders. And slavery didn't end until the Civil War.'
While the networks worked themselves up over Bachmann's inaccuracies, a check of PolitiFact that day showed the site had piled even more corrections of statements made by President Obama — 39 statements ranked 'barely true' and 49 branded 'false,' including more substantively relevant statements about the budget and taxes. Yet a Nexis search showed none of the morning shows had ever used PolitiFact to challenge any of Obama's assertions.
Rick Perry vs. The Safety Net: As they did with Bachmann, the networks swiftly moved to brand Texas Governor Rick Perry as an extremist when he joined the race in August. NBC's Chuck Todd, on the August 15 Today show, dutifully relayed the White House spin: 'The Obama team has been taking comfort in the fact that they believe this Republican race is moving to the right, that it's a race to the right. And they take comfort in that.'
Three days later, Good Morning America correspondent Jim Avila was downright scornful when reporting Perry's stance against onerous environmental regulations: 'Rick Perry's Texas pours more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere than any other state in the country....Unmistakably Texan, unabashedly conservative, Governor Rick Perry does not care about the overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is largely produced by humans burning fossil fuels.'
On the September 7 Today, NBC's Tom Brokaw similarly cast Perry as an extremist: 'He describes Social Security as a Ponzi scheme. He said that the Supreme Court is an oligarchy with a two-thirds vote. He talked about secession.'
The following week, CBS's The Early Show mocked Perry in a weekly cartoon segment about the nomination race, 'America's Next Top Republican.' Cartoonists Josh Landis and Mitch Butler offered their own narration, with Butler noting how Perry 'made it legal to hunt wild boar from the air. After all, he's the kind of governor who would shoot a coyote while he's out jogging. In fact, he actually did shoot a coyote while he was out jogging.' The crude animation showed a smiling Perry blasting away with an oversized pistol.
After hearing that Texas has created more jobs than any other state, Landis scoffed: 'Texas is also one of the worst-off states when it comes to poverty, health insurance, and education. The duo included a soundbite from liberal Texas journalist Paul Burka, who caricatured Perry: 'He would turn back the clock. He would take America back to where there was basically no safety net. I don't think he believes in the safety net.'
The Rest of the Pack: Mitt Romney, who ranked as either the frontrunner or a close second in most national polls this year, drew a smaller share of the coverage, ranking behind candidates like Bachmann and Perry who joined the race much later. Much of the discussion of Romney's campaign consisted of segments about the various debates, stories that did not specifically focus on the former Massachusetts governor.
Even on the day of Romney's official announcement, the networks chose to split their coverage with a Sarah Palin event that was also being held in New Hampshire. On the June 2 Good Morning America, ABC's John Berman suggested the emphasis on Palin would help Romney: 'It might make the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, seem like a more safe, a more secure, a more reasonable candidate.'
Then in October, the networks jumped on the statement by a Perry supporter that Romney's Mormon religion was a 'cult,' casting it as another embarrassment for Perry even though he quickly stated that he disagreed with the remark. 'The race for the Republican nomination has taken an ugly turn,' ABC's Jon Karl rebuked.
But back in March, Karl's Good Morning America actually celebrated an anti-Mormon musical produced by the same duo behind Comedy Central's irreverent South Park cartoon. 'It was brilliant,' ABC White House correspondent Jake Tapper enthused, but warned: 'If you're easily offended or religiously devout, especially Mormon, I would stay away.'
Our study period ended on October 31, the first day of what turned out to be a network feeding frenzy over anonymous accusations that Herman Cain sexually harassed an employee while heading the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. Through the end of October, Cain had been the focus of just 23 network stories, most after he won a Florida straw poll in late September, catapulting him to the top of the field in many polls.
At that time, the media's conventional wisdom saw no hope for Cain — four days after he won the straw poll, CBS's Erica Hill asked the candidate if he planned to quit the race: 'Most people would say, 'Look, you may have something people respond to, but your chances of actually getting that nomination, pretty slim.' So why stick with it then?'
Even before the harassment stories, Cain was already receiving a skeptical review from the morning shows. NBC's Michael Isikoff on October 21 seized on the fact that Cain's campaign was buying and distributing the candidate's book: 'That means profits for Cain himself, and could run afoul of campaign laws, say watchdog groups.'
Network journalists were also sour about Cain's signature tax reform plan, emphasizing its potential to shift some of the tax burden to lower income families rather than its potential to boost economic growth. NBC's David Gregory asserted on the October 26 Today: 'The problem is, this does help the rich. It hurts a lot of the poor and the middle class.' On October 12, ABC's George Stephanopoulos made the same assertion to Cain himself: 'Independent analysts have looked at this plan as well, and they say this would be a huge tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, a real tax increase for the poor and middle class.'
Four Years Ago, Swooning Over the Democrats: Four years ago, the coverage of the Democratic contenders was far less adversarial. Reporters actually swooned over Obama: 'He's today the political equivalent of a rock star,' then-CBS correspondent Gloria Borger trumpeted on the January 17, 2007 Early Show. The next day, NBC's Matt Lauer agreed: 'He's got rock star buzz around him.'
On the January 18, 2007 Good Morning America, correspondent Claire Shipman suggested Obama and Clinton were an embarrassment of riches for the Democratic Party, contrasting Obama's 'fluid poetry' with Clinton's 'hot factor.' A few weeks later, ABC's Jake Tapper touted a Hollywood reception for Obama: 'The stars came out for another million-dollar affair, honoring a thin, statuesque idol of color. No, not Oscar — Obama, Barack Obama.' In case anyone missed the point, ABC's graphic department placed Obama's smiling face atop an image of the gold Academy Awards statue.
In May 2007, NBC sent Meredith Vieira to New Hampshire to follow Barack Obama around for the day. 'Do you have a weakness on the campaign trail, anything that you have to have with you at all times? Stuffed animal?' (Obama answered that he liked 'a certain brand of green tea.') Vieira kept up the softballs: 'When your head hits the pillow tonight in Iowa, will you fall fast asleep, or will your mind be racing about the next day?...Do you dream of the White House?'
In 2007, the networks went along with the campaigns' publicity gimmicks. All three morning shows played a goofy campaign spoof where Bill and Hillary Clinton parodied the last episode of HBO's The Sopranos. NBC's Meredith Vieira exclaimed she 'loved' it, while CBS's Bob Schieffer called the spot 'hilarious... one of the cleverest things I've seen in a long, long time.'
NBC's Today show followed candidate Obama in August 2007 as he spent the day posing as a home health care worker as demanded by the SEIU labor union. 'Mr. Mom, he's not. But on a day after some big rallies and high-priced fundraisers, Barack Obama seemed genuinely at home,' correspondent Lee Cowan warmly reported. A few weeks later, NBC's Andrea Mitchell similarly touted Clinton's day spent shadowing a nurse. Back at the nurse's home for dinner, Mitchell cooed, '[Hillary] pitched right in. She was clearing the table, washing the dishes....She got her hands wet.'
None of the GOP candidates has received the giddy, celebratory coverage dished out to the Democrats four years ago, or even awarded to Obama this year.
One telling indication of how journalists approach the two camps is their use of ideological labels. At this point in his presidency, few would disagree that Barack Obama is a bona fide liberal, and most political observers would also agree that most of the Republican candidates are principled conservatives.
Yet when MRC analysts reviewed the morning show coverage, they found a wide disparity: 49 instances in which network reporters employed the "conservative" label to describe the Republicans, vs. just one case in which a reporter (ABC's Jake Tapper) referred to the President as a "liberal."
Tapper, on the January 24 Good Morning America, was describing Obama's goal in his State of the Union message, saying the President hoped to "pivot back towards the center and win over all those independent voters who thought he was a centrist unifier in 2008, but many of them now see him as a big government liberal."
Obama is well-known now, but four years ago the networks also refused to identify the virtually unknown Illinois Senator as a "liberal." Once again, the only morning show label from four years ago came from ABC's Tapper, who offered this flattering review in January 2007: "Obama has drawn raves for presenting fairly traditional liberal views as fresh and inspiring...."
