Here’s What I Think…

I’m a New Englander.  I was born and raised in Bar Harbor, Maine.  My family has been there for generations.  I had a relative in the Boston Tea Party.  I spent half my life trying to get out of Maine and now I’m spending the other half of my life trying to get back.  I feel a closeness to all the other New England states, New Hampshire, Massachussetts, Connecticutt and Rhode Island.  So it is with great pride that I watched New Hampshire teach a good hard lesson to all the pollsters and pundits last night during the Democratic Primary.  Let me be clear.  I love Obama.  I love Hillary.  I think either one would be a brilliant President.  The bar is pretty low at this point given our current administration so even a moderate Republican like John McCain would be a vast improvement.  But I was taken aback by the viciousness of the press after Obama trounced Clinton in the Iowa Caucus.  There was a disturbing gleefulness about her third place showing there.  The expected bounce Obama enjoyed over the next few days translated into double digit leads in most polls coming into New Hampshire.  Many papers and TV news talking heads were already writing her obituary.  And then, something extraordinary happened.  She won.  Not a landslide.  But enough to be able to declare a resounding victory.  I always thought Obama would win Iowa and Clinton would take New Hampshire.  Now the race is on.  I can’t describe the sheer joy I felt watching the folks at MSNBC, Fox News and CNN stare blank-faced at the camera, unable to explain how Hillary pulled it off.  Some say her emotional moment on Monday, when asked how she carries on through this brutal process and she gave a thoughtful teary-eyed response, showed voters a side of her rarely seen.  Some say it was a purely tactical move on her part to “soften her image.”  That’s ridiculous.  Those same people accuse her of being robotic in her speeches and cold in her demeanor.  Yes, I’ll admit it.  She’s not that great of an actress.  She can’t force warmth on the voters.  And she shouldn’t have to.  Her job is to get the country back on track.  But that’s exactly why she could never create such a sincere and unguarded moment.  I’ll tell you what I think happened in New Hampshire.  New Englanders got fed up with the media telling them the election was over before they even got a chance to cast a vote.  And to quote the right leaning Drudge Report headline today, “Now the fun begins.”  I can’t even predict who is going to win the nomination (it’s even more of a mystery on the Republican side), but I will tell you this.  This has been a great week in American History.  For the first time ever, an African American man won the Iowa Caucus.  And for the first time ever, a woman won the New Hampshire Primary.  And come November, one of them could be the President of the United States.

Why I’ve become so obsessed with politics in recent years is beyond me.  But nevertheless, I have been following the primary races with a keen interest.  Every day I pour over the Huffington Post, and for balance, the Drudge Report. Any regular reader of this blog can easily guess who I’m routing for (hint: It’s time for our first female President, in my humble opinion), but I find the whole bunch of candidates a wildly entertaining lot.  There’s the Baptist minister, the overrated New York mayor, the Law & Order co-star with a hangdog look and an obvious lack of enthusiasm, the Ken doll Mormon, the blow-dried Southern fried lawyer on the Democratic side, along with the tough-as-nails former First Lady and an African American professor who can easily stir a crowd with his impressive speaking skills.  You could spin a crackerjack novel with all these varied characters.  In less than a week, we’ll know which two will be the automatic front runners in their respective parties.  Each new poll tells a different story.  The Iowa caucus results will by no means be definitive.  Dick Gephardt, anyone?  But this is most certainly the most breath-taking political horse race in my lifetime.  With the horrifying assassination of Prime Minister Bhutto in Pakistan yesterday, the choice we make for our next President is all the more important.  It’s a scary, unpredictable world, and we’re going to need someone strong and resilient against all the challenges we’ll surely face, thanks in no small parat to our current administration.  But next year America will finally be on a new path.  See you at the polling booth!

