Land of the Old

Noam Scheiber, after noting some of Barack Obama's appearances on local sports media outlets, speculates "that younger, edgier sports chatter--most prominently on ESPN, but also on talk-radio stations across the country--seems to be injecting elements of African-American culture into white working-class minds, and in a pretty favorable light. (Who doesn't love Stuart Scott?) I'm guessing it's among the long-term trends that help Obama, if only at the margins." Could be, though I don't even know if that's a sports-specific phenomenon.

But it serves as a reminder that Obama's real problem in Pennsylvania isn't just its large white working-class contingent, it's all the old people "The census ranks this as the nation's second-oldest state, with 15.6 percent of us being 65 or older." That's a deadly demographic reality for Obama in this state.

Comments

"Who doesn't love Stuart Scott?"

Just about everyone I know. BOOYAH.

Posted by lfv | March 21, 2008 12:03 PM

Given that nobody likes Stuart Scott, not sure how anybody can take Schrieber seriously.

Posted by Rob | March 21, 2008 12:03 PM

Who doesn't love Stuart Scott?

Uh, me and just about every one I know, just to name a few.

Posted by Jeff | March 21, 2008 12:06 PM

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR HILLARY!!!

Posted by idiotic | March 21, 2008 12:08 PM

"Who doesn't love Stuart Scott?"

anyone who can hear?

Posted by matt | March 21, 2008 12:09 PM

This is precisely why I hope he doesn't spend too much time campaigning in Florida for the general election - with the older population, combined with the Cuban-American population and his audacity to suggest talking to Raul Castro may be productive (that's snark on my part, folks), and the sense on the part of many that somehow it was Obama that disenfranchised Democrats in the primary (pure speculation, but I think the sentiment exists in some quarters), it's quite an uphill battle. Instead he should make McCain defend states like Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada - states that could all go blue.

Posted by Ready for change | March 21, 2008 12:11 PM

Uh, I guess it would be kind of pointless to point out that no one with a brain likes Stuart Scott. Even the whitest people on the planet know he's a poseur. Not only do most people I know not like him, but they actually actively dislike him. He is my least favorite anchor. By far. Two best:

1. Neil Everett
2. Scott Van Pelt

Posted by Sandy | March 21, 2008 12:19 PM

For what it's worth, last night I asked 3 people (aged 73, 75, and 78) at a country club bridge game in south central Pennsylvania who they were supporting. Each one said Obama. When I regained consciousness, I was afraid to ask anyone else and possibly break this incredible streak. They were distressed about Rev. Wright, but inclined nevertheless to forgive Obama.

So I predict that savvy politicos will find the Pennsylvania numbers very interesting on 23 April. OK, probably a win for the machine candidate Clinton, because PA is a machine state for Democrats. (And not because PA is actually Eastern Ohio.) But the margins and demographics will speak volumes about what Obama will accomplish in the rest of the primaries and, hopefully, in the general.

Posted by far.rider | March 21, 2008 12:20 PM

I halfway disagree. I live in Maine, which ranks 3rd nationally in the oldest average age of its residents (though 7th in the percentage of population over 65) -- but as you may recall, Obama beat Hillary here by about 2-to-1.

Age, then, isn't the whole story, and maybe not even the biggest part of the story.

Posted by kaspian | March 21, 2008 12:24 PM

The biggest sports fan I know (including myself) hate ESPN in general.

Posted by Monster | March 21, 2008 12:29 PM

For what it's worth, last night I asked 3 people (aged 73, 75, and 78) at a country club bridge game in south central Pennsylvania who they were supporting. Each one said Obama. When I regained consciousness, I was afraid to ask anyone else and possibly break this incredible streak.

I originally grew up in south central Pennsylvania (Shiremanstown in Cumberland County to be exact). I think Obama is actually polling better among Democrats here in south central PA than in the coal regions, because the area is so Republican that Democratic machines here are extremely weak and Hillary really has no organization. (Most Hillary supporters at the Harrisburg St. Patrick's Day parade had AFSCME T-shirts, for instance. Classic machine politics...) For those people who are part of the loyal Democratic opposition in south central PA, Hillary's endorsement by Governor Rendell is a net minus more than a net plus. In addition, most of Hillary's endorsers in the PA state legislature are Democrats who voted for a 2005 pay increase or who were involved in the 2006 Bonusgate scandal, two scandals that kept Pennsylvania Democrats from winning the state assembly in the pro-Democratic tide of the 2006 midterm.

Posted by jonp72 | March 21, 2008 12:29 PM

Should read "fans"...I'm only one person, we swear!

Posted by Monster | March 21, 2008 12:33 PM

Ran into some elderly folks at a speaking engagement on climate change at a liberal church. Several were pro-Al Gore and anti-Obama. I don't understand this, but report it to verify that there does seem to be something to this idea that old folks don't "get" Obama. But why?

Posted by Kit Stolz | March 21, 2008 12:35 PM

Johnp72, the Democrats did win a majority in the PA State House in 2006, though only by 1 seat and only after an extended vote count in the Chester County district that ended up holding the balance of power.

Also, it can't really be surprising that there are a lot of AFSCME members in Harrisburg (most organized state employees are AFSCME members), or that they'd wear their union's t-shirts at a parade -- that happens with union members everywhere.