As in 2007, neither CBS nor NBC has employed a liberal label when discussing Obama's philosophy.
And, four years ago, neither Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Joe Biden or any of the other Democratic candidates were ever labeled as "liberal." In fact, network analysts refuted the notion that Hillary, who was advocating a mandatory health care plan much like the eventual ObamaCare law, was in any way liberal. "People think she's a liberal, even though she's hawkish," MSNBC's Chris Matthews huffed on the January 15, 2007 Today.
With this year's crop of Republicans, however, the networks aren't being nearly as stingy with the ideological labels. On the March 22 edition of NBC's Today, for example, Natalie Morales told viewers about former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's candidacy: "The 50-year-old conservative announced on Facebook Monday that he was forming an exploratory committee...."
Two days later, ABC's Jon Karl talked about Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann: "They are the queens of the Tea Party. Tough, uncompromising, as conservative as they come...."
On the June 13 Early Show, correspondent Jan Crawford called former Senator Rick Santorum the "strongest social conservative in the bunch." On the June 27 Good Morning America, reporter Jonathan Karl described Congresswoman Michele Bachmann as a "take-no-prisoners conservative." The next morning on Today, co-host Matt Lauer asked Bachmann: "Are you at all concerned that your socially conservative views, that make you very popular in Iowa, might not play as well down the road?"
Interviewing Bachmann on August 12, Today fill-in co-host Lester Holt dropped several labels in one question: "As you know, Rick Perry, the conservative governor of Texas, is about to join the already crowded field of GOP contenders. He comes from the same conservative cut out that you come from, but he also has the added advantage of being the chief executive of a huge state like Texas. How will you compete against him and how will you distinguish yourself from him to conservative members of the party?"
And, NBC's Savannah Guthrie presumed conservative views were a hindrance when she interviewed Jon Huntsman on September 1: "Do you think that Governor Perry or Michele Bachmann are too far right to win and beat President Obama?"
It's certainly not inaccurate to describe Perry, Bachmann and most of this year's GOP candidates as "conservative" — they wear the label proudly. But if the networks are going to treat both sides fairly, they should be just as ardent in pointing out the ideology of liberal Democrats as they are with conservative Republicans.
Our researchers documented 101 interviews with the candidates and their surrogates on the broadcast morning shows during the first ten months of 2011. Actually, only one candidate was represented in interviews by his spouse or political aides, and that was President Obama. The President and his team appeared 39 times, vs. 62 appearances for the entire GOP field, including potential candidates such as Donald Trump, Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee who never joined the race.
President Obama's interviews (all of which were taped pieces, some of which originally had been broadcast on other news programs) were notable for their generally positive and non-ideological approach. His nine appearances totaled nearly 94 minutes, or more than ten minutes apiece. The average length for a segment featuring a Republican candidate was barely half that, just 5 minutes, 19 seconds.
Including Obama's surrogates — First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and political aides David Plouffe, David Axelrod, Robert Gibbs, Valerie Jarrett, and William Daley— the Democrats' airtime totaled nearly four hours (237 minutes).
The combined Republican field drew a total of five and a half hours (330 minutes). That figure drops to just 4 hours, 23 minutes — just 26 minutes more than the Democrats' total — when interviews with non-candidates Trump, Christie, Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani are excluded.
Four years ago, the Democrats drew more than twice as much total airtime as the Republicans on the morning shows — nearly six and a half hours for the Democrats vs. barely three hours for the GOP. This time around, even with no primary contest on the Democratic side, the networks are providing the President's team with nearly equal access to the morning news audiences.
Team Obama drew more than three times the airtime of the most visible Republican, Michele Bachmann, whose 71 minutes of morning show airtime was dwarfed by the Obama camp's 242 minutes. Tim Pawlenty was the second most visible, with 42 minutes spread out over nine interviews before he dropped out of the race in mid-August. And during the few months in which he flirted with running, Donald Trump appeared five times for a total of 39 minutes.
As the chart shows, the rest of the Republican field drew roughly the same amount of interview time on the morning shows, ranging from 27 minutes for Rick Perry to 18 minutes for Herman Cain. Omitted from the chart are the candidates who received the least airtime: former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (4 interviews totaling 17 minutes) and Texas Congressman Ron Paul (3 interviews, 16 minutes).
Apart from Bachmann, none of the current GOP contenders has received as much airtime as Obama's ubiquitous political spokesman, David Plouffe, who by October 31 had already racked up eight morning show appearances totaling 32 minutes.
Hitting Republicans With a Liberal Agenda: As might be expected, most of the questions posed to the Republican candidates had to do with campaign strategy and personal controversies. But our analysts counted 104 'ideological questions' — policy-based questions that incorporated either a liberal or conservative premise.
Of those, the vast majority (85, or 82%) reflected a liberal policy agenda, vs. just 19 (18%) that highlighted the concerns of conservative voters. Thus, instead of functioning as a surrogate for the Republican rank-and-file voter who probably won't get a chance to question a candidate, TV journalists used their time with the candidates to push a standard liberal agenda.
A central policy issue for many of these interviews was the economy and the growing national debt, and network hosts consistently pressed the candidates for their reluctance to agree on the need for a tax increase. On the April 13 Today, for example, co-host Matt Lauer hit Bachmann: 'Is raising taxes on the table?' before employing liberal rhetoric: 'Why shouldn't the burden be equally shared? Why shouldn't we put some of that burden on the wealthy and corporations?'
Over on ABC's Good Morning America on January 11, co-host George Stephanopoulos seemed appalled by Tim Pawlenty's call for lower taxes to spur economic growth. 'Won't tax cuts increase the deficit?' Stephanopoulos wondered. Pawlenty got hit with the same spin May 23 on CBS's The Early Show, as co-host Erica Hill demanded: 'What about raising taxes? Because, and I bring this up again, you say government money isn't free. At some point, do you have to look at raising taxes, and do people have to pay more for what's needed in this country?'
On June 3, Hill badgered Mitt Romney for his opposition to Obama's huge bailout of General Motors and Chrysler in 2009: 'You also accuse the President yesterday of making the recession worse. But based on what we've seen in the auto industry, weren't you wrong in this case? Wasn't it right for both the auto industry and for the American economy to help that industry?'
And in September, Hill hit Newt Gingrich for backing the Tea Party: 'There's a feeling by some folks that this very small group of people is starting to control the conversation. Do there need to be more voices at the table, in general, at this point?'
A month later, she went after the ex-Speaker again, this time for criticizing the left-wing 'Occupy Wall Street' protests: 'You have had some pretty outspoken words, though, for the folks behind Occupy Wall Street, that you don't think this is a great move, that you don't really see what their point is. Yet, a number of Americans say they're behind it.'
Even Jon Huntsman, the most liberal of the 2012 Republicans, got hit from the left on economic issues. On June 22, NBC's Ann Curry sounded like every other morning show host as she asked Huntsman about the deficit: 'Does that revenue side include raising taxes? Is that off the table to decrease the national debt?'
In that same interview, Curry also admonished Huntsman that his personal wealth would hurt his credibility on the jobs issue: 'You're the son of one of the richest men in America and you, yourself — you're also wealthy — at a time when corporate America is making record profits and not hiring. So what do you say to, especially blue collar workers, who say what they want is a President who knows how to bring jobs back to America?'
Huntsman and Romney were the most likely to face the rare right-leaning question, together accounting for nine of the 19 conservative questions we documented. ABC's Stephanopoulos, for example, grilled Romney about the similarities between his Massachusetts health care plan and ObamaCare back on February 1: 'Why is it right for a state to impose that kind of a mandate and not the federal government?'
On May 20, Stephanopoulos also took aim at Huntsman's decision to take Obama's stimulus funds back in 2009. 'When you were asked about it, you suggested that one of the problems with the stimulus is that it wasn't big enough. Is that what you still believe?' Huntsman responded that his choice would have been for a package with larger tax cuts.
