There was a time when most of us accepted simple facts as true without much question. If Walter Cronkite said there was an oil spill off the coast of San Diego for example, we felt confident in saying there was an oil spill off the coast of San Diego. If our teacher told us that Lansing was the capitol of Michigan we did not question it. I believe such acceptance of what we read or are told began to change with the Kennedy assasination. It was at this time that there appeared to be the beginning of ongoing conspiracy theories, including such questions as to whether men actually walked on the moon. We still accept many things as true, but often it's because these potential truths conform to our particular point of view rather than because they are backed up by any observable facts.
Take the Fox News Network if I may. On a recent news show, not a commentary or opinion show, the lead broadcaster began her news story by saying something like: After one year in office the Obama Administration continues to blame President Bush for leaving him a mess, particularly on the economy. The newscaster went on to talk about how every time there is a question about problems with the economy the Obama administration wants to blame George Bush instead of accepting responsibility for the problems we face. I repeat, this was a news show. However, this represents not an informational newscast, but an agenda driven program. First, the news anchor makes clear that it is not appropriate to blame George Bush for anything that is wrong today. That of course is an opinion, not a fact. Further, it is made clear that it is not appropriate to discuss anything that happened before Obama became President. How does one fix a problem if one can not explore where it came from? But Fox News makes it clear that nothing that happened before January 2009 can be discussed unless you want Fox News to label you as a whiner, complainer, and unwilling to accept responsibility for your own failures. Of course if you agree with this point of view, you may see this as a fair and balanced newscast, which is precisely why it is not. The news media has a responsiblility to report the news, not present a point of view carefully calculated to obtain your agreement.
One result of such a slanted news media is an inability to distinguish fact from opinion. The issue of trying Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in federal court comes to mind. Again, Fox news over and over questions why Abdulmutallab is not being charged in military court. The impression is given that this can only be because Obama is weak on terrorism. Their reporting makes clear that it is inappropriate to charge this man in federal court, and the fate of our country hangs in the balance if this decision is not changed. Clearly there is a group that believes this man should be tried in a military tribunal. However, when you add Fox news and other right wing media outlets pushing this agenda there is an overwhelming thrust to convince the American people that this position is the only one that makes any sense.
Yet, the facts simply don't support this position. How does one convey how distorted this position is when there is so much noise being made by those who are determined to undo this decision? Consider an article fron the Los Angeles Times of 11/29, 2009 by Andrew Napolitano. Napolitano incidentally has been a legal analyst for the aforementioned Fox News. Napolitano places some inconvenient facts on the table. The Supreme Court has five times challenged the constitutionality of George Bush's military tribunals and Bush lost each time. The Supreme Court has ruled that a formal declaration of war is the legal prerequisite for trying a foreigner in a military court of law. The usual method of trying such defendants is and has been in criminal court, and the track record of doing that has been good. Those tried in a criminal court include, Timothy McVeigh, Omar Abdel Rahmin (convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing), Zacarias Moussaoui of the 9/11 attack, John Walker Lindh (known as the American Taliban), and Richard Reed (the famous shoe bomber). There was even the case of the Fort Dix six, five of whom were convicted in a plot to invade Ft. Dix in New Jersey.
It may be that Abdulmutallab should be tried in a military tribunal. However, one would have to prove that there were very unusal circumstances in order to propose such a transfer. The fact, which continues to be obscured by many media outlets, is that the usual and customary venue for such terrorists is federal court, and the courts have been quite successful in litigating these matters.
It just appears to be very difficult for the truth to be heard. There are those who appear to have no interest in truth or in facts. They have a point of view and they are determined to foist it on the public. They repeat their distortions over and over again believing that eventually every one will assume they are facts even though they aren't. When Rudy Giuliani said there had been no terrorist attack during George Bush's administration, but that there had been in Barack Obama's administration, he knew what he was saying. The fact that he was wrong did not matter, because if enough people continue to say what he said it will become conventional wisdom and will be accepted as fact. Only the mainstream media can challenge people on these kinds of utterances. In fairness to the media they actually did a pretty good job on Giuliani's comments, however, I continue to hear this kind of inaccurate statement being made as fact. It would be interesting to poll and see how many people believe that there was no terror attack during the Bush administration. Again, what does it take to pursue the truth?
