tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10151082490216323882024-03-13T02:32:52.189-04:00Straight Up the Middle
Thoughts on politics, baseball and what lies in between...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-86685196140485680782017-04-10T09:06:00.000-04:002017-04-13T09:07:28.661-04:00A Lull for Boo-birds <div class="MsoNormal">
One thing that’s particularly fun about the first few weeks
of the baseball season is the spirited back-and-forth taunting between fans of
rival teams. My Dad’s cousin, the local butcher and a plumber friend are all
die-hard Yankees fans and early in the season is the best time for maximum
bravado. They’ve been a little more muted in recent years as the Red Sox have
more recently won the World Series (note that this column will surely end that
silence) but hearing from them at the beginning part of the season is something
I look forward to every year.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
President Trump — who has not experienced any silence from
critics since the start of his administration — may have noticed a drop in the
roar last week when the U.S. bombed Syria in response to the latest atrocity
committed by the Syrian government on its people. Love him, hate him — and most
of the people I talk to really do hate him — apparently President Trump has a
soft spot for children and can’t stand to see them killed in a chemical
attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me, it would appear that for
the first time in many years, the United States is doing what needs to be done
in Syria. We’ve been watching this genocide unfold for far too long. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The facts are horrifying: according to the U.N., more than
400,000 Syrians are dead and more than 5 million have fled the country (and
that number is low because it only accounts for those that have registered as
refugees). While some countries are straining under the weight of refugees —
Turkey has three million — some in the United States have patted themselves on
the back for taking a handful of these mistreated souls. I’m glad the focus has
now shifted to ending the cause of the refugee crisis rather than debating
immigration law.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m no foreign policy expert but I believe that the U.S. —
and other superpowers — have a moral obligation to intervene with force if
needed when a country is mistreating and murdering its citizens. For almost 6
years we’ve “observed” as Syrians have been killed, tortured and driven from
their homeland because of a brutal civil war. The U.S. and the UN have imposed
sanctions, investigated the use of chemical weapons and sent numerous other
diplomatic missives — to no effect. I can’t imagine why President Obama did
nothing but clearly he had his reasons and stuck to them. That is his legacy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Will a few dozen tomahawk missiles dumped at an airbase end
the Assad regime? Of course not. Do any Americans want to see us engaged in
another war in the Middle East? Probably not. Is it important to send a message
that we will not stand by as a government murders its children? Yes, I think
so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The momentary lull in criticism has already ended and the
cacophony of “here’s what he did wrong” has begun. Considering that there has
not been peace in the Middle East since political columnists were tapping away
on stone tablets, my expectations for the Trump administration are low, but at
least they have engaged on the side of humanity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-9233162632672059262017-04-03T09:01:00.000-04:002017-04-13T09:04:52.645-04:00The Boys Game is Back <div class="MsoNormal">
Baseball is back! Every year Opening Day (and yes, I
capitalize it like a holiday) brings a renewed sense of hope to fans around the
world. It’s the time when every team has an even shot at the World Series and
every player has a chance to be the MVP. The cynical among us (me) will note
that some teams have neither the lineup nor the pitching staff to contend and
that many players will bounce back and forth between the farm team and the big
leagues over the course of the season. That field for MVP is limited to a very
small group of men.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to admit that my excitement for the return of
baseball is dampened by the feeling that I’m abandoning my sex by focusing so
much energy on a sport that’s all about men. I love baseball — and the
metaphors are perfect for politics — because it’s truly a man’s game too. This
is not a revelation of course, but in the past few months women around the
planet have been more vocal about their place in the world and have made me
think about mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my 20s and 30s I think I tried to ignore the misogyny
around me since I liked my work and was just happy to be employed in a field
that was so interesting. I brushed off the inappropriate comments (my favorite
from a Member of Congress: “he must be the brains of the operation because you
sure are the looks”) and paws (too many to recount) as I was paying my dues. At
46, my dues are paid, but I was recently in a meeting where a male colleague
ten years my junior and with at least ten fewer years in professional life held
a hand up to me and said, “Stop. I know what you’re going to say.” I was
(surprisingly) stunned into silence so he just kept going. I remain a little
shocked that none of my other colleagues called him on it, but I think it’s the
bystander syndrome — and I’m guilty of it too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, I was a bystander when I poo-pooed people who
said that being a woman would cost Hillary 10-15 points and when I ignored
those comments about her clothes, her ankles and her wrinkles. (And then we
elected someone who is fatter, older and uses scotch tape to hold his ties
together.) I was a bystander when I ignored comments from people who said that
“if Gina just softened up she would be more likeable.” (And then I realized
that no one would have asked “Don” to soften up — or would have even called him
“Don.”) I was a bystander when I didn’t blow up a recent post from one of Rhode
Island’s esteemed journalists that implied that our Senators voted for Elaine
Chao’s confirmation in deference to her spouse, Senator Mitch McConnell. (One
look at her resume shows that’s he’s actually been the underachiever in the
household.) I extend my apologies to Secretary Clinton, Governor Raimondo and
Secretary Chao. I haven’t had your back. As we launch into a new season of baseball,
I’m going to enjoy watching the game I love and shake off my bystander status
to make the game of politics a fair place for women.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-14364033932817863402017-01-23T09:18:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:26:22.111-05:00Get off the bench <div class="MsoNormal">
It's been quite a week in the American political arena. The
inauguration of the 45th president followed by a day of gatherings across the
world has a put our politics under a microscope — and the close-up inspection
has not been pretty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
President Trump's inaugural address was caustic. He did not —
and cannot — take back the things he has said that have offended many
Americans. His behavior can be inappropriate — even childish — but he is, in
fact, the duly elected President of the United States. The President of the
United States is not supposed to be our spirit animal. He is the lead
administrator and one piece of the policy-making authority in the federal
government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe this is why I find the
“not my president” discussion offensive. I get that you didn't vote for him but
part of being an American and participating in our electoral process means that
sometimes we don't get to be the winner every time. Have we been so coddled
that we can't stand to hear an opposing viewpoint? Have we had so many
participation trophies presented to us that we are mentally unprepared for when
something doesn't go our way? If sour grapes of this magnitude were on display
after every election, this would be a far less inspiring country. If Hillary
Clinton can show support for our system of government by being on the stage
while her opponent gets sworn in, I have to believe that the rest of the
country can follow her gracious lead.<br />
<br />
For the millions of Americans who participated in the events
across the country on the 21<sup>st</sup>, I hope the experience was an
energizing one. I struggle to call them “Women’s Marches” because some were
broader in theme and some seemed more like anti-Trump rallies. Some rallies
seemed right on point and inspired participants to “go high” and make their
voices heard while others were (disappointingly) more divisive in tone. Preaching
inclusion while telling other Americans they are wrong if they think
differently is how we got to this angry place. Instead I hope that participants
follow the lead of Martin Luther King Jr. and DO SOMETHING. Note that taking s
selfie and calling yourself a nasty woman doesn't actually move the ball. Encouraging
tolerance (which means accepting everyone — including people who disagree with
you) becoming active in politics, engaging with policy makers and giving your
beliefs a voice will make a difference. Mocking Barron Trump and calling the president
a Cheetoh on Facebook only makes you look foolish. Finding common ground with
an adversary and having fact-based discussions about the issues of the day
makes you brilliant.<br />
<br />
It’s time that our best, brightest and most thoughtful
minds participate in the political process, so if you can be smart and “walk a
mile in someone else’s shoes” it’s time to get off the bench and engage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-61723166114898080712016-12-30T09:17:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:17:48.570-05:00Losing our place in the league <div class="MsoNormal">
I am no football expert, but I have to believe that the
Patriots have a plan in place for the post-Brady era. Of course, we all hope
that day does not come for many more years and playoff appearances, but clearly
the value of the franchise is too high for the ownership to let the team lose
its place in the league.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am no foreign policy expert either, but even casual
observers might note that in recent years, it seems like the United States is
not the world power it used to be. How we’ve ignored the crisis in Syria, our
dealings with Iran — and most recently, our deteriorating relationship with
Israel — makes me think that we’ve ceded our role as a world leader. With a
Republican Congress and a Trump White House ready to unwind much of the
domestic policy that was thought to be the Obama legacy, I think we may find
(for better or worse) that the real Obama legacy is that we’ve disengaged from
the rest of the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
American politics is cyclical. With the exception of Vice Presidents
who have attained office through death or resignation, Reagan is the only President
to have a “third term” since Roosevelt. However, our position as a world leader
has been steady and certainly, our strong relationship with Israel has never wavered
until now. I am personally sickened that we have not done more to end the
suffering in Syria. It’s a sad day for America when people are being
slaughtered and we offer them no protection. And last week, we ABSTAINED from voting
on a UN resolution condemning Israel’s settlements on the West Bank and in East
Jerusalem. For more than 40 years, we’ve stood up for Israel (in an
increasingly anti-Israel UN) and vetoed such resolutions. Secretary Kerry’s
remarks following our abstention included. “Israel can be Jewish or democratic,
but not both.” I am not certain whether he’s asking for them to give up their
heritage or their democracy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what’s the plan? We’ve heard a lot from President-elect
Trump through Twitter and through his appointments to know that he differs
greatly from the Obama administration, but “I’m going to do the opposite” is not
a plan either. Maybe Bill Belichick can help.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-55445639853352111712016-12-23T09:16:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:40:18.402-05:00A trade we need to make <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #353535;">I was at McCoy for Clay
Buchholz' first start in AA and at Fenway for his first major league start so
seeing him get traded to Philly should make me a bit wistful - but it doesn't.