Four Years Ago, Ideologically Friendly for Liberal Democrats: It's not necessarily biased for TV hosts to ask a group of mostly conservative candidates to respond to liberal policy arguments. But four years ago, the same network morning shows did not confront the Democratic field with conservative policy arguments.
Looking at the same time period, MRC analysts documented 137 'ideological questions' posed to the Democratic candidates. The breakdown was decidedly to the left: 99 liberal-themed questions, vs. 38 conservative-themed questions, a nearly three-to-one disparity (compared to the more than four-to-one liberal tilt this year).
For example, on NBC's Today, February 5, 2007, co-host Matt Lauer saluted John Edwards: 'I'm going to — I'll applaud your honesty. You basically have come out and said, 'Look, I want universal health care for everyone in this country, and I'm going to raise taxes to accomplish it.''
Lauer similarly promoted the liberal side when he interviewed Hillary Clinton on September 18, suggesting her health care plan was too pro-industry and not aggressive enough. 'Critics are saying that this in some ways is the kind of plan you would have rejected back in 1993,' Lauer scolded. 'Have you watered down reform?'
A month later, ABC's Dr. Timothy Johnson tried to flatter Clinton during an interview on Good Morning America: 'You have talked eloquently about the need for an electronic record keeping system....' Johnson also attempted to cast opponents of a government-based health system as immoral: 'You have said that providing health insurance for everyone is a moral issue. Do you think the Republicans who are against it are immoral?'
It wasn't just health care — journalists presented the liberal approach when asking the Democratic candidates about the war in Iraq, one of the top issues in that year's campaign. Today's Meredith Vieira pleaded with Barack Obama on January 11, 2007: 'What can you do as a Senator? What are you willing to do to stop the troops from going there?' On ABC later that month, co-host Diane Sawyer hit Clinton as not liberal enough, asking about her vote to authorize the Iraq war: 'Is that your biggest mistake as Senator?'
The network agenda four years ago was reasonably consistent with that of liberal primary voters trying to choose their party's nominee. But this year, conservative voters would have to strain to hear their concerns reflected in these same morning show interviews.
This Year, Few Hostile Questions for Obama: Morning show interviews with Barack Obama were mainly free publicity for the Campaigner-in-Chief, with the President's appearances coinciding with news events that would cast him in a favorable light. In the days after the successful raid that killed Osama bin Laden, CBS's The Early Show, for example, ran two lengthy excerpts from Steve Kroft's 60 Minutes interview with Obama.
Given the news, no tough questions would have been expected, and none were forthcoming. Instead, Kroft eagerly asked what it was like to be in the Situation Room: 'What was the mood?...Were you nervous?...What could you see?...Could you hear gunfire?'
Weeks later, during the debt talks with Republicans, CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley invited Obama to play the victim in an interview later shown on the July 13 Early Show: 'The Republican leader in the Senate said that they can't do business with you — as long as you occupy this house, there will be no deal.' And: 'Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill were on opposite sides of the political spectrum, but they respected each other, they liked each other, and they got things done.'
On September 12, NBC's Today show ran clips of an upcoming interview in which Nightly News anchor Brian Williams genially asked Obama to play pundit on the GOP field. 'Did you watch any of the Republican debate?...Mitt Romney, quote, 'The President's a nice guy. He doesn't have a clue how to get the country working again.' Your reaction?...What do you make of Rick Perry, who is, I guess, the frontrunner?...Tea Party here to stay?'
Williams also teased an even more obsequious section of the interview to air later that night, telling Matt Lauer: 'I went on to ask him when he's going to channel his inner Harry Truman, as members of his base have been asking....I also asked him about all the people who voted for the man on the poster that said 'Hope.' That answer was illuminating — we'll have that tonight on Nightly News.'
Journalists posed few ideological questions to Obama. Our analysts found just 12 questions that reflected an agenda — five conservative questions vs. seven liberally-themed questions.
ABC's George Stephanopoulos posed two of those from the left, both selected from questions sent in by viewers. In an April 15 interview, he hit Obama with this from Louise Ross of Chester, New Hampshire: 'Why not release at least some of the oil in our reserves before gas reaches $5 a gallon. If that's a rainy day fund, it's pouring out. Give us a break. That's what it's there for.'
In October, he similarly passed along a viewer's plea for the President to tamper with the free market: 'More than 40,000 questions came in online for the President, most expressing anxiety and anger about the economy, including outrage at Bank of America's $5 debit card fee. Vicki Menkel wrote, 'Those are the types of things government should get involved in and put a stop to.' [to Obama] Can you put a stop to that?...Can you stop this service charge?'
Stephanopoulos never passed along a right-leaning question from viewers to the President, but CBS's The Early Show managed to include a conservative-themed question during a May 12 town hall meeting with Obama on the economy. Anna Urman, a small business owner, asked Obama: 'What can your administration do to ensure that any new laws and regulations not only not hurt small businesses, but in fact help them grow and thrive?'
Moderator Harry Smith invited her to expand on her point, which she did: 'As a small business owner, my business's income is my income, so I feel like I'm being taxed higher than somebody, you know, who earns a regular job with the same amount of income?'
During the same event, Obama was also treated to questions from a liberal perspective, including from a self-employed accountant, Bernard Miller: 'My question to you is, you've proposed budget changes to Medicare. I'd like to know how they still would be able to keep the 45-year promise that's been made to the American public.'
While the Republican candidates were routinely asked about any gaffes or perceived mistakes, NBC's Ann Curry sat back when, on the June 14 Today, Obama preposterously claimed that ATM machines were a reason why fewer jobs were being created during the current economic recovery: 'There are some structural issues with our economy, where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers. You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don't go to a bank teller.'
Curry failed to recognize the absurdity in Obama's claim — ATMs have been widely used since the 1980s, and the number of people employed as bank tellers has actually increased during that time, to more than 600,000 in 2008 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not counting the thousands more who are employed in manufacturing, servicing and repairing the machines.
Even worse, once it became clear that Obama had bungled his talking point, neither Today nor any of the other morning shows bothered to mention the ATM gaffe in the days that followed.
Inviting Obama's Surrogates to Slash the Republicans: Four years ago, the Democratic candidates were often represented on these morning shows by their spouses, campaign managers, strategists or other spokesmen. Having a surrogate speak on behalf of a campaign creates more of a presidential aura, building up the candidate as a potential statesman.
But this year, none of the Republicans has been given a chance to speak through surrogates, although Mitt Romney appeared once with his wife, Ann, on NBC's Today and later appeared with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie after the latter's endorsement. Also, back in January, Texas Congressman Ron Paul appeared on Good Morning America with his son, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.
Only the Obama campaign has been represented on the morning news shows by surrogates. Michelle Obama was featured in four softball interviews totaling nearly 35 minutes. NBC's Matt Lauer spent nearly 14 minutes with the First Lady back in February. His hard-hitting agenda included questions about whether the President was using hair dye, and about her role in getting him to quit smoking. 'Was there some tough love at the White House concerning this?' Lauer wondered. 'Is it possible he may be going into the Lincoln bedroom and sneaking a smoke every once in a while?'
Obama's political staff used the morning newscasts to go after the opposition. ABC's George Stephanopoulos made it a habit to bring aboard an Obama spokesman to critique several of the Republican debates. 'Who won last night's debate?' he asked David Axelrod on August 12. Axelrod slammed the candidates for rejecting tax increases: 'Really, what they were doing was pledging allegiance to the Tea Party. They were not willing to accept one more dime of taxes on the wealthiest Americans.'
On October 11, Stephanopoulos invited David Plouffe to critique the newest GOP frontrunner: 'Weigh in on this Herman Cain phenomenon....What do you make of Herman Cain?' Plouffe used the opportunity to hit the entire field: 'All of the candidates... want to let Wall Street write their own rules, huge tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations....'
CBS's Jeff Glor brought Axelrod onto The Early Show October 19: 'What did you think of the debate last night?' Axelrod: 'If you were an American who is worried about jobs or how we restore security for the middle class, there wasn't much in it for you. Herman Cain wants to raise taxes on 85 percent of Americans; Rick Perry thinks we can drill to prosperity; and Mitt Romney thinks we need more and faster foreclosures.'
