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Has the Political Line Always Been So Divided? Is the Media to Blame?
I’ve been following politics for a little over three years now. I’ll admit that I’m a Democrat. I don’t agree with every principle under the Democratic umbrella, but most of my beliefs are slanted towards their ideology . I love watching Countdown with Keith Olbermann on Current TV and I’m a fan of MSNBC, which is pretty much the liberal antidote to Fox News.
However, I think many Americans will readily admit that there has been an increasingly zealous rise in partisan politics over the last few years; specifically since Barack Obama became president.
I never really cared much for politics before 2008. That was the year everyone was painting this picture of Obama as if he would be the next best thing since sliced bread. Many Americans were tired of the blatant lies and hypocrisy that characterized the George Bush era of politics. People were ready for an honest change in the way our country ran. It was no mere coincidence that Obama ran on a platform of change. People wanted a president who could relate to the struggles they encountered on a daily basis. Most important, they demanded an administration which would be accountable for its actions. In other words, if a member of the Obama administration was caught doing something they shouldn’t have then they wanted them to be truthful and address the situation. The Bush policy was to get caught and then tell a million other lies to cover it up (Iraq War).
I was in my bedroom on a Friday night that summer flipping through the channels. I watched a few minutes of this middle-aged man who was so sarcastic that I found him to be entertaining. It didn’t take long to realize the people he bashed throughout the course of his show were prominent Republicans. After watching a few more episodes I was hooked. Three years later and on a different network, I’m still a fan of Olbermann.
Soon, I was introduced to a brand new world where I thought anyone associated the G.O.P. was a complete idiot. Of course, that theory was soon proven wrong since many close friends of mine are Republicans. Believing that all Republicans are evil and only care about corporate greed is akin to saying that all whites are racist. I was introduced to public enemies (or so I was taught to believe) such as Dick Cheyney, Michelle Bachmann, Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and the ultimate conspirator: Bill O’Reily. O’Reily, or Billo the Clown as he likes to call him, is without question the person Olbermann hates more than anyone in this world.
Eventually Obama won the presidency and it seemed as if America would finally get its act together. Or so I thought.
Before long, we had a congressman publicly disrespect the president during a public address to Congress, the formation of the ultra conservative Tea Party, and the heated debate over healthcare reform from last summer, for which its final days brought back memories of the civil rights riots of an earlier generation. There are literally hundreds of highlights from the first three years of Obama‘s presidency. These were just three that came to mind. The one thing they each have in common is that it’s a display of the sheer ugliness and complete disintegration of our two-party political system.
There used to be a time when people with opposing political views could at least sit down and have a respectful discussion about their differences. Today, if you disagree with what another party says then you could be branded as “un-American.” Or a socialist. A big reason as to why the Obama presidency has largely failed (or hasn’t been as successful as he envisioned) is because he can hardly pass anything due to a lack of cooperation from Republican members of Congress. Many of the bills he’s proposed have cleared through the House of Representatives, only to be shutdown by the Senate. I truly believe that Obama could propose a bill that would make it mandatory for every elementary school student to be rewarded with a piece of candy on Fridays, only for it to never see the light of day just because it was something that the Republicans didn‘t approve of.
I’m not saying that Republicans are the only ones to blame. They get a large brunt of the criticism because many of their stances border on the very worst of the fringe-right ideology. However, I can imagine that just as tough as it is for a Democrat to sit through an episode of the O’Reily Factor, I can assure you that the feeling is mutual for a Republican who watches Olbermann (I’m primarily using him since he’s the most mainstream liberal commentator). There is a special segment of Olbermann’s show called “Worst Persons in the World.” Though the segment isn’t meant to be taken literally, it’s a countdown of the top three people who’ve produced the silliest or most outrageous political moment of that particular day. Most of the people featured in the segment are from Republicans.
This next illustration really shows how insane this situation has become, I was browsing through the Facebook page of Fox News correspondent Ainsley Earhardt. A photo on her page shows her at a social function with NBC’s Today Show co-anchor/correspondent Amy Robach. They looked like they were at a party having a good time. That is what girlfriends do after all. A Facebook user had made a comment on the photo along the lines of: “What are you doing taking a picture with her?” The political divide is so deep that it’s even considered a cardinal sin to be seen in public with a friend who works for a rival network! Plus if that reader had even taken out the time to really think, they would’ve realized that Robach mainly works for NBC, which is very much balanced in their political coverage; unlike their counterpart MSNBC. Plus the vast majority of Robach’s coverage doesn’t have anything to do with politics.
