Tim Cahill: ‘Etch-A-Sketch’ Political Moments in History

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Tim Cahill, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Tim Cahill, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

Eric Fehrnstrom is catching a lot of heat lately for telling the truth about his candidate for president Mitt Romney. When Mr. Fehrnstrom uttered the phrase, "we can just hit the reset button when we get to the general election, kind of like an Etch-A-Sketch", he probably never assumed it would go both viral and retro at the same time. I mean, YouTube and Twitter is one thing, but when is the last time anyone saw an actual Etch-A-Sketch. I wasn't surprised when the 68 year-old, "hipster wannabe" Newt Gringrich acted almost giddy playing with one on stage.

It has been almost a week, and everyone is still making fun of Romney, as if he is the first politician who has ever tried to "erase" something they said or did. I thought it would be fun for me(not them), that we revisit some classic Etch-A-Sketch moments in recent American political history (at least since the IPad made the Etch-A-Sketch obsolete ).

~Rick Santorum: He is known as the most conservative candidate in the Republican presidential field. Yet when he was the Senator from Pennsylvania he was king of the earmarks; "took one for the team" by acting against his conservative principals and voting for No Child Left Behind, co-sponsored by Ted Kennedy; and endorsed "good-old-boy", Arlen Spector so that he could be the 60th vote for Obamacare. Shake and Erase.

~Newt Gingrich: He was for the healthcare mandate when it was a conservative, Republican principal but against it when it was used by Democrats to create ObamaCare. He also claims to. be the heir to the Reagan legacy, standing for free markets and free enterprise. Yet he tells us that as President, he will command $2.50 per gallon gas from the White House. Shake and Erase.

~Mitt Romney: One word (or is it two?): RomneyCare . Shake Twice and Erase.

~President Obama: He was all for "a green energy revolution" before Solandra and the Chevy Volt and $4 per gallon gas. Now he is for the Keystone Pipeline. Or at least half of it. Keep Shaking and Erasing until November.

~John Edwards: Do you think he wishes he stayed in his room the night he met Rielle Hunter at the hotel bar in New York City? Then again being up in his room in the hotel might end up being a bigger problem. Shake and Erase and then disinfect.

~Lt. Governor Tim Murray: If he could only get a reset on the whole " going to get the Herald and a cup of coffee while inspecting storm damage at 5am in the pitch black", this unfortunate story would probably have died by now. Still has two more St. Patrick's Day events in Southie to get through before the 2014 elections. Shake and Erase and keep erasing.

~Texas Governor Rick Perry: Maybe if he had wanted to abolish two agencies in Washington DC instead of three he would still be a contender. If they had used an actual Etch-A-Sketch when they were prepping him for the debate they could have erased that third agency before his mind did on stage at the infamous debate. Shake and Erase.

~Tim Tebow: First he is a Denver Bronco and miraculously leads his team to the playoffs and captures hearts and souls across America. Then John Elway wants a do-over and signs Peyton Manning. Quicker than you can say, shake and erase, Tebow is traded to the hated New York Jets. Jesus would never play for Rex Ryan and the Jets. Too much profanity. Shake and Erase before I loose my faith.

~Piers Morgan: The CNN host who asked Fehrnstrom the infamous question that reintroduced the world to the Etch-A-Sketch. He is familiar with re-sets as he plays the jovial host to America's movers and shakers after serving as editor to Britain's most notorious newspaper. When asked about his reporters' hacking into dead children's cell phones, he claimed not to know a thing about what his employees were up to. Shake and Erase and bring back Larry King

~Tim Cahill: Two words: Paul Loscocco. Shake and Erase please.