What I tried to do with my top ten national stories is to pick stories from several different segments; sports, entertainment, politics, etc.
In a normal year easily the number one story would be the election of Barrack Obama as the first African American President. However, I think the economy going in the tank pushes the election of Obama to the number two story of the year as the economy will effect almost all of us. The economy tanked and it tanked fast. Early in September things were seemingly OK but by October banks were going out of business, bailout became one of the most common words seen in our daily paper. Economy the number one story, the election of Barrack Obama the number two story.
My third story is the declining violence in Iraq. The number of soldiers killed in Iraq were the fewest in several years. The surge seemed to work. During the election the improvement in Iraq took the discussion of the war off of the table and the discussions of the war were replaced with discussions about the economy.
My fourth ranked story comes from the world of sports. The Olympics. Michael Phelps setting a record and winning eight gold medals. His quest fascinated the nation. We yelled our support for him at our TV set during each one of his quest for a gold medal. He is now known as the best swimmer in the history of the Olympics.
Number five on my list is the choice of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate. The first woman named a Republican ticket. She gave an amazing speech at the Republican Convention improving John McCain’s chances for victory. Then her ratings begin to fall. Whether you think she helped or hurt McCain she is now on the national political scene for years to come. There is even some talk of her being a presidential candidate in 2012.
The sixth story are gas prices. Heading up to over four bucks a gallon. It changed our travel plans, raised prices for airline tickets, and had us changing our budgets. Then at just the time the economy tanked the gas prices began to decline, now they are near a buck sixty a gallon amid reports that they will eventually decline to less than a buck a gallon.
The seventh story is the recent bombing of the Gaza Strip by Israel and the return fire by The Hamas. Violence just never seems to stop in the Middle East.
Coming in at number eight is the death of several icons. Three that come quickly to mind are Heath Ledger, Paul Newman and William F. Bucley, Jr. Ledger overdosed on a combination of pills at the age of 28. Known for his role in Brokeback Mountain it is my guess that he will soon win another Oscar for his role in The Dark Knight. Paul Newman, faithful husband, lived for donating to charity, a great actor died of cancer at age 86. Conservative icon and author William F. Buckley, Jr died at age 82 from the effects of emphysema and diabetes.
The entertainment world gives me my ninth ranked story, the Writers’ Guild Strike that destroyed the Golden Globes but was settled just in time for the Oscars to go on as planned.
Politics brings us my tenth ranked story or rather that should be politicians devoid of morals. John Edwards admits to an affair. Elliot Spitzer is visiting prostitutes. Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich not only stole Donald Trump’s hair but was selling the Senate seat left vacant by the election of Barrack Obama to the highest bidder.
What were you top ten national stories of the year? What story above would you replace and with what story would you replace it with? Inquiring minds want to know.
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7 comments:
I like your choices, Bill. You obviously put a lot of thought into them. If I were to make any changes, I might remove the writers' strike and add the fight for gay marriage here in California, which is having widespread repercussions across the country. It is the first time in the history of this country that a group of people voted to remove civil rights from another group of people. I think it is a big story.
Like Bev, I agree with your picks. I'd replace the writer's strike with the multi-billion dollar bailout, which is see as separate from the economy tanking. The latter happened because of greed and corruption, much of it based in politics. The bailout -- jury's still out as far as I'm concerned, but I think it's going to be an ongoing news story, depending on how the money is handled, who gets bailed out and under what conditions. Perhaps I see it as a major story because we got the figures but none of the basics, let alone details on the disbursements.
I also like your choices, Bill. But I have to agree with Bev on putting the Prop 8 controversy on the list. Me? I'd probably put it instead of Michael Phelps and keep the writers' strike in, with a nod to the possible actors' strike to come. But that's just me. {g}
And I'd probably link the Iraq story to what's going on in Afghanistan, though that hasn't had as much press.
I'd probably eliminate Sarah Palin from the list, as (I hope) she was just a flurry and will soon be forgotten. Not if she has anything to say about it, of course. In her place, I'd put one or all of the ongoing conflicts in Africa. I don't have stats in my head, but the death toll in the Congo is staggering. Those conflicts don't get enough press, so might as well mention them here.
Hi Bev
I don't know why I spaced out on propostion 8 maybe I saw it more as a California issue than a national issue. Portland is so liberal and is often referred to is gay heaven that we have a hard time understanding any discrimination towards them. That is why we have a hard time seeing it as a national issue but of course it is!
Bill
Hi Dr
I see the bailout and the economy linked, you wouldn't have had the bailouts had the economy not tubed, sort of like the old chicken and the egg. I do think greed and the disappearance of government regulation caused the economy to tank and I do agree with you that we don't know if the bailout is working or will work yet.
Bill
Hi Pat
See my comments to Bev about Prop 8I erronously saw it as a local issue when it really is a national one.
Phelps' accomplisments were once in a lifetime, I am guessing that we will be seeing more strikes.
I love your linking Iraq what's going on in Afghanistan because a lot of soldiers have been moved from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Today's Oregonian had their top ten list, they left Palin in but the had the ongoing conflicts in Africa in there instead of the writers'guild strike. The editors of The Oregonian were thinking a lot like you!
Bill
But Oregon doesn't allow gay marriage and I know from a lot of gay people that the state as a whole is not gay-friendly, even if Portland may be.
The thing which makes Prop 8 worth putting on your list is that it has become more than a California issue, I think, with demonstrations across the country.
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