Bouncing all over the place

I had high hopes for Justin Webb’s latest blog entry. At last, some decent coverage of Palin’s bounce. The BBC’s audience might be a little surprised to read that such a thing exists, but at least he’s gone to the effort of remedying that, I thought. Which is why I was a bit surprised to find myself reading about the 1953 execution of the Rosenburgs (Soviet-like behaviour, reckons Webb); a plug for a new BBC series on America; coverage of Russell Brand’s reference to Bush as a ‘retard’ (of which a piece by India Knight reckoning he let America off lightly is the best, says Webb); the fact that Webb hasn’t seen the whole of Sara Palin’s ABC interview (as North American editor, why would he?); and then, finally, that it will be tougher for Palin from here on in, although it’s difficult to imagine how it could be from the Beeb’s point of view. It ends with some food for thought for Palin: “Geraldine Ferraro’s bounce lasted two months,” warns Webb gravely in a reference to the first female vice presidential candidate. In fact, that should be just enough time to put McCain in the White House, but I’m guessing that’s not what he meant.

UPDATE: Anyone not already a little wary of the new Radio 4 series on America given Webb’s endorsement (and the BBC’s involvment) should read this by its presenter David Reynolds. “Empire and liberty have been recurrent and often conflicting themes in America’s development and I think they’re also reflected in this year’s rival presidential candidates,” he begins. Guess which candidate “embodies the martial, imperial America”, reminding us “that the United States is a country made by war” and which candidate could “help expunge the original sin of slavery from Jefferson’s empire of liberty”… In fact, from there the article improves (in terms of balance anyway) but still I’m not sure I’ll be tuning in.