NBC's Matt Lauer similarly cued up Robert Gibbs on October 27: 'Do you think you'll have a field day against Mitt Romney?' Gibbs mocked: 'I think Mitt Romney is going to have a tough time explaining what Mitt Romney was for in the past and what Mitt Romney is for now.'
Not every question was an open-ended softball. For example, Lauer pressed Gibbs back on August 16 about the President's just-announced intention to submit a jobs plan: 'I was shaking my head thinking, 'Where was this plan a month ago, when we were in the middle of the debt ceiling debate?' What is new here? And why should people believe it's going to work?'
But for the most part, the networks' open-door policy permitted Obama's staff to continuously critique the Republicans, while their own candidate enjoyed a much kinder and gentler experience with the morning shows.
Softballs for Obama, Hardballs for the GOP: While this year's crop of Republican candidates faced mostly adversarial questions about political topics, President Obama enjoyed the same sort of friendly, personal questions that aided his campaign four years ago.
During Mike Huckabee's appearance on Good Morning America in February, George Stephanopoulos painted mainstream Republicans as a engaging in fringe behavior: 'It seems like Republican leaders have the hardest time in the world saying simply and clearly 'President Obama is a Christian and President Obama is a citizen. Get over it.''
He tried the same approach with Michele Bachmann a few days later: 'Can you just state very clearly that President Obama is a Christian and he is a citizen of the United States?' Bachmann told Stephanpoulos: 'I think we should take the President at his word.'
Also that month, NBC's Meredith Vieira took a frosty line with Tim Pawlenty when he appeared on Today, quoting criticisms from Pawlenty's Democratic successor: 'What makes you better equipped to run the nation's economy, if you left your own house in such disarray?'
Before Rick Perry declared his candidacy, ABC was touting his record on job creation. 'Perry has got an almost picture perfect political resume,' ABC's Jon Karl enthused on the August 10 Good Morning America. 'His state is leading America in what might be the most important category, jobs — 220,000 new jobs over just the past year. In fact, nearly 40 percent of the job growth in the United States since President Obama became president have been in Rick Perry's Texas.'
Yet just two months later, ABC's Stephanopoulos was castigating Perry for the same record, painting it as dreadful: 'Your opponents point out that unemployment has doubled during your tenure as governor, and that about 65 percent of the Texas job gains since 2007 are actually government jobs. Is that the model for the country?'
With President Obama, the networks continued to treat him as an honored celebrity, softening his image with lots of questions about his family. Today's Ann Curry asked about the 'family meeting' she imagined before Obama decided to run for re-election: 'Did you ask Michelle and the kids about this at the table?'
Steve Kroft's 60 Minutes interview about the bin Laden raid also included a Michelle angle: 'Did you have to suppress the urge to tell someone? Did you want to tell somebody? Did you want to tell Michelle? Did you tell Michelle?'
'The President says the best piece of advice he got from Michelle: that the mark of success comes from having happy and loving children,' ABC's Stephanopoulos admired on October 4. He asked Obama: 'How do you protect them, this time around, when everybody's saying all these bad things about you?'
Good Morning America's pre-Father's Day interview with Obama was replete with soft questions, one sent in via video from a soldier in Afghanistan: 'Mr. President, the last two years I've missed my Father's Day with my girls and I wanted to ask you, what would you consider is the most perfect day with your girls on Father's Day?'
Obama beamed in response: 'Well, it's a great question....'
There's nothing wrong with exploring these human interest angles, but journalists know that such questions are invaluable to candidates hoping to create a personal bond with voters. Just as in 2007, the morning shows treated Barack Obama like a celebrity, while his potential rivals were treated as merely flawed politicians.
In 2004, journalism suffered a black eye when CBS's Dan Rather attempted to sabotage George W. Bush's re-election with phony documents. In 2008, the networks' adoring coverage of Barack Obama became fodder for late night comedians. If the media fail to adhere to the public's expectation for fair and unbiased election coverage in 2012, they will squander whatever credibility still remains.


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Lojinx Christmas Present; click to download a free mini-album of exclusive Christmas songs by Farrah, Henrik (feat. Kim Richey), The Wellingtons, Caroline Lost, Nate Campany, The Bad Machines & Nightlights.
There are seven new songs from seven different artists on our diverse roster especially recorded for this release. There's sure to be something you'll enjoy!
Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

subset: commoncrawl


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Okay folks, I am working on ironing out the final details on the Trans Iowa Masters Program. The cues are being uploaded to the site, with the "First Semester" and "Mid-Term Test" already on the page. I hope to have the final part up within a few days. Here are a few notes of interest:
- There probably will not be a full course recon. I just don't have the resources to do that at this time. I do have a few possibilities for checking out sections of the course, so I hope to be able to get some of it looked at.
- That said- Riders will be on their own from the standpoint of doing any on-the-fly re-routing. (Which should add to the adventure part.) There is a clause in the Rules that addresses re-routing, (see rule #5 on the TIMP page), so it shouldn't be a big deal. Still.....I hope to check out as much of this course as I can soon.
- There are two riders pledged to do the course already.
|Charles City Iowa May 1968
Yesterday marked the 46th year since "The Tornado", as we folks who lived through it say. My hometown of Charles City Iowa was devastated by an F-5 tornado a little after 5pm on May 15th, 1968.
I was just a little boy at the time, but this event pretty much shaped my life for years to come afterward, and of course, it isn't something one forgets. Thirteen people lost there lives that day, and thousands were injured. Pretty traumatic for anyone let alone a young child to live through.
Yet, as they say, good things often come out of tragedy, and I witnessed many a good thing that came out of this calamity. One of those very minor things was my attraction to bicycles. You see, since the tornado ripped apart so many households, bicycles were strewn about the surrounding wild areas where we had the pick of the litter, in a way of speaking, for several years afterward. These bikes we would scavenge, tear apart, assemble, and modify without fear of failure or retribution from someone's parents or the authorities.
I gained a very basic understanding of bicycles from this time and I suppose you could say it stuck with me and grew. Would I have been a bicycle nerd without that tornado? Maybe. But you never know..........
|Apparently Shimano thinks they are Campy.
Okay, so the good news is that my Ultegra 11 speed 46T chain ring has arrived. (Part # coming soon!) That's a good thing, since the 52T ring on there is just not very useful for my preferred gravel riding style.
The bad news? Well, apparently Shimano chain rings have a very special.......something. I'm not sure what it is, but the retail price on the 46T chain ring is........get ready for this!
Yes- that's for one aluminum chain ring with 46T and a bit of fancy forge work. I didn't order a Campy one by mistake, did I? Nope........it's a Shimano ring alright. That's stunning, discouraging, and seems just plain wrong. Besides the fact that it is uglier than sin, plasticky looking anodized grey/black. If it was beautiful, didn't look like it came off a department store bike, and was......oh say about 100 bucks less at retail, I could swallow that.
But this price for this ring is ridiculous. Plain and simple. But.........I will buy it, because there are no alternatives. At some point, there will be other, more reasonable 11 speed compatible options, and this crankset will be replaced so I can afford to keep buying replacement rings. The gravel is not kind to these things, ya know.
By the time you read this, the long course, which is called the Alexander, will have riders on it. The Almanzo 100 and Royal 165 will start Saturday. Should be a great weekend, albeit cool, for riding. Good luck to all those taking part in the events out of Spring Valley this weekend!


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Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Pacific Northwest, Finally
This past December, which yeah, I know, was last year by this point, I went to Washington and Oregon for a little fun. Again, football brought me there, but I managed to parlay the trip to Spokane (which is 5 hours from Seattle) into a little drinking and eating time in the oft-romanticized locals of Seattle and Portland.
Even though I visited during the worst month of the year, I still managed to fall in love. But as an East Coast person at heart, I don't know if I could ever forsake our hurried, irritable and incessantly driven lifestyle for one of idyllic beauty, coffee and beer heaven and ever-so politeness. But, for now, I'm tied to Massachusetts (3 years to go) and must simply debate the prospects of a westward move with every one I know.
