What This Blog Needs: See "ON THE SCREEN"

Thu. May 3, 2012:

In our 21st-century information-saturated world, what is immediately visible on screen becomes even more crucial.  Journalist Jackie Calmes's "Ad Watch" sheds light, in "Obama Spot Offers a Rebuttal and a Jab at Romney":

"ON THE SCREEN:  Whenever the narrator talks about Mr. Romney or big oil, the screen has a black background.  First, the ad shows a small, anti-Obama video clip, and alongside are the narrator's words, in white type, rebutting it.  Then the words "Big Oil's New Attack Ad" whip over the video clip, covering much of it.  The screen briefly turns a more pleasing light blue:  A color photo of a determined-looking Mr. Obama is next to a map of the United States under the words 'Jobs created by President Obama's clean energy initiatives.'  The map fills with circles denoting locations of job-creating projects.  Back to black, as the phrase 'What about Mitt Romney?' is followed by black-and-white photos of the candidate.  Beneath the phrase 'The Romney Record' are phrases about shipping jobs overseas (on a global map, Mexico and China suddenly pop out in red); outscourcing Massachusetts jobs (a photo of the Massachusetts State House switches to one of India's Taj Maal); and supporting tax breaks for outsourcing companies (a photo appears of an abandoned plant).  Throughout the ad, in small type are news media citations supporting its assertions."  [For the whole article, including the ad's script and accuracy, see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/us/politics/ad-watch-obama-spot-offers-a-rebuttal-and-a-jab.html ]



PS  If, dear readers, anyone doubts David Brooks's sad truth of yesterday's post -- about USA bringing itself down with self-destructive polarizing -- here is a little more:

1.  Turns out the Paul Ryan Budget architect himself -- one Henry Aaron [no relation] --  says "it won't work."  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/03/henry-aaron-paul-ryan-medicare_n_1466826.html

2.  Remember yesterday's Texas story, about a federal district judge prohibited a Texas law from banning Planned Parenthood clinics from participating in a health care program for low-income women?  Well, "hours" afterwards, a federal appeals judge reverses,  allowing Texas to do so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/us/texas-judge-stays-order-on-health-care-program.html?_r=1

3.  Did you hear the one about Romney's openly gay foreign policy spokesman quitting?
The head of Log Cabin Republicans said that the Romney advisor Richard Grenell "was essentially hounded by the far right and far left."
Quod Erat Demonstratum.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/us/politics/romneys-foreign-policy-spokesman-quits.html