2nd Week of the Year

I think I might have OD’d the political watching this weekend. The ABC/Facebook/WMUR debate on Saturday ended up being really interesting. Heck, these debates are reality tv – only with way much more stakes involved (like, you know, the future of the country). Alliances – implied or opportune – as McCain, Huckabee, Giuliani ganged up on Romney during the Republican debate; Edwards jumping on to (kind of) Obama’s side in slamming Clinton; Clinton deriving anger/passion in fending off Edwards; Romney looking like deer in headlights. Political reporter’s pointing out to Hillary Clinton that people didn’t find her likable, with Hilary pulling off a witty little comeback and Obama’s less-than-nice quip of “You’re likeable enough, Hillary.” Romney’s remark that the pharmaceuticals aren’t that bad – kind of eye-rolling, that (you do realize people don’t like the big corporations because they’ve the deep pockets, don’t you, Mitt?). Bill Richardson sat in the middle of the Democrat table looking like he was just glad to be there.

Big plus that only happens with live tv: Charlie Gibson as moderator made quite the move in bringing the Dems and the GOP’ers on the stage at the same time after the GOP debate ended but before the Dem debate started. Talk about a gem of a photo op! What one would do to know what the candidates were all saying to each other (imagine: Hillary to Rudy Giuliani: “You missed Iowa, Rudy; guess you had a nice New Year’s?” Or Obama to McCain: “John, did you get the scores for the football games?”).

Apparently, the ratings for the debate is looking pretty good. But, it was Saturday night, when there wasn’t all that much on tv anyway (except maybe football), and things are getting hot with the elections.

The FOX Republican debate on Sunday was slightly less interesting (no weird libertarian stuff from Ron Paul). The pundits seem to think that Romney came off better, but I didn’t quite feel that way. Then again, I’m not leaning Republican, so who am I to say? At least this was actually easier to stomach than what moderator Chris Wallace’s dad was doing that same hour: Mike Wallace’s interview of pitcher Roger Clemens was no easy watch at all.

An interesting NY Times’ article: “In Response to MTA’s ‘Say Something’ Ads, a Glimpse of Modern Fears,” in explaining those ads where MTA claimed that 1944 people “saw something and said something.” As the article noted, whether what’s reported really led to an anti-terrorism lead… well, that’s something else, isn’t it? William Neuman writes:

What, exactly, did those 1,944 New Yorkers see, and what did they say? Presumably, no active terror plots were interrupted, or that would have been announced by the authorities.

Now, an overview of police data relating to calls to the hot line over the past two years reveals the answer and provides a unique snapshot of post-9/11 New York, part paranoia and part well-founded caution. Indeed, no terrorists were arrested, but a wide spectrum of other activity was reported.

The vast majority of calls had nothing to do with the transit system.

Some callers tried to turn the authority’s slogan on its head. These people saw nothing but said something anyway — calling in phony bomb threats or terror tips. At least five people were arrested in the past two years and charged with making false reports.

Eleven calls were about people seen counting in the subway, which was interpreted as ominous by some.

One thing the overview did not clear up: just where did the number 1,944 come from? Police and transit officials could not say exactly. [….]

Gold Rain – a very pretty slide show on the NY Times website, by photographer Robert Caplin: “A look at how the sun paints New York’s nooks and crannies over the course of the year.”