The Kazmer Report

(From the Daily American Debate available in the Daily American on Tuesdays)

By RICK KAZMER
rickk@dailyamerican.com

There are entire books dedicated to studying first impressions.
Sociologist Erving Goffman spent a lot of time in the 60s investigating how people build their desired persona. It’s not surprising that political rivals spend millions of dollars to publicly destroy those impressions.
Campaign ads like the ones that will run until November primarily use the same theory of persuasion — negative news about the opposition. The tactic sadly produces successful results, at least when it comes to hurting another’s identity.
Most voters will never meet Mark Critz, Tim Burns Tom Corbett, Arlen Specter or any of the candidates on today’s ballot. So the only news they hear about them comes from smear campaigns on TV. And after someone listens to the same lingo a couple hundred times it starts to make sense.
Tim Burns will outsource the region’s labor, Mark Critz will push Nancy Pelosi’s evil agenda and Arlen Specter switched parties only so he could be re-elected, right?
The candidates should spend their millions on letting voters know how they will improve the standard of living. Instead we have ridiculous snapshots and quotes taken out of context. Little truth can be had there.
Voters today are left with little options. No real positive choice. There are the well-connected, the business tycoons, military officers and long-time incumbents — all bringing baggage full of the worst qualities those histories cause, according to TV.
And the people will believe it because it is the only thing they hear. Aside of course, that every candidate is pro job. Thank God.
(Rick Kazmer can be reached at rickk@dailyamerican.com.)

(From the Daily American Debate available in the Daily American on Tuesdays)

By RICK KAZMER

Most NHL teams have only one powerhouse star — a player who takes over at the end of games to seal the win.
Pittsburgh, however, has two such players. An neither of them are hurt. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, arguably two of the best three players in the NHL are on the ice while center Jordan Staal is out with a foot injury. Some fans are now worried Pittsburgh’s chances of a repeat are waning. The Pens may have been dealt a bad card in the loss of Staal. But the team is still playing a good hand.
The hardest conference contenders, the Devils and Capitals, are out. That leaves only teams that Pittsburgh should beat — with or without Staal.
Pittsburgh trounced Montreal 6-3 in game 1 of their current series. They lost the second matchup 3-2; however, Montreal was outshot 39-21. The Canadiens’ goalie will not withstand the barrage throughout the series.
As for the rest of the field — Boston and Philadelphia on the East —and San Jose, Detroit, Vancouver and Chicago on the West — are not as good as Pittsburgh. And the Penguins have demonstrated in recent years that their resolve under pressure is great. If anything, new challenges push them to another level as a team.
Pittsburgh would have to completely collapse for their postseason push to stall, and that is unlikely.
(City Editor Rick Kazmer can be reached at rickk@dailyamerican.com.)