|
|||||
An Educated ElectorateI’ve pretty much sworn off politics (and there was great rejoicing!!1!), at least until 20 January 2009. So the following should not be construed as having to do with politics per se, nor even with the risks one takes when everyone is permitted to vote. But it is an interesting reflection upon the effectiveness of our Tribunes of teh People completing their sacred task of educating the electorate. They need to do better. Really. 61 comments to An Educated Electorate |
  |
||||
|
Copyright © 2009 Neptunus Lex - All Rights Reserved |
|||||
I humbly disagree that the Fox and the internet have somehow “poisoned” the debate. If anything, they have provided a needed antidote.
We have, since before WWII, had a diseased journalistic class that felt they were smarter than everyone else and were entitled to report on those topics that furthered their agenda, decline to report on topics and facts that worked against their agenda, and occasionally created their own news when no real news existed. They were not bound by any ethics, other than the ethics of pushing America toward a “progressive” future, yet they claimed for themselves special privileges and protections that presumed they served a good and useful function. The only trouble was, nobody except those with firsthand knowledge of an event knew of the biased behavior of the press. So we, the public, dreamily went along, thinking we had a press that stood as our watchdogs, ferretting out the truth, no matter whose ox was being gored.
What we got instead was Walter Duranty regaling us with the wonder that was Stalin’s Russia (even getting a Pulitizer along the way). We got Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite telling us that the Tet Offensive was a crushing defeat for US forces, with the brave Vietcong even taking the Embassy. We have Janet Cooke telling the sad tale of the the 8 year old heroin addict (victim of the System) garnering another Pulitizer prize. We had Dan Qualye’s “potato” blunder played and repeated non-stop. We had strict silence on JFK’s addictions and indescretions, but above-the-fold coverage of Jimmy Swaggart.
The list goes on and on, but the examples I give above predate cable (thus Fox) and the internet, so the poison can not be attributed to them. Rather, it was always there, but we were blissfully unaware.
It’s just that when shades are finally drawn back after years of highly filtered light, you can really see the dust and dirt and grime very clearly. And the legacy media were very poor housekeepers. But don’t blame the sunlight for the mess.
The demise of “news” and the rise of “opinion” was purely a marketing driven strategy — that has ultimately backfired, as Kenneth Anderson states on why the NY Times is in decline:
MSNBC’s market position was deliberately chosen, as it was the only way they would survive. “CNN Lite” wasn’t cutting it. All they did was parrot Fox. Some of that sincerest form of flattery thing.
I don’t deny the historical biases of the chattering class. It’s just that the polarization of the market has left the various portals in a position where they no longer feel the need to maintain even a pretense. We all suffer, to a degree, from confirmation bias – we seek out information that conforms to our pre-existing notions. This is at least part of the reason why we’re having separate conversations in this country, rather than a healthy dialogue.
Happily, the president elect’s political allies promise to change all that.
nattering nabobs of nugatory nuance.
A new order has been established by Lex (com # 50), to wit:
Happy days are here again, no more ad hominem attacks, no sly statements implying that a carefully crafted comment is ”obfuscation, motive questioning and subject-changing”, and of course, links, which are important in rounding out or substantiating points under debate, will be cherished and honored.
After all, if we are going to discuss and enter into a debate (conversation) about An Educated Electorate>, the topic advance by our webmaster in this thread, one has evaluate the video link presented. My views are expressed in com #20, #26, #31, and were meet with near unanimous derision. Loved every minute of it, the quality of your thoughts are defined by the quality of the criticism they engender…
Since then, brother Nate has interviewed friend John Ziegler, the author of this superlative Video, and among many nuggets, we find out interviews were conducted at two sites in the city of Los Angeles, and most of the interviews shown were filmed at one polling place in a (gasp) predominantly black area.
If one wishes to examines the issue of the educational level of those who supported and voted for Obama or McCain, reputable polls have this information, and publish their methodology. I think even my most severe critics will agree that the data speaks for itself. The educated class trended to Obama.
As to debate that flared up about the bias of the Main Street Media, I will leave that for some future date. But, information feeds knowledge, and you surely need both to engage in a reasonable conversation. The kind folks at the Pew Center present results of an extensive and detailed exit polls. Long read, but it can be skimmed by just looking at the graphs and tables. On the right hand side of the opening page are the table of contents and other data. Press coverage is analyzed in Section 5.
As for me, it is R.I.P. for this string. A bow to Fliterman, and a link to a food fight video as an award for his ability to use the English language. I welcome the New Order!!!
OP, clearly you’re wounded, but if you can lift the victim’s mantle high enough, take a moment’s time to look up what ad hominem means. (Hint: it doesn’t mean disagreeing with you, or belittling your chosen tactics of obfuscation, motive questioning and/or subject-changing.)
Toodles.
..and while you’re about it, research the use of the past perfect tense of the verb “meet” (in your com #55, para 3).
So flit,
It would appear that my Latin is much better than my French. I’ve been waiting breathlessly all day for your apology! But no apology.
MSM got your fingers?
And Lex, I was very careful to observe the proprieties and ‘asked’ if we could vote them off the island. I wouldn’t presume to insist or demand any such thing. T’isn’t my place now is it?
I can mangle 7 languages and keep silent in 185 of them!
Curtis,
This old, angry Irish curmudgeon – fliterman – is (fortunately for many) somewhat speechless tonight… and far more mellow. (fortunately for me.)
I appreciate your thought/word/smile and I reciprocate :
sincerely.
Flit,
Denada.
See! More mangling!
Don’t make me use my German! I’m begging you!
[...] Ziegler, – the writer/director/producer who commissioned a poll of Obama voters, and whose video documentation of those results raised Teh Dread Spectre of ad hominem!!1! in these our humble digs, has [...]