Letters to the Editor
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OK....two stories
At the last Winter Meeting of the DNC with a Veteran's non-profit group, I asked Dennis Kucinich to sign a tiny Young Democrat tee shirt for my new grandson...who just for the record was born while his father was in Iraq. All the other candidates signed.
Kucinich was wondefully articulate and was willing to listen as well as talk. However, when it came time to sign the shirt, he wrote "Dennis" and drew a heart under his name and handed it to his wife, who signed "Elizabeth" under the heart. I thought it was a little flaky. Later, I saw them walking out through the lobby, hand-in-hand, without a single bit of attention, unlike the other candidates who were drawing rock star coverage. And I confess, shamefully, that I wrote him off on the basis of the wifely bit of silliness. On the other hand, he's a politician, and he should know about things like appearances and appropriateness to professional situations. Nonetheless, I should also know what qualities truly count.
Second story...when I got out of college many years ago with a degree in broadcast journalism, I was told by news directors that I couldn't get a job as a woman because they were looking for "models", not journalists. So I went in other directions.
And now we have people like Dana Perino and Hannah Storm turning journalism into an ancillary of the Oprah Winfrey Show, (on a good day) and proving that women, with the exception of those stalwart pioneers who are now a literally dying breed, are just dumb window dressing.
And back to Dennis. The man is articulate and thought-provoking, despite obviously "hearting" his beautiful wife. To have a network "journalist" do an interview like this one is repugnant, irresponsible and completely lacking in respect for the fact that this man is a national political figure. And it doesn't show much respect for the audience, either.