Meg Whitman v. Jerry Brown -- Who Has a Plan to Fix California?

I recently compared Republican nominee for Governor Meg Whitman's campaign website and that of her Democrat counterpart Jerry Brown.  Perhaps it's a superficial way to judge competing candidates.  But maybe not.  Because the differences were startling and demonstrate why one candidate has a plan to fix California and the other hasn't a clue.

Meg Whitman is not hiding her agenda behind obfuscations or clever slogans.  She's not running on platitudes or soundbites.  Her website contains a detailed plan for dealing with the many substantial problems that face the Golden State.  As the businesswoman she is, she has taken a seemingly insurmountable mountain of problems and broken them down into smaller, more manageable components.  She is a realist and knows that not everything that is wrong with California can be fixed right away.  So she has focused on three major areas that would be the focus of her first four years.

Her goal, if elected, would be: 1) to create good jobs in California, 2) to cut unnecessary government spending, and 3) to fix the K-12 public education system.  Three areas that, if addressed properly, could help turn the state around.  Meg Whitman wants the voters to know what she plans to do if elected Governor.  So she prepared  policy manual that is on her website, available for download, and also offered to be mailed to voters. 

Knowing her background, it is not surprising that Meg Whitman would take such a straight-forward, detailed approach to tackling the issues facing California.  She has an undergraduate degree in Economics from Princeton University and a Harvard MBA.  She went on to become one of the top CEOs in the nation, leading eBay to grow from a company with just $4.7 million in revenues and 30 employees to an international phenomenon with nearly $8 billion in revenues and 15,000 employees worldwide.  Meg Whitman knows how to lead, how to inspire, and how to get things done.  She has a track record of success upon which she can be judged.

All of this -- her education, background, experience, and her specific, detailed plans for a new California are all there on her campaign website. 

By contrast, Jerry Brown's campaign website offers some random thoughts by the former Governor Moonbeam.  Brown shares that. "Even though I am California's 'top cop,' 2 of my tires were stolen.  No matter.  I got 2 new ones and am rolling again."  Amusing, possibly, but what does that say about his plans for California?  He also discusses his birthday yesterday and mentions that he's planning a "Recession Reception."  So, while Meg Whitman is planning how to fix California's economy, Brown is planning on celebrating the recession?  That is more than disconcerting.

Jerry Brown's message seems to be -- I already know where the employee parking is in Sacramento, so vote for me.  He has nothing to say to potential voters about what he sees as the biggest issues facing California or what he will do to address them.  Brown is not even pretending to offer any solution to any of the myriad problems that have run this state into the ground.  Instead, he's riding on name recognition -- and the greater number of registered Democrats in the state -- to carry him to victory.  But if he wins -- California loses.  It will be another tax and spend administration, another four years of catering to the government employee unions, another four years of putting the burden of keeping this state afloat on the backs of just a few.

The two candidates will face off in many debates as the election draws closer and that will benefit Brown.  Because, TV is a whole different medium than print and he can charm and beguile all while saying nothing of substance.  That is why it is imperative for voters to read what the candidates have to say about what they will do -- don't rely just on TV commercials or the limited information provided during a time-restricted and strictly choreographed debate. 

If ever there was a year not to vote party line, but to research the candidates and vote on who has the best plan to make changes that will benefit the state -- this is the year.   California needs a governor who offers real solutions to real problems.  California needs Meg Whitman.

Don't Count Casey James Out

Sometime last year a Texas blues player drove his mom’s truck up to Denver to audition for American Idol. As loyal viewers of the show know, before a contestant even gets in front of the judges they have to make it past an initial screening. We haven’t seen what Casey James did to impress the producers to make it to the judges’ round, but we can guess that they saw what his many fans have seen over the past few months – a gifted singer-songwriter-musician who lives for music.

Casey made a memorable impression on many levels during that first televised performance – he had a good voice, he was cute, and handled awkward situations with equanimity. But what was most clear was this was a dedicated musician who just wanted the chance to show what he could do. When Casey got to Hollywood, he did just that. He brought out his not-so-secret weapon, his guitar, and played and sang “I Don’t Need No Doctor” like he’d been doing it all his life. It was instantly clear this was a talented artist, not a wannabe musician who was trying to take a shortcut to fame.

Casey had no way of knowing what the whirlwind of American Idol would do to him. He is now known to millions, yet it’s not clear that the casual viewer really knows him at all. This became eminently clear as the first videos from this past weekend’s series of hometown visits started being displayed.