My stay in Seattle was short. The day after a perfect dinner, at the home of my welcoming hosts (pâté, cheese, king salmon, sugar snap peas, steamed rice and wine), we all went to brunch at Spring Hill in West Seattle. I had Saimin for the first time ever: smoked pork belly, six‐minute egg, pork & ham broth, fish cake, scallion. It was a distinctive form of almost-Pho heaven. This bowl was huge and I did my best to kill it all. The meat was awesomely tender and the broth was spicy and tastily developed.
After this short stay in Seattle, I took Amtrak down to Portland, OR. All of us in Philly know the hype about this alleged "beertopia." I've been known to refer to it as the "other Portland." Portland, ME being first and foremost in my heart. But, this Portland was awesome too.
The foodcarts were perhaps the MOST glorious thing I've ever seen, and my mouth is watering just writing this sentence. I wish that this was something Philly could really embrace (I think I understand the licensing issues that exist in Philly). Some might say that Philly does have foodcarts; certain places around Penn's campus and the other hospitals do have them. But that is not the same thing. Also, a food truck by one of Philly's most famous chefs doesn't count either. Whole blocks are devoted to pods of foodcarts, 20 or so in one place. Complete awesomeness. The one cart I went to offered one sandwich: porchetta, local arugula, and lemon on a hearty roll. Done. Perfection. Purity. Heaven.
Anyway, enough gushing. For simplicity sake, I'm just going to do a photo rundown of my trip:
Deschutes Brewery
BridgePort Brewing Company
VooDoo Doughnut
The People's Pig Foodcart
Horse Brass Pub
Belmont Station Beer Store
Also, the first night I had dinner at Higgins. The second night I ate at LePigeon. Both locations were too dark to take photos. I'm seriously against using flash in restaurants. I draw the blogging-line right there. Both meals were good, but dinner at Higgins was really spectacular. Thanks to Dr. Joel and S&V for this one. The bartender was friendly, and the charcuterie plate was probably the best I've ever had. All of it done in-house.
In the end, I ate as much as one person could possibly eat on this trip. I had to keep the drinking to a minimum, as navigating a city by yourself isn't the easiest/safest thing to do while drunk. And yes, the good beer was plentiful. I searched hard for all the beer spots to hit, but I couldn't make them all on foot or by public transportation. Next time, a car might really be worth it in Portland. And obviously, I shorted Seattle. But with my new found intense love of the Pacific Northwest, I'm most certainly making a trip back.
Posted by Femme Fermental at 3:46 PM
2 comments:
- Brian P said...
WOW. I'm a little jealous. This is a trip I've wanted to take for years. Looking at those taps and hearing about the food is making my mouth water. The sweet, yummy, goodness of that VooDoo doughnut has me checking the flights leaving Philly tonight.
- March 28, 2011 at 5:53 PM
- Femme Fermental said...
Hi Brian,
I've been wanting to take this trip for a long time too. DO IT. It's totally worth it. I grew tired of hearing other people talk about it; had to find out myself. And, it's awesome! :)
Take care!
- March 28, 2011 at 7:08 PM
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I knew Akumal Bay has calm water much of the time so we drove over to snorkel. We borrowed gear from our hotel, but rented life jackets at the dive shop at the urging of the conservationists (heavily suggested to protect the coral). I never thought much about it previously, but we loved that there was no need to tread water. It made the day leisurely rather than exhausting. It was a lengthy swim out to the coral, but it was worth the effort. The sealife was beautiful and plentiful. I wish I had photos to share, but this next photo was the only one taken that day.
It was the photo that killed my Canon Powershot D10. I've taken the camera in the water hundreds of times without issue, but it seems this time the door to the battery compartment hadn't sealed tight. Moisture quickly filled the camera. I managed to get one shot before it fried. I was completely bummed that I wouldn't be able to capture any of the amazing fish we saw.
The following day we went back to Akumal but this time we snorkeled in Yal-Ku Lagoon. This place is a real gem. It is a spring fed by Cenotes (freshwater underground rivers), the freshwater mixes with sea water from Yal-ku's inlet to the sea and it has the most amazing display of tropical fish. The freshwater is crystal clear and the seawater is a bit murky, the inlet currents are incredibly strong and the cenote waters are quite cool. It's quite the experience. We snorkeled for hours. It was the most amazing excursion we've done to date.
I learned schools of fish are fun to watch in fish tanks, but I don't like being surrounded by them. Those little buggers freaked me out. They would nibble on you too, if given the chance. It was wild seeing needle nose gars in their natural habitat. We kept them as pets a few years back. I also learned I'll never dive. You see, just snorkeling into large rocks made me claustophobic. Panic set in immediately. Fortunately, I was able to get my head above water in a hurry (diving wouldn't allow that - so, it is completely out of the question). I'm happy to report, I didn't let it get the best of me. I calmed down and tried again. I was able to see there was no reason to be concerned. I snorkeled the tighest of spots without issue. Kellee 1, Claustophobia 0.
The next day, we went to the Cristalino cenote. By now, I was
Puerto Aventuras is nearest to our hotel. We travel here often for trips to the Chedraui. We'd stock up on cigars, cerveza and pastries. It was quite a bit cheaper than Walmart and the Soriana at the Centro Maya. We decided to see what was behind the gates and it's lovely community catering to tourists. It reminded me of Summerlin. This area is probably most popular for swimming with the dolphins. The were a sight to see.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed our encounters with inhabitants. There was Estaban our guard iguana. He loved to sunbathe outside our door.
There was crabby and herman the hermit crab
The birds dining at sunrise were a trip to watch
All in all, Al Cielo in Xpu-ha is our slice of heaven. I cannot wait to return.


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Call it serendipity, fate, or just good luck: In the early 1990s, the chair of Parsons' Department of Product Design read an article about Tony Whitfield's furniture design work in Interiors magazine just as a faculty position unexpectedly opened up. Whitfield was invited to apply and became a member of the Parsons faculty.
Trained as a fine artist, Whitfield began his career working for museums, galleries, and nonprofit organizations that publish and distribute artists' books. A job as program director at Just Above Midtown, a nonprofit founded to promote the work of African-American artists, led to a position as senior policy analyst for cultural affairs at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Whitfield recalls, "By the time I moved into that position, I had begun designing furniture and started a small furniture company of my own, which led me to Parsons." Whitfield agrees that his career has taken a somewhat unusual path, but through it all, he says, three things have remained consistent: "My career has always had a creative component, a critical component, and a service component."
The service component will take center stage as Whitfield moves into the role of associate dean of civic engagement at Parsons. Whitfield defines civic engagement at Parsons as "all activities that take students and faculty members into the broader community and contextualize the ideas being taught with the goal of helping students find ways to change culture and society." He offers the example of a Parsons student who worked with a nonprofit organization to develop a game that helps children with cerebral palsy overcome a particular learning impediment associated with the condition.
Tony Whitfield anticipates that Parsons will be involved in more long-term and complex civic engagement projects. One such project is District Three, in which students and faculty are creating interior spaces and developing a design curriculum for eight new magnet schools in New York City. "One of the things I'm excited to see is a cross-divisional approach to achieving educational goals that is taking root across the university," says Whitfield. "If we're going to effectively address issues that have real social impact, we have to know more than simply what we learn in design school. We have to be open to working with experts in social sciences, hard sciences, politics, and economics."
Tony Whitfield's own recent work addresses social and political themes. He designed a "chapel-like" space for the Global Africa Project exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design, which called attention to a Ugandan politician's proposal to exterminate gays. Whitfield is currently involved in a project that explores ways gay culture throughout history has been reflected in the presence and absence of spaces and artifacts. As an artist and teacher, Tony Whitfield has established a creative practice that reflects his commitment to community and social action—a foundation that underlies Parsons itself.


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Here it is!!! My new pink bike!
