Jon Reisman

In the last years of the Bush administration, a new online communication site started growing rapidly. I signed up for Twitter, but before posting my first tweet, I had a reflective moment of wisdom, cowardice, or both and decided against it. I pay attention to social media (although not obsessively (I hope)), but I do not join in or respond to regular liberal lambasting and curmudgeon camaraderie. If someone takes the trouble to e-mail me directly, I will generally respond. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, critics are much more likely to post on Facebook than write me directly.

The column creation process involves watching current events and trying to compose an entertaining and thought-provoking read. After almost 5 years of writing Freedom Studies, I am often surprised by what columns elicit reactions and which do not. In addition, the tenor and relative political (im) balance between the Calais Advertiser and Machias Valley News Observer Facebook commenters is notable.

My column “How do you solve a problem like Kamala?” proved to be an excellent example. My parody of the Sound of Music’s “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” lampooned Kamala’s word salad fakery and inauthenticity. The finale below is largely unchanged from the original lyrics, with the exception on “Kamala” for “Maria” and the inclusion of her Californian political paramour Willie Brown.

“How do you solve a problem like Kamala?

How do you catch a clown and pin it down?

How do you find a word that means Kamala?

A flibbertigibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her

Many a thing she ought to understand

But how do you make her stay

And listen to all you say

When she was raised by Willie Brown’s hand?

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Kamala?

How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

I should have changed “moonbeam” to “moonbat,” but other than that, I thought it was a somewhat clever piece of satiric wordsmithing and sent it off to my editors. I did not think about the fact that the column would come out just as Kamala accepted the nomination. I do not think any of the more than 200 Freedom Studies columns has generated more social media response.

The Calais Advertiser Facebook page showed 28 reactions, divided between 14 “likes,” 5 “angrys,” and 4 “Ha-has.” There were 35 mostly positive comments. I got four positive e-mails/queries from Calais area readers.

The MVNO Facebook page showed 9 reactions, divided between 4 “angrys,” 3 “likes,” and 1 “love” (Yes, I know that only adds up to 8; I think it’s left-wing new math). There were 63 mostly negative comments, many lamenting my backwards right-wing tendencies and the transition from reliably left-wing ownership, journalism, and editing. To those who want more “balance” in the papers- by all means, write my editor and make your case. I get $20 and some combination of heartburn, entertainment, and satisfaction for 500-700 words a week (but who’s counting?)

Jon Reisman is an economist and policy analyst who retired from the University of Maine at Machias after 38 years. He resides on Cathance Lake in Cooper, where he is a Selectman and a Statler and Waldorf intern. Mr. Reisman’s views are his own, and he welcomes comments as letters to the editor here or to him directly via email at [email protected].