The Top Nontroversies of 2008

They seemed so important at the time, didn't they? The issues over which much ink was spilled, many talking heads blathered, and in some cases Congressional committees were convened. But as we turn the calendar page, what seemed monumental then, in retrospect has all the significance of a Dennis Kucinich stump speech. So before they completely fade from memory, let's take a look back on some of the top Nontroversies of 2008.

• Was Chinese Olympic gymnast He Kexin fourteen, or was she sixteen? And did anybody really think the same country that puts lead paint on our children's toys was going to come clean about this? America needed to let this gold medal loss go, and just relive the Olympic magic with another Michael Phelps commercial.




• The New Yorker runs a cover caricature of Barack and Michelle Obama as dangerous radicals. An attempt at satire which displayed the wit and sophistication of an Ivy League Sorority pledge at an all-you-can-drink Cosmopolitan bar. Some readers said the drawing was offensive, some said it too clever for its own good. And 99 percent of America said: "What's the New Yorker?"




• In Hollywood thousands of Starbucks employees...I mean, actors, dithered over an on again, off again strike vote in hopes of bringing the country to her knees by depriving us of new episodes of "The Mentalist." The rest of America quit caring last year when they bailed on entertainment during the last strike. But on a positive note, the Actors Guild performed the David Copperfieldian near-impossible trick of making the Writers Guild look savvy and reasonable.




• For those predisposed to not like Sarah Palin, there were plenty of reason to not like Sarah Palin. Troopergate was not one of them. Instead of dodging the issue, Palin should have just held up the mantle of empowered woman who wasn't going to let an abusive, kid-tasering ex-in-law run wild like an Alaskan wolf that needed to be shot from a helicopter. Oprah would have voted for her, and Palin would have been guaranteed a Lifetime Movie of the Week. Which is a whole lot better than being vice-president




• Oil Speculators! It's their fault! They're the ones who ran up the price of oil to...what, about $36 a barrel? Those lease deals on a new Hummer are starting to look real attractive right about now.




• Annie Liebowitz takes some racy photos of Miley Cyrus. "Oh, my God, you can almost see part of her bare back," says Amy Winehouse as she runs naked through London after taking another hit of coke off her boyfriend's stomach.




• Hillary Clinton crying at a campaign stop was either her showing real emotion, and therefore was too soft to be president, or her being manipulative and therefore too devious to be president. Either way she quite literally could not win. But through Barack Obama's Wish Fulfillment Program, she'll still be the one taking those 3 am phone calls after all.

And the number one Nontroversy of 2008?

How dare Jeremiah Wright say the nasty, hurtful things in the privacy of a black church that men of God like Pat Robertson, John Hagee and the late Jerry Fawell said in public? Barack Obama denounces Wright, comes across as a "rational" black man, then delivers a historic speech on Race in America and ends up in the White House. The whole thing worked out so well, I have a feeling somewhere Wright and Obama are secretly sharing a cigar, swapping one of those "terrorist fist jabs" Fox News warned us about, and saying to each other "we got 'em, baby. We got 'em."

Did I miss any? We're keeping track over at That Minority Thing.com. Give us a click and let us know.

Comments

[DarkDesertHighway]

John Ridley, brilliant! as usual!

[bltmn]

Judging by the number of Kucinich defenders in these comments, I'd say his speeches are quite significant.

[eden4barack08]

Meh! Nothing impressive about this list, not the writing nor the subject choices.

[bltmn]

"Nothing impressive" is the whole point of this list.

[DemoDude]

Ben Smith provided a link here. Found this great article on trolls and the Broken Window Theory on his comment board. A superb read. http://www.motleymoose.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=756

[eden4barack08]

You need to stop pimping!

[DarkDesertHighway]

I'm confused, who is John pimping? Can you fill me in?

[Fernando]

OK, John, I usually enjoy your posts but you got to get your facts straight if you want to be witty about something.

A) The fact that oil has dropped more than 75% in a matter of months is a result not of a supply/demand adjustment and a market in balance, but because speculators had more of a hand in it than anyone thought. The only commodity that devalues so quickly is an overpriced one.

B) Sarah Palin couldn't really embrace "the womanhood thing" regarding Troopergate since in most of her wildest accusations she was complicit in, i.e. she knew her nephew had asked to be tasered (on training setting) to prove to grandpa and his mom how tough he was. The meat of the moose hunt off-season was divided WITH the Palins. Etc.

Good blogging requires at least basic subject matter knowledge.

[kburlz]

I did miss Lost.

[Nicotone]

Kucinich makes amazing speeches.

His speech at this years DNC was rivaled, maybe, only by Obama's.

He stands for the best of the Democratic platform.

I know the point you're making but all the same, it seems like an uncalled for jab at the Ohio congressman.

[MaryscottOConnor]

I believe by "significance" he meant "impact."

[MaryscottOConnor]

That is to say...

"influence."

[tnlcallen]

I also understand his point, but it does seem like an unnecessary Jab at a pretty good congressman. I don't agree with everything the guy stands for, but he seems awfully sincere.

[Whatashame]

The AIP (Alaska Independent Party) was a bigger story but the media never gave it the attention it deserved. Could you imagine what would have happened if Obama and Michelle lived in a state where they wanted to seperate from America.

[harriscrl3]

My problem with Hilary when she teared up before NH was not the crying more important was what she said and I can't believe no one ever picked up on it: She said I just dont want us to fall behind. I find that to be the most magnanimous egotistical statement ever. Like she is the ONLY one who can save us all from falling behind and she was crying about it too. I mean give me a break.

Carol

[TruthHasALiberalBias]

The biggest non-controversy was the ruckus over Obama's comments at San Francisco about bitterness in small towns that were used by the Clinton and Repub spin machines to try and convince people that Barack was some sort of "elitist" who wasn't in touch with "real America".

[Kiba]

Stirring up controversy, rather than actual investigative reporting, seems to be the main purpose of the American media.

[research]

Dennis still can use your contributions.

The more money Kucinich gets, the more he controls the House.

[1sparrow]

the proposal by kucinich that the insurance companies and the medical community were in cahoots- sold me. i too may have seen a u.f.o. so what? grow up america. hang in there dennis!

[Elitnaurista]

My remarks on your Sarah Palin comments got a little long so I'll put this separate. I thought you nailed Jeremiah Wright silliness. I'd pay a lot of money to see you say that to Pat Buchanan, another guy who makes things up.

[Elitnaurista]

"....plenty of reason to not like Sarah Palin. Troopergate was not one of them. Instead of dodging the issue, Palin should have just held up the mantle of empowered woman who wasn't going to let an abusive, kid-tasering ex-in-law...."

You've been listening too long to Joe and Barnicle. Barnicle and Joe just make stuff up. Trooper Mike Wooten, the alleged wrong doer, was not fired. Walt Monegan, the Public Safety Commissioner was fired. Mr. Wooten's offenses had been adjudicated and resolved according to the rules of the negotiated agreement between the troopers and the state before Mr. Monegan became PSC and before Sarah Palin was elected. He received a five day suspension and a "final warning. When Mr. Monegan assumed his role as safety commissioner the negotiated agreement ruled out any steps Monegan could take with regard to Wooten's termination barring further misconduct on Wooten's part.

Walt Monegan, an Alaska Native, started his career as a policeman here in Bethel, Alaska many years ago. Because of his cultural heritage and going up in the "Bush" he was in a unique position to address some of the horrendous crime and safety problems in Western Alaska and other bush communities in the state.

Jim Vait
Bethel, Alaska