SAIGONBOB

In Defense of Juan Williams

    Sometimes, I turn on Fox News to watch Juan Williams and Bill O'Reilly argue about the latest liberal-conservative issue.
    The long time news reporter (Washington Post) and author of some very dynamic books, Williams has the type of personality--uplifting--that leaves me feeling good, after watching him make his strong points against the bombastic O'Reilly.

    Many in the establishment media don't like the Factor host, Mr. O'reilly, because he likes to take the more conservative view of things.  Also, he leads the other cable news companies in the dust, when it comes to the ratings...so there is a "sour grapes" issue to the competitiveness also.

    Recently, much of the mainstream media trashed the talk show host because he had dinner in a Black owned Harlem restaurant and praised the establishment and the mostly African-American guests.  He pointed out that many Whites are actually afraid of Black people and that is why there is not a healthy dialog between the races in America.

    Waiting in the news bushes for any excuse to bash the host, they took much of what he said out of context.

    So, CNN--a rival network, brings on a PhD from Syracuse University, who teaches business, Mr. Boyce Watkins, to discuss the aforementioned issues.

    Dr. Watkins refers to the well educated, prolific writer and African-American host, Juan Williams, as a "Happy Negro" and derides his integrity.  The CNN host says nothing.

    Welcome to the modern era of entertainment news and character assassination.

    This must be as painful to the analytical mind of Williams, as it was to Glen Ifill of PBS to be called a "maid" by radio talk show host, Don Imus.

    But, to be honest, since I worked for Tom Bradley in 1969 and for his winning campaign in 1973 and became his Press Secretary in 1973, when he became the first African-American Mayor of a majority white voting city...Los Angeles....there has been a lot of infighting between the establishment Black community, on the best way to change things.

    It used to be kept in the background, other than some Black groups, who derided Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as an "uncle tom" during his fight for justice.

    This tension has surfaced in an unhealthy way....in the White media.

    Mr. Williams, is the latest casualty: If you don't support my way, or you are not the stereotyped Black man, saying the usual things, we are going to demean you...just as we have with General Colin Powell, or Secretary of State, Condi Rice.

    It doesn't matter that they HAVE attained what Dr. King wanted:  All people to be viewed within the content of their character, not the color of their skin..so they can advance in society.

    Mr. Williams is a culmination of his own integrity, education, smarts, and the dream that Dr. King laid down while dogs were chasing his brethren in the streets of the south.

    CNN owes Juan Williams an apology.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos

   

      

      

Why is Barack Obama Failing and Hillary Clinton Winning the News Battle?

    Democratic Presidential Candidate, US Senator Barack Obama is failing in the latest polls to former First Lady, US Senator Hillary Clinton.

    While Mrs. Clinton saturates Sunday morning television while being a guest on 5 different shows on the same day, one has to search the Internet for the latest news from Mr. Obama.

    The Senator from Illinois has raised more money and draws a bigger crowd than the Senator from New York, yet the political pollsters have him struggling, trying to make a contest out of the Democratic Primary election, which begins in 4 months.

    Obama may be suffering from the same syndrome as the late US Senator from Illinois, Adlai Stevenson, who was a little too intellectual for the average voter.

    It appears that the media have already anointed Mrs. Clinton as the nominee for the Democratic Party: She receives far more news attention on such issues as health care and experience, while Obama is shown as making political mistakes on the stump.

    Is this an inside job: Maybe.

    The Clinton's are masters in schmoozing the news media, and they have the "inside the beltway" knowledge to make sure she gets national attention.

    However, the biggest problem for Barack Obama is that he is running a poor campaign, and he only has himself to blame.

    Senator Obama is too laid back in his response to questions on the various debates.

    He is not firing from the gut, but only from the brain.

    Perhaps he is afraid of "freaking" voters out, if he looks too strident, because of his bi-racial background.

    A couple of mistakes on form:

    When asked about meeting with the "tin-horn dictators" of the middle east...he answered in the positive..without qualification.  But, when asked if Israel has a right to defend itself, he went into an intellectual discussion of the problems of that same area without sounding definite.

    That is just a little example of what I see as his campaigning problem.

    In my next posting, I will give concrete suggestions,as what Senator Obama can do and say, to raise the interest of Democratic Voters.

    As I have said in the past, I have nothing against Mrs. Clinton, and I also really like Gov. Richardson, and others in the contest, but I would like to see Senator Obama make it a contest in the winter of 2008.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos

 

Why Iowa and New Hampshire (Nevada/S. Carolina) Should Stay Early and Important as Primary States

    The United States Senate is a place where less populated states,such as New Hampshire, Iowa, Montana, and South Dakota, have as much power as California, New York, Florida and others.
    The reason is simple: A balance of power with the House of Representatives, which is based on population.

