What lessons have you learned? - Math Class for Poets asks what you lawyers have learned while working on a case, especially something that you didn't expect to learn. Hmmm. Good question.
7:20:39 PM
Republicans sweep, but "the real winners are the voters" - like many of you, I was glued to the TV watching the election returns. Feverishly flipping between national coverage to the local coverage and then to Comedy Central, which I think had the best election night analysis. They scored a big coup with Jon Stewart's live interview of John McCain. Stewart deftly handled McCain, asking him at one point what impact the apparent Republican sweep would have on the country. "I mean, do we all have to go out and buy guns now?" he asked the senator. McCain laughed and then said quickly "yeah, maybe so, and I hear the Bushmaster is a popular model." Stewart wasn't prepared for that, and had to lower his head in order to compose himself.
The analysis of the Florida governor's race was also great. Jon Stewart asked beat reporter Mo Rocca to assess the situation. Mo replied, "well it looks like Jeb Bush has won the first round." Stewart, feigning a perplexed look, said "well he's projected to be a winner. What do you mean 'first round'?" Mo Racca said that in "Florida 'winning' the is only a first step. Next comes the recount, and then another recount. And then come the lawsuits." But, obviously winning the election was an important first step, Racca concluded.
Another classic was the reporter they assigned to cover all of the 500+ candidates around the country who were having campaign parties. Turns out it saved a lot of time to have one guy do all of the parties. He said "I'm standing outside of a Marriott or a Raddison and inside the winner is 'congratulating his opponent for running a great race.' The opponent is saying 'it's now a time to put differences behind us and work together.' And they're both saying that 'the real winners are the voters.'" I then switched back to a local channel to the concession speech by a local district attorney that was filled with exactly the same sort of pabulum that the Comedy Central guy was spouting. Ah, the Irony. But you need more than irony and that's hard to come by in most election coverage.
What you want to avoid most is "inanity and boredom." Yeah, from now on I'm going to stick to Comedy Central for my election coverage. And while I really like and respect Jon Stewart, I think they should bring back Al Franken. That would be a dynamic duo. I don't know if they would get along, but I would hope that they could put aside their differences and work together. For the benefit of the voters, that is.
