Few things dominate local news pages more than the politics, impolitic wardrobe malfunctions, and politics mixing with education. Therefore, here are some thumbs-up, thumbs-down observations.

     Thumbs up: The Democratic Caucus (some people call it a primary), which allowed locals to hob-nob with bona fide presidential candidates. I was impressed by the platforms of Dennis Kucinich, Gen. Wesley Clark and John Edwards (represented by his wife Elizabeth), who traveled to Las Vegas. This being not much of a population center, Las Vegas is honored to host such personalities. Generally, high-profile politicians land in Albuquerque, with an occasional side trip to Santa Fe. One’s hard-pressed to recall the last time a current or future presidential candidate visited Las Vegas . . . except perhaps for the time Bill Richardson came to town.
     Thumbs down: To the lack of planning by the state Democrat party in rushing through the caucus. Lots of communities slipped through the cracks. For example, ask how many residents of Springer got to vote in the presidential caucus. They voted, all right, but only on their own local referenda. But to cast a vote for Kerry, Edwards, Dean, Clark, et al, they needed to travel either to Raton, Angel Fire or Cimarron.
     Thumbs up: To contested races for the county and legislative district. Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary it likely to win the office. So what else is new?
     Voters grow tired of the same candidates running unopposed, especially when there are plenty of good candidates who deserve a shot at it.
     Thumbs down: To the residual effects of the wardrobe malfunction involving Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson during halftime of the Super Bowl. Was that the worst thing that happened that day?
     Let’s put it into context: the entire halftime performance featured women dressed like hookers, lyrics that would make George Carlin blush, suggestive gyrations, and the wearing of the American flag like a poncho. So Jackson and Timberlake went too far? Consider the entire Super Bowl spectacle, whose commercials included a flatulent horse, a monkey putting the make on a woman, dogs that attack people’s private parts and men who aren’t up to sexual performance. Bob Hope would have said to Janet Jackson, “Thanks for the mammaries.”
     Factor in shots of the crowd: mainly people in their 40s and older, some of whom paid $500 for a ticket, and a halftime show put on by MTV, which caters to people under 20. What in the name of Britney Spears’ bare midriff is going on?
     Thumbs up: To the resurrection of live local theater, set to perform Feb. 21 in a fund-raising dinner-theater to benefit Habitat for Humanity. As a former member of the Las Vegas Players, I worked alongside Nat Gold, whose name is synonymous with local theater.
     My own experience was a role in Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” in which Nat Gold and Mark Conkle played the leads. This year’s series of three one-act plays promises to be great.
     Thumbs down: To the Highlands issue. Regardless of the board of regents’ right and power to send President Sharon Caballero packing, the action rankled some students, faculty, staff and community members who once again feel left out of the process. The timing of the termination could have been better. True, the regents were required to notify Caballero in December whether she would be re-hired or let go.
     The fact that the regents’ decision came during the University winter recess is unfortunate, as the entire campus scatters at that time. Similarly regrettable is one regent’s proclaiming he had no idea the school was on vacation. As regents, aren’t they supposed to know these things?
     There is a climate of fear that the Highlands presidency may become a sinecure for powerful politicians. Elected officials ought to concentrate on larger issues, such as helping the university get funding, enhancing the school’s reputation and attracting good professors and students. As a STATE university as opposed to a fenced-in northern New Mexico theme park, the 112-year-old institution needs to operate as a degree-granting university, not as a pastime for politicos.
     The public needs to demand that whoever takes the reins be the most qualified person. What’s wrong with going after a true academic, with terminal degrees and credentials in publishing, a proven track record and an intimate knowledge of leading an institution of higher learning?
     The regents need to involve the faculty, staff, students and community in a genuine national search for a president, just as they did when Sharon Caballero was hired two years ago. Remember, a national search involves much more than glancing up and down Las Vegas’ National Avenue, which runs through the campus.
     Highlands, simply, is too important to allow its leadership and direction to be subjected to political whim.