Peter ordered it for me when I was away in Buffalo--
see I complained last year that my original mountain bike was too uncomfortable
for my back--it killed to ride it! I said I wished I had a bike like his Mom's-old fashioned with the extra wide seat (haha) and handle bars that I didn't have to bend over to reach.
I had no idea he had done this-what a sweetie--I LOVE him!
And he picked the most awesome color-right?? It is so Bad Girl!
And the funny thing is this-I went to get a pedicure with Sherry and picked
a pink nailpolish-it matched the color of the bike--too funny! I picked it up the same day-and
told the guy that owns the shop-Eric-hey look---it matches-he thought I was nuts!
Anyway--thats my surprise and I love it! I have taken it for a spin around the neighborhood with the boys and I was stopped several times because everyone loved it!
I need a basket for it too--maybe when I visit the Cape....


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Delhi-6 (2009): Focused energy is thy name
Because the characters discuss physics in that pivotal scene noted above (which also carries the risk of being perceived as rather silly; it is funny regardless), let's first discuss this film with respect to energy, defined as one's capacity to work. I was taught it stems from four base sources: body, mind, emotions, and spirit. If you've seen Delhi-6, you know there's plenty of each involved. Consider the first 10 minutes alone. A failing body and related emotions lead the protagonists to an environment with interesting (to say the least) minds that maintain good enough spirits to keep our hero engaged.
There's lack of equilibrium in individual and collective energies transferred within and outside that territory in Delhi allocated zip code 6, because of an uneven juxtaposition of the use of these four sources. This begs for trouble. And trouble it instigates. Except that it's not entirely wasteful, and has its share of positives for those who are willing to play along and give it a chance.
Just like the core issue with working long hours is that time is a finite resource (this might not be a good analogy upcoming, but it's been rough these past couple of months), the core issue with Delhi-6 might just be that it tries to remind us that so is intellect, perhaps even rationalism and resolve. In other words, it offers, at the very least, a reminder that we need to rethink the focus of our energies (if that makes sense).
While this might well have been a popular stance a couple of decades ago, it is no longer one when done without subtlety. And that's fair, except that while perceptions in film consumerism have shifted over the years (at least in urban India), the country's political and law enforcement infrastructures have only gotten worse. So much so that many would rather hear of it from a nasty, self-proclaimed representative of the aam aadmi (common man) as in A Wednesday (2008), than from a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), born to a Hindu father and Muslim mother, who only endangers his life, and expresses his frustration with words, not explosives.
Rants (pun intended) aside, there's something to be said of the ease with which the groups presented in the film are blinded in their real-life persona as well. There's hardly anything fictitious about communal conflict in independent, pre- and twenty-first century India, and the fact is the country is infested with people such as those portrayed in this film. So, I rather enjoyed the use of a kaala bandar (Monkey Man; literally 'black monkey') to get the point across. Although its roots are anything but enjoyable. This news story and this one have more background. (Aside: Someone please remind the haters the real bandar is within them, and not the one depicted here.)
It works to an extent, but sadly, has some difficult to ignore distractions along the way.
As has been said on countless occasions elsewhere, Delhi-6 has a fine supporting cast who are more than up to their mark in delivering effective performances. When it's not Dadi (Waheeda Rehman) -- the word means paternal grandmother -- or Jalebi (Divya Dutta), it's Gobar (Atul Kulkarni) or Ali Baig (Rishi Kapoor). It's always good to see a Lagaaniite, Daya Shankar Pandey does the honors here. There is no way to do them all justice, know that there is an obvious abundance of acting talent throughout, a definite complement to the final product.
Which makes the weakness in Abhishek Bachchan's character Roshan stand out glaringly enough to where it hurts. The film would have been better had it positioned him as a British Indian than an Indian American. That English accent wasn't working at all. (I know those who speak very good English with a perfectly American accent and very good Hindi/Urdu too, so the argument that none can be fluent in both languages and retain their respective authentic styles doesn't work at all for me.) Besides, the Kaala Bandar song (complete with its silly choreography toward the end; I actually enjoyed all the leaping around on rooftops by night -- but that might be because it reminds me of the Spider-Man 3 for Playstation 3 ;) includes a significant dose of English, and it's not of the American kind either! This character tweak alone would have significantly enhanced the film for me. (Open-mindedness is hardly unique to America and us Americans, so yes, I see it working just as well if Roshan were from London and not New York City.)
Directors are to cater to their actors' strengths, and one cannot help but feel this film wasn't aligned with Abhishek's verbal portfolio. It's a shame, really, because with respect to body language, Abhishek has probably done better here than in any other film I've seen him in. This, however, is not what makes the climax somewhat ineffective too (a relatively intelligent NRI's wardrobe, guest appearance, and goofy behavior in the last scene are).
Sonam Kapoor is gorgeous and not bad at all as Bittu, so full of energy! Masakkali the dove is underused, although I liked the metaphor for Bittu's desire for independence from the sociocultural Delhi-6 norm.
The art direction and cinematography are splendid, and offer a visual feast. The dialogue is engaging. The music (A. R. Rahman) and its integration in most cases are fun as well (except Kaala Bandar and Genda Phool, especially found the latter annoying). The integration of the Ram Leela is quite fantastic, as is the panoramic view of Jama Masjid. A hadith of the Prophet Mohammad says that he who discovers himself has discovered God. The beautiful qawwali Maula has a subtle reference to this quote, Mujh mein hi woh khushboo thi, jis se tum ne milwaaya (I embodied the guidance I sought; khushboo is literally translated as fragrance). Contrast with lyrics to Meherbaan from the 2008 soundtrack to the unreleased Ada.
If it appears I'm trying to have it both ways, it might be because I am. I love the foundational layers to Delhi-6, and I don't believe casting or execution are primarily to blame for its pitfalls. On the other hand, I can't help but feel this settled for much less than it had the potential for. Rang De Basanti by the same director, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, was much more effective at sending the message across, but is it fair to compare any film to the 2006 classic?
Yet, overall, I think there's more than enough in Delhi-6 to warrant at least one viewing. It makes for a fairly good and engaging experience. Treat it as fiction with a message for those who need it (and if you aren't convinced it's required for a good number of people in the region (and indeed elsewhere, for us too, because getting better never stops), a quick check of the headlines in Indian political journalism around election time -- like, now! -- might be a good place to start), and it will not disappoint. It's only fair to acknowledge a sincere and energetic filmmaking effort, which is where it is at its strongest.
Movie rating: 3.5/5 (Good!)
My classification: PG-13 (for language, some violence)
Music rating: Here's the music review. See thoughts on integration above.
Official website (and picture source): Delhi6.co.in
26 comments:
- Nicki said...
Thanks for the movie review. It's very thoughtful. I've heard bad things about the film but it could be that they expected more. Although I adore Abhishek, I'm more eager to watch the film for Sonam. Plus the music is wonderful!
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
- dunkdaft said...
Quite insightful. Excellent analysis of physics.
The metaphor of black monkey is what I loved most in this flick. And that, was annoying to most people whom I came across, in here, india. So many people I met, were telling how the movie goes only after 'bandar' and that they felt was 'yawning'. And that hurts me the most. Not too many are ready to see what's in their inside.
One Lagaanite you missed....Raghuveer Yadav, and this time he was fulfilling his dream. Remember his dream was to be a singer??!!
I know this movie is a little bit preachy as everyone puts in. But there is much more relief in terms of visuals, performances and music, that we can't feel 'that' heavy. But yes, it falls short by RDB.
And there, you asked is it fair to compare? Never. RDB is never to be compared. Let it be a classic. Even if same cast and crew gets together again, they can never recreate such magic. So no comparison...
I think there is so much fuss about Abhishek in this. Tell me, which actor would you want to see in this one instead of him?
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Great review! I've been meaning to see this but I was never able to work up the energy to go to the theatre. I heard through the grapevine that it might be released in American indie/art house cinemas, which would be nice. I'd love your opinion on that!
I totally agree on directors needing to cater to their actors strengths. This is why I don't believe that 'story is king' (to quote Luck By Chance) but should be flexible to accommodate changes like the American - English switch.
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
- Saadia said...