    When we have a system, like the one we are presented with now: the larger states ganging up with early winter political primaries, trying to outmaneuver the influence of smaller states--we lose the ability to really test the candidates on a person to person basis, rather on the test of their television commercials.

    There is also a certain charm to having candidates who are vying to become the Democratic and Republican nominees for President of the United States, having to do the retail politics...meeting with average voters, in small settings--and allowing these same people to get a "feel" for the candidate.

    Testing a candidate, in a large state, regardless of the massive free news media they may attain, and without the early screening process of the small states, may lead to a mob rule mentality: Stay removed from the populace, but have the great advertising agency (ala Richard Nixon), motivate the voter to "buy" their candidate.

    When I complained to long time Los Angeles Times columnist, George Skelton, about the big states, such as California, entering into an early primary situation, as being just a test of television commercials, he responded, "Turn off your television." 

    Skelton's statement is the attitude of a lot of well informed journalists, who refuse to see the folly, for the rest of us, in determining our Presidential nominee.

    Major newspapers have almost "blacked-out" the newsworthiness of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for example.

    So, where do the people of California really get to know the full spectrum of any major candidate running for the nomination of their party?----Try your Television set a few weeks before the primary, when the millions of dollars of donations (and special interest money) has been raised to buy the most effective commercial.

    In New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada, the people get to shake the hand, and get the answer to hard, everyday questions.

    I also like the idea of candidates having to trek through the early snow of New Hampshire, after being treated as saints by their Senate staff, for instance.

    They are used to having people of worth and influence,telling them how "terrific" they are, and what great leaders they have become.  It is only in the town meetings and diners of small towns, where they can be cut down to size.

    With Florida officially going for a January primary date, we are heading to a massive destruction of tradition.  The same tradition which brought down a sitting President LBJ, when Eugene McCarthy challenged him in the early winter of New Hampshire.

    The power of Iowa and New Hampshire can give us a healthy look at the candidates.  Perhaps Iowa was right when they placed Howard Dean third, almost four years ago, and gave John Kerry the boost he needed.  Although, eventually, losing the Presidency to George W. Bush, he only lost because he was a little over 100-thousand votes short in Ohio.

    By just focusing on the big states, with big money, we, as democrats, may lose the most effective person to challenge the GOP nominee in 2008.

    Lets go back to a system which worked well....not perfect...but gave us some pretty good candidates in the past.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos

   

   

      

Will Obama and Edwards Challenge Hillary Clinton--in November?

    Other than political pundits, excited bloggers, inside media moguls, and a few talk show hosts, most of the voters who will eventually participate in the Democratic and Republican primaries, early next year, are still in their "yawn" cycle.

    So why is Senator Hillary Clinton, so far ahead of everyone else, including Senator Barack Obama, and former VP candidate, John Edwards?

    The national political polls have her about 20 lengths ahead of Obama, with Edwards coming in third, and New Mexico Governor Richardson maintaining a respectable 4th, with limited funding, compared to the well known leader-board.

    The first reason, of course, is because the former First Lady, has incredible name recognition, and has the  inside troops to consistently schmooze journalists, who keep her in front of the public during the daily news cycle.

    When Obama or Edwards discuss health care, for example, they may get some air play, but when Hillary talks about it--the news is full of her fury--So the news producers give her plenty of time.

    But, for me, one of the disturbing reasons that Hillary is so far ahead, at this time, is because Barack Obama is not getting the political traction he needs.

    Senator Obama gets the large crowds and has raised more money than Mrs. Clinton, but yet, he is not a factor in the early polls.

    I'm not quite sure whether his problems are a result of a poorly constructed campaign staff, or just appearing a little too intellectual for the average voter.

    Some will say that it has to do with the color of his skin, but I would differ with that argument. It is the Democratic Primary and traditionally, it is the liberals of the party who come out and vote....so color should not be an issue...at least at this stage.

    I hate to say it, but I think he is running a poor campaign.  I can't quite put my finger on it yet, and I certainly would like to see him or Richardson as the front runners in this campaign---however, Obama must start moving up in the polls, sometime after October, or he is in for a really tough fight.

    As I have mentioned in much earlier posts, Senator Clinton has high negative polling ratings...and that will dampen the possibility, in my opinion, of bringing along a vast majority of Democrats in Congress, if she does receive the Democratic nomination in 2008.

    Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, have much lower negatives, and I believe could win a large majority against almost any Republican next year.

