Grumpy Editor notes newspaper readers/radio and TV listeners were bombarded last week with the much overused term “victory lap,” after the president trumpeted from the White House Rose Garden that 7.1 million people signed up by the deadline for the first round of ObamaCare.
Victory lap stems from motorsports to describe the extra lap around the racetrack after the end of a race. It’s much like "hitting a home run,” as heard in baseball parks, to describe something such as a nifty presentation at the office.
A sampling of headlines or leads from the many print/broadcast/Internet websites going for “victory lap” (emphasized in bold face, below) ---
ABC News: President Obama Takes Victory Lap After
Health Care Sign-Ups Top 7 Million
Washington Post: 7.1 million reasons for ObamaCare victory lap
NBC News: Victory Lap: Obama Says Health
Care Law Is 'Here to Stay'
PBS News Hour: President Obama takes health care victory lap
Fox News: White House runs 'victory lap' after 7M ObamaCare sign-ups, Republicans renew repeal fight
Roll call: Obama, Democrats Have 7 Million Reasons for a Victory Lap
U.S. News & World Report: Obama Runs Victory Lap on ObamaCare Sign-Up Success, Chastises Republicans
New York Post: While ‘victory lap’ was not in the headline, it was in the lead of its story ---
WASHINGTON — President Obama took a victory lap at the close of the enrollment period for ObamaCare…
WebMD: First paragraph under the headline, ObamaCare Hits Goal of 7 Million Enrolled ---
The Obama administration took a victory lap Tuesday as enrollment through the health law’s exchanges topped 7 million...
Meanwhile, in the Far East, English-language Japan Times picked up an Associated Press story, adding its own headline:
Obama takes victory lap after health care sign-ups top 7 million
Memo to media: Did anyone check to see if there was an uptick in business at Victory Lap Auto Sales in Newnan, Ga.?
In case you missed these…
CBS ADDS COMBUSTION ENGINE SOUND TO QUIET TESLA MODEL S FOOTAGE. Drivers of Tesla Motors, Inc.’s Model S electric car are still buzzing following CBS’s 60 Minutes report of March 30 that included several shots of the normally silent-running luxury car on the road --- but with dubbed-in sound of a traditional gasoline engine. Seems strange that Scott Pelley, who reported the story (and whose wife, according to Fox News, drives a Tesla Model S), says he wasn't aware of the added audio ahead of time. He didn’t comment on it after the segment with the false noisy engines aired.
NEW JERSEY’S TOP DAILY, CUTS STAFF. Advance Publications’ Star-Ledger, Newark, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, is cutting jobs, including one-fourth of its newsroom staff (leaving 156 on the editorial payroll), as it moves to consolidate operations and cut costs.
SUNDAYS WITH NEWS VIA NEW YORK. The New York Times, seeking to bolster subscribers, is pitching its Sunday edition far from Gotham. Folks in the far West are getting mailed pitches for subscriptions at $2 a week, with smaller print refining that to “for four weeks, plus free all digital access.” Then fine print explains that after the introductory period “delivery will continue at the regular rate, which is $8.60 per week for Sunday delivery, unless you notify us.” That’s $447.20 for a year of Sunday deliveries.
PATRIOTIC MARINE FLIES FLAGS, IS THREATENED WITH EVICTION. Salem Run Apartment Homes in Fredericksburg, Va. threatens to evict a Marine who served three combat tours in Iraq because he is displaying the U.S. flag and a Marine Corps flag on his balcony. Ex-sergeant Manuel E. Vega, who spent eight years in the Marines, told Examiner.com he has been flying the flags since October and apartment managers recently decided to take action via a warning tacked to his front door. The notice reminds Vega that “you cannot have anything attached to the railing or any part of the building.” Vega --- who received the Navy and Marine Corps commendation medal, combat action ribbon, presidential unit citation, Navy unit citation and good conduct medal --- says he will not back down.
SEND THAT MAGIFYING GLASS PRONTO. One Reverse Mortgage, a Quicken Loans company, in pitching seniors with TV commercials, offers an illuminated magnifying glass as an inducement to seek more information.
For many, the magnifying item can be put to good use to enlarge the many lines of fine print that appear briefly on the TV screen.
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