He was a big part of recent winning seasons, but it's time to bring in reliable
talent that can bring wins. Now is not a time to whine about the fact that so
many good pitchers have left Boston in recent years — or to grouse that we
should have gotten rid of him years ago — it's simply time to turn the page on
Buchholz and look ahead to 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #353535;">We also need to be more
positive and look forward to better days for Rhode Island. Sure, we have been
at the bottom of every ranking for too long to remember — but Rome wasn't
rebuilt in a day and four years of a do-nothing Chafee administration did even
less for our economy. If you told me just a few years ago that GE Digital or
Johnson & Johnson technology were going to put down roots in Providence, I
would have laughed in your face, but with the focused leadership of Governor
Raimondo, Rhode Island is finally attracting the kinds of jobs we need to pull
ourselves out of an economic pit. I have always been impressed with her smarts
and her determination to turn Rhode Island around but as a native Rhode
Islander (and a pre-2004 Sox fan), believing in something that I have never
seen here — economic success — has always been hard to grasp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #353535;">Love her or hate her, for more
than three years Gina Raimondo has been single-minded her goal of attracting
new businesses to Rhode Island and her hard work is paying off. Democrat or
Republican, progressive or conservative, Rhode Islanders must give her props
for articulating an economic development vision, getting elected on that
platform, executing on the policies needed and relentlessly pursuing and
persuading until that vision happens. At the same time, she has led the charge
to invest in skills and education in a way that lets companies know that we're
serious about creating a good workforce here. Statewide kindergarten, computer
science for all, free standardized tests and the other too-numerous-to-name
programs that have shown that she is serious about making Rhode Island a
destination for companies who need a highly educated workforce. The recently
announced Wexford development is particularly exciting since it has the ability
to spawn just the kind of businesses this our workforce will be able to sustain
- right in our own backyard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #353535;">For those who want to complain
that there are too many tax dollars going into these projects, I challenge you
to find a state where there are no incentives available to attract companies. She
has not lured a start-up with a back room deal and "double or
nothing" funds, she has persuaded established and successful companies to
give Rhode Island a shot.</span><br />
<span style="color: #353535;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #353535;">So I propose a trade of a
different kind — and I am going to make it my New Year’s Resolution too. Let's shake
our crappy, negative attitude about Rhode Island. This is a great place to live
and it’s just getting better. Let’s view our state as others do — a place with
tremendous attributes that can use a little freshening up — and join our
cheerleader in chief with a more positive outlook.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-9245653918459656022016-12-12T09:15:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:26:55.295-05:00There’s bias at every base <div class="MsoNormal">
Red Sox fans remember well the excitement surrounding Pablo
“Panda” Sandoval’s arrival in 2015 as well as the disappointment we felt when
he emerged bigger and slower to start the 2016 season. While big athletes exist
in many sports, his proportions were worrisome in a sport where speed and
agility are key. When his belt actually gave way in the middle of a game, the
wrath of fat-shaming Red Sox fans knew no boundaries. One headline screamed
“Pablo Sandoval’s Belt Lost Its Will to Live Mid-Swing”. Shoulder surgery ended
his season and mercifully took him out of the camera’s range.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last week — some eight months after the belt-busting episode
— a picture of an almost unrecognizably svelte Panda was tweeted out. I don’t
know what the number on the scale reads, but he may need to be renamed Baby
Panda or Skinny Panda or Pool Noddle, but he can no longer be tormented for his
size.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The interesting thing about Sandoval’s plus-size episode is
that it provides us with the starkest example I’ve seen of a double standard
I’ve seen. Even before the belt-busting incident he was absolutely tormented by
the headlines: “…weight a serious issue”, “once gained 21 pounds in 21 days”
and my favorite: “needs babysitter to control weight”. His weight is of course
relevant to his profession — while five extra pounds are not a problem, forty
extra will slow him down — and certainly his contract obliges him to stay in
top physical shape. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t ever want to be in the position of defending Donald
Trump, but thinking about how Panda was raked over the coals, does anyone
remember the pageant winner who was fat shamed by Trump? Are the circumstances
different? Or does the media just hate the messenger?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At a time when everyone is still talking about the election
that the media bungled badly and the epidemic of fake news, the term “media
bias” is thrown around with abandon but I think most people have no idea what
it means. My eyes pop out of my head when I hear, “I read the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Boston Globe</i> — the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Herald</i> is so biased.” Newsflash: everything has a bias because
reporters are human and they write pieces from their own viewpoint. You may
prefer one bias to another, but everyone has one. You can disagree with one’s
perspective and choose only to talk to people who agree with you and you can
choose to read only the articles that are pleasing to you, but it doesn’t mean
that the opposing idea is wrong.<br />
<br />
While this sounds a bit didactic, we seem to be on the verge
of stupidity in wanting to block out ideas that are in conflict with our own. I
am struggling to negotiate conversations with adults that I used to find
intelligent and while trying to drill a healthy skepticism into my kids. I tell
them to read what you want, believe what you want, but at least make an effort
to a discern the speaker’s viewpoint and to think about why someone might
believe something different. And of course, take the time to fact-check
anything you want to share online. Unless it’s about super-slim Panda - I’ve
seen the proof. Pitchers and catchers report in 60 days … it can’t come soon
enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-27765538318965171382016-12-05T09:15:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:39:32.084-05:00It’s not easy to field a whole new team <div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the election, the news has been full of rumors, fake articles
and some legitimate information about President-elect Trump’s cabinet picks as
well as the transition itself. It seems as if the news media is still
scrambling to come to terms with the outcome of the election and some writers
seem legitimately surprised that the President-elect has the ability to hire
his senior staff and appoint a cabinet (many of whom will require the advice
and consent of the Senate). He can hire Satan as a senior advisor: it’s his
prerogative and no online petition is going to make him say “oh darn, people
who didn’t vote for me don’t like my choices, I should pick someone that makes
them happy.” Sorry folks, not going to happen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve never served on a presidential transition but worked on
transition teams for two Rhode Island governors and these days I wince every time
I look at the news. Transitions are incredibly tough. Hours are long,
expectations are high and more people are critical and disappointed than
helpful and understanding. Bottom line: I do not envy Trump’s team right now. Not
only do they have a challenging boss, but they are getting unfairly hammered on
several fronts. FYI: the Secret Service determines how to protect the
president-elect and there’s nothing they can do to control the Manhattan
traffic. They also have a ridiculously immense job to do in a very short period
of time. Baseball GMs publicly wring their hands each year about finding one or
