The “O” Factor Downplays Education in South Carolina

With all of the hub-bub over the 2008 presidential preference primaries, some things seem to fall through the cracks from time to time. I understand. It happens.

On December 9, Senator Barack Obama and The Oprah descended on the University of South Carolina’s Williams-Brice stadium to whip the Obama faithful in to a fervor.

After an open by Michelle Obama, Ms. Winfrey took the stage and in front of 29,000 strong during the course of her speech, she said, “I love books, but I ain’t here to talk about no books.”

Why has there been no MSM ink about this?

Oprah Winfrey, the media maven with the book club, comes to South Carolina (the state ranked 50th in education where nearly 50% of high school freshman will not graduate in 4 years), bashed education, and she was applauded.

I don’t get it.

This is a woman who established a school in South Africa to educate young girls, but she comes to neighbor of her native Tennessee, drops her Chicago-based accent designed to attract middle-aged white female audiences, and she tells 29,000 that she “ain’t there to talk about no books.”

Which is the real Oprah, and is this exhibited disingenuous speech indicative of Senator Obama’s character?

I don’t know, but I do know that it was irresponsible to downplay educational importance in a state starving for educational improvements and reform.

Maybe South Carolina can just spend more money on its education problem instead. It hasn’t worked before, but it’s been easy for us to do so far.

– Wilson Charles

Movie Review: CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR

I’m not a big Julia Roberts fan. There’s still a part of me that remembers the disparaging remarks she made about Abbeville, SC while filming “Sleeping with the Enemy.”

Just in case you don’t remember, in an August 1990 ROLLING STONE interview, the Smyrna, Georgia native referred to the small town as “horribly racist” and “living hell.” Julia, you should know the rules by now. Even if it’s true, you can’t say it unless you’re “from around here.”

Anyway, despite Roberts’ poor choice of words seventeen years ago, the girl can act. As the “sixth richest woman in Texas” Joanne Herring, she convinces ethically-challenged Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) that his mission in life is to secretly fund and arm Afghan rebels against the Soviets during the communist invasion and occupation of the 1980s. With the assistance of blunt CIA agent Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an adept legislative aide named Bonnie Bach (Amy Adams), and a good-hearted committee chairman named Doc Long (Ned Beatty), Wilson turns a $5 million foreign aid appropriation in to a $1 billion dollar war ($500 million from the US and another $500 million from Saudi Arabia).

Adapted for the screen by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), the film moves quickly and has some incredibly good laugh lines. The conversational chemistry links between Hanks and Roberts, Hanks and Hoffman, and Hoffman and Roberts are incredibly strong.

Even though “Charlie Wilson’s War” is an entertaining film, there is some preachiness there, and Sorkin wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not giving anything away when I say that the effort beat the Soviets, but Sorkin through Hoffman and the House committee tell us that by not learning from history, we will repeat it.

That part’s for the policy wonks to decide, though. I’m just here to talk about a movie I liked.

– Alan Wofford

Movie Review: NATIONAL TREASURE — BOOK OF SECRETS

The key here is not walking in the theater with expectations that you will leave as an expert on little-known points in American history or archaeology. You’re not Indiana Jones and probably never will be. Just watch the movie.

This is a film that didn’t open to critical acclaim, but it wasn’t supposed to. This is not an award contender by any stretch, but that’s OK. Sometimes it’s fine to go to a movie just to have a good time.

You know what? I enjoyed “Book of Secrets.” It was a fun flick.

I don’t think it was pointless to cast folks like Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, and Justin Bartha with Academy Award®-nominees Ed Harris and Harvey Keitel or Academy Award ®-winners Helen Mirren and Jon Voight.

Basically, this sequel has treasure hunter Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) out to set the record straight and clear his great-great grandfather who is accused as one of John Wilkes Booth’s conspirators in Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Trotting around the globe following a series of clues, Cage reignites the chemistry with his on-the-rocks girlfriend Abigail Chase (Kruger) and his wanna-be-famous assistant Riley Poole (Bartha).

All the while, bad guy Mitch Wilkinson (Harris) and Ben’s parents (Mirren and Voight) add to the character interaction, action, and comedy.

It’s a good movie. Go see it, and let yourself have fun.

– Alan Wofford