We’ve now been shown a side of Casey that only his fans from back home had seen before. He sang with abandon, he played guitar with gusto, he charmed the crowd, he reveled in jamming with his band, he sang a beautiful duet with his mom. Unlike the sometimes stiff, sometimes reserved Casey that we see on the Idol stage, he was fully in command of every performances. He was comfortable, he was dynamic, he was expressive, and he looked to be about the happiest guy on the face of the earth. Playing music to him seems as important as breathing air to the rest of us.

And this voice, sometimes so subdued on the show, came out of nowhere. He had a husky growl and a sweet falsetto; he had smooth sustained notes and a sexy vibrato. The voice was mostly bluesy, with a little country thrown in. He played an original song which, as they often say on Idol, could be a hit on the radio right now.

We knew Casey could sing, we’d heard him play around with his voice before, making it do so many different things on so many different songs. But set free from the time constraints – and maybe feeling the love of the home crowd – he was able to give some truly remarkable performances. And he was able to do what he appears to love the most – jam. He can play guitar better than anyone who’s ever taken the Idol stage, without question. He might be one of the best guitarists out there, period.

The contrast between the adored Casey back home in Texas and the underdog Casey in California was striking. This weekend, he was a star -- clearly destined to be the next American Idol. Yet back in Los Angeles, Ellen and Randy have already written him off. So focused on their dream final of the two Midwesterners they don’t even mention Casey’s name in their interviews. Ryan, the good little soldier, was recently heard counting him out as well. But an interesting phenomenon is happening. The more people listen to Casey, without the American Idol filter to tell them what they think, the more the like him. Slowly, Idol watchers are seeing him as the dark horse that just might win the race.

They listened back to “Mrs. Robinson” and realized it might have been the best vocal of the year by any contestant, or at worst second only to his performance of “Don’t.” They realize that he wasn’t adequately praised for “You’ll Think of Me” and his ability to change up and rock out on “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” was overlooked as well. They realize that no one has had as affecting a moment on stage this year as “Jealous Guy,” and that he can do all this while being a veritable virtuoso on the guitar. And maybe most importantly, they’ve checked out the many YouTube videos from this past weekend and discovered what a star he already is.

This competition is not over, despite what the judges might think. It’s not in the judges’ hands, it is in ours. The journey that began on the road from Ft. Worth to Denver can still end under the confetti next week in Hollywood.

Here's to You Casey James

As I go off to literally fight City Hall this evening (over a proposed cell tower in the neighborhood) I won't be able to follow the results show for American Idol. I think that's a good thing, because however it plays out, I know that I haven't seen the end of Casey James. But it would be sad to say goodbye, especially after last night's stellar performance.

We knew he had the talent. But last night he showed a steely determination and wry sense of humor that means you can't keep this boy down. He came right at Kara and her merry band of accomplices with guns a-blazing. Objectify me? Make this year all about you and your boy crush, Kara? Well, here's to you!

Not only did Casey have the cojones to play Mrs. Robinson to Kara, but he also had the -- yes -- artistry to do it in such a touching fashion. Despite the gibe intended, regardless of the message he wanted to convey, what he told anyone within earshot was that he is a gifted singer, a wonderful musician, and someone who'll be around for years and years when all of this silliness has faded into memory.

I love that song and love the original, still I found Casey's version to be breathtaking. It was mesmerizing and moving, the gentleness of his voice, the sweet changes to the melody, made it as much a prayer as a song. He took something familiar and made it revelatory and new again. I'll never hear the song the same way again. It was his moment.

Of course, the judges couldn't let him have his moment. Randy nitpicked, Ellen hedged her praise, Kara wrapped hers in jokes and conceit, and Simon, well I don't know what he was doing other than furthering the stale jokes and trying to find a way to not praise what was such a lovely performance. The whole scene degenerated and a precious moment was lost.

I hope it isn't the end of the AI road for Casey tonight. He has so much more to show and so many more performances to give -- some that will be rollicking fun, and others that will show a more quiet and tender side. He, more than anyone else in the competition, has shown range and variety and a willingness to challenge himself and change our conception of who he is and what he can do. So three cheers for an amazing performance last night, Casey, and here's hoping for still more to come!

Judges Don't Pick the American Idol -- We do

We should have known it was going to be one of those years when on the first performance night of the guys, the judges ripped ‘70s rocker Tyler Grady – for singing like a 70’s rocker. Two weeks later they told Broadway performer Todrick Hall to stop being so “dramatic” and complained that he was too much a Broadway singer rather than a recording artist. The only compliment Simon gave him was that at least he performed – as opposed to the rest of the guys who just sat on a stool and sang which, apparently, is not performing. Someone should tell James Taylor he’s been taking money under false pretenses for decades.