I like Obama.  I like Hillary.  Though I have a personal favorite, at the end of the day, either one of them will make an outstanding candidate.  But do I care Oprah is stumping for Obama in such a grand way, there is very little doubt the polls will change in his favor?  Absolutely not.  I consider Oprah just another celebrity endorsement.  I’m not part of the Oprah cult, never have been.  Do I admire her journey to where she is now?  You bet.  Anyone who can rise from poverty to be the most powerful woman, no the most powerful person, in television is a stunning feat and I couldn’t be more impressed.  Do I think she should be telling us who to vote for?  No.  Maybe it’s because I favor Hillary, and maybe there’s a part of me that is secretly hoping to see the first woman president elected next  year.  There isn’t a big difference between Hillary and Obama when it comes to the issues.  He says he will institute change and she will be more of the same.  But if you look at their proposals, they’re almost identical.  So no, Obama, I don’t think your changes are any better than hers.  And the media loves accusing Hillary of the Queen of Negative Attacks, but fail to point out that she didn’t go after her Democratic rivals until they began hammering her two months ago.  Obama enthusiastically began slamming, and hard, but that’s a fact that’s conveniently ignored by all the media outlets.  So for my own personal reasons, I’m supporting Hillary.  And I don’t need Bill Clinton or Barbra Streisand telling me why I should.

The producers walked away from the bargaining table on Friday, refusing to meet again until the writers removed a host of issues from the negotiations.  The Guild has maintained that none of these issues, including the union having jurisdictoin over reality and animation writers, were nonnegotiable.  But the producers used it as an excuse to cut off talks.  This is no surprise to me.  This was clearly a thought out plan bu the producers to make them appear as if they’re seriously working towards a resolution.  But in truth, it was just a sleazy tactic to pull the rug out from under the writers yet again.  It sure looked like they wanted to end this strike, but when the time came, sadly and predictably, they’re just playing PR games hoping the tide will turn against the writers in the realm of public support.  But they never expected us to be so unified in our goal to get a fair deal.  And this is a small consolation.   So far, they’ve been unable to divide and conquer our membership.  It doesn’t mean with time dragging on they ultimately won’t succeed in doing just that.  But right now, we’re sticking together. 

After this week, the studios can call force majeure, and cancel the contracts of writers they want to get rid of by declaring an unforseen event such as an earthquake, a typhoon, or in this case, a strike.  I think they’ve been biding their time waiting for this moment.  Cut the deadweight, wait a couple more months, then try to give the writer a crumb so the guild can claim some sort of victory when we’re exhausted and weakend.  In my mind, this has always been the plan.  This was never going to get resolved quickly.  They’ve had their strike programming in place for months.  Well, I don’t think this time the writers are going to blink first.  And I’m sure in time public sentiment will turn against us when people grow tired of reality shows and constant reruns.  But there are a few moderates on the side of the producers, reasonable men who are embarrassed by these hardliners who think it’s sport to ruin the lives of not only writers but caterers and hairdressers and make up people and drivers who are really suffering from this work stoppage.  And I hope they can force their billionaire brethern to stop releasing false public statements placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the writers and end this Mexican stand off.

Everyone’s on pins and needles as the WGA and the big studios hunker down this week and try to hammer out a deal.  No one’s sure if the studios are just using these talks as a PR move since public support is decisively on the side of the writers, or if they’re serious about making a fair deal.  I really hope this strike ends soon because the cost is enormous to everyone.

Meanwhile, I’m in Maine visiting friends and family.  My home town of Bar Harbor is a picturesque tourist spot on the coast packed in the summer with visitors from around the world, mostly here to see the incomparably beautiful Acadia National Park.  As the winter months close in, the town empties out and only the locals remain.  Most of the restaurants and shops shut down, but a few diehard establishments keep their doors open and heaters humming.  I love it here this time of year because it’s so quiet.  People here have known me since I was a toddler, some even longer, and nowhere else in the world do I have such a sense of belonging, a sense of peace.  With my short attention span, I need constant stimulus only a major city can provide so I can’t imagine living here year round, but one day I hope to spend two, maybe three months out of the year, in a quaint ocean front house, a glass of red wine in my hand, watching the snow fall.  Bliss.

