Rising Hegemon
The real problem is the dickishness of our mainstream political analysis, especially from the "savviest" practitioners. Back during my days as media critic, I argued in Breaking the News and a related Atlantic cover story that the laziest and ultimately most destructive form of political coverage came when journalists seemed to imagine that they were theater critics or figure-skating judges. The what of public affairs didn't interest them. All they cared about was the how.
In this case, the "what" of Obama's press conference -- the unbelievable recklessness of mainly House Republicans in inviting the largest self-inflicted economic wound in American history -- deserves every bit of frustration Obama showed, and lots more.
This is the "dog and pony show" put into the mainstream of media for big bucks that goes back to Broder, but set on high-beam by Cable news. Assholes like Halperin get paid big big bucks to look serious and discuss absolutely nothing. And the effect is nothing less than negligent homicide of the body politic.
Meanwhile we've had a mantra for forty years about "not negotiating with terrorists" while the current GOP is engaging in the most damaging form of terrorism against most every American without a nine-figure investment portfolio.
And thanks to the modern media, it's all about whether a black man trying to avoid it is allowed to look even mildly perturbed. The pieces are all set, the Republicans are allowed to be complete assholes and screw everybody and the fault will be Obama's for daring to ask for one fucking thing and then failing to be appropriately obsequious about it.
8 comments:
The problem is that our "elite" Washington Press corpse (spelling intended) are a bunch of ill-informed airheads does not understand policy and so are incapable of analyzing it. As social climbing denizens of the cocktail party circuit, however, they are experts at the horse race analysis we see.
...the unbelievable recklessness of mainly House Republicans in inviting the largest self-inflicted economic wound in American history...
It is unbelievable until you consider that the Prototype of today's Teabirchpublican Party - the first Confederacy - successfully invited and achieved the largest self-inflicted economic wound in American history to that time with roughly 600,000-700,000 American bodies to prove their brave and serious bona fides.
From Virginia's Staunton Spectator, February 5, 1861:
"As there is some conservatism in Virginia, and we seem anxious to secure an honorable settlement, South Carolina is about to apply the spur again.
"She first rejects unanimously the resolutions of Virginia.
"She secondly declares that her secession is final.
"Lastly, she is going to force a collision. She has instructed Gen. Hayne to demand Fort Sumter at once, and if it is not surrendered, it is to be taken at all hazards.” [sic]*
"They know this will shed blood, and blood is necessary to 'fire the Southern heart.'
"We trust Virginia will scorn South Carolina. Let her fight her own battles. She has kicked us enough. She has dragged us enough. We were for protecting South Carolina against coercion by the Federal Government. But she is not satisfied with this. We must enter upon a crusade with her for a civil war."
yes jimmiraybob, that does seem to be the direction the current crop of assholes would like to take us... and there is a word for that, it's treason.
"Meanwhile we've had a mantra for forty years about "not negotiating with terrorists" while the current GOP is engaging in the most damaging form of terrorism against most every American without a nine-figure investment portfolio."
I seem to recall that the USA under the gratest president of all time ronnie raygun was the 1st to ACTUALLY NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS!!!!
(not a mispell, that dude grated on my nerves, I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE TRICKLE DOWN TO GET TO ME!!!!)
you haven't noticed the urine yet?!?
talking heads is just speculation and yapping about news. that is nothing but DISCUSSION. or propaganda on what to think of what you just heard. sort of like a sermon on ehwt to think of what bible verse was read for the day. nobody can fucking think for themselves anymore. JUST SHUP UP already.
suggested to my confederate conservative companion on the treadmill this morning that all this big govt bad, state's good, wasn't the same argument the slaveholders used and if he didn't feel like holding the union together was a better course of action..
His answer: Hey, if I had owned slaves, I would have supported the states rights folks...
God almighty, these folks are stuck in overdrive!...vox
Even in his complaints, Obama isn't sufficiently energized in them to actually make the Washington press wet their pants.
And he should be.
Almost from the day after his election, ordinary people were warning that this would be the primary Repug tactic, and were advising Obama to come out swinging, to kick some ass and take some names.
Well, he did come out swinging. At progressives. And now he's trying to making a big deal out of what is a comparatively small perk for the wealthy, when it's really just the tip of a gigantic iceberg of tax giveaways to the rich, so, it's no wonder that the press is making a mountain out a molehill.
What Montag ssid.
The GOP is about to crash this country. Sounds like an emergency to me, where Obama should be all over the TV pounding the lectern with his shoe. But no.
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