two new players to round out their team. The Trump people have to identify, vet
and hire about 4,000 new employees between now and January 20<sup>th</sup>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those 4,000 current employees are happily serving
the Obama administration so the chance that they would eagerly stay aboard (if
asked) to serve President Trump is less than likely. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The unexpected outcome of the 2016 campaign further
complicates the transition process. While the Clinton team probably had a full
transition plan outlined and had many senior staff and cabinet positions
assigned, the learning curve for Team Trump is very steep. The Clintons had a
unique and intimate understanding of how the federal government and the Office
of the President runs — they didn’t need to “measure for curtains” — they
already had the dimensions. Making things even more difficult is the fact that
Trump is not “of Washington” (which was a positive on a the campaign) and does
not have a huge network of experienced and like-minded individuals who would
like to join his team. If he hires people with no relevant experience, he can
expect sharp criticism and if he appoints people who have years of government
or DC service, he’s not “draining the swamp.” He is damned no matter what he
does.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m not suggesting that anyone support the new President’s policies
or endorse his behavior, but I wanted to note that he is in the middle of an
incredibly challenging time and the first real test of his administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-11233306612711759722016-11-28T09:13:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:39:55.491-05:00Just say no to fake news <div class="MsoNormal">
November is a dark month for baseball fans. It’s too early
to talk about spring training and the hot stove isn’t even warm — there’s just
not that much to say right now. Rather than just making stuff up (about Ortiz
wanting to return one more season but worried about the “Trump effect”), I’m
not even going to write about baseball this week.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So who’s to blame? TRUMP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, let’s blame him. It’s definitely his fault. Now share this with
everyone you know on Facebook and say “Here’s the proof: it’s Trump’s fault
that Ortiz is not coming back!” I’ve saved you the trouble of having to think
for yourself or even read a short sentence. Now that you’ve saved all your
friends and neighbors from the truth, go back to playing Candy Crush.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All kidding aside, we’re all a bit to blame. In the age of
the 24 hour news cycle, information reduced to 140 characters and a language
down to letters (ICYMI: TTYL), we’ve dumbed ourselves down so far that we’ve
actually lowered our own IQs. In the last 10 years, circulation for the
Providence Sunday Journal has dropped by more than half and many of us are
getting our news from online sources — not journalists — but sources who make
money from advertisers based on the number of clicks that their stories receive.
So my “Ortiz considers return for second farewell season” story could be a
goldmine and the real story — that there’s little to report on our retired hero
— gets as many views as the ProJo classifieds.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the presidential campaign, fake news was abundant and
supporters on both sides were (and are) guilty of sharing and promoting untruth
all over social media. I was hoping it would die down a bit but a quick look at
my Facebook feed and I can see that Steve Bannon is both Satan <u>and</u> a
populist. While I hope social media goes back to being a safe place to view cat
videos and share common stain fighting techniques, it’s incumbent on all of us
to push back on the wave of fake news. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Start by being a bit skeptical. Are you clicking on things
that are tempting but sound crazy (lose 20 pounds watching TV!) or are you
getting our online news from a reliable source? When you read a newspaper or
watch the news do you think about the sources they cite or the perspectives
that the reporter sought? There are no unbiased sources of information since
the people putting the stories together are (presumably) human and produce their
pieces from their perspective, but paid journalists have reputations to
maintain and aren’t just looking for a quick click.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be careful what you share. Don’t circulate clickbait, block
it from your page and “unlike” anything that isn’t legitimate. In the
pay-per-click world, your “likes” are gold. And of course, share your newfound
discipline with your children. If I could count the number of conversations
that started, “Hey Mom - I saw this thing on Tumblr…” and ended with the
equivalent of “ okay, so Grant IS buried in Grant’s tomb,” I’d have my very own
media empire.<br />
<br />
If in doubt, just remember what Nancy Reagan said, “just say
no” to fake news. OMG. JSN.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-61872491397691175282016-11-18T09:13:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:28:29.023-05:00A new team takes the field <div class="MsoNormal">
Regardless of how you feel about the outcome of the
election, we have a new President of the United States. You might find him
repugnant, you may find to be a breath of fresh air. As of January 20, 2017, he
is the President of the United States.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can complain about the electoral college system or you
may wish you lived in a swing state, so your vote would “matter.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President-elect Trump still won in a fair
election under the process set out by the U.S. Constitution.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You might blame others for voting for Trump — or not
choosing to vote at all — we each have the right to make the choice that’s best
for us. You may feel “robbed” because the first woman President has yet to be
elected or you may feel relieved that she wasn’t. The new President can choose who
he wants to run his administration.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can say he’s not your President, but as long as you are
a U.S. citizen, he actually is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You have options of course. You can threaten to leave the
country, share fake stories on Facebook, and criticize every move he makes.
It’s a beautiful thing to live in a country where you can despise and mock your
leader and have no fear of repercussions. You can also choose to go down a more
meaningful and productive route for your anger.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of my friends had a “Think globally, act locally” poster
in her room throughout our college years. At the time I didn’t think too much
about what it meant, but it resonates today. Individuals that might be
frustrated by who we’ve elected at any level of government have the option to
put their energies to work in any number of ways from volunteering and advocacy
work to running for office or managing a political campaign. Here in Rhode
Island we have amazing organizations that always need support — from the Institute
for the Study and Prevention of Nonviolence to the East Bay Food Pantry — and
something for every other need in our community. Your commitment can be huge or
it can be minimal and the choices are literally endless: be a mentor, walk a
shelter dog, pick up litter, volunteer in a school, thank a veteran, shovel a
sidewalk. There’s really no limit to the ways people can contribute locally.<br />
<br />
I get it if it all seems like too much work — especially
since hitting the “share” button on Facebook requires no thought and even less
effort — but if you REALLY care, use this election as a reason to engage
locally and make a real difference in your community in a way that matters to
you. One President can’t ruin a country or make it great again, only the people
can do that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-51493919498362277552016-11-14T09:12:00.000-05:002017-01-28T09:12:42.743-05:00Even the umpires couldn’t fix this game <div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve all watched a game where an umpire makes a terrible
call and it changes the outcome. In the post-mortem of the 2016 election, one
can make the case that the results were inevitable before the final teams were chosen.