I was lucky enough to be in attendance at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Des Moines Iowa a couple of weeks ago.  It was the Democrats’ official kick off for the upcoming primary.  It was truly a star-studded affair (in political circles anyway).  All the major Democratic candidates were there to speak, and the whole affair was hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  Hillary and Obama’s speeches were saved for last, much like the Academy Awards which saves the big trophies for the end of the evening.  John Edwards was first up to bat, which struck me as a nod to the “Best Supporting” categories which usually happen early in the evening to keep the audience engaged.  Then there was the parade of the other candidates who aren’t as visible or well known including Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson and Joe Biden (who I had the pleasure of meeting before we sat down to scarf down some truly awful rubber chicken).  These guys are like the technical and animated short awards.  By the time Hillary and Barrack took to the stage, everyone was getting tired, it was closing in on midnight.  But I have to say, there’s a reason these two are the frontrunners in the polls.  They both have such star power.  I also got the chance to meet Obama earlier in the evening and he was as gracious and warm as you could expect a politician to be.  Obama also took home the prize for most vocal supporters and there is no denying his speech was mesmerizing.  If only we could see this passion and focus and inspiring style on the campaign trail.  Although, as I write this, he’s pulled ahead in the Iowa polls.  Hillary was much more calculating and polished, but hell, I love her.  And I think she’d make a great president.  And yes, I really, really want to see a woman elected president.  But I would also be happy with Barrack.  As for the other side, Mitt, Rudy, Fred, Mike and yes, even the outspoken and feisty Ron Paul, I can definitely live without.  I’m anxious for the YouTube Republican debate to see how they fare answering real questions from real people.  Should be fun.

Neither side seems to be budging in the ongoing Writers’ Strike.  I was at Universal Studios on Tuesday for the big and hugely successful ”Bring a Star” rally.  Many actors showed up including Jay Leno, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, the cast of Desperate Housewives, Kathy Griffin, Sarah Silverman, among many others.  The Screen Actor’s Guild is demonstrating a strong allegiance to our guild because they know whatever happens with us will seriously affect their own talks scheduled for next spring.  Public opinion also seems to be on our side for the time being.  But I’m guessing as the strike drags on as most analysts and industry experts predict, the lack of scripted shows and the onslaught of reality and repeats may cause a backlash against the writers.  I do feel in my heart this is a battle we must wage and win in order to see any semblence of a fair deal.  The hardliners on the other side are splashing false information in ads all over the trade papers and high profile newspapers, hoping to turn the tide against us, but so far their fictional claims haven’t got any traction.  But that could always change as well.

I arrived in Maine yesterday, my hometown of Bar Harbor, to see family and work on a few projects outside the WGA jurisdiction including an animated series, a book outline, and to develop a few other ideas.  I’ve put all of my other projects, including a 90 minute pilot script for USA, in the drawer until further notice.  I was closing in on a couple of new deals days before the strike, but those too are on hold or may just fall apart altogether.  Time will tell.

I know a lot of people believe that writers are rich fatcats who are just whining about wanting more money (as someone referred to it, the haves and the have jets), but it’s about so much more than that.  First, most writers make an average of $60,000 a year.  There are some who rake in millions to be sure, but not the vast majority.  And just because a corporation makes a lot of money, should all of it automatically go to the CEO, or is it so wrong to spread a tiny portion of it to the people who created and nurtured the project, not the company just financed it.  In my mind, it’s a no brainer.

