NBC

Rachel Bennett, a television columnist at ScottFeinberg.com, wrote some honest and thoughtful analysis on what is happening with NBC.  It is a really good read and it's one that I find myself in complete agreement.

Right now, Revolution has the ratings to be considered a successful hit.  It's got the J.J. Abrams pedigree and was created by Supernatural creator Eric Kripke.  It had the best ratings for a drama debut in 3 years.  For a 10 PM show, it also had the best ratings at that hour since a January 2010 episode of Private Practice.

While some moves this season have been questioned, especially moving Community off of Thursdays, it's too early to tell just what kind of fall season that NBC will have.

I've watched the pilots for Go On, Animal Practice, Partners (CBS), and Ben and Kate (FOX).  I can tell you that out of those four pilots, Ben and Kate is the best one by far.  NBC passed on a Sarah Silverman pilot.  I would have been interested in seeing what that was like.

NBC can get back to the heyday of the 1990s but what really hurt them was giving up on the 10 PM drama in 2009 by placing Jay Leno there.  Also, by going unscripted for a while, they lost viewers to other channels.

Quote of the Day

“When you have a fire in an aircraft, there’s no place to go, exactly and you can’t find any oxygen from outside the aircraft to get in the aircraft, because the windows don’t open. I don’t know why they don’t do that. It’s a real problem.”
--Mitt Romney, quoted by the Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2012

Hat tip to Think Progress for this quote.  There are days when I feel that Think Progress headlines are being ripped from The Onion.

64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Winners

Here are the winners for the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented for the 2011-12 television season on September 23, 2012.
 

Outstanding comedy series: Modern Family
Outstanding drama series: Homeland
Outstanding miniseries or movie: Game Change
Outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Outstanding directing for a miniseries or movie: Jay Roach, Game Change
Outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie: Julianne Moore, Game Change
Outstanding writing for a miniseries or movie: Danny Strong, Game Change
Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie: Tom Berenger, Hatfields & McCoys
Outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Outstanding variety series: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding directing for a variety special: Glenn Weiss, 65th Annual Tony Awards
Outstanding writing for a variety special: Louis C.K., Louie C.K. Live at the Beacon Theatre
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series: Claire Danes, Homeland
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series: Damian Lewis, Homeland
Outstanding directing for a drama series: Tim Van Patten, Boardwalk Empire
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Outstanding writing for a drama series: Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Gideon Raff, Homeland
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series: Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Outstanding host for a reality show: Tom Bergeron, Dancing with the Stars
Outstanding reality-competition program: The Amazing Race
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series: Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Outstanding directing in a comedy series: Steve Levitan, Modern Family
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series: Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Outstanding writing for a comedy series: Louis C.K., Louie
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series: Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Book Review: Our Divided Political Heart by E.J. Dionne

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1 edition (May 22, 2012)

E.J. Dionne is at his best with this book.  In 279 pages, the columnist takes a long look at what has happened to both liberalism and conservatism since the country was founded.  Like several books out this election season, it's a must-read and a real eye-opener.  It's brilliant, in my opinion, and he breaks down exactly what has happened through thoughtful analysis.

What E.J. argues in the book is "underlying our political impasse is a lose sense of national balance that in turn reflects a loss of historical memory."  He shows how the political atmosphere is being poisoned.

America is a "nation of individualists who care passionately about community."  America is not a nation of radical individualists.  It's shown through which parties have shown a communitarian approach to their politics.

E.J. takes us on a rousing trip through history from the Founding Fathers to Henry Clay to Abraham Lincoln and both Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Dionne looks at Populists, the Progressives, and the New Dealers.

E.J., in this book, challenges the Tea Party movement's views by looking back at American history.  It's fascinating to read his argument.  There's a myth that Americans have been "one-sided individualists."  Dionne disproves that idea.  Dionne believes that we can end this divisive era by "rediscovering the balance between our core values."

It's fascinating to see just how far the Republican Party and conservative movement have gone to the right in recent years.  The following excerpt comes from page 248 of the text:

What needs to be recognized is how far Republicanism and conservatism have strayed from their own history and their own past commitments. They have chosen--on principle, it could be said--to make middle-ground politics impossible. They have done so by jettisoning their own communitarian commitments, by adopting a highly restrictive view of the federal government's role, and by advancing (in the Supreme Court no less on the campaign trail) a view of the Constitution that would prohibit or restrict activities that the federal government has undertaken for a century or more. In the process, they have chosen to rewrite the American story and unsettle the American balance.

