Missourinet

Give Bill a Blast!

Folks ... This is an example of what we like to call cross promotion. Fans of Missourinet Sports (we know you're out there) can now comment on Bill Pollock's sports stories at Missourinet.com. Bill's looking forward to your feedback and comments, so don't disappoint him. Just look for the tiny bullhorn icon at the bottom of each sports story ... give it a click and tell Bill what you think.

Your comment won't appear immediately. We'll take a quick look to make sure there's nothing inappropriate before approving. We know sports fans can get passionate but we're counting on everyone to play nice.

Steve Walsh

Reporting on the Reporting

Now that the political junkies have had ample time to recover from the Super Tuesday showdowns we can move from the political races and think back on the TV coverage. Brent Martin and I voiced live reports throughout the evening for our affiliates, providing updated Missouri information from the Secretary of State's web page as well as national information from the all news networks. First off, the Secretary of State's office did a great job updating the SOS web site every few minutes as new returns came in. Great job!

Now That Was Fun!

Ah ... the morning after the night before. For Missouri's political junkies Super Tuesday was, indeed, an extension of Super Sunday in which the New York Giants won pro football's most coveted prize. I realize that Missourinet Sports Director Bill Pollock thinks it was a boring Super Bowl, but I thought of it as one of the best ever. Oh, by the way, I grew up on the East Coast ... have been a fan of the Giants since I was knee high to a Manhattan hit man ... and can even remember older members of my family calling them the New York Football Giants - even long after Willie Mays and other members of the baseball Giants left the Polo Grounds for Baghdad by the Bay on the West Coast. But I digress!

Super Tuesday in Missouri was packed with all the thrills anyone could want in a political contest. It had just about everything: excitement, drama, name calling, sex. Sex? Sure. Are you trying to tell me there aren't some political operatives doing the "walk of shame" this morning?

On the Democrat side, Barack Obama started out slow but picked up ground on Hillary Clinton throughout the evening as the votes were counted and won by a nose at the finish line. For the Republicans, John McCain emerged from a tough fight with Mike Huckabee, winning by less than two percentage points.

There are undoubtedly some pundits who will say it was a boring Super Tuesday ... just as Bill Pollock says the Super Bowl was boring. But when I hear that I think back to Mizzou Tigers Basketball Coach Mike Anderson following one of his early games at the helm of the team. I was sitting in the interview room at Mizzou Arena as he told reporters, ""If you didn't like this game you don't like college basketball." And if you didn't get a kick out of Super Tuesday in Missouri, you don't like politics!

- Steve Walsh

Let Us Count the Votes

Super Tuesday's voting in Missouri is now history and we should soon know who takes the Show-Me State's delegates. Right??? Don't bet on it!

It's going to be easy on the Republican side, but the Democratic tallying is a little difficult to understand. While Missouri is a winner take all state for Republicans and their 58 delegates, such is not the case for Democrats with their 82 delegates, 72 of whom come from Super Tuesday balloting.

Missouri is a proportional representation state for the Dems, with 25 of those Super Tuesday delegates based on statewide voting … and 47 coming from the nine Congressional districts. Let's add to the confusion. All districts are NOT created equal. Missouri's 1st District in St. Louis, a Democratic seat, could have 7 Super Tuesday delegates chosen … while the 7th District in southwest Missouri, a Republican seat, might only produce 4 delegates to the National Convention in Denver.

One more bit of fun … because of the Democrats' proportional representation plan, with the voting by Congressional districts coming into play, we could see a situation in which one of the Dems loses the popular vote but picks up more delegates.

Get the popcorn. This could be fun!

- Steve Walsh

We Endorse ...

For Show-Me State political junkies this is a lot like the first of the twelve days of Christmas. It's Super Tuesday - when voters in Missouri and about two dozen other states go to the polls to take part in presidential primaries and caucuses. The remaining days of Christmas will include party love fests such as Republican Lincoln Days in Springfield, Democrat Days in Hannibal, the two party state conventions, a primary for state offices in August, and the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Denver, respectively. That's a lot of Christmas cheer.

Unfortunately, in advance of the Super Tuesday balloting, we have been getting word of various newspapers and publications and political big wigs offering endorsements of certain candidates. Is it just me or are there a lot of other people who really don't give a tinker's dam about endorsements? Honestly, is there anyone with even a small amount of gray matter who would be swayed by the opinion of the editorial board of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch or the Kansas City Star? I would hope not. And how about entertainers? I find it even scarier that there are people heading to the polling places ready to cast ballots for someone recommended by a Hollywood actor.

There's certainly nothing wrong with a newspaper or a politician or even an actor offering political opinions. Some of these exercises can be quite entertaining … even if they are totally devoid of substance. But I would hope all votes cast today would be reasoned, based on what a candidate might to do improve our country - not because of some silly endorsement!

-Steve Walsh

Please, Be Gentle

I mean it! ... Be gentle! While I am not a blogging virgin I am inexperienced in this area. My first journey into the blogosphere was during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, which I covered for the Missourinet. My newsroom colleague, Brent Martin, covered the Democratic Convention in Boston. He blogged of his experiences in Beantown, while I did likewise in Gotham. Brent and others in the newsroom will occasionally contribute to this blog. But, for the most part, it's me.

How did I end up in this position? Clearly, I must have upset someone. Just kidding! Actually, Scott Brandon, who heads up news operations for Learfield's statewide news networks in Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska asked if I had a minute. I made the mistake of saying I did. He then asked if I would like to take over the Missourinet blog. I immediately asked, "Scott, are you on crack?" He assured me he was not and I said ... "Okay."

So, here we are. I really want to have some fun with this and, at the same time, recount some of the interesting experiences we come across from time to time in the newsroom and on the road while covering stories. Those of you who know me are already aware that I have what might be described as an "oblique" sense of humor. I find humor in the darndest things and, with any luck, some of that will come out. Let's give it a try. Within a short time I hope to be "Firing on all syllables."

- Steve Walsh

God help us. Steve Walsh is taking over the Missourinet blog

It's true. Missourinet anchor/reporter Steve Walsh drew the short straw and is taking over primary blogging duties here. He's in seclusion for a few days, meeting with senior management, talking about new directions to take this publication. If you've got suggestions, hit the comment link below.