Despite the best efforts of the umpires — the media elites — the odds were
never in her favor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m certain that brings no comfort to her or her supporters,
but the 2016 presidential race was going to be a “change” election. For more
than a year, national polls asking their version of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“do you think the country is on the right
track or the wrong track” were getting a very firm “wrong track” with most polls
showing that between sixty and seventy percent of Americans believed that the
country was headed in the wrong direction. When that many likely voters agreed
on the “directional” question, there’s little doubt that President Obama would
not get a so-called third term with the election of someone who pledged to
continue to govern along the same ideological path. Voters were determined to
make a change.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not sure how that giant red flag was missed by so many
— perhaps her own pollsters had nightmares about this simple number — and with
good reason. I can’t imagine they ignored it, but instead they probably
reasoned with it: if you are up against a candidate that is perceived as
racist, sexist and bigoted, surely people won’t vote for him if they have been
informed of the horrible things he has said. Perhaps they assumed (or hoped)
that the change people were looking for would be satisfied by a woman president
or even by flipping the Senate. Either way, the narrative developed by her
campaign highlighting her experience and contrasting it with his shortcomings
completely backfired, motivating dissatisfied Democrats to vote Trump and
inspiring people who wanted change to turn out and vote, bigly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have to believe that the big red flag of change was also
missed because of the smoke coming from the media elites. I have a tremendous
amount of respect for reporters — it’s a thankless job and can be a dangerous
one — but I have to wonder about the producers and editors who could see these
poll numbers and glossed over that directional question, instead choosing to
highlight President Obama’s healthy job approval number. Or how about those
whose coverage of a Trump rally included only Trump’s offensive comments rather
than note that 10,000 people in the audience were clapping and that they had
waited three hours to get in? While they hoped to help her get elected, the
smokescreen effect was so thick that everyone missed the story. Everyone bought
into the narrative that America couldn’t possibly elect Donald Trump, so the
shock was huge — uuge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t know that President-elect Trump was destined to be
our agent of change, but the role seemed to be written for him. With a country
is screaming for something different, he was outsider with sky-high name
recognition in a primary field chock full of governors and senators who were
shocked by his bad manners and could barely defend themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most could only stand there and elaborate on
their weakness: they had been part of the government that voters were hell-bent
on rejecting. The media elites were so tickled by his candidacy since he was
someone that Clinton could surely beat that they practically ignored the others
and followed him around with his own camera pool. They went to mock him and
highlight his lack of depth on the issues and instead they raised him up as a
legitimate candidate with hours of free media. They gave him a satellite uplink
while the others shouted into Styrofoam cups with strings attached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many Bernie Sanders supporters are wondering if his brand of
change would have won the election. Certainly Sanders had attracted huge crowds
of the very voters that ended up voting for Trump — and Clinton did not inspire
women or minorities to vote — but would an aging socialist have embodied the
kind of change people were looking for? We’ll never know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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In the days and weeks to come, there will surely be a very
thorough post-mortem by the Clinton campaign, the Democratic party and the
national media. My ultra curious mind would like to know if Wikileaks has any
more juicy e-mails to share that show whether there was a voice of truth inside
the campaign or if everyone was too consumed reciting the narrative they’d been
given to think for themselves. While looking back will be instructive — and will
perhaps highlight a “never again” moment for many — looking ahead is the only
thing most of us should do. There’s a new team on the field and it’s time to
watch what they will do.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-41907140172632143122016-10-31T09:11:00.000-04:002017-01-28T09:11:49.976-05:00There’s always next year - but not for us <div class="MsoNormal">
As I write this, the world of baseball is preparing for a
massive celebration in one Midwestern city as another will be mired in misery
for at least another year. Candidates across the United States are facing a similar
fate — either they win or they lose on November 8<sup>th</sup> and the day will
either go down in their personal histories as a good day or a bad one. In many
races the voters are ambivalent about who they elect, particularly in local
races where they may be choosing between neighbors or long-time acquaintances
in a small town.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the race for President, feelings are not as friendly and there
is no lack of passion among the supporters of the two candidates. This race has
gone beyond the most unrealistic movie script that could have been written and
now has hit upon every -ism and many words not okay to print. Stories on the
campaign include charges of treason, espionage, infidelity, voter fraud and
money laundering. At this point, it’s hard to separate fact from fiction and I
have to believe that many voters are so disgusted that they are committed to
sitting out this election. It’s a sad state of affairs when both candidates
have a more than 50% unfavorable rating. That’s right - as of this writing, 59%
of those polled had an unfavorable opinion of Donald Trump and 53.4% had an
unfavorable opinion of Hillary Clinton. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If voters are so inclined, they can also write in a
candidate for President — or any office. It’s fun to go back and look at what
candidates are written in each year. There are always those who lost in the
primary and we can expect many to write in Bernie Sanders and Mitt Romney this
year. Daffy Duck and Mickey Mouse are perennial vote getters along with None of
the Above. I think Tom Brady might be a good choice this year. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If it’s any consolation, there are some interesting local
races and ballot initiatives in Rhode Island, so there’s still a reason to show
up. I have been impressed with the number of local races that are contested and
with the spirited — but good-natured — debate that has ensued. I will add a
shameless plug for the ethics reform campaign I’ve been working on and ask
people to approve question 2. It gives the Ethics Commission oversight of the
General Assembly and allows it to investigate and prosecute violations of the
Code of Ethics. If ever there was an issue that we can all agree on, I think
it’s this one: Rhode Island deserves a more ethical government. I am hoping it
can win with at least 75%. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For baseball teams, players and their fans, there’s always
next year. Next year brings another 162 games of opportunity and the chance to
win it all. It will be no solace for the fans of the Indians or the Cubs but
there is at least the hope for redemption. No such luck for the American
electorate. Barring a resignation or impeachment, we’ve got four long years of
acrimony, anxiety and anger until we have a chance to make a change in the
White House. Let’s make the best of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don’t forget to vote!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-68301716690692723142016-10-24T09:10:00.000-04:002017-01-28T09:10:54.911-05:00Reversing another curse <div class="MsoNormal">
Even though there’s no baseball being played in New England
right now, I have been glued to the playoffs and will be thrilled to watch an
Indians-Cubs World Series. I’m sure I am not the only Red Sox fan to be a
little excited to see what I think of as a Theo-Tito-Lester-Lackey-Coco-Ross reunion,
bringing together players and managers who were part of our three World Series
wins. I’ll be rooting for the Cubs because I still have phantom pains from
being a pre-2004 Sox fan and am hoping that Chicago can enjoy the same
catharsis that spread across New England twelve years ago.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I’m also hoping that having a new President-elect in less
than two weeks will also give us the mental cleansing need after being subjected
to the most negative and brutal campaign in modern times. This has been an
exceptionally bad campaign and I am hoping that it is the exception and doesn’t
become the kind of campaign that Americans expect. It would be hard to find two