A big part of the problem is the continuing influence that the news media seem to have over our elected officials. I believe that more politicians get their ideas and talking points from what they hear from their favorite commentator rather than from their own constituents. I’ll admit that Olbermann can go across the line at times and say things he probably shouldn’t. However, there is clear evidence that those on the far right are far more likely to act out the messages they see and hear.
In April 2009, an internal report from the Department of Homeland Security warned that right-wing extremism was on the rise, with a growing potential for violence.
The most notable example of this transpired this past January in Tucson, Arizona, when Jared Loughner attempted to assassinate congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. He killed five people (including a federal judge and nine year old girl) and wounded 13 others. Following the attacks, Obama made a plea for politicians and members of the media to tone down the harsh rhetoric and renounce the hostile imagery they displayed.
Palin was heavily (and deservedly so) scrutinized by the public once it became known that her political action committee had placed a target over Giffords’s district just months before she was gunned down by Loughner. There was also a Twitter message from 2008 in which Palin, then the Republican vice-presidential nominee, urged her followers, “ Don’t Retreat, Instead- RELOAD!”
In an excellent op-ed piece, “Climate of Hate,” which appeared in the New York Times earlier this year, Paul Krugman wrote the following:
“The point is that there’s room in a democracy for people who ridiucule and denounce those who disagree with them; there isn’t any place for eliminationist rhetoric, for suggestions that those on the other side of a debate must be removed from that debate by whatever means necessary.”
As Clarence Dupnik, the sheriff responsible for dealing with the Arizona shootings, put it, it’s “the vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business.”
This isn’t to say that Palin or other political figures were responsible for the actions of that day, but you can’t deny the impact that type of imagery could’ve had on a person who was already mentally unstable. And to keep it balanced, there have been many Democratic campaign materials that employed targets and crosshairs against Republican opponents. Who’s to say that they next attack against a political figure won’t come from a crazed Democrat.
The big picture is this: Government is about both parties coming together for the good of the people. There will always be differences in ideologies and the way things are done, yet we’re living in an unprecedented era where some members of both sides are so steadfast in their beliefs that they are unwilling to even cross the aisles to work with each other. I do believe that media from both ends of the spectrum are to blame for how much our government has broken down over the years, yet they are not the only reason. The more our two parties fight and bicker amongst each other, the longer it will take for this country to recover from the mess it’s in.
Occupy Wall Street Movement Makes Strong Indictment on the Ruling Class
One of the biggest nationwide news stories of the past couple of weeks have been the Occupy Wall Street movement. For those who are unfamiliar, it’s an ongoing nonviolent demonstration involving thousands of people (mostly young) opposing negative corporate influence over U.S. politics and a lack of legal repercussions over the global financial crisis.
According to an entry from Wikipedia, the aim of the demonstration is to begin a sustained occupation of Wall Street, the financial district of New York City, to draw attention to Wall Street’s apparent misdeeds and call for structural economic reforms. Organizers intend for the occupation to last “as long as it takes to meet our demands.”
For anyone who follows politics with a sense of neutrality, it’s no secret that many members of our Congress and other policymakers are directly sponsored by corporations. Corporations put thousands, if not millions, of dollars into the pockets of those in Washington who will ensure they can continue to run things the way they see fit. This results in keeping things at the status quo and supporting the richest 1 percent of U.S. citizens, effectively leaving the remianing 99 percent working-class population out in the cold.
This protest has been notable for many reasons. Perhaps the most important fact about these mass demonstrations was that they barely received any notable media coverage during their first few days. Current TV’s show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, was the first cable news broadcast to bring serious attention to the issue. The New York Times didn’t even jump on the story as quickly as it should’ve, especially when you consider it was happening in their own backyard. Now multiple news outlets are regularly covering it. Well known public figures as rapper Lupe Fiasco, Princeton lecturer Cornell West, actress Susan Sarandon, and comedian Roseanne Barr have openly showed their support for the movement.
Now that OWS has the attention they desired so much, the question now is what’s next?
