Week by Week

"That was the week that was; it's over, let it go."

Sung as sort of a jingle, those words were part of a 1960s era, weekly news satire program that started in Great Britain and then spawned a short-lived American version. Sometimes known as TW3, That Was The Week That Was lampooned politicians, more than a decade before the debut of Saturday Night Live.

Last week's failed bailout bill in Congress eventually passed after self-serving senators added a huge helping of pork. And then we had the highly anticipated, and widely watched, vice presidential debate. "That week", also brought us a net loss of more than 800 points, on the Dow. After all of that, letting last week "go" feels like a good thing to do. While TW3 was one of a kind, today's TV viewers can get more than a few good politically driven laughs from Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, David Letterman, Jay Leno, and the folks at SNL. SNL's "coverage" of the vice-presidential debate makes that often ridiculous spectacle seem comically sublime.

So as we let last week go, we need to keep laughing. But we cannot forget the serious business we face and our need as a nation to discern clearly how important our decision in next month's election will be, for years to come. So much is on the line. During these perilous times, our national "jokers" play an increasingly important role in determining our cultural consciousness and inject a dose of refreshing candor into the political process.

With another debate this week, and the likelihood of continuing volatility in the economy, my hope is that the desperate and personal tone of the McCain attack strategy will diminish. The only way that will happen--as unlikely as it seems--is if the Republican brain trust finds voters becoming angry and hostile to this approach. Based on the histories of McCain and Obama, the prospect of a civil, issues oriented campaign seemed possible, just a few weeks ago. Bringing Sarah Palin on board may have galvanized the Republican base, but it injected a level of culture warfare reminiscent of another time. Palin has livened things up but not really helped McCain in the polls. Thanks, in part, to the brilliant work of Tina Fey and her colleagues at SNL, Palin's presence is more punch line than presidential. Mostly, though, it reflects poorly on John McCain and the desperation driving his quest to become Commander in Chief.

We have just four weeks until election day. After four more TW3s, let's hope we're still laughing.