Of course, the right wing has no monopoly on distorting the truth, but they do seem to have it down to a science. Unfortunately, the mainstream media still seems content to say that all sides are guilty of playing loose with the facts, suggesting that there is no difference between the two parties. Yet as long as distinctions are not made, Fox News and right wing politicians can repeat their clearly distorted assertions over and over again with impunity. As long as health care reform for example, can continue to be characterized as a government take over, without being challenged by the media, it is difficult for reasonable voices to be heard. An entire network posing as fair and balanced news is not informing the public but promoting an agenda. It is time the mainstream news media makes clear that what Fox News is doing is not normal reporting of the news, and it is not fair and balanced. Fox can operate however it chooses, but people need to be able to see it for what it is - a venue for right wing opposition to the current administration.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fallout From Massachusettes
Let there be no doubt. The Republican victory in Massachusettes is a real stunner. It is impossible to overstate the enormity of this win. The spin from the left will be that Attorney General Martha Coakley ran a poor campaign, took her victory for granted, and didn't really bother to get out there and talk to the voters. She was ahead by 30 points and only by serious ineptitude did she manage to loose this campaign for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.
I believe all these statements are almost certainly true. They do not however, do justice to the seismic event that has occurred. Start with turnout. Democrats worked hard during the last two weeks of the campaign and actually got large numbers of their voters to the polls. Massive turnout of disaffected voters in the suburbs and other locations also occurred. Somebody was angry out there and all of the last minute grass roots efforts by Democrats was not enough to overcome the excitement that had been generated for Scott Brown and the anger that was directed at politicians in Washington.
What is going on? The most significant problem of course is that too many people are still hurting. The existence of 10% unemployment means a lot of people are going to be upset no matter what anybody does. If I have no job, I'm not going to be happy with any activity in Washington until I have a job. Because of the unemployment picture several concerns surface that with lower unemployment would be less likely to create as much anger. People feel the government is spending too much money. They see the spending as creating debt for themselves and their children that is unacceptable. Bailouts are a problem because again, they have not helped the man on the street. Government has helped out banks and the wealthy, but ordinary people are still suffering. Health care has been trashed unfairly by too many politicians, but the arguments have resonance because however good an idea it might be, it is hard to see how it will help people find work. It is another indication that government is spending time on the wrong issues. When the unseemly wheeling and dealing to get health care passed is added to the equation, anger grows and government is blamed.
I disagree with the interpretation of just about every issue cited in the previous paragraph. I believe Republicans have distorted realities and stirred up poeple to come to conclusions which I don't believe are supported by the actual facts. Yet, the fact that I feel that way means nothing. I believe the previous paragraph reflects where a large part of the country is right now. Is it a majority? Not yet. It is more likely closer to the national split we have developed in this country since at least the Clinton presidency. The important point is it would be a terrible mistake for the Democrats to write-off Massachusettes as an unfortunate anomaly and try to move forward with business as usual.
What to do? I continue to believe the biggest failure of the Obama administration has been its inability to talk to the people about his agenda and convey its importance and why it is expected to produce positive results. I believed from the inauguration that Obama needed to begin something like Roosevelt's fireside chats and attempt to explain his plans in ways that really connect with the American people. While his inspirational rhetoric was instrumental in getting him elected, I believe at this point it may well be counterproductive. The fact that it can be dismissed with such disturbing slogans as 'even Hitler gave good speeches' should give one pause. Inspiration is good, but people need to believe that there is a meaningful plan that sounds like it could actually work.
What to do about health care? I continue to believe that despite the fact that the climate out there has changed, it is still imperative to pass a bill and get health care off the stage. In addition to everything I said in an earlier paragraph there is the feeling that government just isn't working. Of course that is because Republicans are being obstructionist, but nobody cares about that. Obama is the president, and he has a Democratic congress. It is his job to get something done. At the moment that something is health care. If some don't like it, and if additional deals need to be struck to pass it, so be it. It will add to the disgruntlement of some. However, it will create an achievement, and a passed health care bill will look a lot better than a failed bill in terms of government working.