worse candidates or ones with more mud to toss at each other.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For the winner and his or her followers, the real work will
begin when the votes are finally counted. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter who wins this campaign is destined
to end with some very angry voters on the losing side and no clear mandate for
governing. It’s probably hard for them to believe, but governing is much harder
than campaigning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Governing while trying
to win a second term is even more difficult as campaign promises often collide
with the politics of Capitol Hill or what can conceivably be accomplished in a
four-year term. While most readers will groan at the thought that the new President
is thinking about a second term already, I can guarantee that re-election is at
the top of the first term agenda. And governing effectively when close to half
the electorate voted against you and thinks you’re unfit for office? Nearly
impossible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For the loser and his or her followers, I hope that they
recover quickly. Few disappointments are as stinging as being rejected by the
electorate and all the “what ifs” and “you shouldas” roll in every day. If we
have any hope of moving forward and away from the unpleasantness of this
campaign, we will need some leadership from the loser. He or she will need to
set an example for his or her followers, be gracious in defeat and then be
quiet for a while. The country does not need — and certainly voters do not want
— to have a heckler mocking the new President’s every move.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
What I like about baseball is that no matter how hard-fought
the games are, there’s always some grace in losing because you were beaten fair
and square. The curse of this campaign cycle is that there’s been nothing fair
about the process on either side and it yielded two candidates with very little
common ground and even less appeal. It’s going to take some time to bounce
back, but there’s always hope. After all, we’ve got a Cubs-Indians World
Series, making it a very special year.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-45038141945027554772016-10-17T09:09:00.000-04:002017-01-28T09:10:14.088-05:00Don’t blame the locker room <div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been more than a week since the Red Sox were eliminated
from the playoffs by getting swept by the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS and I’ll
admit that I am still recovering. It was depressing to see David Ortiz retire
without a final World Series send off, but with three huge World Series rings
on our fingers because of his awesomeness, it’s hard to be sad for too
long. Unlike so many other baseball
fans, we’ve seen plenty of champagne-soaked locker rooms and have lots of
winning moments to remember.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am having a harder time trying to process some of the
“locker room” talk that seems to have infected this year’s presidential
campaign. I have a high tolerance for bad language and have been known to use
it myself at times, but this latest chapter in “how low can we go” has brought
us to a new sad spot. Just as the Monica Lewinsky scandal introduced new words
to water cooler chatter, Donald Trump’s bragging about being to assault women
as he sees fit has caused Republicans at every level to disavow his comments
and has caused a wave of un-endorsements as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t pretend to know what goes on in men’s locker rooms,
but considering that jokes about wives, mothers, sisters and girlfriends have
often lead to locker room fights, I have to believe that Donald Trump’s bravado
might get him a punch in the face in a real locker room. Also, I do not know
any men (thankfully) who would publicly brag about assaulting a women, so I think
we need to reject the excuse this this was locker room talk altogether and just
call it what it is: offensive, perverse and perhaps even the last straw for
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. When pollsters look back on the 2016
presidential campaign, it will probably be considered an outlier because
Hillary Clinton will likely win with a higher unfavorable rating than any President
before. Likability matters in politics and the “who would you rather have a
beer with” question can be a good indicator of who wins the race. Let’s face
it, no one wants to have a beer with a pervert.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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With this interminable campaign coming to a close in a
matter of days, the revelations of the last few weeks have left many voters
without a candidate to support. I share your sadness and disgust and simply
say… Go Cubs!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-49654376881353030402016-10-03T09:08:00.000-04:002017-01-28T09:09:25.456-05:00We need more Papi in politics <div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
I get emotional about the Red Sox. I curse when they lose
and jump up and down they win, so it was for the best that I was alone at home
when Sunday’s pregame featured the culmination of David Ortiz’s year-long retirement
celebration. With a lump in my throat and tears on my cheeks I was glued to the
screen and thinking about how lucky I am to have been a Sox fan in his time. He
carried his teams to three World Series wins — a bounty that no pre-2004 fan
could have thought to imagine. But more importantly, he inspired us to want
to be like him: relentless, resilient and kind. With that huge smile and giant
swagger he taught us to push away doubt and to think that something good could
happen if we could <i>believe </i>in ourselves.
And when terror struck, he was the leader who embodied Boston Strong and helped
the city bounce back. His departure leaves a huge hole in the Red Sox lineup and
reminded me that we have very few inspirational leaders in our country right
now, particularly in the race for President.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There are nearly 319 million people in the United States and
the two people who have been nominated by the major political parties to be
president are probably the two worst candidates in U.S. history. This campaign
has turned into a "he said she said" about non-issues and both
candidates have wasted time and effort name-calling, making accusations and labeling
the other unfit and dishonest. The din of the discord is so loud that even
careful observers have lost track of the insults being volleyed back and forth.
It's disheartening to think that we've been left with these choices and that
the next four years will be long ones if only because nearly half the country
will be upset and the outcome of the election. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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All is not lost. Regardless of who gets more electoral votes
on November 8th, I know two things to be true: first, the outcome of this race
will not derail our democracy. After 240 years, the Republic will survive 48
months of an unpopular president. Second, the founding fathers saw 2016 coming
and made the President of the United States a relatively weak executive.
Because Congress holds the purse strings, a President can only do so much
without the cooperation of Congress. Even Supreme Court nominees need approval
from 60 members of the Senate, ensuring that a party-line vote is not possible
by either party. Neither one of these candidates can — or will — ruin this
country as president, but the damage done to this electorate by this divisive
campaign will last for a long time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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From beginning to end, this campaign has lowered our
standards in what we want in a president. Because the major party candidates
are so badly flawed, we have dropped our standards to meet what they are giving
us in terms of temperament, integrity, character and judgment. Because each one
is still working so hard to motivate their own base of supporters, neither is
working to appeal to anyone outside of their own camp. Even worse, strong
supporters are using the opponent’s negatives to get votes. If it’s not, “you
have to vote for him, she’s a liar,” it’s “you have to vote for her, he’s a
pig.” Ack.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s too late for 2016, but if we have any hope of pulling
American politics out of the gutter, we need some better prospects and we must
have higher expectations for our candidates. It might be too much to hope for a
David Ortiz-type to rise up politics and bring us back from the abyss, but Big
Papi did it in 2004, so it can’t hurt to believe.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-54412591563233125622016-08-29T09:08:00.000-04:002017-01-28T09:08:34.663-05:00The Dirty Sprint <div class="MsoNormal">
While baseball players often talk about the grind of their
long season, people running for office in Rhode Island face more of sprint. It
probably doesn’t feel that way since they have probably considered running for
office for years, but the time they have to put a campaign together and make
themselves known is actually quite short. The filing deadline for declaring
one’s candidacy is late in June (after many states have already held their
primaries) and then in mid-July signatures are turned in and then certified.