But I digress. The topic for today is the whipsaw. The dictionary defines this as “to cause to move or alternate rapidly in contrasting directions.” It is the perfect description of how the judges have dealt with top-four-finalist Casey James since his first audition in Denver. I understand that there are much worse things to deal with than negative criticism, that’s not the point. The point is that when the judges’ critiques are given so much weight, they should at least have a modicum of sense and consistency to them. When they don’t, they confuse the artists, confound the audience, and make a mockery of the concept of the show which was to find and help launch undiscovered talent – not build up and destroy someone alternating weeks to see how long they can handle the abuse.

Casey has received more than his share of mixed messages, contradictory critiques, and inconsistent feedback. It would be enough to make anyone go a little crazy and lose their confidence. But that’s the power of the whipsaw. He was picked for the show for his great bluesy vibe, and then dismissed as being predictable for playing a bluesy song. His country take on “You’ll Think of Me” was met with a tepid response not because of the vocals, but because it was “safe.” Then weeks later, a similarly brilliant country performance was raved as the second coming. He was told he was channeling Hendrix by one judge, and then another mocked him for “trying to play the guitar.” He was ridiculed as “trying to be a rock star,” then a week later told he was a rock star. His voice was compared to dirt, he was called a bleating farm animal. Yet in the same moment he was being chastised for playing it safe, he was also told how consistent he is, always good, great voice, great tone, loved your vocals.

This has been a crazy year where it seemed not that the performances changed from week to week, but the judges did. One week, Simon complained about Casey “just”standing still playing his guitar, another week he raved about it. Randy was most consistent, praising Casey for his Stevie Ray Vaughn vibe three weeks in a row. But that’s where the consistency ended. Ellen and Kara loved it then hated it; Simon hated it then loved it. But let’s not get carried away with praise for Randy, who was the only one, not just on the judging panel, but within earshot of the performance, who didn’t unquestionably love “Jealous Guy,” alluding to some vague pitch problems in the moody, tender, and flawless vocals.

While all this is going on, there was the spectacle of Kara the Cougar hanging around objectifying Casey and indirectly belittling his years of hard work, his talent, and his drive. “The cougar is a fan.” “Did he not return your calls, darling?” “When Kara says show it all, she means…” These running jokes were a distraction at best, and, at worst, may have detracted from Casey’s performances. We’ve had attractive contestants in the past, but none has been treated like raw meat to the extent that Casey has. The ongoing joke isn’t funny anymore. Neither are the judges’ unpredictable hot-and-cold running critiques which haven’t been fair to him or to a number of the contestants this year.

The judges have been a mess this year in their efforts to evaluate the contestants' performances. They could never articulate to Katie or Siobhan what it was about their beautiful and unique voices that they didn’t like, yet the same judges consistently fail to mention Lee’s obvious pitch problems. Their idea of providing feedback to Didi Benami was to tell her that she had “changed” and lost her way – not exactly razor-sharp criticism designed to help the contestant. The judges are long on complaining, short on explaining. But then, they apparently have an agenda. We’ll see if America agrees with their agenda.

Because agenda aside, the judges are not the final say on American Idol. We are. While the judges will do their best to try and manipulate, they don’t have a vote in who wins. We do. Casey fans need to speak in a unified and consistent manner, something the judges have failed to do. They need mobilize their efforts on Tuesday to make sure the right contestant makes it to the end.

Casey James' Fans Rally the Vote

Ah, isn't democracy a wonderful thing? At least when the "candidate" you're supporting wins, it is. On Tuesday night, the judges eviscerated Casey James on national TV after what was, admittedly, a sub-par performance out of Casey's comfort zone (i.e., Dude, where's my guitar?). But later that same night, the Casey army came out in full force speaking loudly that Casey deserved to stay on American Idol and continue his journey all the way to the finals.

They remembered his "Jealous Guy" performance -- the artistry he showed in that raw emotion and vocal tenderness -- they remembered the rollicking performance of "Hold On, I'm Coming" where he showed the range of his talent. They thought back to just a week earlier when his revelatory "Don't" took their breath away. Each week that Casey has been on the American Idol stage he has brought it, performance after performance that has enthralled. And they said to the judges, you can't erase all that from our minds.

When Casey mentioned Tuesday night the call he received about a local gig, that reminded the viewers that all efforts to label Casey a construction worker or, worse, Kara's eye candy, completely miss the point. Casey is a musician. He was one before Idol and he will be one after. He has been given an amazing opportunity thanks to AI and he is making the most of it. He, more than anyone left, seems to really understand and appreciate just how lucky he is to have a chance to play for millions instead of dozens. That is why he keeps such a good attitude, even after being ripped to shreds after his performance Tuesday night.

