RAM PRODUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL
  • Home
  • How We Can Work Together
  • About Michael Russnow
  • Actor/Personality
    • Sample Reel
    • 2014 Sample Reel
    • Michael Russnow Does Stand-Up
    • Water Into Wine
    • The Time Tree - Older Alex
    • Actor's Slate - One Minute Version
    • Actor's Slate - Four Minute Version
    • Interview on Stanley Dyrector Show - Part One
    • Interview on Stanley Dyrector Show - Part Two
    • Interview on Stanley Dyrector Show - Part Three
    • Interview on Stanley Dyrector Show - Part Four
    • Michael Russnow Speaks Out Episode 1
    • Michael Russnow Speaks Out! - Episode 2
    • Commentators Shouldn't Say Trump Has Pulse of America
  • Huffington Post Articles
    • Business >
      • Abolish Tipping
      • AIG Reverse Stock Split
      • AIG Plummets: Stock Split
      • Asus Computers
      • AT&T Doesn't Communicate
      • Bernard Madoff Swindled Everyone
      • Citigroup Reverse Split
      • Citigroup to Reverse Split
      • Horrible Banking Experiences
      • Is Shelly Sterling Channeling Lurleen Wallace?
      • Los Angeles Parking Meter Signs
      • My GE Dishwasher Tragedy
      • State Controller Has Your Money Available
      • Windows 7 Not As Great As Advertised
      • You Can't Feed Parking Meters
    • Media >
      • Abolish the Electoral College
      • BP Chairman Choice of Words
      • British Nurse Suicide Overblown By Media
      • Ed McMahon's Money Problems
      • Is Media Keeping Trump Alive
      • Los Angeles Times Backtracks on TV Grid
      • Lou Dobbs and His Ilk are Wrong
      • Media Downplays Hillary 3 Million Victory
      • Media Headline Biases
      • Media Inflames Comey Letter Re Hillary
      • Media Mischaracterizes GOP Win
      • Media Props Trump Up, Even When Hillary Wins Debate
      • Media Says Hillary's Not Transparent
      • Media Scare Tactics
      • Media Sensationalizes Obamacare Premium Rise
      • Memo to the Media: Maybe It's Time For a "Spartacus" Moment
      • Obama Asks Pundits Not to Skew Words
      • Obama Gym Workout No Big Deal
      • Obama Promised Change - From Bush and Cheney
      • Obama Would Be Citizen, Even if Born in Kenya
      • Palin Accuses Letterman of Seeking PR
      • What's Happened to the LA Times?
      • White House Gate Crashers
      • Why Does Trump Get More Face Time Than Hillary?
      • Why Media Normalizes Trump
    • Politics >
      • 2012 Iowa Caucuses: Shakespeare Was Right About the Masses
      • 2012 Vice Presidential Debate: Biden Blew Ryan Away
      • 25th Amendment Might Rid Us of Trump
      • Calling for Al Gore
      • Debate 2: Hillary Held Firm, While Trump Lied
      • Donald Trump Comportment: When is Enough Enough?
      • Donald Trump Supporters Are Deplorable
      • Donald Trump Supporters Must Be Stupid
      • Electoral College Support Because Founders Created it
      • Europeans are for Obama
      • French Choose President By CItizenry
      • GOP Senators Continue to Support Trump
      • Has Hillary Given Up in South Dakota?
      • Hillary Beat Trump in Popular Vote
      • James Comey, Legal Moralist or Fool?
      • John McCain No Longer a Hero
      • McCain's Nervous Breakdown
      • McCain/Palin Debate Spin
      • McCain Pulls Out the Heartstrings
      • Obama Accepts Super PAC Money
      • Obama & Clinton Forces, Can't We Get Along?
      • Obama Becoming First Wimp
      • Obama's Decision to Go to Copenhagen
      • Obama First 2012 Debate: Gotta Do Better
      • Obama Has Every Right to Replace Scalia
      • Obama: It's Time to Play Hardball
      • Obama Must Stop Postponing Health Care Law
      • Obama Needs Marc Antony to Get it Right
      • Obama Nobel Peace Prize
      • Obama Second 2012 Debate: Romney Overmatched
      • Obama Third 2012 Debate: He Gives Romney Presidential Seminar
      • Obama Won, But GOP Doesn't Seem to Recognize it
      • Patriotism Not a Republican Virtue
      • Pence Won Debate, Not By Much
      • Political Leaders and Journalists MUST Discuss Popular Presidential Vote
      • Politician/Media Rarely Discuss Americans Preferred Hillary
      • Popular Vote Must Choose Presidency
      • Primary Ballots For Party Members Only
      • Proposition 8 Backlash
      • Redo in Michigan and Florida
      • Religion in Politics
      • Romney Acceptance Speech
      • Rudy Giuliani's Screaming Convention Tirade
      • Ruth Bader Ginsurb's Contempt for Donald Trump
