Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Key Cong. Races, the Presidential Race and Obama's magic: Crain's Hinz on Cable and Streaming

Video Links added and text slightly revised at 1:20 pm on Wednesday
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Jeff Berkowitz: … is it that the country is almost looking for and ready to embrace an African-American family that is intact as their First Family…. It’s an advantage [to be African-American].

Greg Hinz: That is a good question and we’re going to have to wait and see all the election totals before we find out whether that is indeed the case or not. There is an argument to be made that some of his opponents tried to play a racial card…
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Greg Hinz: …in many ways, to be honest, [Obama] is very reminiscent of Ronald Reagan—a change in direction wrapped around a nice, sunny persona.

Jeff Berkowitz: Although Reagan…when he was running [for President] had been Governor of a very large state, California, for two terms.
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This week's suburban edition of Public Affairs features Greg Hinz, Crain's Chicago Business political columnist and reporter. Hinz, a Medill School of Journalism alum, describes himself as "more left of center than right of center."
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Next week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features former Illinois State Senator Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) reflecting, among other things, on Barack Obama's performance as a state legislator. Rauschenberger entered the state senate in 1992 as a charter member of the "Fab 5" and gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for Lt. Gov. in the 2006 Republican Primary. Thus, his tenure in the state senate gave him an eight year overlap with now Presidential candidate Obama. One might call it a Bird's eye view of the Presidential Phenom by someone who was generally acknowledged to be one of the smarter and better informed Illinois legislators.
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The suburban schedule for Public Affairs is included, below.
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The show with Hinz also airs throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and in Aurora and surrounding areas on Monday night at 7:30 pm on ACTV, Cable Ch. 10.
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Greg Hinz, Crain’s Chicago Business political columnist/reporter, debates and discusses with TV show host and Executive Legal Recuiter Jeff Berkowitz what it is that has propelled Barack Obama to a one on one with Hillary Clinton for the Democrat Presidential nomination; the Fall, 2008 general and Super Tuesday primary election match-ups, including the State’s Attorney of Cook County Democratic primary and general election; Congressional match-ups between Foster (D) and Oberweis (R) in the 14th CD, Seals (D) and Kirk (R) in the 10th CD, Halvorson (D) and Baldermann(R) in the 11th CD; Presidential candidate match-ups include Obama v. Hillary and Obama v. McCain. Also discussed are the possibilities of a U. S. Senator Schakowsky and of Mainstream Media bias and much, much more.
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This show is now available for viewing on your computer at our Youtube page, 24/7. You can also watch the same Greg Hinz show here. (See, below) for more information about the Public Affairs computer airings.
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This episode of Public Affairs was taped on February 3, 2008.
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A partial transcipt of this week's suburban edition of Public Affairs is included below.
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Greg Hinz:…it will be difficult, I think, for Seals to beat that kind of responsiveness in him [Cong. Mark Kirk (R- 10th CD, Highland Park)] unless again, Barack Obama is at the head of the ticket; if Barack is on the ticket, all bets are off.
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, you are predicting Foster (D) v. Oberweis (R) in the March [8, 2008 special] election [in the 14th CD].

Greg Hinz: That would appear to be most likely at this point.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, the winner is?

Greg Hinz: The winner is probably going to be Oberweis, but I think the real race isn’t so much in the special election, it’s in the fall…If Obama is heading the ticket, you’re going to have a huge turnout of Democrats in that District…
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Jeff Berkowitz: Charles Krauthammer [Nationally syndicated columnist and Fox News contributor]…did hit on something when he said the Democratic Party had three choices in the Primary: you had Hillary Clinton the candidate of experienced change; you had John Edwards the candidate of angry change; and you had Barack Obama the candidate of hopeful change. Is that it, sort of? I mean hope- that’s hope, change—all those nice, little words. Is David Axelrod (Obama’s chief media and theme guru) basically engineering this Presidency?