I think, when all is said and done, we will be seeing the rise of a strong third party that covers the center.  There's really no room for moderates in the Republican Party and this book shows that.

Ted Koppel talks to media personalties

Ted Koppel has always been a great newsman. Working for NBC News now, Koppel has a great story on what has happened with cable news.

42 Trailer

Here is the trailer for 42, the real life story of baseball legend Jackie Robinson. The film stars Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford and Alan Tudyk. Also in the cast are Nicole Beharie, Lucas Black, Christopher Meloni and T.R. Knight. The film was written and directed by Brian Helgeland. 42 is due out on April 12, 2013, just 3 days prior to the 66th anniversary of Robinson's debut in the majors. The film was shot on location in Alabama, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tenn., where Engel Stadium stood in for Ebbets Field.

The West Wing reunion

Cast members of The West Wing reunited to film an add for Bridget Mary McCormack, a candidate for the Michigan Supreme Court. She's the older sister of both Mary and Will McCormack. Mary played the Deputy Nat'l Security Advisor in seasons 5-7 and referenced herself in the short film as noted in this article.

The script, written by Mary McCormack’s husband, is a reasonable facsimile of the rapid-fire, sardonic dialogue that was the show’s signature. It has a few light moments as well, including one in which Mary McCormack describes the candidate’s “whip-smart and incredibly hot” sister Mary McCormack.

From CNN:

The video, titled "Walk-and-Talk-the-Vote," opens with Joshua Malina (Will Bailey) throwing a ball against his office wall. Soon he's joined by McCormack and Janel Moloney (Donna Moss) who then "walk and talk" their way to meet the rest of the cast including Allison Janney (C.J. Cregg), Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler), Melissa Fitzgerald (Carol Fitzpatrick), Lily Tomlin (Mrs. Fiderer) and the President himself Martin Sheen (Josiah "Jed" Bartlet).

John Spencer died and Dule Hill was out of town during filming.

GOP goes hard after Romney

Prominent conservatives in the past week have distanced themselves from the 47% comments that Mitt Romney made.


Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert has brought back his Atone Phone!

NSFW: Must watch video of comedian

Anthony Griffith is "a comic must earn his living as a clown while suffering the ultimate heartbreak."

This 9 minute video includes some language that is not safe for work but it's emotionally moving.

Republicans vote against jobs bill for Veterans

The Republican Party is turning me into the second angriest man in America...second only to Lewis Black.

Stop doing this to America.  Just stop it.  All it does is boil our blood pressure.  It's not good for you and by golly, it's sure not good for me.

Cut the crap, please.  Tell us how you really feel.

Afternoon notes

Dr. Robert J. Shapiro offers a must-read on how Mitt Romney isn't ready to be president.  Shapiro is the co-founder and Chairman of Sonecon, LLC.

Mitt Romney penned an op-ed in The Onion.

Tax Cuts for rich lead to income inequality

A new report in the Wall Street Journal shows that tax cuts for the wealthy do in fact lead to income inequality.

“The evidence does not suggest necessarily a relationship between tax policy with regard to the top tax rates and the size of the economic pie, but there may be a relationship to how the economic pie is sliced,” according to the CRS report, circulated on Friday.

The report appears to give a lift to Democrats’ calls for the Bush-era tax cuts to lapse next year on incomes above $250,000. Democrats say that low taxes on the rich merely exacerbate income inequality. Republicans say that higher taxes on big incomes would hurt the economy by damping the after-tax income of small-business owners who pay taxes through their individual returns.

The top individual tax rate for high earners has generally declined since World War II, and is at 35% currently, down from 94% in 1945, the report noted. Although capital gains tax rates have been more variable, the current 15% rate is the lowest in more than 65 years. The capital gains rate was 25% before 1965.

The government researchers found that “the top tax rates do not necessarily have a demonstrably significant relationship with investment.” The researchers also said that the correlation between economic growth and the top tax rates “is not strong,” and that any links “could be coincidental or spurious because of changes to the U.S. economy over the past 65 years.”

