As IF Times

link Voters’ anxiety clouds Obama’s historic successes – USATODAY.com.

This article and those like it remind me of dry heaves.  Just as you think you have experienced the last of the horrible nauseating feeling, another wave overtakes you more excruciating than the last because you are spent from fighting the symptoms of nausea.  Let’s put a label on this and call if for what it is, ODDS, or Obama Deity Derangement Syndrome. 

While understandable during an election campaign to attribute other world capabilities to a favored candidate, surely after almost 2 years in office and undeniably mishandling ALL of the major issues during that time, you have to be delusional to continue to trumpet the skills and accomplishments of someone so utterly incapable of the job.   This is a real life Monty Python movie.  This is not a political observation, this is a business observation.  In the real world, success is measured  by results not spin.  The administration can claim no achievements during their time spent at the control levers of the nation.  Virtually all of the campaign promises so naively accepted during the campaign have been broken or will be. 

Politics as usual, certainly, but never before in the history of the nation have policies been so blindly administered purely for reasons of ideology and with such blatant disregard for practical consequences.  Regardless of this however, most of the media still get weak at the knees when describing the soaring achievements of the White House.  Well, it’s time we got the opinion of those that really matter, those who can coldly judge without the added spin.  The judges from American Idol and Dancing With The Stars weigh in with their assessments:

Bruno:  A decent performance, you have flair and your presentation is professional, but you need to express more emotion and passion.  You are a bit like a shopping cart being pushed around by your handlers.    5.

Len:  Well the Presidency is a very tough role and some are suited to it and some are not.  This is probably  not your best role, community organizer is a better fit perhaps.  Let’s just say you did your best and move on.  5. 

Carrie Ann:  Well the moves were a bit stilted and definitely lacked any passion.  I think that at this stage in your position, you should be more clearly expressing the will of your constituents, but I see conflicts with your natural inclinations.  It still looks very mechanical and the teleprompters don’t help.  5.

Simon:  For me, that was just  awful.  (boooo in the background) Clearly this role is not suited for you.  I think you picked the wrong role and you have the wrong backup people, I see you more comfortable battling authority than being authority.  We need to see you more as yourself rather than trying to fit into a free market capitalist disguise.

Paula:  Week after week you come on here and I just love your suit and haircut and I agree with Simon that this is probably not your best, but you look wonderful and I think you tried real hard with what you had to work with and you have a good stage  presence and  dress well every week and just try to be yourself and be the star that you are and your suits look good and maybe your next role is more suitable and I’m a fan and I just love you.

Randy:  For me dude, it was just a’ight.  I don’t feel it man. I get the feeling you are trying to be someone you really aren’t.  Dude, if you want to be a socialist, just say so and get real.  I don’t think this capitalist free market gig is your bag.

Geez, tough reviews.  I wonder if he’ll survive the next round of voting.

link American Idol producers want Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell as judge – NYPOST.com.

It’ll never happen.  Unless of course, Fox wishes to completely torpedo the succesful franchise.  American Idol was originally created as a program showcasing the emotional journey and talent of aspiring singers.  From very early on in the series, the drama surrounding the judges commanded as much buzz as the weekly display of talent itself.  Simon Cowell legitimately became the anchor for the show with his acerbic but honest critiques.  Randy and Paula played supporting roles but nonetheless, the show is now missing something with the departure of Ms. Abdul, despite her questionable judging abilities.   It became popular sport to watch her every week just to see what kind of train wreck she would display in her rambling commentaries.

The departure of Simon will be fatal to the show and especially if Mr. Stern is brought on board to replace Simon.  Firstly, Stern is a boor.  Secondly and most damning, he is not entertaining.  His brand of entertainment is so crass and without any redemptive value that the show’s ratings would crater like an NBC drama series. Besides, it’s supposed to be a talent contest.  The only thing Howard knows is the general difference between C, D and double D.   Idol has always been mainstream.  Howard Stern is the antithesis of mainstream. No doubt he must have a fan and audience base since Sirius radio was dumb enough to pay him $100 million a year as the anchor for their business model.   A model which has bled money from day one and is barely viable now.

Hard to deny that crassness and sophomoric “humor” sells though.  A number of entertainers have as their trademark shtick, the obnoxious, juvenile, over the top goofiness that is reminiscent of a spoiled teenager.  If in fact, they were teenagers, you could at least remark condescendingly, ” how sweet”.   The fact that many of these entertainers are well into middle age and still try to pass off  rudeness as precociousness is tiring at best, pathetic at worst.  Guys like Letterman, Stern and some others are reaching way past their demograhic when trying to be edgy for the 20 to 30 set.  Conan may be able to throw out the sexual double entendres, but when the Sterns and Lettermans do it, it’s just creepy and lecherous. 

If someone’s willing to pay Howard Stern $100 million bucks because he’s “entertaining”, that tells you that there’s a bear market in talent.  Couldn’t they just outsource a younger obnoxious host from say, India? Or China?  The networks would save a lot of money and the funny accents alone would be an audience draw.  They can bring Stern’s crassness to the judging as in:

“Begging your pardon, but you have no talent, please to show us your bosoms.”

It’s safe to say that in the entertainment racket, audience is everything and with the imminent departure of Simon Cowell, Fox is looking to get someone with some sizzle to maintain ratings.  Howard doesn’t seem to be the right guy to nail the 13 to 25 female demographic…in a manner of speaking.   Besides, it looks like some publicity ploy to get more money from Sirius. If Stern is considered, why not Bill Clinton, or Hugh Hefner? They would bring as much buzz to the show and both have better haircuts.  On second thought, none of the above are suitable.  No males would ever win.