What Do I Think Of Political Journalism?
Issues I care about heading into this year’s elections*
- Protecting the Constitution, and making sure that those we entrust with power and authority to take care of our business don’t have the inclination or opportunity to abuse that trust.
- Iraq. Iraq. Iraq. Over 4300 American troops killed, tens of thousands profoundly wounded, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed. A billion and a half dollars a day. Another 6 months? A year? Ten? A hundred? Another 4300 deaths? 43,000? Another trillion dollars? More? Hey, is anyone keeping an eye on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border region?
- The horrible reality that we’ve crossed a bright line, and we’re now a country that disappears people and tortures them to death. We have to do more than just bringing that to an end, we have to atone.
- The scarcity of the planet’s remaining resources, the continuing overabundance of humans, and how we (both as a nation and as a species) will feed, clothe, transport and employ ourselves after cheap, easy oil.
- The possibility that our children, and perhaps our grandchildren, will be endlessly fighting wars in countries all over the world over those scarce resources.
- The fact that our Government is still, more than two years later, unable to do a fucking thing to adequately help new Orleans, a major American city, rebuild after being devastated by a hurricane.
- The possibility that the Middle Class American Dream of a decent home in a decent city with decent schools may become unattainable for most of us.
- The frightening possibility of someone in my family having a serious medical problem, either that it would ruin us, or (more terrifying) that we may be refused treatment.
- A host of other issues relating to my family’s welfare, our nation’s viability as a free and democratic republic, and to our survival as a species.
Issues political journalists and pundits care about**
- Low bowling scores.
- Orange juice instead of coffee.
- The controversial use of the words “frustrated” and “bitter” to describe people’s… frustration and bitterness.
- Troubling displays of “elitism” and “condescension” towards “real Americans” (whatever those terms mean to television media stars with multi-million dollar salaries who live in New York, D.C., and Los Angeles).
- Any celebrity gossip or vicious rumor that gets Drudge’s red light flashing.
- What others in the Consultant Class of the D.C. Establishment thinks about the above points, and what they think about what other consultants and pundits think about them.
Of course, both lists are incomplete. But each is a fair representation. And I think that my list, though incomplete, pretty well illustrates what I believe is at stake in this election (and likely for every election to follow in my lifetime). And notice, curiously, all the things in the first section mean as much to the Pundit Class as the things in the second section mean to me. So, what do I think of Political Journalism in America?
I think that it would be a very, very good idea.
* I’m know I’m not alone in prioritizing these issues, many many folks do. But I don’t presume to speak for the American electorate.
** These absurd, presumptuous assholes, however, are under the illusion that they’re qualified to speak for the American electorate (or Real America™ as they refer to it).
Tags: journamalism, media, politics