There has been some criticism towards the group for lacking a clearly specified demand for reform.
On its website, OWS describes itself as a “leaderless resistance movement” drawn from people of all backgrounds and political persuasions. “The one thing we all have in common is that we are the 99 percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1 percent,” the website says.
Yet, the posters of the protesters speak to the lack of a narrow platform: “End financial aid to Israel”; “End greed, end poverty, end war”; “No death penalty”; “Tired of racism.”
Many supporters of the movement wish to see more narrowly defined demands and tangible goals. After all, no great revolution in American history ever got anything accomplished without having a strongly defined vision.
Regardless of where this movement goes, it has become apparent that citizens of this country are more inclined than ever to take matters into their own hands. And who could blame them. Our political leaders on both sides of the fence have repeatedly let us down. Sure, a lot of this economic fallout was the result of the Bush era of policy, but very little has been done under the Obama administration to curb these problems.
At the end of the day millions of Americans are still unemployed and feel as though the only people benefiting from the “American Dream” are the ones with their pockets full and making the regulations which cripple the middle class. This movement is the result of a generation of people who classify themselves as “over educated and under employed.” And they aren’t going to sit and wait for their change to come.
Material from the Seattle Times was included in this post
Troy Davis Execution Strikes a Chord Amongst Young People, Especially on Facebook
As I checked my Facebook page early this morning, I was shocked at what I saw. It wasn’t the standard barrage of meaningless or self-absorbed status updates (of which I am guilty of at times). It was the unified voice of a generation. My generation to be specific. As I browsed through my news feed (the area where you can see what all of your contacts are talking about) it seemed as if every member of my “Facebook family” was united over the Troy Davis controversy. The interesting part is that the majority of the people I’m connected with on the site are in 20-30 year-old age bracket. Here are a few of the posts:
- Just goes to show how unjust and prejudice OUR judicial system STILL is. RIP Troy Davis.
- RIP Troy Davis #tears.
- God bless his family and give them peace during this moment in time.
- Saddened by the death of an innocent black man, frustrated with the justice system.
- One posted the following Malcolm X quote: If you are not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.
I could write an entire entry consisting of nothing but posts. And these comments weren’t just from other blacks. Blacks and whites took notice of this significant moment in American history. For whatever the reason may be (deeper than the average social injustice), the situation surrounding Troy Davis struck a chord with my generation in a way that few things ever have. Something about Troy Davis and his plight really made people genuinely upset at the justice system of this country. Earlier tonight, filmmaker and activist Michael Moore was a guest on the Current TV news show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann. During the interview he demanded that his recently released book, Here Comes Trouble: Stories From My Life, be pulled from the state of Georgia.
I profess that I haven’t really been in the loop of this case. I heard the name in the news recently, but I didn’t know the history behind the man and his battle against the legal system in Georgia until yesterday. To put it briefly, Davis was convicted in the murder of an off-duty police officer in 1989 and sentenced to death in 1991. In the ensuing years many witnesses changed or recanted all or part of their testimony. New evidence arose that seriously questioned whether he committed the crime. He successfully stayed three previous execution dates, but after a last minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied, he was executed last night at 11:08 p.m.
The entire situation surrounding his execution has really opened up a can of worms pertaining to the racial divide of the American legal system and the purpose of the death penalty in general. One story I read reported that the slain officer’s mother expressed that she would be at peace once Davis was executed. I’ve never lost a loved one due to murder and only she knows deep in her heart if she really believes Davis committed the crime or not. Under any circumstance, I will not judge her for having those feelings. Whether he was truly innocent or not, the general consensus among the American people is that a grave travesty of injustice occurred.
One positive thing to come out of this situation is that young people are talking about important issues again. Instead of using Facebook to vent about a failed relationship or complain about the new layout (which is very confusing), the vast majority of my peers used it as a forum to discuss a relevant social topic.
Social media is a powerful tool that can cause great change when used in the proper context. For those who really feel that an injustice occurred, use Facebook and Twitter as a means to civilly voice your discontentment to your local, state, and national policy makers and members of the judicial system. Several political figures have Facebook and Twitter accounts which are operated by members of their staff ( and some by the actual people themselves). If this situation really matters to you, then do all you can to ensure that another act of injustice such as this will not happen again.