Wow, your review is just as abstract as I found the movie. Just not my cup of tea, I guess. The kala bandar fiasco is so true of our societies, but so badly executed in the movie, I think.
The only saving grace was Rahman's music, once again, esp Genda Phool and Masakali. Sonam looks best, simple!
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
You didnt like Genda phool?!!
I loved the movie for all its assorted characters and the lovely cinematography. But overall, it should be one of those TV miniseries with each of the side-character's story getting proper attention. For a movie, it was just too wide a canvas as the PPCC review points out. Strangely enough, Abhishek's lack of American accent didnt bother me at all - his lack of shaving did! And Sonam looked way too young to be paired opposite him.
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I will echo Saadia re: Sonam, who is ravishing. I loved every actor here- but the conclusion completely killed it for me. I do not agree about going in with no expectations- there have to be some expectations based on the actor's and director's bios. Ah well- maybe this oen will get better with time for me!
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Nicki: The music is splendid, but we knew that going in. The expectations of Delhi-6 were interesting. Every time a director delivers an innovative film that's as widely accepted as Rang De Basanti was, and every time he uses 'From the Makers of RDB' in the promos, the comparisons will abound. And they'll be fair. I just don't see how someone would expect another such film. Just doesn't happen, at least not back-to-back. Didn't happen with Swades after Lagaan (both by Ashutosh Gowariker) either. It's tough work to follow up on that level of success!
As you can tell, I found Delhi-6 satisfying to some extent, but then, I have always been the ideal audience for filmmakers :) I think the real issue with it for most is that there's not much that's novel about it. And that's true. Doesn't prevent it from being good enough to view, though.
Darshit: The 'kaala bandar' bit made it all more entertaining for me. I was just smiling through it all, even through the end, except until after Divya Dutta and Atul Kulkarni had that dialogue exchange in the climax. That's when things went downhill fast (and I know I shouldn't have been smiling during the climax, but you get the point). Ref: Raghuvir Yadav, of course! He's written the lines to the play in the movie, I hear.
Preachy it is, but for the people in the film, it certainly needed to be that. If it weren't, we'd all be wondering how those people understood! Having said that, from the standpoint of a mighty engaging film, this didn't work too well. And one could argue that the filmmakers didn't define their target audience well, and that would be a fair criticism. The major holes are in the script, if you ask me.
Agreed on Rang De Basanti. Remember how a segment of the RDB audience complained without really understanding the film's message that it encouraged violence? There was some ambiguity there. I wonder if that feedback influenced Mehra, because it's quite an about turn here, with nothing left to the audience.
Not sure if I agree on Abhishek, though. I think he did well given the elements, thought he made the film better in some ways, and I hold R. Mehra accountable for the issues with his character. However, I have been wondering whether a younger (and more 'American') actor like Imran Khan would have done better. Imran has spent a good amount of time right here in Los Angeles (he went to college here too), so he might have been a good option. Good for him from a career standpoint that he wasn't cast in it, I guess.
Filmi Girl: It would certainly align with the art house cinemas, Mehra's technical prowess combined with the majority of performances in this wouldn't be out of place. There's much to appreciate, the issues with it notwithstanding.
The little details do matter, and I was somewhat surprised that the accent issue came up to begin with. One can see they've put a lot of work into it, and something as trivial as an accent switch should not have been treated as lightly. And what's a good story without at least decent actor? Agreed!
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Saadia: That climax could definitely have been better, and although I haven't put much thought to how, I'm sure some we could come up with alternatives.
Why Abhishek felt the need to wear that wardrobe to toward the end, I have no clue. I'd much rather have had a good old dishoom dishoom sequence there, as unnatural as that would be for Abhishek's character, LOL. Anyone else agree/disagree? There's got to be a better and more classy way for man to fight for woman than to do what was done.
****End Spoiler****
I'll take that comment on the abstract as a positive ;) The music was great, and I liked how the unpredictable the intergation of the music was, yes! And Sonam...SubhaanAllah!
Bollyviewer: 'Genda Phool' kind of came from nowhere. I don't know why I felt that way. The wide variety of characters worked for me as well. I agree with the thought of having a TV mini-series! That'd be exciting, with all the posibilities! Maybe that issue of greater attention to them might have been solved had they gone the normal length of a typical Hindi film? Maybe this was 40 minutes too short? I certainly wouldn't have minded the extra time if it meant a better climax. We disagree on Abhishek, but that's understandable :)
Shweta: It's interesting, with Saawariya and this, and Sonam Kapoor validating that much glamor exists in simple traditional dress! ;) I agree with you on going in with no expectations not being a good approach at all, why would one even see the film otherwise? It's often tricky though, because after reading a few reviews, perceptions easily translate to group think, and the only way to avoid it is to 1) not read reviews, which I probably can't do (haven't tried, but aadat se majboor), or 2) see the movie on day 1, which is not always possible (unless it's an Aamir Khan film -- I've taken Fridays off from work for those ;) It's easy for me to not expect a Rang De Basanti or Lagaan, and you know why that is. For the rest, I'd easily fall into the trap!
- Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Well, I'm highly intrigued after reading all that. A pity it's not on at my nearest multi-plex. I'll have to wait to rent it, I guess. Pity, it sounds like my kind of film.
- Thursday, March 19, 2009
- Pitu said...
You finally saw it! I am still hating on it though ;-)
- Thursday, March 19, 2009
- Bhargav Saikia said...
I really liked the way Genda Phool was picturised. I've heard some people saying that the songs are forced in the screenplay, to which I totally disagree. I felt songs like Maula and Rehna Tu gave depth to the movie, especially the latter. Rehna Tu's picturisation is very similar to RDB's Luka Chhupi, both are at unexpected places. I loved it! I've lived in Delhi for a few years, and as an ode to the city, Rehna Tu is beautiful :) I could feel Prasoon Joshi's words. This man is a genius at what he does.
I'm very very disappointed that Delhi6 hasn't been appreciated as much as it deserves to be. To me, the film is special, not only because of the city but also because it has wonderful characters to whom I could relate to instantly (even the two little kids!) and for the important message it gives to its audience through its two brilliantly executed metaphors (the Kala Bandar and the mirror). The way majority of the audience has interpreted the Kala Bandar, it was shocking, atleast to me!
I had to pinch myself to believe how people have reacted to the film as a whole. It's sad.
Leaving that aside, your analysis of the film is brilliant. Well done!
- Thursday, March 19, 2009
I will never forget my unsuccessful saga of trying to see this movie on the big screen "Down Under" - thrice! No jokes. The particular Hoyts Cinema I went to 3 times messed the whole thing - 1) the movie has not come yet to Oz (this was supposed to be around 20 Feb when the movie released all over the world) 2) they changed the session times without notice! 3) they cancelled the session for the day and actually had only a morning show (10.30 am) for next 3 days!
Phew, in the end i gave up. I guess i am destined to see it on DVD though I was eagerly looking forward to the big screen experience. My twin saw it on the big screen though with her friend. Her verdict : :" it is a very serious movie and will appeal to those who are familiar with the politics in India"
- Thursday, March 19, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Joss: Too bad about the cinemas, I know it's always frustrating. I'll look to know your thoughts, eventually. Hope you like it!
Pitu: Finally did, yes! (Two weekends ago, one of our theaters is still playing it!) I remember our discussion after you saw it, and I told you that book experience was going to work for me! LOL. Wish the climax were handled better, it really put a dent in it all.
Bhargav: Thanks, dude. I'm not near as attached to Delhi as you are (go Mumbai! LOL, just kidding; every Indian is inherently attached to the capital city, of course), but it seemed to have been effectively depicted for the region of Delhi it was based in. Do you think it was accurate overall (the dynamic of the people, etc.)? Agreed on Prasoon Joshi, absolutely. Of his generation, I think he is the finest.
