As much fun as it is to see Anderson Cooper and others being assaulted by high winds and rain every week or so, I wish our TV news organizations would attempt to show the greater dangers that threaten us:
JOIE CHEN: And now we go out to Anderson Cooper, who is standing in Mansfield, Ohio, where forecasters are predicting the eye of the campaign will hit sometime in the next two hours or so. Anderson, how are you doing out there?ANDERSON COOPER (shouting and shielding head from sheaves of memos flying by): I'm hanging in there Joie, thanks. I'm going to try and get back to our analysis of the health care plans proposed by the two candi- OOF! candidates. As I was saying before the break, while President Bush's Medicare plan has confused seniors and placed a huge burden on future budgets, Kerry's plan tries to address -- URGH! ACK!
JC: Anderson, can you still hear me? What was that?
AC: Yes, Joie, sorry. That was Orrin Hatch, saying something about terrorists trying to elect Kerry. It's the sort of inflammatory false rhetoric we're seeing here, but we're not going to let it stop us from reporting the real issues at stake in this - WHOMP! WHAM! -- sorry, just a surge of talk radio spin about Swift Boats there -- at stake in this election.
JC: You're doing great, Anderson. Getting back to health care...
AC: Yes, as I was saying -- we've talked to so many Americans who are frightened about not being able to afford health care and to budget officials who acknowledge that government must pay much more when early intervention and preventative care is not -- BLAM! GROMP!
JC: Anderson? Anderson?
AC: (staggering to his feet, clothes in disarray, a large bruise on his cheek) Yes, Joie, I'm...well, that was Dennis Hastert, putting a body block on me with some nonsense about terrorists having an easier time under a Kerry administration. Clearly he's trying to get me to ignore substantive issues, but my producer is getting me an ice pack and some padding, and we're going to stay right here.
JC: That's great, Anderson, I know our viewers appreciate it. While you do that, let me put up the number for voter registration so our viewers who want to help people being pummelled by these dangerous Republican talking points can take action...
If I can't have this, can I at least see Judy Woodruff and Wolf Blitzer doing hurricane duty?