Greg Hinz: Oh no, I think—

Jeff Berkowitz: Barack can do this all on his own. I mean all this stuff about hope and—

Greg Hinz: Nobody can be President on their own but what Mr. Obama is saying now is very consistent with what he has been saying ever since he started running for the Senate. I think a lot of people will remember his keynote speech at the Democratic Convention four years ago and in many ways, to be honest, he is very reminiscent of Ronald Reagan—a change in direction wrapped around a nice, sunny persona.

Jeff Berkowitz: Although Reagan…when he was running [for President] had been Governor of a very large state, California, for two terms.

Greg Hinz: Fair point. Fair point. Fair point.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, there is that.

Greg Hinz: But, the way the message resonates is similar.

Jeff Berkowitz: And, Reagan for decades had been putting out the Republican message of a strong [national] defense and of free enterprise, when he was doing it—what was it—the GE [General Electric] theater, something like that. So, Reagan wasn’t a politician [then]-- but Obama, you’ve got to admit-- has been doing this a pretty short time.

Greg Hinz: He has but he seems to have this little bit of magic that some politicians come up with once in a while.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah, and is it that the country is almost looking for and ready to embrace an African-American family that is intact as their First Family. This is …perhaps the first time in American history in which it is probably a major advantage for a thoughtful, well spoken, intelligent candidate, like Barack Obama, to be African-American. It’s an advantage.

Greg Hinz: That is a good question and we’re going to have to wait and see all the election totals before we find out whether that is indeed the case or not. There is an argument to be made that some of his opponents tried to play a racial card earlier in the primary process. It didn’t work in South Carolina but then in Nevada, the next state up—

Jeff Berkowitz: It may have worked.

Greg Hinz: It may have worked by pushing away Hispanics.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …that picture. You saw that. You were probably in Springfield when he announced he was running for President, February 10th ,the first time you really saw the Obama family—two young kids, wife—picture perfect family, these days, African-American. And, it is his only wife, his only family. Somewhat unusual these days when you had Rudy Giuliani on his third [wife, Fred Thompson on his second wife, John McCain on his second wife]…you could also say Hillary only has had one husband, too.

Greg Hinz: [With laughter], you could say that.

Jeff Berkowitz: …but that image was important, don’t you think—African-American intact family? I mean, am I making too much of that?

Greg Hinz: I think that the family image resonates, clearly. To what extent, people are going to vote for him or against him because he is black, I just don’t know.

Jeff Berkowitz: It’s a plus. Look, I don’t know how to say this but I’ll say it
anyway…
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In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the "Public Affairs," show airs every Tuesday night in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In ten North Shore suburbs, the Public Affairs show airs three times each week in its regular slots at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below.
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This week’s suburban episode of Public Affairs with guest Greg Hinz, Crain’s Chicago Business political columnist/reporter, airs:

tonight at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And tonight at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm airing on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka. ******************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search,
can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain-- and many other pols, as well as this week's suburban edition of Public Affairs with Greg Hinz and last week's suburban edition with Sen. Cullerton at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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Go here to watch recent Public Affairs shows on our YouTube page, including this week's suburban edition of Public Affairs with Greg Hinz,last week's show with John Cullerton, and the week before's show with Peraica-- and the prior week's show with the 10th CD players: Seals, Footlik and Kirk (this show is the one with the picture of the person (Seals) clasping his hands in front of him), as well as prior "Public Affairs," shows including those featuring Democratic Primary State's Attorney candidates Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr.; Ald. Tom Allen; Bob Milan, First Ass't. to State's Attorney Devine; and Anita Alvarez, Chief Deputy to State's Attorney Devine-- and many other shows .

Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs Youtube page include a discussion with Cook County State's Attorney Democratic Primary Candidates Ald. Howard Brookins, Jr. and First Ass't Bob Milan and discussions with Cook County Board Member and State's Attorney for Cook County Republican nominee Tony Peraica; Illinois 8th CD Republican Primary candidate Kirk Morris; and a combo show with (a) Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn and WLS 890 AM Radio political commentator Dan Proft and (b)Hardball's Chris Matthews [ ]; and Anita Alvarez, Chief Deputy to current State's Attorney for Cook County Dick Devine and now the Democratic nominee for State's Attorney of Cook County.
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