      • Sarah Palin's Appeal is That She's Annie Oakley
      • Sarah Palin's a Right-Wing Gidget
      • Sarah Palin, A Stepford Wife
      • Sarah Palin Is No Dan Quayle
      • Scalia Should Recuse on Gay Issues
      • Senate Refusal to Vote on Scalia Replacement a Sham
      • Should Anthony Weiner Resign?
      • Super Delegates Caved to Obama
      • Trump Is No Populist
      • Trump Name Calling: Why Hasn't it Backfired?
      • Trump Paris Pull-Out, Time To Elect Popular Vote President
      • Trump Performance as President Might Be Best Solution to Change Presidential Election System
      • Trump's Problems Aren't Going Away
      • We've Finally Got Health Care
      • When Does Political Correctness Go Too Far?
      • Will Hillary Have Last Laugh?
    • Show Business >
      • Movies >
        • A Most Violent Year
        • Black Swan a Must See
        • Boyhood: An Engaging Film
        • Che The Movie
        • Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino
        • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
        • Deborah Kerr, Rhymes With Star
        • Defiance
        • The Fighter
        • Good
        • The Hateful Eight Bloated But Intriguing
        • Honorary Academy Awards Ceremony a Travesty
        • Inception
        • Jackie Chan Should Not Get an Oscar
        • Leonardo DiCaprio Deserves the Oscar for "Wolf of Wall Street"
        • Michael Moore"s Where to Invade Next: Documentary or Propaganda?
        • Minority Report and the Oscar Controversy
        • Mitch Reinholt of American Teen
        • Movie Theatre Etiquette
        • Nicholas Hoult of A Single Man
        • Jackie Chan Gets an Oscar?
        • Quentin Tarantino Afraid Aging Will Make Him Out of Touch
        • The Reader
        • Revolutionary Road
        • Seven Pounds
        • Texting in Theatres Is A Blight
      • Television >
        • The Amazing Race
        • Big Brother: Danielle's Stupid Decision
        • Big Brother: Frank Eudy's Ouster
        • Celebrity Apprentice 2011
        • Charlie Sheen's Rant
        • Conan O'Brien's Pissed
        • David Letterman's Apology to Palin
        • David Letterman Gag Didn't Work
        • Do We Need Intrusive Network Logos
        • Glee Message of Tolerance Misguided
        • Golden Globes 2010
        • Golden Globes 2011
        • Golden Globes 2012
        • Golden Globes 2016
        • Hell's Kitchen's Gordon Ramsay
        • I Can Die Now, I've Met Betty White
        • Lost Finale
        • NBC's Decision to Bring Back Leno
        • Political Correctness on TV
        • Racial Advancement on TV
        • Survivor Caramoan: Why Was Erik Reichenbach Ignored by Jeff Probst?
        • Survivor Nicaragua 2010
        • Survivor Redemption Island 2011
        • Survivor: Samoa 2009
        • Susan Boyle I
        • Susan Boyle II
        • Susan Boyle III - The Finals
        • The Amazing Race: Amazing that Brooke and Scott Made the Top 3
        • The Emmy Awards 2014
        • The Oscars 2010
        • The Oscars 2011
        • The Oscars 2012
        • The Oscars 2013
        • The Oscars 2013 Afterthought: Why MacFarlane's Lincoln Joke Didn't Work
        • The Oscars 2014
        • The Oscars 2015
        • The Oscars 2016
        • The Oscars 2017
        • TV Cops Get Away With Murder
        • TV Shows and Films Shouldn't Screw Talent
        • Young Actors in TV Roles
      • Book of Oded Review
      • Chekhov Alive in Hollywood
      • Cutting Meat in Movies and TV Shows
      • Hal Kanter Memories
      • I Never Cried For My Father
      • Perceptionism is the worst "ism"
      • Robert Anderson Has Died
      • SAG Actors Must Remain Strong
      • SAG Negotiations Marred by Clooney and Hanks
      • Ted Lange's Lady Patriot Onstage
      • Trump Bails Out Ed McMahon
      • WGA Strike For Dummies I
      • WGA Strike For Dummies II
      • WGA Strike For Dummies III
      • WGA Strike For Dummies IV
    • Travel >
      • Airline Fees Are Chintzy
      • Airline Service Is a Sham
      • Bitching Can Be Effective
      • Morocco Can Be Intriguing
      • Volcano in Iceland
    • It's Not Easy to Become a Juror
  • My Novel
  • LA Fitness Has Terrible Customer Service
  • Political Correctness Should Be Challenged
    • Contact
  • Sarah Palin Says She's Not Responsible
  • Remedies When You've Been Cheated
  • The Iguassu Falls
  • Getting to Rio
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • São Paulo
  • London Film Award Certificate


