KELLER CHATS ABOUT POLITICS, SPORTS WITH NEIGHBORS
By Anthony Schinella
Belmont Citizen-Herald, MA
Wed Sep 19, 2007, 09:43 PM EDT
WBZ-TV 4 political reporter and Belmont resident Jon Keller speaks
at the Belmont Media Center annual meeting Monday night.
Despite having a brand new book out, WBZ-TV 4 political reporter and
Belmont resident Jon Keller did not want to talk about it much on
Monday night. Keller was the keynote speaker at the Belmont Media
Center’s annual meeting and instead of talking about "The Bluest
State: How Democrats Created the Massachusetts Blueprint for American
Political Disaster," out on St. Martin’s Press, he chose to talk
around it, offering up a hardy dose of anecdotes about what life is
like covering politics.
"I really prefer to have this be a little more of a two-way
discussion," he said.
Keller said he enjoyed watching the BMC channels and commended many of
the hosts and producers involved in creating content for the channels.
"The very fact that you are here tonight speaks to the degree of
caring that you have in civic life," he said.
In commending BMC, Keller pointed to a recent Human Rights Commission
meeting about the Anti-Defamation League/Armenian Genocide controversy,
recorded and broadcast by the channels, and noted how important
community media was in delivering the story to residents.
"I felt inspired watching that whole process unfold," he said,
"because a big organization was held accountable for its actions."
By broadcasting public meetings, the BMC was helping residents hold
public officials in Belmont accountable for their actions as well,
Keller noted.
"I watch," he said. "And I do talk back to the TV."
Similarly, turning to the book for a moment, whether people liked the
"incendiary title or not," his goal was to try and hold a generation
of political leadership, the Baby Boom generation specifically,
accountable for what they haven’t done to fulfill their promises to
the working people and poor people of the state. Not unlike bloggers
vetting and fact checking his work, "and long-term, that’s a good
thing," Keller said others had a responsibility to keep an eye on what
was going on. He pointed to C-SPAN as an example of how coverage of
federal happenings informs and empowers Americans. Keller also pointed
to video-bloggers [or vloggers] following political candidates around,
recording them, and then placing the videos on YouTube for the entire
world to see.
Essentially, it is a new era where everyone will have a camera,
he said, adding, "it’s all for the good."
After the brief speech, attendees asked Keller his thoughts on some
recent headlines.
On casino gambling coming to Massachusetts: "[Gov. Patrick] inherited
a mess. The mess is that we have an economy that’s essentially
stagnant and worse than stagnant for the people on the lower end of
it. We have led the nation in population lost, twice in the last
decade. It is unclear where the next wave of economic growth that
is going to reverse the situation is going to come from. We have
a very high cost of living, very high cost of housing … and not
just taxes but other costs which crush middle class and working
class people. So along comes poor Deval Patrick and he needs money
and he needs it fast and there aren’t too many places he can go to
get it … If you want to see what’s at stake here, go to one of the
casinos. It’s a highly depressing sight. You do not see the happy,
carefree, zip-out-of-my-old-persona-into-my-new-one yuppies gushing
with disposable income, hitting jackpots on their way to the dance
floor. No, you see a lot of unsmiling, working class people and elderly
people, clutching their cups of quarters. Some may be having a good
time. Some are not having a good time.
And that’s not even mentioning the toxic side effects of gambling,
crime and so forth. I fear the consequences."
On the Red Sox pennant race: "I have to say that the Yankees in this
series and the previous series in New York, showed the tremendous
heart and character that they have as a team. Derek Jeter in my mind
is a God-like figure. However, it gives me great satisfaction to know
that there is no chance that they will catch us. And I don’t think
they are going to make it past the Angels in the playoffs. However,
I also am a little worried about our chances of making it past
Cleveland. It could well be Cleveland and Los Angeles in the American
League Championship series."
On Sen. Edward M. Kennedy: "I would say inarguably the single best
senator of the last 40 years. Whatever his warts or whatever issues
I may disagree with him on, like his opposition to the wind farm,
I think that is one of the more egregious blunders of his career …
Nonetheless, Ted Kennedy, unlike just about any other public official
in our lifetime, in my view, focuses relentlessly on the real needs
of working people, poor people, people of color, and the people who
don’t have the well-paid lobbyists looking out for them in Washington."
On former Gov. Bill Weld: "Gov. Weld was a drinker and I think that
became a problem, frankly. It is a terrible disease, if any of you have
seen it or dealt with it in your own family or friends. And, also, Gov.
Weld was a bit of a dilettante. Not an uncaring person but he was
the kind of person who sort of flitted from thing to thing … a
sad story."
On who will win the 2008 election: "The honest answer is that I
don’t have the slightest idea. Anything can and will happen. My
quasi-educated guess is that Hillary Clinton is well on her way to
being the Democratic nominee and I think she is probably the best
nominee the party has. On the Republican side, that’s a tougher
call. It would not surprise me at all to see Romney there at the end
[hisses from the audience]. Say what you will about Romney, he knows
how to design a business plan and implement that plan.
He has done it again and again and he is doing it again right now
… he’s stepped on so many landmines, the flagrant flip-flopping on
what should be positions of core principles. But he keeps moving. So,
watch out for Romney … It’s going to be close. I’ll say this and
it’s not a flat prediction: I don’t believe that if it comes down to
November 2008, and there it is, the first accomplished, brilliant woman
– say what you will about her positions – I find it hard to believe
that there aren’t several points worth of votes for her, lurking,
that might never show up for a poll but will be there on Election
Day. There may also be a hidden vote against her. We’ll find out."