Is there life after health care? Financial reform is critical. With the changed climate it would be a good time to bring Republicans and Democrats together to craft a bipartisan bill that can pass. It likely will not be what Democrats would produce on their own, but now is the time to reintroduce the concept of bipartisanship and find at least some Republicans willing to come on board. A lot of issues such as immmigration and energy may have to be scaled back or altered to account for new realities on the ground, but Democrats must show that they understand what people are feeling even if they believe their point of view represents a distortion.
Spending money is probably the clearest example of where the administration needs a new tack. How does one explain convincingly to voters that we share their concern about specnding and have every intention of reducing spending but that what has been spent so far and what may yet need to be spent are critical to the survival of the economy? Maybe better statistics will show the role the stimulus has had in averting a depression. Maybe evidence of how spent dollars have made a difference for individuals and families needs to be highlighted. Maybe also some honest admissions of spending that has gone awry and has been inappropriate may also be helpful. But spending, the economy, and jobs are front ansd center now, and I believe the selling job for what has been done and still needs to be done is as important or more important the any specific programs that may be implemented.
Finally, the left wing of the Democratic party needs to get on board and support this president. They need to recognize that some of their goals, however laudable, are simply not doable in the political climate of today. Masachusettes should teach that if it teaches anything. Those who think the answer is to propose more radical solutions are in league with those Republicans who believe the more conservative they become the more likely they will win. I believe the evidence shows this country can only be governed from the center. The squabble among Demograts has only served to further the confusion among voters as to whether the Obama program can really be positive if so many members of his own party are not supportive. The presidency of Ronald Reagan is a prime example. He did not govern as an all out conservative, especially on social issues. Yet conservatives supported him without question and he was able to implement a great deal of his agenda. Liberal Democrats can do no less for President Obama.
Bottom line - we have an electorate that is not convinced that the current program is the right one for progress in our country today. If Democrats continue to believe that by and large the president has the right formula for success, they need to figure out a better way to convey the importance of that agenda to the American people. Nothing succeeds like success, so progress and passing some of these program elements such as health care will be critically important. Equally important, however, is helping those disaffected voters understand just why this agenda is so vital and needs to be enacted during the next three years.
I believe all these statements are almost certainly true. They do not however, do justice to the seismic event that has occurred. Start with turnout. Democrats worked hard during the last two weeks of the campaign and actually got large numbers of their voters to the polls. Massive turnout of disaffected voters in the suburbs and other locations also occurred. Somebody was angry out there and all of the last minute grass roots efforts by Democrats was not enough to overcome the excitement that had been generated for Scott Brown and the anger that was directed at politicians in Washington.
What is going on? The most significant problem of course is that too many people are still hurting. The existence of 10% unemployment means a lot of people are going to be upset no matter what anybody does. If I have no job, I'm not going to be happy with any activity in Washington until I have a job. Because of the unemployment picture several concerns surface that with lower unemployment would be less likely to create as much anger. People feel the government is spending too much money. They see the spending as creating debt for themselves and their children that is unacceptable. Bailouts are a problem because again, they have not helped the man on the street. Government has helped out banks and the wealthy, but ordinary people are still suffering. Health care has been trashed unfairly by too many politicians, but the arguments have resonance because however good an idea it might be, it is hard to see how it will help people find work. It is another indication that government is spending time on the wrong issues. When the unseemly wheeling and dealing to get health care passed is added to the equation, anger grows and government is blamed.
I disagree with the interpretation of just about every issue cited in the previous paragraph. I believe Republicans have distorted realities and stirred up poeple to come to conclusions which I don't believe are supported by the actual facts. Yet, the fact that I feel that way means nothing. I believe the previous paragraph reflects where a large part of the country is right now. Is it a majority? Not yet. It is more likely closer to the national split we have developed in this country since at least the Clinton presidency. The important point is it would be a terrible mistake for the Democrats to write-off Massachusettes as an unfortunate anomaly and try to move forward with business as usual.