From Amsterdam at 3 a.m.
I Watched the First Presidential Debate:

Obama Better Do Better Next Time

                                                                                                    The Huffington Post, October 4, 2012


After arriving in Amsterdam dog-tired on a bus from Brussels due to an absurd 24-hour Belgian train strike, I steeled myself
to stay up until 3 a.m. to begin watching the first presidential debate on CNBC.  Forgive me not remembering the hosts, especially the woman, who made me think I'd been watching Fox News.

First, the debate.  And fair warning I'm an avid Obama supporter -- especially against former Governor Romney, but I was
a bit disappointed with the president's opening statement during which he appeared ill at ease and not up to par.

Romney had prepared himself better, at least to the extent he appeared generally more confident.  Of course, if one listened carefully one could clearly tell that beneath the smiles and "presidential" bearing he didn't really have much to say.

Obama, even with more ammunition in his arsenal, stammered a bit from time to time, even as he gave more specifics
re his accomplishments, while reminding the national audience about the economic mess he inherited.

The problem, of course, is that style often trumps substance, which, politics aside, helped John Kennedy over Richard Nixon,
as well as Ronald Reagan over Jimmy Carter.

Do I trust that the majority of Americans carefully listened to what was said, rather than how it was delivered?  Sadly, I don't,
and have to hope that the president is holding his best for the next two debates.  Although with early voting it is not the wisest choice. Not to mention that he can't count on all of the viewers to come back to see how he does.

This is not to say that Obama didn't regain his authority on many occasions, reminding us of Romney's suggestion to kids
that they borrow money from their parents.  Certainly he was dead-on reciting the benefits of his health care program, during which he, in a show of good humor, referred to it as "Obamacare," an appellation Republicans created to disparage rather than praise him.  By using the term "Obamacare," the president effectively neutralized the GOP's ill intent and scored some points.

He also reiterated his championing of education, intending to hire 100,000 teachers and more police, and cited his progress developing the potential of more environmentally friendly energy sources such as wind and solar.

Romney spoke in generalities, albeit with an even tone.  In so doing, he reminded Obama and all of those watching that he supported education, but wanted it left to the states.  His calm demeanor in putting forth that viewpoint came during a segment when Moderate Jim Lehrer asked the two candidates in what areas the federal government should exercise control.

Obama had indicated a desire to give all kids equal opportunities to reach their potential with national programs designed to achieve that goal.  Romney didn't seem to get it or just wouldn't buck his Tea Party backers in declaring that states would be the best arbiters. Except that all states do not have the same test scores, indicating they're not doing an equal job preparing their young residents to realize what they might accomplish.

The same could be said for health care, wherein Romney seems to think that states should be free to effect whatever care
they deem appropriate.  He said he was proud of the program created while he was governor in Massachusetts, but didn't seem to believe it to be a bad policy if other states provided lesser care.

Obama for his part allowed Romney to restate his and running mate Paul Ryan's false charge that the president cut
$700 billion-plus from Medicare, when most analysts have agreed the cut is to medical providers, not to benefits the elderly
will receive.

Yet, at the end of the debate, at least on CNBC, the hosts and commentators such as Larry Kudlow mostly touted Romney's victory and all the "specifics" he had put forth.  Only John Harwood, CNBC's man on the scene at the debate took issue with
their viewpoint, as well as the two Democratic pundits CNBC allowed on the air to rebut their pro-Romney assertions.

So, for me it was a mixed bag.  In one sense Romney won, in that many expected Obama to pulverize him, and I did not expect to see an occasionally sedated and defensive posture by the president.  Romney seemed self-assured and friendly, even as
he gave no concrete solutions. However, for him to look good, he merely had to not fail unduly.

So, I suggest that the president not worry about taking the gloves off. There is so much to combat Romney and his minions.  Their inordinately selfish and rigid social policies, whether on abortion, gay rights and stem cell research.  The disastrous economic policies that brought our nation to the brink of financial ruin.

Their insensitive every-man for-himself approach to health care and education.  And the fact, despite all the tumult about letting gays in the military, almost all agree it has had no ill effect despite the ominous and hateful warning of the GOP right-wing,
with which Romney now allies himself.

I very much hope the more combative Vice President Joe Biden will next Thursday night be an opening act for a reinvigorated Barack Obama the following week.  I'll be watching the VP debate from Paris, having just arrived on a flight from Prague.

                                                      Follow Michael Russnow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kerrloy

                                                                                                                                                    Contact Us
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.