'08 Candidates

I am quiet impressed by two very unlikely ie "unelectable" candidates who are in the fray. Republican/libertarian candidate Ron Paul and Democratic candidate Senator Mike Gravel. Not that I agree with them 100%. I am not eligible to vote but I wish I could. I really wish these people make it past the primaries and become real candidates. Even if one of them makes it to the final election that would do wonders. I am not sure if the democrats are smart enough elect Sen. Gravel.

Given that Bush/Cheney/Daschle effect will most likely drown the "electable" republicans in the election, I am hoping that congressman Paul's fresh (ie freshly old) ideas would rejuvenate the conservative base and get him past the primaries. Original conservative/libertarian ideas look especially fresh after the jolt people got for believing these neo-cons and neo-christian fundamentalists. Back down to todays realities of sound bite politics. I hope the presence of these gentleman in the race will have some real impact on the so called "electable" candidates. I am pray that the two put up a tough fight in the new primary format where multiple states go to polls on the same day. I am hoping that the so called "electable" candidates will be given a run for their money.

Smoking sponsorship in popular culture

I was watching an interview/grilling of one of the top Bollywood stars about smoking in movies. I was shocked by the well rehearsed "sound bite" that came out of his mouth. Obviously the Cancer stick industry has done its home work, taking a page out its lessons learned around the world. It is obvious that Bollywood gets paid well by booze and cigarette industries to promote their products. There was a even an article about the loss of revenue to ad industry and film stars when the government banned ads of these products.

Coming back to sound bite politics - here it is - "you see the indian people are smart enough to no know what is good for them", "they are not going to start smoking just by looking at a start smoking just by see a start do it in a movie". He is absolutely right. But the real targets are not "THE PEOPLE", it is their children stupid. They the ones who idolize these stars. They are the ones, who the cancer stick people are after. How many 40 year olds do you know that have started smoking vs the number of teen agers who do ? The young and impressionable ones, fall for the promotion that always surrounds the people behind the celluloid. And I could not believe that these people simply pretend like they don't know this.