What to do? I continue to believe the biggest failure of the Obama administration has been its inability to talk to the people about his agenda and convey its importance and why it is expected to produce positive results. I believed from the inauguration that Obama needed to begin something like Roosevelt's fireside chats and attempt to explain his plans in ways that really connect with the American people. While his inspirational rhetoric was instrumental in getting him elected, I believe at this point it may well be counterproductive. The fact that it can be dismissed with such disturbing slogans as 'even Hitler gave good speeches' should give one pause. Inspiration is good, but people need to believe that there is a meaningful plan that sounds like it could actually work.
What to do about health care? I continue to believe that despite the fact that the climate out there has changed, it is still imperative to pass a bill and get health care off the stage. In addition to everything I said in an earlier paragraph there is the feeling that government just isn't working. Of course that is because Republicans are being obstructionist, but nobody cares about that. Obama is the president, and he has a Democratic congress. It is his job to get something done. At the moment that something is health care. If some don't like it, and if additional deals need to be struck to pass it, so be it. It will add to the disgruntlement of some. However, it will create an achievement, and a passed health care bill will look a lot better than a failed bill in terms of government working.
Is there life after health care? Financial reform is critical. With the changed climate it would be a good time to bring Republicans and Democrats together to craft a bipartisan bill that can pass. It likely will not be what Democrats would produce on their own, but now is the time to reintroduce the concept of bipartisanship and find at least some Republicans willing to come on board. A lot of issues such as immmigration and energy may have to be scaled back or altered to account for new realities on the ground, but Democrats must show that they understand what people are feeling even if they believe their point of view represents a distortion.
Spending money is probably the clearest example of where the administration needs a new tack. How does one explain convincingly to voters that we share their concern about specnding and have every intention of reducing spending but that what has been spent so far and what may yet need to be spent are critical to the survival of the economy? Maybe better statistics will show the role the stimulus has had in averting a depression. Maybe evidence of how spent dollars have made a difference for individuals and families needs to be highlighted. Maybe also some honest admissions of spending that has gone awry and has been inappropriate may also be helpful. But spending, the economy, and jobs are front ansd center now, and I believe the selling job for what has been done and still needs to be done is as important or more important the any specific programs that may be implemented.
Finally, the left wing of the Democratic party needs to get on board and support this president. They need to recognize that some of their goals, however laudable, are simply not doable in the political climate of today. Masachusettes should teach that if it teaches anything. Those who think the answer is to propose more radical solutions are in league with those Republicans who believe the more conservative they become the more likely they will win. I believe the evidence shows this country can only be governed from the center. The squabble among Demograts has only served to further the confusion among voters as to whether the Obama program can really be positive if so many members of his own party are not supportive. The presidency of Ronald Reagan is a prime example. He did not govern as an all out conservative, especially on social issues. Yet conservatives supported him without question and he was able to implement a great deal of his agenda. Liberal Democrats can do no less for President Obama.
Bottom line - we have an electorate that is not convinced that the current program is the right one for progress in our country today. If Democrats continue to believe that by and large the president has the right formula for success, they need to figure out a better way to convey the importance of that agenda to the American people. Nothing succeeds like success, so progress and passing some of these program elements such as health care will be critically important. Equally important, however, is helping those disaffected voters understand just why this agenda is so vital and needs to be enacted during the next three years.
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Obama Presidency After One Year
Every time President Obama speaks about an issue he plans to tackle, he invariably mentions that it will not be easy to achieve success. Perhaps unwittingly he has accurately described his first year in office. Clearly, nothing has been easy. The question arises as to what if anything has gone wrong, and what hope, if any, there may be for the future.
What is perhaps most striking is the current reaction to issues that Obama ran on that were supported by a significant majority of Americans. It is almost hard to remember that among the more popular issues of the campaign were closing Guantanamo, focusing on the war in Afghanistan, and Health Care. Did Obama botch these once popular issues, have conditions in the country changed, or are there other forces at work that have created so much contention on once popular goals?
That famous vast right wing conspiracy comes to mind. Initially there were a few weeks of comity with this White House. There were bipartisan meetings with the President. There was talk of working together to solve a variety of problems. Then almost on cue there was not a single Republican who could find anything good to say about what the President was trying to do. I must say that it is impossible to believe that every Republican Senator and Congressman believe exactly the same things, yet there was suddenly no deviation from a rigid set of talking points. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've never seen a gathering of two or more people where everyone agreed on anything. Democrats have certainly run the gamut of the political spectrum on their views in this congress thus far. Can Republicans be that uniform or are they the victim of some sort of mind control. Frankly, the one thing that Republicans apparently did agree on is that it was in their political interest to 'just say no', and they have.