Posted by Pesto | March 21, 2008 12:37 PM

Monster,
Hating ESPN seems silly to me. I've been trying to come up with analogy to express just how silly I find it, but I'm at a loss. Sure, ESPN has some problems, but what are you going to compare it to? It would like being born on a desert island, and only having access to Smashmouth and Nickelback albums. Sure, the music sucks, but its the only music you know. What do you have to compare it to?

I realize the analogy is lacking. I need help.

Posted by Sandy | March 21, 2008 12:39 PM

Before even clicking into comments, I knew that the first few comments would be by people who didn't like Stuart Scott. I also knew that it would subsequently be my duty to represent as someone who finds Stuart Scott's mannerisms endearing and fun to watch, even in the way he overdoes them. Consider it done.

Posted by Neil the Ethical Werewolf | March 21, 2008 12:48 PM

...seems to be injecting elements of African-American culture into white working-class minds, and in a pretty favorable light.

Uhhh, like, hasn't this been going on since, I don't know, the Jazz Age?

Posted by TheOtherCyrus | March 21, 2008 12:48 PM

Sandy, I agree with you that our options are limited. I'm a huge sports fan and it's hard to avoid the four-letter network completely. But I get my sports news from a few newspapers and blogs. For highlights I check out websites. If a good game is on ESPN, I'll usually watch on mute. I think it's just like the rest of the mainstream media in our country: total bullshit. Full of sensationalism and analysis that tries to hype totally trivial things and really misses the boat on a lot of others.

Except basketball, I think they cover that pretty well. But baseball and football, ugh.

Posted by Monster | March 21, 2008 12:52 PM

Monster,
Yeah, I was going to say, they actually do basketball very well lately. Their football coverage is exasperating. Outside of Tom Jackson, and Steve Young, I don't care for any of them. How does Emmit Smith keep a job. And their baseball analysts are terribly annoying. Phillips, Kruk, and Gammons can all go to hell as far as I'm concerned. I really like Harold Reynolds, but I guess feeling up Lina Cohn is against the rules. Who knew?!

Posted by Sandy | March 21, 2008 1:04 PM

Once ESPN ended NFL Primetime, my non-game ESPN watching of NFL coverage approaches zero.

Posted by Mo | March 21, 2008 1:17 PM

Go ahead and mark me down in the "WTF? Who likes Stuart Scott?" category.

Posted by How Insane Is John McCain? | March 21, 2008 1:42 PM

I take back what I said earlier. I don't know what I was thinking. Top three SC anchors:

1. Neil Everett
2. Jay Harris
3. Scott Van Pelt

Posted by Sandy | March 21, 2008 1:51 PM

I once asked my roommate, who is an A&E junkie, if he had one bullet that he had to use to kill someone, who he'd do in. He thought only for a second.

One less douchebag at ESPN.

Posted by Stuart | March 21, 2008 1:59 PM

All I can think of is getting some actual old supporters of Obama out there. (My mil is one but doesn't want to travel.) It's one of those cases where the answer to "how can we cater to old people?" is almost sure to offend somehow.

There is a generational* shift, seen in Ferraro (in her comments about less partisanship), along the lines of "this is the way things always have been and always will be" versus "things have changed, and we need a leader who understands that." Waiting for them all to die is the usual method of exacting change, but not an option in a single election cycle.

*Speaking generally. Obama has older supporters, and Clinton has young ones who insist pre-hunkered is the only way to survive Washington.

Posted by Deborah | March 21, 2008 2:02 PM

I like Steve Levy, though he's been shunted to hockey most of the time for some reason.

If you haven't read this before, please do now: it's a NCAA tourney style matchup of the worst ESPN anchors. You have to click around, because the archive is not great:

http://www.bravesbeat.com/bravesjournal/bristol/archives/first_round/index.html

Posted by Sam | March 21, 2008 2:54 PM

I would like to jump on the Stuart Scott haters bandwagon.

Posted by Gus | March 21, 2008 3:29 PM

If Stuart Scott is helping Hillary, just think what Steven A. Smith is doing to her numbers.

Posted by Kevin | March 21, 2008 3:37 PM

Johnp72, the Democrats did win a majority in the PA State House in 2006, though only by 1 seat and only after an extended vote count in the Chester County district that ended up holding the balance of power.

The Democrats still do not have control of the State Senate, no thanks to Senator Fumo. Obama's grass roots organizing is as much of a threat to Democratic machine pols in PA as it is to the Republicans. That's why so many of them are lined up against them.

Posted by jonp72 | March 21, 2008 3:41 PM

WHO OUT THERE DOESN'T LIKE STUART SCOTT?!?!? DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DON'T LIKE STUART SCOTT? ARE YOU SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DON'T LIKE STUART SCOTT??? BECAUSE IF YOU ARE SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE STUART SCOTT, I HAVE TO ASK YOU, TELL ME WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE!!!

Posted by STEVEN A. SMITH | March 21, 2008 4:41 PM

I kind of like Stuart Scott but absolutely detest Stephen A. Smith.

Analyzing sports/pop culture's influence on politics -- and overstating said influence -- is something of a tiresome hobbyhorse for Scheiber (if I'm not mistaken...I may be conflating more than 1 TNR writer).

Posted by Bart Acocella | March 21, 2008 5:09 PM

Old geek not into sports asks: Who's Stuart Scott?

And, yes, I'm too lazy to Wikipedia some random name.

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | March 21, 2008 8:37 PM

Here you go, Richard:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Scott

Posted by Chris | March 22, 2008 12:51 PM