It’s grueling walking a picket line.  Luckily I chose Sunset-Gower Studios, which is close to where I live, and there is a Starbucks a half a block away.  I’m meeting a lot more fellow writers than I normally would in my home office where most of the time I toil away writing on my laptop alone, desperate for someone to call me up and suggest lunch.  Yes, there is a fun, social aspect to the strike.  But the stakes are serious.  And we need all the help we can get.  Today, two fellow writers, who also happen to be actors, from the television show on Comedy Central, Reno 911, dressed up as their characters and waved to passing motorists, who honked their horns in support.  Then, later two more actors from the NBC hit show Heroes also stopped by.  It means so much when they show their unity and support.  No one knows me.  I stand on the corner, frantically waving my picket sign, yelling and giving the thumbs up to the commuters zipping along Sunset Boulevard, and most of the time they’ll honk their horn, give me the thumbs up, a big smile, a solid show of support.  But I’m just an unknown writer with a sunburned face.  However, when they see the stars of their favorite TV shows wave at them, it makes all the difference in the world.  And I thank them from the bottom of my heart.  Michael Eisner, the former CEO of Disney, said at a Dow Jones conference that our strike is “stupid”.  I’m not surprised he would side with management.  He’s never respected writers, who created all the wonderful animated characters and hit Disney movies he cashed out on when he got fired a few years back.  Some people just don’t get it, and never will.

I used to like you, Tim.  I had a season pass for Meet the Press on my Tivo, and I always enjoyed listening to your political analysis on The Today Show while trying to roust myself out of bed and start my day.  You got me excited about politics.  But after Tuesday’s Democratic Presidential Debate on MSNBC which you moderated, alongside NBC news anchor Brian Williams, I can no longer be counted as one of your fans.  I’m not sure if you and Williams arranged beforehand to play Good Cop Bad Cop, but you seemed to relish in your role as a partisan journlist hack.  Really, Tim.  A question about UFOs aimed at Dennis Kucinich?  Why not ask the rest of the candidates?  No, you had to go after Kucinich with a question designed solely to humiliate him and amuse you.  And it’s not only the Republicans who are obsessed with Senator Hillary Clinton.  You too seem to be on some crusade to not only take her down, but bat her around like a kickball.  You practically ignored the other candidates standing on the stage with her as you tried to assassinate her with your little game of “Gotcha”.  She did stumble, yes I admit, and she should have been clearer on the question about driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, but most of her answers made a lot of sense to me.  But you were like an pit bull who just heard a high pitched signal to attack.  Clinton’s campaign said you bordered on unprofessional.  I wouldn’t say bordered.  You were unprofessional.  It was bad enough that Edwards and Obama let loose a barrage of personal attacks.  They reminded me of the two simple minded thugs working for ice skater Tonya Harding back in ‘94 who took clubs to Nancy Kerrigan’s knee in a half-assed effort to remove her from Olympic competition.  But I expect that from Edwards and Obama.  They’re politicians.  That’s what they do.  But the moderator of a debate?  There was nothing moderate about you last Tuesday night, Tim.  No, I’m definitely no longer a fan.

Sorry it’s been a while since my last post.  I was in Florida visiting my family and then when I returned to LA I had to rush through a story pitch at USA for my pilot script The Nanny Files.  Usually after you pitch the story over the phone, the network sends you off to outline, to flesh out the scenes and characters, so they know what they’re getting when you proceed to script.  Not this time.  At the end of the call, after some smart notes from the executives, they told me to immediately start writing the script.  Wow.  That’s never happened in my 19 years writing film and television.  It all stems from the anxiety around Hollywood about the impending Writers’ Strike.  The networks are desperate.  And now talks have broken down, predictably, over the New Media issue, and the union is on the brink of a walkout.  I knew this would happen.  There was too much posturing from both sides in the press.  Now we just have to wait and see if a last minute deal can be brokered or we take to the picket lines.  I’m not a fervent supporter of a strike, and I’m certainly not in favor of rolling over for the networks and studios.  I just feel bad for the caterers, restaurant workers, and other local businesses that will inevitably suffer from a prolonged strike.  Those are always the people who always get hit the hardest and the fastest.  And it saddens me.