Putting the Reality in Television

My favorite reality TV of late is NBC's The Apprentice a purposely campy Donald Trump chooses a new president for a company show.

The great part about it is not just that it cuts through the crap of what the show is really about (bickering and backstabbing and butt-kissing vs. "surviving" on an island) but that I know that at least one of the cartoon-like characters is really actually how they seem on TV.

If you saw the show last night after Friends, you will know whom I speak, if not, watch it next week and pay attention to Sam the guy who tried to rent us his girlfriends apartment my fiancee and I Summer 2002 in suburban (MoCo) DC. I say tried because he was extremely forceful in his sales push, and the place was crap (both in quality and price) compared to what we ended up getting about a block away.

Poor Sam, he really tries way too hard. I am still trying to figure out how he has a girlfriend, because this is the kind of guy that would try to "close the sale" on that too.

Since Trump gets to decide who to fire (and the contestants get to choose the 3 he has to choose from) the dynamics are different than a normal reality show.

Everyone hates Sam, yet his aggressiveness and "spunk" got him a second chance this week. No doubt producers will pressure "The Donald" to keep Sam as long as possible, since the kid makes great TV. And gives used car salesmen a bad name, but that's another story.

Now on to politics

Rumor has it that John Kerry is set to get IA Sen. Tom Harkin's endorsement this afternoon in a coup that not only could singlehandedly revive Kerry's campaign but doom Howard Dean and makes sense for Harkin, if you think about it.

The "Hamlet of the Heartland" is liberal and take no prisoners like Dean, but after Gore and Bradley's endorsement, he looks like small potatoes and just following the crowd if he were to support him. And even if he won, Deanies could still say, we didn't need you plusably. Gephardt has Unions behind him that Harkin will need in 2008 when he runs for reelection, but again, it is a bit late for Harkin to get in and make enough dent or news out of it. Plus, even if Dick wins IA, were does he win after that? MO certainly but SC MI and others are doubtful since he has very little staff or money elsewhere, at least compared to Clark and Dean. So if Tom bets on Dick, he may get (sorry for the horrible pun) screwed.

By backing Kerry in constrast, there will be huge stories about it "Is this Howard's End?" and "Kerry the Komeback Kid" or KtKK. And Kerry, one could argue, has enough surge in IA to actually win it (see polls below), if he got the strong orginization backing of his fellow senator. That is of course assuming that the latest Dean gaffe kills him "If you look at the caucuses system, they are dominated by the special interests in both parties" - Dean in 2000 on Canadian TV. He added, "The special interests don't represent the centrist tendencies of the American people. They represent the extremes." More fun Dean quotes, "I can't stand there and listen to everyone else's opinion for eight hours about how to fix the world," and the Iowa Caucuses are "a waste of time." Couldn't agree with you more, Governor.

In other bad press for the Doctor, The Dean campaign has fired "two low-level volunteers who went into Kerry's campaign offices pretending to be average voters." Kerry claims it is a "Paid Dean Staffer" Afterall, how do you fire two "low-level volunteers?"

If Kerry actually won IA, both Gephardt and Dean would be toast, although Dean would still be strong in NH. Perhaps Kerry's supporters would come back to him, and the anti-Dean vote would coalesse around Kerry. Even better, it becomes a Kerry-Clark race, since Dean's winabilty is a big part of his support. [Dream on -Ed.]

Survey USA has this questioned result for the Iowa Caucuses:

Dean 29 (43)
Gephardt 22 (23)
Kerry 21 (15)
Edwards 17 (10)
Other 8 (?)
Undecided 3 (?)

KCCI's Research 2000 IA Poll of Dem caucus voters found Dean had 29% support; Dick Gephardt 25%; John Kerry 18%; Undecided 13% and John Edwards 8% [ That sounds more like it -Ed]

This all means that turnout will be key for all three and that Sen. Edwards should take his VP campaign on the road.

According to the Arizona Republic, Clark "hazed" incoming West Point Plebes: "Instead of sending us on fool's errands or making us repeat useless memorized information, he asked questions about current events." Oh boy, that's rough. I do that to my fiancee too.

And now for something completely different

Mike Gibby: "Something needs to be done. Immigrants are taking all of the good jobs." Mark Goldy: "Please. Name one good job taken by an immigrant." Gibby: "Governor of California" ("Late, Late Show").