A TOUGH CALL .

Do you remember the old joke about having  mixed emotions when you saw your mother-in-law going over a cliff  - while driving your brand new Red Mustang convertible?

Okay, that's kind of how I feel when it comes to this whole Donald Trump/Megyn Kelly fiasco -as well as the media driven arguments as to which candidate is a natural born citizen - at least, as per our Founders intentions.

Perhaps someone should ask Bernie Sanders if , when attending those caucus meetings in the 1700's, he recalls what their thinking was back then.

I have to  make this one biased comment about the first issue, "If I see one more picture or film clip of Megyn in the media - I'm going to assume she's been adopted by the Kardashians.

Anyway, in my desperate search for a metaphor via the convertible story, I'm not sure either Trump or Kelly would be an adequate replacement for the Mustang. 

Now, my ex-mother-in-law - that's a whole different ballgame.

Trump's pique with both Kelly and Fox  - and his threat to skip the next debate before the Iowa Caucus - will probably have many supporters.

That the other debate participants, presumably not so supportive of Trump's crusade, will  disagree with his decision - is a foregone conclusion. 

Early allegations from his opponents at the time of this writing - and who have yet to capture the fancy of the electorate- have already begun their  childish:" Na-Na-Na-Nuh Na- Na" chant in response to "Trumps Threat".

It's Junior High School all over again.

Let's take a look at their own tough political call: "Offend the guy who is beating my pants off in the polls (my apologies to Carla Fiorina) - or risk offending a network who can destroy my political career if they have a mind to?"

Yep, that's a tough one, alright.

My opinion - if anybody's interested- is that some of our media networks as well as other news sources -both printed and digital - should be required to include in their advertisements, postings and programming as to whether or not their political reporting is so-called "gluten free". (maybe even bloggers)

At the very least, the need for a printed warning like this one appears to be clearly indicated:

 "The words and stated opinions of  candidate so-and-so - do not necessarily reflect the political bias of either the network or the moderators assigned to this debate."

And yet, we're drawn to these "news?" programs as if they were revivals of "Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse! 

My opinion of these media related folks is probably not important but it's also not dissimilar to my concerns for some of the devoted folks who endorse anything "animal friendly" but who will defend to their death their right to be treat the "human race" as - well - the abused animals they're defending.

Whoops,  that one even surprised me.

My point is simply that the various columnists who are so perplexed about any criticism of news bias should  spend more time in doing some investigative reporting to determine if it's true.

Better yet, having done so perhaps they will also have the cajones to offer a strong  opinion on this subject based on their investigative conclusion - including whether or not their own publishing company or network is duplicitous in this trend.

I grant you , to do this would possibly indicate to the very public they are trying to reach that they (the reporters are endorsing a belief that good journalism is making a come back .

 It might also spark a realization by the responsible media that now more than ever - and long since the Hearst Newspaper chain ruled the print media in the 30's, 40's and 50's - that there is a need for "a more level playing field."

But, then again, do you as a reporter really want to risk losing out on all those free press lunches or, worse yet,; be forced to give up that beautiful cabin in the pristine woodsy setting that the family, relatives, and friends view as much of a privacy haven as you do?

Hey, another tough call?

Seriously, ever ask yourself where the responsible media ombudsman now resides? Is he out on a quest for the truth with that lantern carrying Greek cynic, Diogenes? 

Does the motto "Above all, do no harm" only apply to Physicians and Educators?

Maybe the answers are sequestered deep inside one of Hillary's private emails - a subject about which even Bernie may be rethinking his own protest.. 

Seriously, if this media travesty continues I may have to grab a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio and resume watching "Two Broke Girls" starring Kathy Lee and Hoda,  in order to address my need for a news junkie fix.

Finally, in an attempt to wrap this up - the  last we checked  Trump was going to blow off the debate and instead do something involving helping Veterans - presumably those not named John McCain.

Regardless of his motivation - it can't hurt, based on everything we're hearing about the VA.  Besides, and while stomping on even more sensitive toes, I don't recall the Roman Catholic Church ever turning down those large spontaneous donations from the Italian Mafia.

That's it. I think I've antagonized everybody by now.

So, I'm going to go back to re-reading the opinion column of writer Rick Hampson. I use the phrase re-read only because I now notice he mentioned in the first paragraph one of my favorite curmudgeons,  Garrison Keiller, agreed with the theme of this writing.

If you choose to research this I refer you page 2A of the USA Today 1/24/2016 News Section. You can't miss it because USA Today opted to include it in a full half-page section where the paper asked in bold type : "IS TRUMP A DEMAGOGUE"?

(Based on several other political opinion articles I've read in that publication the USA TODAY editors probably felt it safe to use the word "Demagogue" -concluding  none of Trump's rapid sycophantic followers would know what the word meant.)

Anyway, Rick plowed on and - in a true application of employing inductive versus deductive logic he searched for all the ways Trump compared favorably with disgraced Republican Senator Joe McCarthy - and his highly criticized and unorthodox "anti-communist" crusade in the early 1950's.

So, do we have a possible Edward R Murrow replacement in our media mix?

Nah   -  NOT so tough a call.