Pundit Mediocrity

The so-called punditocracy has been in full swing, we might say, over the last few days. Yet, as poor as the media has been in this election year, I have rarely seen more incompetence than in the last several days. Time does not permit me to mention everything which could be mentioned. But for now I make the following points.

The mendacity of the press falls into two categories: errors of commission and errors of omission. In the first instance, we have a press and media which have been laudatory to an unprecedented degree of both Barack Obama and John McCain. Sen. Obama has been hailed as a fresh voice, a charismatic figure, and the bringer of a new kind of politics. John McCain has been a maverick, a courageous fighter, willing to take on members of his own party, and -- a bringer of a new kind of politics. The flip side of this laudation is the lack of any kind of acceptable vetting of either man.

Thus, today we are confronted with two major problems. First is the screening process used by John McCain in choosing Sarah Palin as his recommended Vice-Presidential nominee. The second is the likelihood of problems with Barack Obama's citizenship (see elsewhere on this blog). Also part of the sins of the media are egregious errors regarding process. For instance if you notice my wording above I did not call Sarah Palin John McCain's running mate. This is because it is up to the convention to choose a vice-presidential nominee. And with the torrent of revelations cascading from the Palin campaign who can say for sure what is going to happen now or down the road in this regard?

With all the revelations, one consideration has gotten lost: Is this person fit to be a heart-beat away from the Oval Office? And not only am I thinking of character issues. (Palin, it seems, has been more than a little disingenuous regarding her positions on some issues.) But this is a person with essentially no foreign policy experience whatever. How would she deal with a Vladimir Putin? What would she do in Iraq? On the economy she seems to be far to the right, not the kind of leader we need now.

As to the Obama situation, I strongly recommend readers consult my earlier posts on the subject of his citizenship. The suit of Philip Berg, former Deputy Attorney General of the State of Pennsylvania, is a must-read. I had the honor of hearing Mr. Berg on Internet radio last evening. He makes a compelling case for the need for expedited discovery in this matter. As he says, if he's wrong all Sen. Obama has to do is produce the documents.

Given all the uncertainties it is possible neither candidate will make it to November. Or if they do, there is a strong possibility their legitimacy as serious candidates will be greatly compromised.

So, in short, We can do better! The press, by failing to properly vet these candidates has left America open to inexperienced, incompetent, and -- at least in the case of Sen. McCain -- even flaky leadership. Unless one or both of these candidates is dropped by their parties, America is in for a period of ineptness not seen in the White House since Ulysses S. Grant. And that is saying something.