THE US REPORT

It’s that time of the election year again, and reportage sizzles like the video clip of Madonna doing her sexual gyrations just before she fell on her fanny. This month’s New York magazine has hatchet jobs (in both the print and online issues) on Sen. John McCain and an analysis of the mess Sen. Barack Obama will confront if he wins the presidency (after the two year reign of ineptitude displayed by a Democrat-led Congress). There are lurid tales about Palin and Obama in a popular tabloid, and the writers are not sympathetic.

New York commiserates over the challenges to Obama—the horror of all the racism in white Americans (who somehow favor the candidate right now according to polls, not to mention the 80 percent of African-Americans who pollsters say will bubble in the Obama circle on the ballot). A hired hand at Jan Wenner’s music magazine comes up with this pearl of wisdom for New York: “The thing is, Republicans in the last 40 years have ALWAYS gone the race route when things got tight.” He might have added the Democratic Party was founded, suckled and is currently nurtured by the race card. But then I am reminded this is a Jan Wenner writer and the piece is in New York so 95 percent of the country is not likely to read it.

There’s a colorful treatment of Sarah Palin in a series of non-stories in The National Enquirer—digs from anonymous but skilled- in-gossip high school kids about the Palin kids and results of Troopergate,  the ‘nonpartisan’ investigation by all those politicos Palin ticked off out yonder in Alaska. I think a large part of her charm for many of us has to do with ticking off the sophists and under-medicated liberals.

But the biggest sizzlers have to do with Obama—let it never be said The Enquirer is not a democratic institution. On the Web, a headline screams ‘Obama gay porno czar link.’ In the Oct. 20th print issue, there’s an expose under the header ‘Obama Sex Scandal.’ I’m not going to synopsize either of those; I’ve already got Obama peeps on this site almost every day including a huge law firm where one of his top fundraisers works. Democrats are so fond of freedom of speech unless they disagree with the speech.

The Enquirer is read openly by kazillions of everyday Americans and in closet fashion by those in the entertainment and political classes. Alas due to the sensational nature of all these stories you'll have to find them yourself by doing a search or picking up the publication; for searches I suggest Yahoo.

Meanwhile, sensitive columnists keep hoping for a kinder campaign from both parties. Frankly, that would defy American tradition and make for very dull reading. Neither political party has run a kind campaign in my opinion, and if you think your candidate has, I have a Kum ba yah CD I'll sell you.