Politics and Poker

My favorite source for definitions of words is Dictionary.com. The history of the word theater is as follows.

... The theater in the west generally begins with Greek drama; ... the words theory and theater are related through their Greek sources. The Greek ancestor of theater is theātron, "a place for seeing, especially for dramatic representation, theater." Theātron is derived from the verb theāsthai, "to gaze at, contemplate, view as spectators, especially in the theater," and from theā, "a viewing." The Greek ancestor of theory is theōriā, which meant among other things "the sending of theōroi (state ambassadors sent to consult oracles or attend games)," "the act of being a spectator at the theater or games," "viewing," "contemplation by the mind," and "theory or speculation."

How about that for a definition?


This month will present us with three quintessential theatrical presentations.


The Olympics
The Democratic Convention
The Republican Convention


All three were or will be fully orchestrated.
All three will be presented widely on television.
All three will be devoid of surprises other than the athletic events.



All three will be sold to advertisers on television
All three, for the most part, will have little or no spontaneity.

All three events will have been carefully staged and all, or at least most, of the speeches given at the conventions will have been written by other than the person presenting them, and carefully vetted to insure that the remarks are consistent with the party "dogma."


Presentations at these conventions are as carefully written and edited as is Law and Order.


I expect there are not many that share my disdain for the Olympic coverage, but I am sure there are at least a few. The event to me was so over the top politically and commercially, that even Bob Costas's voice would annoy me. It seemed that the athletes were really almost all "pros" and you could "smell" the endorsements that were always looming. I also wonder if the Chinese did not own so much of our debt, would we have participated in these Olympics at all.


A journalist friend said: "Take a look at NBC's total control of news surrounding the Olympics ... an unprecedented news/internet blackout..."

In 1969, I sold the two hour CBS program of the Kentucky Derby to Channel 2 in Puerto Rico. The CBS News guys sent film of the race itself to all of its news subscribers on the island, and Channel 2 people went nuts. The CBS news guys prevailed with their position that coverage of the race "after the fact" was news.


That is/was not the NBC position at all about the Olympic events themselves. Money indeed makes the world go around. So how come those great pillars of journalistic integrity at NBC News allowed the "entertainment sports guys" to prevail, and keep stuff a secret until after the "events" had been broadcast?

It would be more interesting if at the conventions they threw a delegate to the lions from time to time, but of course not until the broadcasters carrying the event had a chance to announce, "This throwing of a delegate to the Lions has been brought to you by Miller Beer."


Why not?

And now on to the less important part of this piece.


In one of the best and almost forgotten Broadway musicals Fiorello, this song is performed.

Politics and Poker

"Politics and Poker, Politics and Poker
Playing for a pot that's mediocre
Politics and Poker running neck and neck
If politics seems more predictable..
That's because usually
You can stack the deck

"Politics and Poker, Politics and Poker
Makes the average guy a heavy smoker
Bless the nominee, and give him our regards
And watch while he learns that in
Poker and politics
Brother, you've gotta have
That slippery, hap-hazardous commodity
You've gotta have the cards"

I thought about this after so many told me how much they loved the Clinton speech last night. Wanna talk about "real theater?"


I must admit that I await with great anticipation the convention speech of John McCain who will have his writers working overtime to prepare more then his usual comments of "a noun, a verb, and I was a prisoner of war for five and a half years!"


I think I will read a book or go to a porn site instead of listening to one more word about politics. At least there will be a little spontaneity at a porn site!

Norman Horowitz

Purveyor of numerous adjectives