The following exchange is from Dialogue Group 11, Thread 15.

1. Contra Time's Man of the Year
Mon, Dec 28, 1998 - 8:28 PM/EST
MAYORBOB

Time Magazine recently named Bill Clinton and Kenneth Starr as co-recipients of the "Man of the Year" designation. These are both worthy selections...certainly no complaint from me that they didn't get quite enough newsprint during the year.

I would like to humbly suggest an alternative to Time, a Dialogue Group 11 Man or Woman of the Year, so to speak. I am looking for some suggestion from my fellow group members.

I don't have any elaborate criteria...I am feeling so comfy in this group that I trust your better instincts. What I suggest is that you nominate someone and briefly state why you think this person or group is worthy of such high distinction.

In the interests of kicking this thread off, I would like to nominate a composite person, "Tabloid Person" as my Contra Person of the Year. Tabloid person is your average American of less than superlative reading and analytical skills who derives most of their information from tabloid sources, or from media sources who are fast turning into tabloid sources. The sort of person who reaches their intellectual epiphanies in the supermarket checkout lines, or who channel surf in a desultory fashion with their remote from Springer to Geraldo to Hard Copy to Real Video to Sixty Minutes II to ad nauseam. The sort of person who feels that Crossfire and the McLaughlin Group offer informed political reporting and analysis.

What say you?

2. MAYORBOB
Mon, Dec 28, 1998 - 9:29 PM/EST
Marnikno

I am working at home and taking my break..well worth it as you bring a smile to my face:)

The sad thing is, I need heroes. I am the type that believes in Santa and Fairytales so this dreadful dose of reality takes a toll on me. Jackie Kennedy was someone I developed great respect for but it took years and it wasn't during her term as first lady. HMMM. hmm... what
about Katherine Hepburn? Independent, went against social mores of the day but stood up and usually got what she wanted.

Dr. Claude Hobeika (Ear/Nose/throat) from Cincinnati. He visits third world countries every year to help children with speech and hearing problems and deformities. Or the orthopaedic doctor who was on 20/20 Sunday who does a similar thing. (didn't catch his name).

My composite person would be an athlete, making millions of dollars doing drugs, being forgiven time after time after time when Pete Rose is kept out of the hall of fame. Sorry sports fans.. I'm from the rah rah days and this is not acceptable to me. Somehow forgiving druggies 6-8 times seems "contraindicated" and in my mind worse than Pete's gambling. Back to work.. Thanks for the
stimulating break.

4. I don't watch TV, but...
Tue, Dec 29, 1998 - 9:59 AM/EST
senryu

My "composite" (and I'm assuming this IS meant for irony) would have to be that legion of education "professionals" who dumb down their classes in order to make them "more accessible;" who teach subjective and trendy "modern values" in the place of the scholarly study of literature, art, and science; who refuse to give grades because they might "label" children "wrong" or "failures;" and who threaten to report parents of gifted, bored kids to Child Protection unless they have their child medicated into docility.

5. Person of the year
Tue, Dec 29, 1998 - 10:35 AM/EST
Jamest

My person of the year is the non-voter.

This is the person who is polled but has never and never will vote. He/she tilts the polls one way or another giving opinions of the masses but a false view of the electorate. Once published, a herd mentality triggers and strange numbers appear. Politicians are wise to vote their conscience and integrity and not the polls.

I believe the polls are accurate. But it's why pollsters get elections wrong.

This, buy the way, is not a value judgement.

8. If impeachment is the topic of the year....
Wed, Dec 30, 1998 - 11:24 PM/EST
Larry W.

...then I vote for the drafters of the Constitution. They started the ball rolling. And it might encourage House members to spend their weekends reading the Federalist Papers. Maybe they'd learn something. (I keep visualizing James Madison spinning in his grave over what the political parties have given us. He would not be happy....)

Personally, I vote for El Nino. He changed the face of the world, literally!

10. Man of the Year
Fri, Jan 1, 1999 - 9:42 PM/EST
Donna

Much thinking,
and musing,
The Man of the year is a puzzle.
Bill Clitton,
Ken Starr?
Which ever.
They both need a muzzle.

12. Man Of The Year
Sat, Jan 2, 1999 - 9:25 PM/EST
dawhale

How about Matt Drudge - without him on the
Internet the mainstream media would have hidden
this whole thing like they've done since Clinton
was elected in 1992.

He has made the Internet the new media of truth
and justice; just don't believe Pierre Salinger
and the rocket theory that hit the TWA flight
off of NYC without first verifying the true
source.