Bush reacts to Kerry during first Presidential Debate The first presidential debate was a contrast in the candidates' positions as well as their style. But how you interpreted their performance depended on which network you tuned to. I recorded the debate on PBS for my wife who had a prior engagement. But I watched the proceedings on NBC. I was familiar with the "32-page debate contract" agreed to by both campaigns. There were to be no reaction shots of the candidates to each other's statements and retorts. But early on, Fox, which provided the video feeds to all networks, stated they would not...

After 33 years, baseball is returning to Washington. And now that it's a done deal, let's get to the good part: naming our home team. Choosing a team mascot is an art. It takes some creative thinking to come up with something appropriate to the region --something that represents who we are and where we live. There are four categories usually associated with nicknames: Nature, Colors, Strength, and Indigenous People. Let's see what we can come up with. In the Nature category how does the Washington Mosquitoes sound? After all, we live in a swamp and these buggers are our natural neighbors....

The Great Backlash began with the coming together of two very different political factions: traditional business Republicans...with their faith in the free market; and working-class "Middle Americans"...who signed on to preserve family values.

For the former group, the conservative revival that resulted has been fantastically rewarding...After all, they are wealthier as a class today than ever before in their lifetimes. But for the latter group, the aggrieved "Middle Americans," the experience has been a bummer all around. All they have to show for their Republican loyalty are lower wages, more dangerous jobs, dirtier air, a new overlord class that comports itself like King Farouk--and, of course, a crap culture whose moral free fall continues...

Thomas Frank
What's the Matter With Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America

Lisa Sells Class on QVC
(Quicktime Movie, 13.2 MB)

After a hard day at the office I often enter the house, grab a beer if I'm in a "red state" of mind or a glass of Chardonnay if I'm feeling "blue" and sit down to hours of entertainment watching QVC. Yes, this home shopping network is the best way to decompress after hours of project management and endless meetings. I never buy anything, but my family questions my sanity nonetheless. I watch with amazement.

How do they sell those things to all those people? Diamonique to NASCAR replicas. I love the way those perky "SJ's" (selling jockeys) make everything from scrapbook-making kits to 18K gold sound so, so delicious. They talk as if they are describing sumptuous treats from a high-class menu. Where do they find the words? How do they talk like this non-stop? My mouth waters. Everything sounds so good --extra authentic.

To buy is to be. And the buying public calls in to express their satisfaction and to profess their love.

Simultaneously, I am amazed by how many people express their adoration for George W. Bush and the Republican Party. They are selling us something too. Many of my friends are shocked to know that somewhere close to half the population is susceptible to their selling pitches. How could this be? The facts to the contrary seem so clear.

I've been ruminating about this attraction. And I am finding a striking correlation between home shopping and the political landscape (both Republican and Democrat).