Not sure about the reception to this, either. There are enough characters for most to find someone to relate to. For me, it was most obvious when Abhishek was at the receiving end of the 50-50 comment (although the case doesn't apply with religion). The Kaala Bandar bit, I really enjoyed. The one with the mirror, I wasn't too thrilled about, to be honest, although I didn't mind it much. DJ did it in Rang De Basanti with one dialogue ("Two ways to live..."), and I'm afraid that coming from the same director might not have worked well.
Having said that, little of the reactions of the masses to movies shocks me. I do think it deserved a better overall reception at the box office, but so is life. Don't think it takes away from the strengths of the film.
Anonymous-ji! Thank you for stopping by, and I'm so sorry to hear of those letdowns :'( Although I salute your commitment to the cause, must say. Three times! And your twin is correct! I think what also factors in, in addition to familiarity, is admission of the situation, and admission of the role of the common man in the political mess (which is not new at all, it's been like this since the late 1980s onward). To me, there always seem to be too many contradictory forces from the same sources, which is when the sense of purpose is lost.
So many mirrors, yet we know or acknowledge so little of ourselves!
- Thursday, March 19, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
All: Firaaq, marking the directorial debut of Nandita Das, releases today. More in the February releases post (it was postponed by a few weeks, obviously).
I would have broken my rule of viewing a film of this genre on DVD for the one and only Nandita Das, although I didn't with Earth which starred Aamir Khan too. Such a shame no theater in L.A. seems to be screening it :(
This woman needs security outside her hotel rooms in her own country (she's needed it for a few years), but chooses to stand for her values despite the obvious threat. Salutations from a fan, Ms. Das. You rock (for lack of a better term).
- Friday, March 20, 2009
- Punjabi Folk Singers said...
Great site. I found the film pretty good as well. The soundtrack was great. I liked that one song Dil Gira Dafatan a lot. I recently saw a film called Kalyug. Have you seen it yet? It was some disturbing stuff. Also, it was nice to see Prem Chopra after quite some time.
- Monday, March 23, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Welcome, Ramneek, and thank you for your visit and comment! I haven't seen Kalyug, but know Emraan Hashmi won some critical acclaim for his performance. I also know the film addresses a very tangible, real-world issue, so maybe I should see it? What do you think? Cheers.
- Monday, March 23, 2009
- Punjabi Folk Singers said...
I guess Emraan Hashmi was good but his character is just a lift from the Nicolas Cage film 8mm. He basically plays Joaquin Phoenix's character. I actually like Amrita Singh's performance the most. She's been in some good stuff as of late. I actually think it's worth watching. You should check it out when you have time. It has some genuinely eerie moments.
- Wednesday, March 25, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Wow, I had no idea Amrita Singh was in it, Ramneek. Thank you for the info. I would brave any film for her! Have you seen her in Dus Kahaniyaan?
- Wednesday, March 25, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
PS: And Emraan Hashmi's career seems to be structured around roles that were adapted from elsewhere. I really think he's not a bad actor at all, but I hope he realizes he's got to step out of that spiral some day.
- Wednesday, March 25, 2009
- Punjabi Folk Singers said...
If you're big on Amrita Singh, then Kalyug is a must. I did see Dus Kahaniyaan. I liked it quite a bit. My favorite story was the one with Manoj Bajpai. I like films like Dus Kahaniyaan and Darna Zaroori Hai. Did you see Amrita Singh in Shootout at Lokhandwala? By the looks of it, she's going to have some nice second innings in Bollywood.
- Thursday, March 26, 2009
- Punjabi Folk Singers said...
I haven't seen anything else with Emraan Hashmi. When it comes to Bollywood film watching sessions, I'm not that prolific. Perhaps, you could recommend something.
- Thursday, March 26, 2009
Well said Nawab! Very nice post. "The integration of the Ram Leela is quite fantastic, as is the panoramic view of Jama Masjid." Yes! I also agree with what you wrote regarding the supporting cast and Abi's poor American accent.
All the best!
- Friday, March 27, 2009
I've been thinking about Darshit's question about who instead of Abi in the part. Like you theBollywoodFan, Imran Khan came to mind first. I also think that though all maybe a bit too "old" for the part, I'd pitch Ranbir Shorey, since he could pitch that sort of clueless American thing some of us possess. ;) I'd also think that Shahid Kapoor or Farhan Akhtar could play the part well. Also, another more mature actor, but with boyish looks to pass for younger, would be Madhavan. Those are my suggestions for the re-do. :D
All the best!
- Saturday, March 28, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
Thanks, Ramneek, for the info. So Kalyug it will be, for Amrita Singh! That story with Manoj Bajpai (in Dus Kahaniyaan) had Dia Mirza in one of her best roles, I think. And I really enjoyed Shootout At Lokhandwala, it was really well made. As for Emraan Hashmi films, I'd start with Jannat (2008).
Adab Sita-ji: Thanks, and all your choices for the role are interesting. That 'cluelessness' can be a blessing sometimes, though, because it's often the little things that are overlooked that give rise to the real issues, which is where Abhishek's character was effective.
On an unrelated note, Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor might be working on a film together soon, should be fun!
- Saturday, March 28, 2009
- Swimi said...
I loved this movie.... I don't know why people didn't like it!
- Sunday, April 12, 2009
- theBollywoodFan said...
It's certainly made to be a lot worse than it is, and as you know, I rather liked it too. I think when people finally see it, it'll be of some value. Thought of Yuvvraaj in the same manner, really. To each his own, I guess.
- Sunday, April 12, 2009


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Patents Act No 17/1991
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October has always been a racing month for me. Since I first began running marathons I have always run the Twin Cities Marathon. I believe next Sunday will be the 8th consecutive Twin Cities Marathon that I will be running. For the past few years I was running TCM as a training run for the Ed Fitz 100K. Sadly that race is no longer.
The weekend after TCM is the Glacial Trail 50K/50M. I haven't yet entered but I will be there running. This is the final race as part of the UMTR Fab 50's. I haven't ever run the course before, I'm sure looking forward to it.
The week after Glacial Trail is the Big Woods Nerstrand Races. Nerstrand is part of the MN Trail Series. I've run the half marathon here a few times, it is a very quaint race. Lots of homemade pie, soups and bars for the post race and last year I won a jar of homemade jam. How cool is that! The leaves are changing, it is a beautiful time of year for this race. Last year the course was held on gravel roads because the trail was to wet. I'm hoping we'll be moved back to the trail this year!
I don't believe I have a race the final week of October. November 1 brings Surf the Murph! This is a 25K/50K race that will be held at the Murphy-Hanrehan Park in Savage. Les held a 'fat ass' style run on this course last year and it was fabulous fun. This year he is taking it up a notch to a race with tshirts and medals. This will be a final run before Javelina Jundred on November 15.
December I'll rest a bit, find my legs on snowshoes for the January Northwoods Snowshoe Marathon, training on snow and snowshoes for Zumbro 100 in March and McNaughton in April. It's a bit tricky training for 100s in the dead of winter. It seems though that the snowshoe running builds a good amount of strength in my legs. I never feel under-trained going into McNaughton via snowshoe running. Before I began snow shoe running I would run my long runs on pavement but I have found that a good 50 miler on snowshoes with Topaz beats a 50 miler around the lakes any day!
Boy, where has the year gone? Today the high is supposed to be 85F! It doesn't feel very fallish, but with the boys heading up north this weekend to bird hunt, lots of football games and practices, I know fall is here. This weekend I'll be home running with Topaz, lifting and enjoying some time alone. I'm also trying out two new recipes: Pumpkin Soup and a Salade Nicoise. I thought I'd try them out on myself before I try them out on the family!
Friday, September 26, 2008
3 comments:
- keith said...
I think every month is a raceable month for you...I can't fathom racing at this moment. Between work and recovery I'm pretty well used up by October, catch a second wind and strength train through the winter...then set a schedule for the spring.
Hope to see you at Nerstrand. All bets are off at the moment!
- Helen said...
Check out NF Endurance Challenge in Madison - I think it's the weekend after Big Woods - that way you get a straight run through October!!
- Kel said...
Julie, do you know if there is a course map for Surf the Murph anywhere? There are so many trails at Murphy Hanrehan that I get completely lost!
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