Anybody Else Believe This ?

Besides TNB, does anybody else believe that:

• Sarah Palin and her Tea Party devotees (who recently paid her $100,000 to talk "hopey" and "changey" to them) are not strictly a fringe movement, to be easily dismissed? Apparently, between 25% and one-third of Americans really think she makes sense and therefore she and her movement are dangerous, not laughable. History says that she'll self-destruct by 2012, but don't count on it. The best antidote would of course be for President Obama to really turn this country around.
• Two months from now, less than 1% of Americans will not remember who won the moguls, biathlon, Nordic combined or snowboard cross at the Olympics? NBC has done a great job in making these rarely seen sports exciting but our attention span (never long) will inevitably turn to March Madness (college basketball and the Oscars!), American Idol, Opening Day and other rites of Spring.
• Speaking of NBC, Jay Leno's post-Olympics return to the Tonight Show will be a colossal flop (as will his replacements in prime time)? Viewing habits have changed so radically with fragmentation of options (including the Internet, I- Phones, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) that it is hard to imagine that the old TV paradigms will return (or should).
• The U.S. Senate is an ineffective, unresponsive legislative body? Between the campaign financing issues, pork, scandals, poor behavior and inertia (not to mention the archaic rules) how can anyone admire the savagely partisan members of this group. Too bad they're not all up for re-election this year. Of course, the entire House is and they're not much better.
• Toyota will never return to its position in the automobile market? The only way to repair the severely battered image is for Toyota to change its name to disassociate from the poor quality syndrome. TNB suggests say Edsel or CMW (China Motor Works) to bring back consumer confidence. No need to give thanks--just providing a public service.

The Blind Side

Many of the people who fancy themselves experts on the movie business, both within and outside of Hollywood, have been stunned by the huge financial success of The Blind Side which although receiving lukewarm reviews, has to date grossed $238 million vs. a modest cost of $35 million and even more surprisingly has garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and a Best Actress nomination for Sandra Bullock, who is the early favorite to win. The reaction of "mainstream" America to a reasonably well made feel good movie, based on a compelling true story and containing a heavy dose of Southern high school football (with cameos from real college coaches) as well as a do gooder attitude should not be surprising. There even is an honest (and factual) recognition of the sleazy side of college recruiting.

Of course the term Blind Side as used here refers to the fact that quarterbacks are much more vulnerable to being hurt by onrushing defensive linemen from the side opposite the one they're usually facing when attempting to pass, which for right handed QB's is the left (or "blind") side. Thus, their major protectors, charged with covering such "blind side" are behemoths playing left tackle, a very important position and one in which of course the real life protagonist, Michael Oher, has excelled to the point where he starred in 2009 as an NFL rookie with the Baltimore Ravens, after an All American career at Ole Miss.

On the eve of that uniquely American cultural institution, Super Bowl Sunday, TNB can only think of how instructive the theme of this film should be to the very sports aware President Obama. Who is covering his Blind Side from the Tea Party rabble (biggest hero of which is Sarah Palin), the birthers, Fox News and others who are hell bent on wrecking his presidency no matter what the cost to the country? Of course, since he's left handed his biggest protection must come from the right side, which is pretty ironic.

Despite the overwhelming Democratic control of Congress, there doesn't seem to be much offensive football being played there with the majority always appearing to be on the defensive. Has there ever been a more ineffectual Senate Majority leader than Harry Reid? LBJ, where are you now that we need you? If the character played in the movie by Sandra Bullock wasn't an avowed Republican, TNB would call on her in a minute to kick some butt. Come to think of it she might anyway.