Once a candidate knows that he or she has qualified for the primary ballot,
there’s less than eight weeks to run an effective campaign, particularly since
few people pay attention to local primaries unless and until they are walking
into the polling place.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The time between the primary and the general election is
equally brief and a newcomer without a primary may feel flat-footed for that
sprint. Rhode Island’s primary is the latest in the country and there is always
discussion about moving it earlier since it barely allows for overseas military
mail ballots to be printed, sent and returned before the deadline, but in 2016,
our primary is wicked late: September 13<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just because the primary season is so short, it doesn’t mean
there’s no time for dirty politics. While we have laws that govern campaign
materials including who can pay for them and what has to be disclosed about the
sender, in the past the Board of Elections has done very little to enforce
their own rules — and has traditionally been glacially slow about any
enforcement during the cycle. And so every year flyers appear in people’s door
and direct mail pieces arrive from fake organizations making false charges
about a candidate. This year’s poster child for violating the disclosure law
has got to be the flyer seen in Anastasia Williams’ district that compares her
opponent, Michael Gazdacko, to Donald Trump saying that he and Trump have “too
much in common” noting that they “vacation in fancy places” and “no minority
jobs.” There is of course no “paid for by” or any other indication that it was
connected to any campaign, but one would hope that the Board of Elections would
make some attempt to find out who is responsible for printing and distributing
such a piece. It may not have any impact on the dirty little sprint that is
this primary but some enforcement of election laws will certainly help clean up
Rhode Island politics in the long run.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-35458092399995958252016-08-22T09:07:00.000-04:002017-01-28T09:07:42.267-05:00Save your praise<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Maybe I have been disappointed
too many times, but in talking with a friend recently about the Olympics - and
how Usain Bolt was an inspiration - I realized that I now expect the biggest
athletes to be doping, cheating or morally failing in some way. Whether it's
Alex Rodriguez, Lance Armstrong or Ryan Lochte, big-time athletes in the modern
era seem to be as likely to be goats as heroes.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">People in public life are no
different than athletes. John Edwards, Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Eliot
Spitzer, Gordon Fox, John Carnevale and Ray Gallison are all human — and not
only imperfect, but clearly flawed in some way. People in politics are not
necessarily blessed with athletic abilities but are instead unusually charming,
smart or just plain hard-working. Politics attracts some with narcissist
tendencies and others who think that their involvement will be lucrative
financially. There are — of course — good people in politics just as there are
clean athletes in sport, but the rotten ones do garner the headlines and leave
their constituents feeling distrustful and disengaged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This year’s political cycle —
particularly in the race for President — is unlikely to change anyone’s mind
about politics being only for flawed candidates with outsized egos and personal
ambitions. Both major party candidates come into the race with incredibly high
“negatives” in public polls and long lists of failings gathered and shared by
their opponents. Other than the diehards, more and more Americans seem
committed not to a particular candidate, but to holding their collective noses
and casting a vote out of patriotic obligation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">What’s a voter to do? We must
remain involved locally — local and state government decisions are truly those
that affect our every day lives. It’s far more impactful to help a local
candidate with good ideas than to spend an afternoon sharing “make America
great again” a zillion times on Facebook. Most importantly we must stop
romanticizing and glorifying politicians. None of them can solve all our
problems and none of them are perfect in any way. Instead of holding up one
person as the answer to every question, we should promote ideas and policies
that constitute progress. Yes, it is much more difficult to have to learn about
the issues and generate ones own ideas, but just saying “I’m with her” is less
important than being able to say why. So, be engaged, be educated and celebrate
achievements without pushing personas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-20380108858102748202016-08-08T09:06:00.000-04:002017-01-28T09:06:28.579-05:00Thankfully someone is minding the store<div class="MsoNormal">
I am on a mental staycation. The days are long, the weather
has been phenomenal, and there’s so many things in a Rhode Island summer to
enjoy that don’t involve a lot of thinking. With the Olympics in full swing, I
have to admit that I’ve even taken my eye off the Red Sox. They have been
wandering through a west coast swing, starting games at our bedtime and not
even coming close to the excitement of the Olympics. It’s really the best time
of the year to take a mental break — and I’m on one!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s a quiet time for voters too. The primaries are just a
month away, and candidates in contested races should be knocking on doors,
making phone calls and reminding voters why they deserve a vote. For many Rhode
Islanders there’s not a big race to entice them to vote in the primary — no
statewide candidates are on the ballot and there are no significant primaries
for Congress. The presidential race has gotten so crazy that it’s actually
become white noise for those of us who have decided how to <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Thankfully, Rhode Island’s news media has been on its toes
this summer. In June, WPRI’s Tim White caught up with State Representative John
Carnevale leaving a Johnston residence with a towel wrapped around his face. By
the end of July, the bizarre story had taken many a twist and ended with the
Providence Board of Canvassers finding that he was not legally a Providence
resident and would be ineligible to run for office representing Providence. It
was a case that defied common sense in a lot of ways — why would someone live
in a basement with no facilities behind a wall made of a sheet while owning a
perfectly good house just a few minutes away? The truth came out — he didn’t —
but without the digging and “dog with a bone” reporting, it’s quite likely that
this residency fraud would never be exposed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Carnevale case underscores the key role media play in
keeping our political landscape clean, but it’s important to note that there
was strong public outrage, someone “dropped the dime” and public records were
available. So even as we are thankful for the on-point reporting, we shouldn’t
let the lesson end there. Keeping government accountable is our collective
responsibility and I’ll get back to doing my part — right after my mental
staycation.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-35256136272677762922016-07-25T18:41:00.001-04:002016-07-25T18:44:03.490-04:00One trade that needs to happen <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt;">Every
year I spend much of my wedding anniversary checking the internet and Twitter
for trade news. I share my anniversary, July 31</span><sup style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">st</sup><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt;">, with the trade
deadline (and my sister — but that’s different story) and so the day is frequently
consumed with “what ifs” about the Red Sox. This year, my refrain will be “what
if another team could use Buchholz and we could get another starter without
trading away our young guys?” Perhaps it’s too much of a fantasy, but that’s a
trade move I’d like to see.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">There’s
a more important trade in Rhode Island that really should come to fruition this
year. For only the second time since 2008, Representative John Carnevale will
be opposed in an election, giving voters of “his” district the chance to trade
up for a new representative. While much of the case against re-electing him
involves the word alleged — he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">allegedly</i>
beat his wife, he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">allegedly</i> raped a
woman, he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">allegedly</i> does not live in
his district, there’s one thing that is certainly true — he is a<span style="background-color: white;"> disgrace to “his” district, the House and our state.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
the grand jury charged him with rape in 2011, Carnevale was the 4<sup>th</sup>
Rhode Island lawmaker to face criminal charges that year (for those keeping
score at home others were Dan Gordon, Bob Watson and Leo Medina). At that time,
the House was being run by Speaker (now federal prison inmate) Gordon Fox.
Speaker Mattiello seems to run a tighter ship and moved quickly to get Ray
Gallison out of his chamber and off his leadership team when news broke of the
investigation into Gallison’s wrongdoing. <span style="background-color: white;">Although Mattiello waited until
this week to remove Carnevale from leadership, I</span> can’t help but think
that another bad apple is making life difficult in the House and continuing the
narrative of corruption and bad government that no one in Rhode Island needs to
perpetuate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">More
than anything else, we all deserve better. Resident of Carnevale’s district
deserve to be represented by someone who lives where they live, understands their
needs and doesn’t think that their neighborhood is beneath his standards. House
members deserve to serve alongside someone who has a moral compass and doesn’t
think of himself first. And all Rhode Islanders deserve to live in a state free
from public corruption. Let’s hope the voters of District 13 make the trade this
year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-47193092821338296122016-07-18T18:38:00.000-04:002016-07-26T13:45:40.418-04:00Even baseball is no escape<div class="MsoNormal">
In recent weeks the news in our country and around the world
has been more disturbing than I can remember in a long time. Minneapolis,
Dallas, Baton Rouge, Nice — the violence and the rampant killings are hard to
understand for adults and harder to explain to children. I’ve stopped trying.
The TV is off and there’s no family discussion of the world beyond Rhode Island
and Pokemon Go. Perhaps I am doing a disservice to my children by not
explaining to them that the roots of these conflicts go back many generations
and that they are likely to continue for generations more, but it’s more
important to me that their few precious years of childhood are not filled with worries
about acts of terror or gun violence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, baseball is an easy escape from the news — Big Papi
continues to thrill us in the last half of his final year in baseball. Watching
him at the All-Star game -- laughing, high-fiving with a big smile and a huge
hug for everyone — was a wake up. How would his life in the U.S. be different
if he weren’t a recognizable sports celebrity? Do you think he has stories
about being pulled over for a broken taillight?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I drove around for a week with a headlight burned out and never once
worried about the consequences of being pulled over. Even the fun of baseball
is tainted by understanding that our country’s racial divide goes right through
every clubhouse and every team.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
And ugh. Politics. As we head into the most heated time in
the election cycle lots of nasty things will be said about candidates up and
down the ticket. Chances are good that some things will upset us and we’ll want
to respond with angry words in response. It’s too easy to post, tweet or
anonymously comment just to get it off our chests, isn’t it? But adding fuel to
the fire is never a good idea and whether you choose to channel Martin Luther
King Jr. and “turn the other cheek,” or Gandhi “keep your thoughts positive,
because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your
words become your behavior” or my mother “if you don’t have anything nice to
say, don’t say anything at all,” perhaps the best political discourse will be a
silent one this year — and maybe that’s what I can tell my kids.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-19934781756642626202016-07-01T18:35:00.000-04:002016-07-25T18:37:55.027-04:00Bring on the new faces - and voices<div class="MsoNormal">
The white-hot Red Sox have cooled a bit in recent weeks.
