Keeping in tradition of media’s annual best and worst selections — because this is the slowest news cycle of every year — we offer the following:
Best: The Kaiser Permanente TV ad which sings “I want to grow up to be an old woman.”
Tackiest: Serving McNuggets at a wedding reception.
Worst: Any commercial where a guy named Mays yells at you.
Best: Barack Obama elected the first black U.S. president.
Worst: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich trying to sell Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidder, according to the U.S. Attorney.
Best: The Republican Party nominating Sen. John McCain for president, the only person who stood a chance at beating Obama.
Worst: McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for vice president who proved to be unprepared for the job but was embraced by the party’s base.
Best: Michael Phelps with help from his teammates winning nine Olympic gold medals.
Worst: The Detroit Lions.
Dumbest: Congress rushing through the $700 billion financial sector bailout and having no clue how the money would be spent.
Best: President Bush’s financial assistance to combat AIDS in Africa.
Worst: Almost everything else Bush did.
Best: Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of a House banking committee, calling Bill O’Reilly ignorant.
Worst: O’Reilly.
Funniest: Jay Leno who commended Bush for the housing market collapse so he could buy his new $10 million home for $2 million.
Lamest: Vice President Dick Cheney’s revision of history.
Most Callow: Cheney’s response to using torture of captured militants: “So?”
Best: Most of Obama’s speeches during the election campaign.
Worst: All of McCain’s speeches.
Best Line: Joe Biden describing Rudy Giuliani’s sentence structure: “A noun, a verb and 9/11.”
Best: Caroline Kennedy as a surrogate for Barack Obama.
Worst: Joe the Plumber.
Most Tasteless: Sarah Palin’s press conference while a turkey was beheaded 20 feet to her back.
Classiest: Hillary Clinton’s public demeanor after losing the primary nomination.
Sleaziest: Bill Clinton’s foundation donors list.
Worst: ESPN for the schilling during the bowl games they broadcast and the opposition they represent against a college playoff format.
Best: Al Costas and John Madden as football announcer and colorman on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Worst: NBC’s Sunday Night Football pregame and halftime shows — too many talking heads.
Best: MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Worst: Fox dropping Alan Colmes and replacing him with Glenn Beck and Mike Huckabee.
Most Missed: Tim Russert of “Meet The Press.”
Happy New Year!
cross posted on The Remmers Report
Jerry Remmers worked 26 years in the newspaper business. His last 23 years was with the Evening Tribune in San Diego where assignments included reporter, assistant city editor, county and politics editor.