If Casey fans can keep up the momentum for one more week, Casey will be able to show all of America his roots. His hometown, his family, the small places he's played and how long and hard he's been working to get where he is today. If you need to be reminded why Casey should stay, go check out all his past performances on AI. Without the filter of the judges' erratic responses (lavishing praise one week, destroying what they lauded the next) you will hear the next American Idol.

Team Conan, Team Jay? Team Neither

Now that Conan O'Brien has been let out of his contract with NBC -- with a nice farewell package of $33 million to him and $11 million to his staff -- perhaps our long national nightmare will end. Oh the humanity of it all. Two unattractive, unfunny men were fighting over who would be allowed to continue to make The Tonight Show a shadow of its Johnny Carson-era self. What team were you on? Who cares?

The fact is neither Conan or Jay Leno are hosts of the caliber of Johnny. Jay's humor is insipid and trite, Conan's mean spirited and overwrought. NBC's real mistake was many years ago, when they could have installed David Letterman as Carson's worthy successor. He has the same Midwestern roots and sensibilities as Carson, can be both edgy and yet not lose mass appeal.

Instead NBC went with Leno, for the same reason that most TV sitcoms go with a laugh track. It's easy for the audience. You spoon feed them a predictable formula of set up, pay off, laughter, with the laughter already provided just in case the pay off had none. There is no originality, no spontaneity, no wit. But Leno had one thing Conan doesn't -- he's nonthreatening.

Conan may be funnier (he did write for The Simpsons after all), but his humor has a dark, angry edge and he seems to be daring you to laugh, rather than inviting. He was not the person you'd want to curl up with as you drift off to sleep. Leno may not be original or talented, but he doesn't make you squirm. Conan liked to push that envelope and see how far he could go to make the viewer feel more than a wee bit uncomfortable. He was asked to tone it down for the 11:35 slot and he didn't. And so he must go.

So bland wins out over scary, really nothing new. The real news is there are good talk shows out there, not only Letterman's but Craig Ferguson and Jimmy Kimmel. Ferguson and Kimmel have far better shows than either of the last two Tonight Show incarnations. Check them out, and if you want to watch the Tonight Show? Go buy a boxed set of the Carson years. Now that was funny.

Democrats Lose Super Majority, Kennedy's Seat Goes Red

"In short, in Scott Brown we have an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, teabagging supporter of violence against woman and against politicians with whom he disagrees. In any other time in our history, this man would have been laughed off the stage as an unqualified and a disaster in the making by the most conservative of conservatives. Instead, the commonwealth of Massachusetts is close to sending this bad joke to the Senate of the United States."

So said Keith Olbermann on the eve of the Massachusetts special election to fill the seat occupied by liberal Democrat Teddy Kennedy for the past 46 years. If anything demonstrates the public's rejection of the Obama "progressive" policies, it is the fact that Republican Scott Brown, the man described so colorfully by Keith Olbermann, was able to overcome a 30 point deficit, the Democrats political lock on the Commonwealth, and a last minute push by the president to win Kennedy's senate seat.

There have been three major elections since Obama was sworn in, and the Republicans have won all three. In Virginia, New Jersey, and now Massachusetts, the Democrat party is hearing loud and clear that they misread the meaning behind Obama's election. The public was mad at George Bush. He had allowed federal spending to increase as if he were a liberal, he looked inept during the aftermath of Katrina and was nowhere near winning the two wars he had started. Obama was a repudiation of Bush. It was not a mandate for a socialist agenda. Yet that is what we got -- and rather quickly.

Obama's entire first year was spent alternately attacking the rich and embracing the Muslim world. That is not what the public wanted or expected, hence the immediate backlash. Spending all his efforts in the last half of the year to push through a health bill that promoted class warfare rather than focus on any real solutions that had bipartisan agreement showed his true intentions. And they have nothing to do with moderation. His is a far left agenda built on the belief that the people deserve to be taxed and the government deserves to spend as much as possible. It is the arrogance of the left that believes they are best equipped to decide who is entitled to how much.

Scott Brown won -- despite being in the minority party and, yes, in spite of his nude photo from 18 years ago -- because the people of Massachusetts saw what the national Democrat party agenda was and repudiated it. They do not want to be taxed to death just so that the Congress can dole out their money as they see fit. They do not want to support a party that would close Gitmo and bring those who want to destroy us here to benefit from our justice system. They do not want to support an administration that is redefining the Imperial Presidency or a Congress that makes secret deals and pay offs just to ram through legislation that the people oppose.

The voters have spoken again and will have a chance to be heard come this November when many more seats will go from blue to red.