 This report shows why Congressman John Yarmuth supports "a fair, responsible tax system that works for everyone and helps ensure a strong middle class."

In Mitt Romney news, he's favoring fundraisers over rallying voters.

Romney on Israel

I have always said that I would support a two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians if it meant having peace between the Jews and the Arabs.  That said, there is a part of me that does feel as if the Palestinians don't wish for peace.  They have had time and time again to accept an agreement with Israel but Yasser Arafat walked away from the table and rejected a deal.

The video containing Mitt's comments on the conflict can be found here.  The transcript is below the jump.

Mitt Romney's campaign for president is over

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney ran for president in 2008 and lost.  He decided to run again in 2012 and won this time.  Unfortunately for the Republican Party, to paraphrase a line from former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, this is not the presidential candidate that they wanted but the one that they had.

Quote of the Day

"Rosh HaShanah is Hebrew for I have no writers today."
--Conan O'Brien, Conan, September 17, 2012

Quote of the Day

"We will never have the media on our side, ever, in this country.  We will never have the elite, smart people on our side."
--Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, speaking to an audience at the Omni Shoreham hotel, September 15, 2012

Since I'll be offline the next few days for the Jewish holiday, here's a bonus quote of the day from failed Delaware senate candidate Christine "I'm not a witch" O'Donnell:

I think I owe that to my supporters, to at least consider a run. People sacrificed. Not only came out of their comfort zone -- sacrificed to work hard in order to win the primary. And I think that I owe it to them to give it every consideration.

Netanyahu on Meet the Press

This morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on Meet the Press with David Gregory.

I thought the prime minister held his own with David Gregory especially when Gregory challenged him when it came to the American political calendar and whether he thought a President Mitt Romney would be good for relations with Israel.

Netanyahu refused to endorse any particular candidate and stayed out of the presidential race.

There was a point, during the interview, when Gregory called Netanyahu the "leader of the Jewish people," which is as far from the truth as it could be.

Gregory later apologized on Twitter (1, 2) saying:

This am I called Israeli PM the leader of the Jewish ppl. Better to say he's leader of Jewish state.  Didn't mean to imply all Jews believe he represents them.

At least, David Gregory was wise enough to correct himself.

Some humor...

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell probably has Time Warner Cable like I do...

Also, this school typo is AWESOME. Not even spell check could catch it!

Mitt believes the middle class makes $200,000-$250,000. I think the former governor is high or something. The median income is $50,000.

Israel and more...

Over at the Forward, J.J. Goldberg pens an editorial on the fiasco that happened in Charlotte with the Democratic Party platform.

There are several lessons here. First, Jews still matter as a political constituency. Experts say Israel is mainly an evangelical Christian issue, that Jews are too few and divided to matter. Not so. The Christian right doesn’t figure in Democratic planning, yet Democrats scramble for Jewish backing. It’s simple math.

Second, Israel matters to Jewish voters. It’s true that surveys show only a fraction of Jews ranking Israel their top concern. When you ask their top three concerns, though, Israel looms large.

Third, Arab and Muslim Americans are emerging as a political constituency. Until now, pro-Israel activists could press Israel’s case without serious pushback. That’s wearing thin. In the coming era, American Middle East policy will have to be negotiated. The Charlotte convention was a taste of what’s ahead.

The Israel-Iran debate comes to America as we are in the closing weeks of the election season.  There are opposing views on the matter.  Some argue that the Obama administration isn't doing enough.

Would Mitt Romney have prevented attacks?

Richard Williamson, a foreign policy advisor to Mitt Romney, is coming off as a real idiot.  Listen to what he said in an interview with the Washington Post.  I hate to break the news to the Romney campaign but I honestly believe, based on news reports, that this was an attack that was planned on the embassy.  Would a Romney administration have beefed up security?

“There’s a pretty compelling story that if you had a President Romney, you’d be in a different situation,” Richard Williamson, a top Romney foreign policy adviser, said in an interview. “For the first time since Jimmy Carter, we’ve had an American ambassador assassinated.”

Nobody knows what situation we would really be in under a Romney administration and I refuse to get into any of the hypothetical scenarios.  Just like nobody knows whether a President Al Gore would have prevented the 9/11 attacks from happening.