The partisanship seemed to start with the venerable Rush Limbaugh insisting that he wanted this president to fail. Which Congressman was it who said if we can defeat the president on health care it will be his Waterloo? The first order of business, the stimulus package, garnered no House Republicans and two Republican senators. One of these senators, Arlen Spector, saw the handwriting on the wall in terms of the intended Republican strategy. He switched parties because he was so uncomfortable with where his party was headed.
Just a word on the stimulus bill. It clearly could have been better. It has not been as effective as it might have been. For example, I think most would agree that more infrastructure spending would have improved the bill. Yet, despite the naysayers, it has also clearly worked. Together with Federal Reserve policies, it has brought us back from the brink of depression, the economy is actually rumbling along pretty well at this point, and there are signs that job creation may not be far behind. Frankly the evidence is that Republicans were just wrong on this issue, but facts don't seem to be their concern.
As for the war in Afghanistan conditions have changed. We are experiencing more casualties and it is now clear that this is going to be a far more difficult endeavor than many originally believed. Interestingly, this is the one area where there is at least some Republican support. The verdict on where this war is going is still a long way from certain. As for health care we have been inflicted with everything from death panels to the oft repeated maxim that the government is engineering a takeover of the health care system. The truth plays little role in the debate. What is most amazing is that while there are legitimate reasons to be critical of this health care bill, the real issues are not what are being discussed. Why worry about facts when misinformation seems to be pretty effective in derailing health care.
Lest this turn into an entirely partisan column a few words need to be said about the administration's failures in this first year. Clearly the administration has lost control of the message. First of all, the president needs more heavy hitters out promoting his positions. At times he has seemed to be the only person defending the work of his administration. He also needs to do a better job of explaining in simple terms why he is doing what he's doing. The president does a great job with the big picture and inspirational language and vision, but in trying to explain to dare I say 'Joe the Plumber' why a particular initiative would be good for him, I don't think the president has been able to make the sell. Nobody was better at explaining complicated issues in a way that made sense to the rest of us than Bill Clinton. Also, while Republican discipline and lock step posturing has in my mind been disturbing at best, Democrats have self destructed by not being able to move forward on any issue. The unseemly horse trading on health care has done nothing to further their aims. Even Bill Clinton produced greater party unity during the first year of his administration. If the Democrats cannot work together to get health care passed at the beginning of this administration maybe they really are not capable of governing.
What will year number two be like? Better. Health care will pass soon. It will be far from perfect, but it will move the ball forward dramatically. The Democratic Congress will finally have a major accomplishment and even those who don't like it will recognize that something significant has occurred. The economy will continue to improve, and the unemployment rate will begin to go down, albeit slowly. People will feel better about where they are going and consumer confidence will improve. The most important factor, results and success, will finally move the president's ratings in a positive direction. The November elections may not benefit from this improvement since the changes may not come soon enough. However, congressional gains by Republicans may be at least minimized, and the changes will give this president a second chance to be a successful president and to earn a second term.
The one caveat is the foreign policy area. Conditions are difficult around the globe right now, and will remain unpredictable well into the future. Republicans are unfairly attacking the president as being weak. The former vice president is shameless in his ongoing critiques. I believe, however, if the president demonstrates a firm hand in dealing with issues as they arise, and shows some results perhaps with North Korea and even Iran some of the criticism will recede and an awareness will grow that one can be firm and unyielding and at the same time be willing to negotiate and explore non military options. No one said it better than John Kennedy, "We shall never negotiate out of fear, but we shall never fear to negotiate."
What is perhaps most striking is the current reaction to issues that Obama ran on that were supported by a significant majority of Americans. It is almost hard to remember that among the more popular issues of the campaign were closing Guantanamo, focusing on the war in Afghanistan, and Health Care. Did Obama botch these once popular issues, have conditions in the country changed, or are there other forces at work that have created so much contention on once popular goals?
