First Round CRADLE of C RISTIANITV TKEASUKES MOM TNE rioLy LAND So You Think You Can Rule? T he Fox Network summer real- ity series So You Think You Can Dance? pits a group of 20 undiscovered, very talented danc- ers in a 12-week competition, then let us elect the winners. Another reality series, that began a few hundred years ago and will appear for our summer and fall viewing, pits a countless group of attorneys, business leaders and used-car salesinen in a competition to become the leaders of our government. Although there is much more at stake than who can dance a better tango, and the implications of electing these current and/or future leaders are quite clear, why are Americans already so dis- engaged with the upcoming election? Because there's more sub- stance in a reality show than in reality itself. This is for all candidates who wonder how to reach out to people not already part of their "base,' which is defined by people who vote based on the views of Ann Coulter, Barbra Streisand, Rush Limbaugh or Michael Moore. There's a new Silent Majority, those who watch the 30-second slogan-filled political ad and the 1-minute daily campaign news story, and ask, "What's the point?" . The election isn't just about beating the other guy, it's telling us what you're going to do in your leadership posi- tion to best represent us. And we want details. The Web has sped up the 24-hour news cycle to 24 seconds and a couple of mouse clicks away from getting the real background on any issue we want. We don't wait for network news anchors to give us the news at 6:30 p.m. It's there anytime we want, and we spend as much time as we want reading or watching it. Republicans spouting, "We're win- ning the War on Terror despite the New York Times': has the same ineffective ring as the Democratic reply: "Vote for us because we're not them." Change your campaign strategy to substance. Slogans are for ketchup. If you're already in Congress and are facing re-election, voting on second- ary issues — like gay marriage, flag- burning amendments or whether the National Anthem should only be sung in English — proves that you're only pandering to your base and not doing the work you were elected to do in the first place. And the media share the blame for publishing those votes on the front pages. Burying the critical but boring policy stories like jobs, security (both Homeland and social), immigration and out-of-control medical costs near the Star Jones story and the bowling scores is a disservice to the public. Legislators should stop having those little catfights across the aisle when the cam- erasaren't rolling. We see enough of that when Ann Coulter gets on television and calls liberals "hea- . thens:' or when Al Franken gets on television to call Ann Coulter a "#*&@." Look, we're at war — with ourselves and with the world. If you. don't believe it, look at Superman's new slogan, "Truth, justice and ... all that stuff?' All that stuff? It seems that the producers are worried that "the American way" will affect worldwide movie receipts and sales of inflatable Superman costumes to Muslim kids in France. So they've taken America out of an American icon. What's next — replace "Made in the U.S.A." labels with "Made in an English-speaking country?" Oh, that's right, it doesn't matter, nothing gets made here any more. It's all been outsourced to India, China and other Third World countries that, in a few years, will have better public school systems than we do. If you're running for national office, how will you change the world's per- ception of America? How do you edu- cate our kids so they know more about George Washington than they do about George Clooney? How will you make things better for all of us? And we'd like you to tell us during this election cycle, or we'll find another dance partner. Harry Kirsbaum's e-mail address is hkirsbaum@thejewishnews.com . Don't miss this unprecedented opportunity to see this extraordinary collection of Christian and Jewish biblical artifacts presented for the first time by The Israel Museum. View one of the historic Dead Sea Scrolls — an archeological treasure. rtyviri4,.f3 ,,WORLD PREMIERE IN CLEVELAND NOW OPEN "kr, ; mi Si , A limited engagement. Cradle of Christianity: Treasures from the Holy Land is made possible in part by the generous support of 1,1 11174i 11,())3'rt \71, GSG, KeyBank Mellon RSM McGladrey Q 111 ulmeiriberneillp 0-7r. VINC-110VLA. 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