TEA PARTY CONVENTION
“Is it a big deal that Palin wrote some notes on her hand? No, not really. Lots of politicians carry notes with them (if not, as in Palin’s case, literally on them). If this were Mitt Romney, it wouldn’t have been a particularly big story. Nevertheless, politics is inherently contextual, and this was something that was bound to play into every negative caricature of Mrs. Palin. Somebody needed to take Palin aside and tell her: Honey, this is going to make you look ridiculous. Can’t you write on a notecard instead?’’
NATE SILVER
“I’ve seen competing [attendance estimates] - ABC News said there were ‘nearly 600 activists on hand for the event - but let’s just go ahead and round up, and say there were 600 people who showed up. Maybe it’s just me, but doesn’t that seem like pretty weak turnout?
“Granted, there was a controversy within the ‘movement’ about the nature of the event, its organizers, and its profit margin. It seems likely that the crowd could have been larger were it not for ticket prices and the ‘sketchy’ nature of the convention. But even after acknowledging this relevant context, what we’re left with is an event with 600 participants and a grand total of zero current House members, senators, or governors.
“There were, by some estimates, 200 journalists on hand to cover this convention, creating a bizarre dynamic - one reporter for every three participants. It’s all terribly odd. The first Netroots Nation gathering (the conference formally known as Yearly Kos) had 1,400 attendees. The Tea Party convention had less than half this total. The media attention seems a little disproportionate to what, by all appearances, was an underwhelming get-together.’’
STEVE BENEN
SUPER BOWL
“[Saints Quarterback] Drew Brees can enter the discussion of the great QBs in history. He’s got a long way to go to reach God-like territory, and he may never get there, but Brees has been spectacular for a half-decade, and had an impeccable performance Sunday night.’’
Cold, Hard Football Facts
“The newest song on [the] set list was 32 years old; the oldest was 41. But it wasn’t even the tunes’ over-familiarity that was the biggest problem. Townshend (64) and Daltrey (65) were woefully flat and way out of sync during the unison vocal parts, and they relied on empty theatrics to convey the musical energy of The Who when The Who really was The Who. But the lasers, fireworks, geysers of flame and an elaborate illuminated stage that put U2’s current tour setup to shame couldn’t disguise the fact that these were two grizzled old pros going through the motions for a high-profile payday, with barely a hint of the powers they possessed at their peak. Somewhere between the pointless button-pushing and pop pandering of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake and the recent procession of sad old Hall of Famers phoning it in, there has to be a happy medium for Super Bowl music.’’
JIM DEROGATIS
