On Friday, Sept. 12, the Baton Rouge Advocate carried an opinion piece by Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, titled “Obama self-destructs.” Their choice of words is interesting, to say the least.

The original column in the Washington Post was titled “Obama’s Altitude Sickness.” The Times-Picayune ran the column with the title “There’s a new rock star in town.” It’s common for local newspapers to change titles of national columns that they run, but their choice of words can raise questions for just that reason.

Why this title? The original title was more subtle, and clearly didn’t convey the message that the Advocate wanted to promote by choosing to run the column. This is an editorial decision – and a political one. It’s also nothing new for the Advocate.

Krauthammer’s contentions are highly questionable, as usual. He dismisses Barack Obama’s abilities and substantive policy proposals to focus on the “celebrity candidate” and “Obama movement” mantras that the GOP adopted some time back. He likewise ignores the real questions about Governor Palin’s qualifications for the Vice Presidency, and misses the irony of referring to her as a “new celebrity.” His closing line referring to politics as a game is a reminder that the GOP has not only lost touch with reality, but any sense of the seriousness or value of America’s system of representative government. Those considerations are particularly relevant for Louisiana, which is facing increasing challenges that require a national investment of resources – and the substantive, informed national debate that such decisions demand.

For some sense of the critical issues in the campaign that are being ignored, and their critical importance to Louisiana, see Barack Obama: Rebuilding the Gulf Coast.