HILLARY’S TURN WITH LETTERMAN’S TOP TEN
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 by Dan Lehr

Whom does the Fonz (well, Henry Winkler) endorse?
After the jump, we’ve got the answer… PLUS! We’ll speculate on whom the rest of the cast of Happy Days would endorse for President in 2008.
How long has it been, do you think, since Hillary’s been inside of a gas station, pumped her own gas, or driven a car?
Just as this previous campaign episode demonstrates, if you’re a candidate who wants to connect with “regular folks,” it pays to know what you’re doing before the cameras are on you.
\
..or at least for some of my colleagues in the media.
The above graphic was on the screen recently at Fox News, when they were talking about Hillary Clinton’s proposal that she & Obama have a “Lincoln-Douglas” style debate.
Wrong Douglas, guys.
Don’t believe me? Watch:
If pointing this out makes me an “elitist,” then guilty as charged.

(….sigh….)

Put on your protective gear & tread lightly after the jump to see some negative advertising hitting the airwaves!

We got a distinct sense yesterday that several of the pundits at ABC News don’t see anything wrong with the way they handled last Wednesday’s debate. [Watch the roundtable of George Stephanopoulos, George Will, Cokie Roberts & Sam Donaldson here.] Blogger MediaGirl called their denial a “let them eat cake” mentality & I tend to agree.
So does a particularly conservative NewsChannel9 colleague, who hadn’t seen my criticism, but forwarded me several pieces that criticized the way the debate went.
Not all conservatives feel this way, though. Check out Michelle Malkin’s take here.
The blog Publius has a humorous take on “The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 (Slight Return)”:
Presidential candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held this debate on April 16, 1858 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
MODERATORS:
CHARLIE GIBSON, ABC NEWS
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS
MR. GIBSON: So we’re going to begin with opening statements, and we had a flip of the coin, and the brief opening statement first from Mr. Lincoln.
LINCOLN: Thank you very much, Charlie and George, and thanks to all in the audience and who are out there. I appear before you today for the purpose of discussing the leading political topics which now agitate the public mind.
We are now far into the fifth year since a policy was initiated with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only not ceased, but has constantly augmented.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I’m sorry to interrupt, but do you think Mr. Douglas loves America as much you do? (more…)

Dear All 3 Presidential Campaigns,
For the love of all that is holy, can we please talk about things that happen at times other than 3 a.m.?
Can there be another group of people looking over bills & paperwork besides these folks?
Are there other children, perhaps, who would volunteer to be filmed while they sleep, so these particular kids can wake up & get on with their lives? (Think of all the Ambien that must be pumped into the kids’ systems so they could stay asleep for so long!)
Respectfully & sincerely,

[What does “jump the shark” mean? Explanation here.]
Regardless of how much the clip below is a current metaphor for the 3a.m. ad, we would give quite a bit to see any of the candidates cut a commercial with them in the role of the Fonz.

Aaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy.
(Guess she noticed Obama’s bowling skills too..)