Friday Morning Things: The YouTube Debate, The VA Hospital, Jim Smith

(1) I was struck by the quote in this morning's paper, originally printed in the Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader, from Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Romney (uh, that's him on the right) appears to be showing some skepticism about the CNN-YouTube debate scheduled for Sept. 17 in St. Petersburg:

I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman.

The reference is to the format of the debate the other day among the Democratic candidates, in which YouTube viewers posed video questions to the candidates. A question about global warming was posed via the device of an animated snowman, speaking with a Mr. Bill kind of voice.

Actually, I thought the debate was novel enough to be worth it -- my only mild regret is that CNN screened the questions so there was STILL a mainstream filter of the process. So naturally the candidates were still able to spout out their rehearshed talking points whenever they could.

How fun it would be for the candidates just to stand there and take the next question off the top of the stack! Even if it were a nutball question about Martians or conspiracy theories or such, there would still be some value in seeing how the candidates dealt with it.

Anyway, does Romney really want to knock the entire YouTube thing, and by extension, the modern online world? What's next, expressing amazement at supermarket scanners?

By the way, there's also some question as to whether Rudolph Giuliani can attend the Sept. 17 debate, according to this morning's story.

(2) This ongoing story about the poor man who was not taken to the emergency room of the Bay Pines VA Medical Center and who then died is getting more and more confusing -- precisely because the people involved seem to be confused. Both county and hospital officials have given different statements about what the policy is. Part of the problem is that there seems to be a different standard for a non-vet simply showing up at the ER versus paramedics asking if they can bring someone. It makes sense to me to say that that our already-burdened vet hospitals shouldn't be used as general hospitals by the general public. So this is not to say that ANYBODY who shows up at the ER with ANY condition should be automatically treated. On the other hand, there ought to be a clear standard that paramedics can take anyone in an imminently life-threatening emergency to the nearest hospital that is capable of treating it.

(3) In the comments to my post yesterday about the Jim Smith mess in Pinellas, a reader named Mark predicts that the Times will be proven "completely wrong" on the story, which he defines as the grand jury not bringing any criminal charges. Check out his comment and my reply.

Comments

[Lorraine Margeson]

I thought that the DEMS YouTube was a great debate and revealing......
Mitt Romney doesn't like the snowman because the snowman obviously CARED about environmental issues. Mitt is already on record advocating for things like upping the level of drilling in the ANWAR for oil production.......so I doubt that the snowman and he would get along very well. YouTube is HUGE....and the REPUBS should be wary of losing on the fence voters who LIVE on the INTERNET.

[Karen]

It shows just how "yesterday" the republicans are. I'm sure there was a time when a debate on TV was veiwed as "undignafied", but the world moves on. I have to wonder if his real objection is to answering directly to the public (you know, the great unwashed).

[Larry]

Howard, as to your second comment, it is getting a little tiring hearing everyone blaming the VA for this incident. I belive as you pointed out that paramedics should take anyone in immediate life distress to the closest hospital, who by law, could not turn them away. As someone who is treated at Bay Pines, it does gripe me to seeing folks always trying to blame the VA. You are right, they are overburdened, enormously. And just let a service connected veteran die becasue they were busy treating someonw who was not a veteran and watch the finger pointing then. It seems they just can't win. The folks at Bay Pines do a darn good job of taking care of veterans.

[David Mathews]

Petty political controversies at the local and national level should not distract the readers from a more pressing issue. The Earth is changing in ways which are very bad for civilization. Humankind's survival is not guaranteed (see: the dinosaurs).

Tony Haymet, the Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, describes some changes which are both unprecedented and terrifying:

"Climate Science at Scripps"
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-5550338253962849728

Dr. Haymet agrees with James Hansen's conclusion that the sea level could rise dramatically within the next century:

http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19526141.600feedId=climate-change_rss20

If their warnings are even just 10% correct, Florida will lose its coastline. If the sea levels rise to worst-case scenario levels the state of Florida will become significantly smaller and lose many of its cities to the sea.

[David Mathews]

A functional link to the James Hansen article:

http://tinyurl.com/yq922u

[David Mathews]

Aquafina as Good as Tap Water:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3423231

Corporations are selling tap water to Americans at a 5000x markup. Selling bottled water to Americans is about as absurd as selling sand to the Arabs.

Now I have got to ask: Why are American consumers so stupid? Why are American consumers so gullible?

And: Why has it taken so long for the news to get around to reporting that bottled water is tap water?

Considering how easy it is for corporations to lie to the American consumer isn't it disturbing that the news media is essentially owned by the corporate advertisers?

I have read newspaper articles written about bottled water which sounded very much like advertisements for the industry. Does anyone remember all of the newspaper articles which encouraged a lottery-mentality during the housing bubble? The auotmotive section of the newspaper loves the SUV and everything that it represents.

There is very little truth in the news media. But how is it even possible for newspapers to be truthful when they wouldn't exist without advertising?

The truth is harsh, the truth is difficult, and the truth is unprofitable. Newspapers are good at feeding pablum to the passively obese American consumer cattle. These people are inclined to accept any lie which portrays them in a positive manner.

Is it any wonder that these people have spent billions consuming bottled water at a 5000x markup?

[Marissa]

As for Mitt Romney's comment about the snowman, I think that is an absurd thing to say. It just shows how old school most Republicans are. I think he is scared of having to answer to the real American public.
Also, David Mathews, I saw that article about the Aquafina water in TBT. I think it is hilarious that they have gotten away with selling tap water at ridiculous prices for so long. It really does show how gullible we are.

[david flagg]

Mr. T. As a long time reader of the Times and your writing, I have to disagree with you about Mr. Romney's decision not to participate in the Sept. YouTube "debate." Focusing on what's best for his Republican primary is where he should be.....not entertaining the Democrats by talking with snowmen, real or imagined. And, I like the idea of respect being shown candidates for public office. We have too many clowns in office as it is.
Thanks.

[Tom]

re. Rudy Giuliani's withdrawal from the YouTube debate: Claiming a "scheduling conflict" doesn't wash, even if it *is* CNN's fault.

Years ago, I liked a girl. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see her because she always had "scheduling conflicts". The amount of advance notice was irrelevant. It was a painful way to learn a basic truth: We make time for what is most important to us.

Evidently, my vote is not important to Rudy.