    I have nothing against Mrs. Clinton, but my fear, along with a lot of other long time Democrats, is that she will be eaten alive by a combination of talk show hosts, the GOP, and independent committees, by the time election day shows up in November of 2008.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos

   

   

   

   

      

Pac-10 TV Blackout All of Oregon for Ducks/Beavers

( Update: Although the following post was written in September...the way TV games are decided is still really screwed up.  It wasn't until two days ago(this is Saturday, Nov. 3, 2007) that they figured out the televised schedule for the BCS #5 ranked Ducks playing at home against the BCS #4 Arizona State.

    For some reason, fans in Oregon, Southern California can't watch the game on ESPN, but rather on FSN. The rest of the country will watch it on ESPN.

    At one point there were just going to show it on Oregon Sports Network.  Sound like the people who run the TV schedule for NCAA football, also run our government!)

    It is bad enough that we can feel the approach of fall, and the drizzle and 60 degree weather, but the brain-trust in charge of the PAC-10 have blacked-out the  13th ranked Duck-Stanford game and the Arizona State-Beaver game on Saturday.
    No big deal if they don't allow the UCLA game in Los Angeles to be allowed to southern California Bruin fans, because they can, at least, go to the beach or watch some movie star walk into a restaurant in Santa Monica, or even view a Dodger team on its last legs of the season.
    But, if the citizens of Oregon can't watch the OSU Beavers in Sun Devil Stadium, or drive down the 9 hours to view the Cardinals get crushed by the UofO Ducks on the Farm...THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO DO!(Sarcasm)
    There are more people in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium than human beings living in Corvallis, Oregon.
    While it is true that the Oregon Women's Volleyball team is having a great year, and will be at Mac Court on Saturday...that is no substitute for watching Dennis Dixon pull a statue of liberty play, or the Beav's giving the Sun Devils a hard time in their home.

    This is truly a sadistic move by the leaders of the PAC-10, who get a lot of pleasure watching Beaver fans twist in the wind after they beat powerhouse USC last year...dropping the ratings and income for those living around Malibu.

    So, I guess, I'll bring my family to the "hippie market" in Eugene, on Saturday, and watch the usual protesters and unwashed masses attend to face painting and other exciting events(sarcasm)

    I guess we can't have it all...but I do wish I could get on the phone with some official of the PAC-10 and at least have someone to yell at, in an un-politically correct manner.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos   
   

The Republican Hide Dick Cheney Strategy.

    While my Democratic Party made a horrible tactical mistake by aliening with the "MoveOn" ad in the New York Times, which attacked the character of a 4 star General, before he made his speech in front of Congress, the Republican Party is making inroads to the American public, by reducing the number of troops in Iraq, and hiding Vice President Dick Cheney.

    If anyone is less liked than the President of the United States, at this moment, it is VP Dick Cheney.

    Cheney is a major architect of the mis-managed war in Iraq, and must be bunkered on "K" Street surrounded by his special interest buddies.

    The GOP is freaking out, and as I have mentioned in earlier postings, must make upward political movement in September in order to hold onto the White House and  not suffer a major loss in the US Congress.

    Now, Mr. Cheney is faced with the challenge of all of his earlier statements which indicated that "the light is at the end of the tunnel" on Iraq policy..if he does go on national television interviews.

    The only out for the Republican Party, is to have VP Cheney resign his office and put someone that looks sane on government policy.

    In a sense, President Bush has declared victory in Iraq by leaving.  This is what the left-wing of the Democratic Party wanted to do in Vietnam.  Senator George McGovern was leading that charge in 1972, when the American public was decidedly against that war in Southeast Asia, and the polls also showed their hate for President Richard Nixon.

    Of course we lost in a landslide against Nixon in 1972, in large part to the average American voter feeling that the Democratic Party was too radical to take over the White House.

    The strategy of hiding Dick Cheney may be as smart,as it is dumb for the Democrats to support  "MoveON.org" full page advertisement in the New York Times which engaged in character assassination of Gen. Petreaus.

    I hope, as a registered Democrat for 42 years, we don't make the same bone headed mistakes again.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos

   

   

Oregon Volleyball Ducks Tie Record--Go on the Road

    Eugene, Oregon--The University of Oregon    (Update:

Ducks lose their first  game to Purdue, September 14th, to  snap  10 game winning---Then go on on to beat 20th ranked Ohio.) streak) Ducks---did it again.            
    They have tied their all-time record of winning 10 NCAA Volleyball Games in a row.  This includes the record of winning 30 straight matches without a loss.
    The way the Women play college volleyball is a best of 5 contest, but the Oregon team has not had to play more than the minimum 3 games in one contest.
    On Tuesday night (September 11, 2007) they bested Portland University at Mac Court, in order to tie the record.
    Now, they are off to the Big 10, where they play Purdue and 20th ranked Ohio on September 14 and 15th.

