Big Bird punch: 'Sesame Street' diversion beneath the campaign

You know you are having a bad week when you have to come up with an ad that uses "Sesame Street's" Big Bird to get some attention.

And while it is catchy and somewhat amusing to imagine Republican candidate Mitt Romney taking on the big yellow icon, let's be real -- it is just a diversion.

The issue, of course, is about more than just the feathery legend. It is meant to evoke a feeling that Romney is against anything "children" and that he has his priorities in the wrong place.

Baloney.

Truth is, it is a commentary on the fact that the days when this nation could subsidize every Tom, Dick and Harry are over.

Public television is no longer the only place children can find educational programming. The marketplace is filled with kid-oriented entertainment.

So, talking about stopping a subsidy to Public Television -- and letting citizens support it if they want to -- is not the heinous suggestion that the Obama campaign is making it out to be.

You could even consider it a sacrifice for the good of the nation as a whole -- a prominent slogan in the campaign.

So laugh at the Big Bird jokes. Nothing wrong with that. But as far as this being a real issue? Nope. There are much more important discussions to have -- like the trillions of dollars of debt we are leaving for our children to pay.

Wonder how Big Bird feels about that.

Published in Editorials on October 9, 2012 10:49 AM