Prof. Chris Harper of Temple University is a real reporter — been kicked out of all the right countries, covered the Jim Jones suicides, etc. — but the Philadelphia Inquirer’s mighty Dick Polman apparently pulled the plug on him last night after he offered an insufficiently worshipful assessment of President Obama’s first year on the papers SotU group blog. Here’s how it went:
ChrisChris:
A lot of people, including young people, voted and worked for Obama. The young folks, who are not politically active, have now checked out. He has left a legacy in only one year that is as bad as Jimmy Carter did in four years.
Dick Polman:
To Chris: I don’t agree with the Carter analogy at all. I vividly remember double-digit unemployment [Kevin breaking in here: 10 percent is double-digit, no?] and double-digit inflation and long gas lines at the pump. Young folks have now checked out? Young folks need to get some perspective – a lot of presidents have lousy first years (including youth idol JFK) – and wean themselves from the assumption that politics can be just like their smart phones. You can’t get instant satisfaction with the click of a thumb.
[Comment From ChrisChris: ]
I happened to cover Carter for Newsweek. The only difference is the lack of gas lines.
And with that, he disappeared. Prof. Harper, with whom I once had the honor of teaching a short journalism seminar, writes on his Facebook page that he pointed out some other similarities — problems in the Middle East, etc. — but those were never posted, and he was not allowed to post anything else.
“Shut up!” they explained.