    The tough Pac-10 season starts with a home stand for the Ducks, when they play Washington on September 21, and Washington State on September 22nd.

    Although, we were impressed with the usual Women who play a consistently great game for the Ducks, we thought that little, Katie Swoboda (5'5") from Portland and Kristen Forristall (6'2") played an outstanding game.

    I could name the entire stating team as great...but we are always impressed with Neticia Enesi and her strong serve, along with the usual "suspects" like Gorana Maricic, Nevena Djordjevic, Sonja Newcombe and Heather Meyers ( couple of great aces), and the entire team.  There are so many more great players, but will mention them when the Pac-10 season gets underway.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos

      
   

Israel:No News is Bad News: The Everyday Rocket Attacks by Hamas

    The old saying is still true: If the Arabs lay down their arms: There will be peace in the Middle East.  If Israel lays down its arms--There will be no Israel.
    Although, hardly mentioned in the world press, Israel has been suffering through hundreds of rocket attacks from Hamas controlled Gaza.  These rockets have been sent on an almost daily basis.  Some do no damage, others paralyze its victims.  The other day, one just missed a pre-school.
    Today, a series of rockets hit a trainee camps where, 40 young recruits were injured, including 12 seriously.

    Probably, the Israeli's will fight back...that is when you will hear the news.  Once again, the news will make it appear that Israel is the aggressor against the fanatics who control the Gaza: Hamas.

    Does Israel have the right to exist as a free society?  Of course.  Why, then, does the world media mostly ignore the constant harassment by military madmen, like those leading Hamas, when it constantly fires rockets into another country. 

    Do you really think that a democratic country (Israel) can legitimately conduct a "peace process" with those political leaders who kill anyone in their way....including the head cook for Fatah?

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos   

Take the Limit Off Presidential Campaign Contributions

    One of the only ways to get special interests out of the Presidential Campaigns, is to allow individuals to give as much as they want to a candidate.
    This might seem like craziness to political reformers, but since it now takes about one-half a billion dollars to reach November, 2008, for the next successful President, it may be the only way out for the rest of us.
    There are about 100 people in Hollywood, for example, who could finance an entire presidential race.
    Since the so-called limit for individual contribution is about $2,300 dollars for the primary presidential contest, every lawyer, who represents every special interest in America will, and have been, at these fundraisers, handing out their business cards, and glad-handing a candidate....where the most of us will only see such person on a 30-second television commercial, come election time.
    These Attorney's represent Cable Companies to Cell phone companies.  Believe me...when you include the normal Congressional Candidates, running every two years, you get the best White House and Congress that money can buy.
    For clarification purposes, I am not a purist...and this  practice does not make these individuals horrible or illegal people.  I also believe that capitalism is a good thing, and that business..small and large....should remain strong in America.....BUT..

    Government should be an arbitrator...mostly neutral on consumer issues..especially when it comes to health care.  Government should also be somewhat of an activist when it comes to the environment and energy..in order to help the average American.

    But, you don't need Ralph Nader to tell you that you don't have a snow ball chance in hell to get noise pollution reduced, or eliminate a cell phone contract, against the Goliaths of industry.  Especially when they are having daily fundrasiers in places like Sacramento and Washington, DC.

    Also, even in protecting minority rights, it is a good thing to take the lid off of political fundraising.

    For example, when Eugene McCarthy, wanted to challenge President Johnson on the War in Vietnam, he was able to do so, because a couple of wealthy industrialists gave him lots of seed money to run in New Hampshire.  This was before the Watergate reforms.

    The primary situation is a mess...and we have to reform the reforms.

    Thanks for reading:

    Bob Kholos

Vietnam Interviews(audio)-LA Rams Dick Bass/St.Louis Card(football) Larry Wilson-by Bob Kholos

   file:///Users/ameribob1/Desktop/Dick%20Bass,%20Larry%20Wilson%20Vietnam%20interview.MP3

I interviewed LA Rams, Dick Bass and Defensive half-back, Larry Wilson of the St. Louis football Cardinals, in 1966 at the Central Highlands base camp of the 4th Infantry Division, about a mile from the Cambodian border, and about 20 miles up the mountain from Pleiku.  I was a young 22 year old, PFC, who was drafted just after working in the news room of KMPC radio in Los Angeles.
As a result, the officers would pull me off of guard duty,etc..to do these interviews.
    Another, already posted, was with Dallas Cowboy great Don Meredith..also in 1966.
    This interview takes about 5 minutes.
    I will always be grateful to the USO and these entertainers and sports figures, who risked their lives, to give us a little joy in a tough situation.
    I hope to have my interviews with Jayne Mansfield and Nancy Sinatra, in Vietnam, at a later date.
    Thanks for reading:
    Bob Kholos