Google this

I was watching C-span last night and they had a panel sponsered by Google, Youtube, and the National Journal discussing the internet and it's affect on politics.

I have to say that I have a whole new respect for The Onion. I have always enjoyed the site and thought it very funny, but after listening to Baratunde Thurston, The Onion editor, I will enjoy it more. Why? Because he is obviously dedicated to the funny and not to a political agenda.

Lizz Winstead, co-creator of the Jon Daily show and former head writer, was completely obnoxious. I thought the moderator, Tammy Haddard, former producer of "Hardball with Chris Matthews," was going to slap her a few times and if she had I would have welcomed it. Winstead was rude, loud, and with a obvious political bias.

It's like this. Not only do I not mind shows or the Internet making fun of my candidate or my party, but if it's done well, I laugh too. All I ask for is equal opportunity satire. If you only focus on my side then it ceases to be funny and only seems to be propaganda.

The Onion is by far the fairest of the lot. They showed a clip they had made of a "news story" about McCain refusing secret service and it was hilarious. The guy who produced the "Obama girl" was also there and he seem totally unbiased as well. He just thought a girl having a crush on Obama would be funny and it made fun of the fact that so many were swooning over Obama.

And last but not least, was Christopher Hitchens. I hate the fact that I like him. Really. He has written and said so many things that offend me, but it comes from his honest disbelief. But I have to give him credit. He calls bull**** when he sees it, whether it be on the right or the left. He brought up the Obama line of this moment being the moment "when the rise of the oceans begin to slow" and how absurd and ridiculous it was.

When Winstead gushed over how Obama's race speech got millions of hits, Hitchens asked the audience or panel to repeat two words from the speech. He said it was totally forgettable. Hitchens is the only one who seems to have the courage to speak the truth about the emptiness of Obama and the only one who can get away with it. Not one person on the panel argued with him. Winstead seemed more interested in flirting with Hitchens, so that might explain her silence on the matter.

Anyway, it was an interesting discussion, but it really didn't answer the question on how the funny side of the politcal spectrum on the net affects Presidential politics.

I'll be gone the rest of the day. I've going to another fundraiser for McCain! Hopefully I can get another picture to replace the terrible one I took with him before!! Heh.