"Public Embarassment!"

Isn’t it awful to be embarrassed in public? There isn’t anything more humbling than to make yourself a public fool when trying to appear thoughtful and intelligent. Now I’m sure each of us, at one time or another, have been “caught with our pants down”; sometimes we try to laugh it off, and sometimes we may try to explain it away; you know, that old “what I really meant was…” statement to save face. As a boy, I remember saying the words “I meant to do that” after falling flat on my butt while running down a hallway at home. I remember the suppressed smiles and laughs when those instances occurred.

Sunday I watched the NFL Conference Championship games, and I saw mistakes alter the course of both games. There was certainly some public embarrassment for the Ravens and the Forty-Niners; I felt sympathy for both of them, as they will be watching the Super Bowl on television instead of playing that day.

Sometimes we can fall into public embarrassment by trying to cause another party that very same embarrassment.

Last week, we had another Presidential debate, and it started out like a real “doozy”. Here is a little background: Newt Gingrich’s ex-wife was going to do a “tell all” interview about Newt’s failed marriage on ABC. Newt didn’t address too much about this, trying to down play the event as an attempt to exploit his private life and take attention away from real political issues. John King was the moderator of the debate, and his first question was addressed to Newt. He decided to start his questions with one about the upcoming ABC interview with Newt’s ex-wife, and her allegations. I almost felt sorry for John King; Newt laid into him like a lion on a wounded rabbit! Newt gave King and the collective media a public dressing down, the likes of which I haven’t seen since the “Army McCarthy Hearings” that virtually put an end to Joe McCarthy’s career.

Newt proceeded to chastise the entire media for using something as important as a Presidential debate to give a stage to “gossip journalism” and accusation. He exploded all over King, who was caught completely by surprise by Gingrich’s response; King was a “deer in the headlights” as he fumbled for words trying to justify his question. Gingrich was eloquent and deadly as he carved up the media’s consistent anti-conservative bias, and failure to criticize anything Obama did that was questionable.

The audience was priceless, as they cheered Newt for saying things that they were thinking themselves.

I guess Newt’s frank statements worked to his advantage as he obtained a landslide victory in the next primary, garnering 40% of the votes. Newt has a checkered history, which he hasn’t hidden from the public. Unlike Herman Cain, Newt’s previous life has few surprises to the voting public; perhaps that’s why the people cheered for him. Newt is no hypocrite, and has admitted to his mistakes. What you see with Newt is what you get! I think it will be a different story the next time any candidates debate in front of John King. I think John has had his share of public embarrassment!