With their pitching continuing to be a bit suspect, it is widely believed that
the team will use the trade deadline to get some pitching. Gosh I hope so
because it’s been tough to watch our starters blow games so badly that even a
high scoring offense can’t save them. It’s time for some new blood on the
pitching staff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We’re also seeing some new faces on the Rhode Island
political scene. The deadline for declaring one’s candidacy has just passed and
in the coming days, candidates will be gathering signatures to qualify for the
ballot. While many General Assembly seats will go uncontested, there were fewer
“free passes” than in years past. In the wake of the legislative grant scandal,
many political watchers anticipated that there would be a wave of reformers
lining up to run for office. This year’s candidates might only constitute a
ripple and with some wins, we’ll have a few new faces at the State House.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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What we really need is to hear from some new voices. The shock
of the Brexit vote — and the rise of Donald Trump on this side of the pond —
has shown that some voices in politics might be quiet in polling data or in
every day conversation, but they show up on election day. While some like to
believe that Trump voters are angry or unbalanced and that the “leave” voters
were uninformed, I think it’s more constructive to consider alternative
explanations. One thought: a democracy does not punish people for thinking
differently than the media or their elected officials. Sometimes being part of
a democracy means that you don’t get what you want. Hard to swallow —
particularly for millennials who have learned that pitching a tantrum at
college can get you “safe space” and anything else you demand — but something
that the more aged among us can probably absorb. Sing it with me Mick … “you
can’t always get what you want.”</div>
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So how do the not-like-minded co-exist? We need to build
some middle ground. Back in the days before Twitter wars and 24/7 media, people
used to talk to one another. Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch were pals off
the Senate floor and President Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill enjoyed a
deep friendship that transcended their ideological differences. As our country
becomes more polarized and the candidates we have to choose from come from
opposite ends of the spectrum, it more important than ever that we add
different voices to the conversation so we can understand — and perhaps
ameliorate — the sharpest differences. I can’t imagine how the passionate
“remain” folks felt on the morning after the Brexit vote, but if we don’t recreate
some kind of middle ground and invite others to join us there, we’re going to
get a taste of their disappointment too.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-52816505708726930142016-06-13T18:34:00.000-04:002016-07-25T18:34:34.050-04:00The horror of it all<div class="MsoNormal">
I am so grateful for the Red Sox this season. In addition to
being entertained by David Ortiz’s epic final season in Boston, the younger
players are exciting to watch as they consistently score a bounty of runs for
our often-spotty starters. I am especially thankful for baseball this year
because politics are such a horror show that I’ve started reading the newspaper
through my fingers in hopes of missing the truly gory parts. I can’t decide if I
find state or federal politics more distressing these days but they’ve both
driven me to log more hours watching NESN.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year’s presidential race is definitely my main
nightmare. For all intents and purposes (sorry Bern, it’s time to give up)
we’re down to two candidates with nearly equally high negatives. Oddly enough,
their policies probably make them both centrists, but they are both repugnant
to the other’s supporters, so this presidential race among the ugliest and most
divisive ever. Come November, close to half the country is going to have a
visceral dislike for the next occupant of the White House and it’s going to be
a(nother) nasty four years.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why does this matter? I think it’s important for Americans
to at least respect the person we call president and commander in chief. When
the country is split — as it has been since the 2000 election — and the two
factions are at opposite ends of the spectrum, the tone is rancorous and every
single initiative is attacked and undermined before it is even launched. We’ve
seen these ugly politics in Rhode Island too. This week Governor Raimondo
announced that GE would be creating 100 high paying jobs in Rhode Island and I
quickly saw criticism of the $5 million tax incentive package she negotiated.
The negativity is stunning — the landing of these GE jobs is the best economic
development Rhode Island has had in years — and some couldn’t manage to
celebrate it for a day. Sad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day after the election in November, I can only guarantee
one thing: a huge number of Americans are going to be very disappointed with
their new leader. I just hope that whoever gets elected has the ability to
create a bigger tent than our last two presidents have so we can once again
feel like we’re all on the same team. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-5861479556192508962016-05-09T18:32:00.000-04:002016-07-25T18:32:40.877-04:00We’ve seen this game before<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re painfully aware that another political scandal has
erupted at the State House. Like Gordon Fox’s fall from grace, the details will
likely come out weeks or months from now, but as investigators dig into former
Representative Ray Gallison’s alleged misdeeds the discussion has quickly
turned into a pitchforks n’ torches march to the State House with everyone offering
their two cents on what we can do to make sure this never happens again. Ho
hum. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this game before and bringing about a different
result will require more than just voter anger. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I worked for Governor Sundlun when the banking crisis hit in
1991. Trust me, people were angry: bang-their-fists on doors and
scream-in-the-halls angry. In the aftermath —and as a result of other scandals
that followed — a wave of new legislators came into office in 1992 (Gordon Fox
among them), four-year terms for statewide offices were approved on the ballot
and later, separation of powers was instituted to further harness the power of
the General Assembly. In recent years it seems that some of that progress has
eroded as the General Assembly (using separation of powers as justification)
took away the right of a governor to put a non-binding question on the ballot
and the Ethics Commission no longer has oversight over the General Assembly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the pitchforks n’ torches gang will tell you that the
key to success lies in getting the governor a line item veto and ending the
secrecy of the legislative grants program, I see a bigger problem that needs to
be solved. Call it participation, citizen engagement or just YOU and ME.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want to know who to blame, look in the mirror. Do you
vote in every election? Do you know the names of your state representative and
your state senator? Have you written a letter-to-the-editor and taken a public
position on an important issue? Have you helped a candidate who is not an
incumbent? Have you testified for or against a bill at the State House? Have
you corresponded with your legislator about their legislative grants or their
stance on the line item veto? Have you run for office? If you can’t say yes to
at least three of the above, you have no ground to complain. If you have three
or more, keep at it. Every election year dozens of General Assembly seats go
uncontested and that’s inexcusable. This little experiment called Democracy
requires participation from all of us to be successful and just and when only a
small number engage, things are bound to go wrong because too few are too
powerful. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Too busy working and paying taxes to get involved? Corruption
is a tax on all of us. Corruption costs us dollars that are lining someone’s
pockets, paying for less-than-adequate state services or funding a pet project
of a powerful person. Corruption drives good people away from politics,
repulses the business community and prevents us from landing companies that
could bring good jobs and boost our tax base. Corruption drives down morale and
civic pride, making Rhode Island a place that college graduates and retired
people want to escape costing us smart minds and people with time to give. The
only real way to battle corruption is for more good people to get involved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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So yes, please, push for the line item veto and yes, please
let’s rein in the legislative grants program, but first and foremost, please engage
public service. If not now, when? WE are the reason that we can’t have nice
things and it’s time for that to change.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-85904456361022014322016-05-02T18:30:00.000-04:002016-07-25T18:33:00.067-04:00Whiners don’t like rules<div class="MsoNormal">
Last weekend brought the first Red Sox-Yankees action of the
season to Fenway Park and ended with the first Red Sox sweep of the Yankees
since 2013. The final game was an 8-7 thriller that featured a bomb off the bat
of Red Sox catcher Christian Vasquez. As New England did a collective happy
dance, I’m sure the Yankees would like to bank some of those wasted runs for a
future win. Thankfully the rules are clear: you can’t save runs for a rainy
day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ah, those annoying rules. Children hate them, teens ignore
them and most adults have learned it’s easier to follow them, but it doesn’t
seem to end the bellyaching when someone doesn’t like them. This primary
season, I’ve heard far too much whining about the dreadful primary rules.