That famous vast right wing conspiracy comes to mind. Initially there were a few weeks of comity with this White House. There were bipartisan meetings with the President. There was talk of working together to solve a variety of problems. Then almost on cue there was not a single Republican who could find anything good to say about what the President was trying to do. I must say that it is impossible to believe that every Republican Senator and Congressman believe exactly the same things, yet there was suddenly no deviation from a rigid set of talking points. Maybe I'm wrong, but I've never seen a gathering of two or more people where everyone agreed on anything. Democrats have certainly run the gamut of the political spectrum on their views in this congress thus far. Can Republicans be that uniform or are they the victim of some sort of mind control. Frankly, the one thing that Republicans apparently did agree on is that it was in their political interest to 'just say no', and they have.
The partisanship seemed to start with the venerable Rush Limbaugh insisting that he wanted this president to fail. Which Congressman was it who said if we can defeat the president on health care it will be his Waterloo? The first order of business, the stimulus package, garnered no House Republicans and two Republican senators. One of these senators, Arlen Spector, saw the handwriting on the wall in terms of the intended Republican strategy. He switched parties because he was so uncomfortable with where his party was headed.
Just a word on the stimulus bill. It clearly could have been better. It has not been as effective as it might have been. For example, I think most would agree that more infrastructure spending would have improved the bill. Yet, despite the naysayers, it has also clearly worked. Together with Federal Reserve policies, it has brought us back from the brink of depression, the economy is actually rumbling along pretty well at this point, and there are signs that job creation may not be far behind. Frankly the evidence is that Republicans were just wrong on this issue, but facts don't seem to be their concern.
As for the war in Afghanistan conditions have changed. We are experiencing more casualties and it is now clear that this is going to be a far more difficult endeavor than many originally believed. Interestingly, this is the one area where there is at least some Republican support. The verdict on where this war is going is still a long way from certain. As for health care we have been inflicted with everything from death panels to the oft repeated maxim that the government is engineering a takeover of the health care system. The truth plays little role in the debate. What is most amazing is that while there are legitimate reasons to be critical of this health care bill, the real issues are not what are being discussed. Why worry about facts when misinformation seems to be pretty effective in derailing health care.
Lest this turn into an entirely partisan column a few words need to be said about the administration's failures in this first year. Clearly the administration has lost control of the message. First of all, the president needs more heavy hitters out promoting his positions. At times he has seemed to be the only person defending the work of his administration. He also needs to do a better job of explaining in simple terms why he is doing what he's doing. The president does a great job with the big picture and inspirational language and vision, but in trying to explain to dare I say 'Joe the Plumber' why a particular initiative would be good for him, I don't think the president has been able to make the sell. Nobody was better at explaining complicated issues in a way that made sense to the rest of us than Bill Clinton. Also, while Republican discipline and lock step posturing has in my mind been disturbing at best, Democrats have self destructed by not being able to move forward on any issue. The unseemly horse trading on health care has done nothing to further their aims. Even Bill Clinton produced greater party unity during the first year of his administration. If the Democrats cannot work together to get health care passed at the beginning of this administration maybe they really are not capable of governing.
What will year number two be like? Better. Health care will pass soon. It will be far from perfect, but it will move the ball forward dramatically. The Democratic Congress will finally have a major accomplishment and even those who don't like it will recognize that something significant has occurred. The economy will continue to improve, and the unemployment rate will begin to go down, albeit slowly. People will feel better about where they are going and consumer confidence will improve. The most important factor, results and success, will finally move the president's ratings in a positive direction. The November elections may not benefit from this improvement since the changes may not come soon enough. However, congressional gains by Republicans may be at least minimized, and the changes will give this president a second chance to be a successful president and to earn a second term.
The one caveat is the foreign policy area. Conditions are difficult around the globe right now, and will remain unpredictable well into the future. Republicans are unfairly attacking the president as being weak. The former vice president is shameless in his ongoing critiques. I believe, however, if the president demonstrates a firm hand in dealing with issues as they arise, and shows some results perhaps with North Korea and even Iran some of the criticism will recede and an awareness will grow that one can be firm and unyielding and at the same time be willing to negotiate and explore non military options. No one said it better than John Kennedy, "We shall never negotiate out of fear, but we shall never fear to negotiate."
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