Everybody has an opinion about what state’s rules are “fair” and which are not.
The latest gripes came from team Sanders as they feel “entitled” to all of
Rhode Island’s delegates — even the super delegates that Hillary Clinton wooed
into her camp long ago. Readers may recall that team Trump spent a fair amount
of time and energy early in the campaign protesting the process through which
delegates are divvied up. Now that he’s closing in on the required 1,237
delegates needed to secure the nomination, he’s pointing his finger at the
rules every day to ensure that all the loopholes are closed in his favor. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The common thread amongst the whiners is it appears to be
that few (if any) of the people who are complaining about the rules actually
participate regularly in the parties that create said rules or are familiar
with the logic that created the process. Reminder: primaries and caucuses are
not supposed to be a democratic process. Party leadership in each state defines
how delegates will be awarded with some degree of guidance coming from the
national party. On the Democratic side the process is a consistent formula —
although far from “democratic” — with unbound super delegates and scenarios
that award more delegates to congressional districts that are heavily
Democratic. This formula favors an establishment candidate with a strong
organization and ensures that a party outsider (like socialist Bernie Sanders)
has an uphill battle to capturing the nomination.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Republican process (not surprisingly) leaves it up to
each state party to decide how it will divide up its delegates. We now know
that the Republican system is far more easy for an outsider (named Trump) to
hijack and many of the #neverTrump folks are now furiously reading up on the
convention rules to find their opportunities to take back the party — and the
nomination — before it’s too late. Heads up to #neverTrump: it’s probably too
late.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When the dust settles after
the conventions, there will be plenty of time for the parties to reassess their
nominating practices and fine-tune their nominating methods. With the general
election now six months away there will be an opportunity to find some other election-related
rules to grouse about, but it seems as if everyone’s time would be better spent
becoming part of the process instead of a critic of it. </span><!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-63112794083689548292016-04-25T10:45:00.001-04:002016-04-25T10:45:06.780-04:00This poll needs an asterisk<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">You don't have to be a fantasy
baseball team manager to understand the role of statistics in baseball. With a
quick review of a player's batting average, on base percentage or earned run
average, one can determine how effective a player has been over the course of
his career. These statistics even provide a way to compare players who never
met on the diamond — or even lived at the same time. The exceptions are players
who excelled in the steroids era and justifiably many in baseball put an
asterisk (*) next to those numbers to note that the statistics may be out of
whack because of the players alleged use of performance enhancing drugs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">Statistics — in the form of public opinion polls — are critical in politics too. </span><span style="color: #353535;">While I am not asserting that
anyone at the esteemed Taubman Center at Brown University is on drugs, their
polling data is in dire need of an asterisk because each and every time they
conduct a poll, their methodology is so out of whack with accepted industry
practices that their results cannot possibly be accurate. They recently
released a poll that covered the presidential primary as well as several state
political issues ranging from legalization of marijuana to something they
called a “toll tax on large trucks.” While I cannot disagree with their results
because I have no better data to compare them to, their methodology (i.e. how
they go about gathering the data) is so suspect that I can’t put any credence
in their findings.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #353535;">While there are many problems
with the most recent Brown poll, the first is that they called “registered
voters.” A good political pollster will only call “likely” voters. The
difference? People who are “likely” voters have usually voted in at least 2 of
the last 4 elections, making them more likely to show up again. A registered
voter may or may not have ever voted in his or her life, but he or she has most
certainly been to the DMV (where they were registered). When you ask registered
voters about how they may vote in an election, your results will not be as
accurate because they may never actually participate in the election (note that
only 40% of RI’s eligible voters showed up to vote in 2014). When asked if they
will vote, many registered voters will say yes even if they do not plan to show
up, so asking them directly is not helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">The “poll” put Hillary Clinton
up 9% over Bernie Sanders with 16% “undecided.” Chances are good that the
“undecided” number actually represents people who have no idea that there is a
presidential primary this week because people who are likely to vote this week
know who they prefer. In fact, Brown could only scrounge up 164 people who said
they were going to vote in the Republican primary — creating a huge margin of
error in the Republican results. Even worse: Brown put out a statement last
week saying that they were delaying the release of their poll because they were
struggling to complete enough interviews due to “voter fatigue.” A
well-executed poll is like “Fight Club” (there is no fight club) and a good
pollster would not poison his or her sample by letting potential interviewees
know that they might get a call. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">Why does it matter? As a
relatively small media market, there are very few public opinion polls released
each year, so when one is released, it takes on an outsized significance. Just
like hearing “9 out of 10 dentists recommend Crest” on TV, people are
influenced by polls. If their candidate is out in front or very far behind,
they may choose to stay home on election day. Polls are also used by campaigns
to fundraise and build momentum and it truly unfair to have false information
floating around in the ether. I do blame the RI news media for promoting it —
the poor quality of Brown polls is well-worn topic among reporters, but the
results still land on the front page of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Journal</i>,
making the state’s paper of record complicit in putting bad information out to
the public.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">The hard part is that there’s so
rarely a “good” poll that runs concurrently for an apples to apples comparison,
so political geeks are left to bemoan the methodology while putting an asterisk
next to the numbers and reminding people to vote regardless of what they hear. So, * VOTE!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16684572796237463438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015108249021632388.post-40699500967324975232016-04-04T10:34:00.000-04:002016-04-25T10:34:33.922-04:00Benching Panda: cooler or warmer?<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #353535;">The 2016 MLB season - and the
opportunity for the Red Sox to once again contend for a playoff berth - is
finally here. It was a relatively quiet spring - without Manny’s grandmother
dying (again), drama around injuries or who is or who isn't the staff ace - the
time in Florida passed quickly. The one big exception was that Pablo (Panda)
Sandoval, the $95 million third baseman, showed up to camp a little weightier
than one would have hoped. While the team's statements optimistic early on,
Panda was forced to compete for his job and ultimately lost it to Travis Shaw.
While the ramifications of benching gold-plated Panda while league-minimum Shaw
covers 3rd remain to be seen, I have to give the Red Sox credit for wanting to
field a win-now team regardless of the criticism that might come their way for
leaving so much money sitting on the bench. After all, they are wasting
millions of dollars keeping Panda on the shelf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">One has to think that similar
thoughts were being discussed in state government last week before deciding to
put cooler/ warmer back on the shelf and dismiss the person who was managing
the project. Like many Rhode Islanders, I am not sure what cooler & warmer
meant (which may reflect my uncoolness) but I was certainly willing to see how
it would roll out. After all, what do you think people said about
"Virginia is for lovers" when it was introduced?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">But cooler/ warmer never stood a
chance once it was discovered that <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Reykjavík</span> was proudly featured in Little
Rhody’s movie (and surprisingly Reykjavikville is not a village in the
Blackstone Valley). Any momentum generated by the campaign was channeled into
mocking the website, tag line, logo and everyone associated with the creation
of this collateral. While the governor initially defended the design and the
plan, too many mistakes soon revealed themselves and by week’s end, cooler/
warmer was dead and the state’s Chief Marketing Officer had resigned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">While many in the advertising
and design business have bemoaned the outcry over the logo and the tagline,
noting correcting that rebranding almost never goes well, I think it was good
for the governor to acknowledge the public outcry. Let’s face it, we know what
makes Rhode Island special and if we don’t “get” the campaign that is supposed
to draw other people here, it’s probably not that good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #353535;">So as we close out the spring,
we know two things: Panda is too big to be nimble and cooler/ warmer is too
meaningless to be useful. I am glad to see both on the bench so that we won’t
waste a season watching him trying to bend over or a summer debating whether cooler/
warmer is about menopause or marketing.</span></div>
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