After all the complaining I've done about the media ignoring Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein of late, it's only fair to note that the two respected political scientists finally got some must-see airtime on a Sunday show over the weekend. The fine folks at "Up With Chris Hayes" welcomed the scholars to the show yesterday for three -- count em', one, two, three -- segments on the program.
For those looking for a quick refresher, Mann and Ornstein -- celebrated and respected figures of the Washington establishment -- recently argued in an impressive op-ed, "Let's just say it: The Republicans are the problem." It's part of a thesis explored in their new book, "It's Even Worse Than It Seems," and by all appearances, it's the kind of argument that should spur some debate within the political establishment. By and large, the opposite has happened.
For Mann and Ornstein, blaming "both sides" for what ails Washington is no longer accurate, and only exacerbates the problems posed by the radicalization of today's Republican Party. "When one party moves this far from the mainstream," they argued, "it makes it nearly impossible for the political system to deal constructively with the country's challenges."
Mann and Ornstein added in print, "The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition."
It's the kind of provocative argument that warrants serious national debate, but which has instead been met with silence from the establishment.
On the air with Chris yesterday, the two were able to elaborate on the thesis, and the segments are definitely worth your time.
Remember, Mann and Ornstein aren't just two random political scientists with a striking book and op-ed. Mann and Ornstein enjoy almost unparalleled credibility with the Beltway establishment, and are generally accepted as centrist observers, not ideologues or partisan bomb-throwers. For years, these two have been cited constantly as objective experts.
That is, until they decided to drop the "both sides are always to blame" canard, at which point, their phones stopped ringing. It's as if these two broke an unwritten rule, and the Sunday shows that used to keep Mann and Ornstein on speed dial decided their respected insights were no longer welcome.
I fear this will serve as an example that sends a message to the larger political world: no matter how credible you are, if you accurately hold Republicans responsible for their misconduct, without blaming Democrats with equal force, you'll be shunned.
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Do you think it might have something to do with media ownership?
These guys were on The Diane Rehm Show back on May 7th, 2012. It was a good hour. I'll have to check to see if Charlie Rose has had them yet.
Their book, or at least their interviews on Diane Rehm or Chris Hays should be required before casting votes this fall. Actually, also tomorrow in the WI recall election.
I think it has a lot to do with mass-media collusion to fix prices. Things like this used to be called a monopoly or a conspiracy that could be attacked legally with laws against organized crime like RICO. This was a better country when the FCC enforced the equal time provision. Why? -Because it generally prevented the kind of political propaganda that undermines the foundations of our democracy in favor of fascism and oligarchy.
My favorite suggestion to combat this is to establish a new broadcast news network and call it the "Fair And Balanced Channel". Of course, FOX NEWS and parent company Newscorp would file a lawsuit. THEN the world would get an opportunity for discovery as to whether FOX is actually fair and balanced, or whether they use that tag line primarily to fool the public.
They own everything that Buffet doesn't, and the Supreme Court has made it legal for them to buy elections with all those tax breaks we so foolishly gave them. Ah, the rich at play. All they ever want to do earn what theirs and take some of yours while their at it.
Chris Hayes is an absolute TREASURE! It's wonderful that Mann and Ornstein got this one airing at least.
Sigh,
The trouble is that they are only "preaching to the choir"! What Mann and Ornstein need to do is get coverage on general media (they are never going to get on FOX) so that other people can hear them! It does no good to tell US, we already know this!! But most of what compromises John Q Public doesn't have a clue!
Dare we call them heroes? Along with Chris Hayes, until he backpedaled on his original "discussion" of the extreme use of the term hero for anyone who even got near combat? Until NBC releases its hold on the moderate/progressive speakers on its network, we will see only a limited version of truth.
Not "blaming both sides" makes it too much more difficult to gin up the "horse race" that the corporately owned media uses to maximize their profits. Can't have anything getting in the way of that...
This was an excellent segment (well, three segments - I watched it straight through twice). I'd also be interested to see Rachel conduct her kind of interview (Chris Hayes hosts more of a free ranging discussion with occasional direction). So glad SOMEONE decided to have these very interesting men on.
Tune in to the Daily Show tonight to see Mann and Ornstein. I only wish my tea party family would watch and listen to what they have to say.
The pathological opposition in the extreme by Republicans will find our center of government, in terms of our social and economic programs, further to the right than would have been but for that opposition. In other words, they win.
It would not make a difference if all of the mainstream media gave Mann and Ornstein a venue to express their opinions. The radicals do not care and the progressives have already made the same conclusion. It is the voters in the middle that need to be convinced and if they cannot figure that out by now, they never will get it. What has been happening in Washington has received ample coverage and if you don't have an opinion by now, then you really haven't been paying attention.
whoa! So where are those in the middle going to get the information? Do they watch only FOX? Is CNN covering Mann and Ornstein? If it's not on CBS, ABC, PBS, and NBC, but on only MSNBC, how "will they get it?" Awareness is curative...let them at least be exposed to the information so they can be aware. Don't assume if "they haven't figured it out by now, they never will get it." You may be right, but let's get them on the morning programs and the nightly news at least once or twice to increase the exposure. Don't cede the argument to FOX and the right, yet! Please!
I loved the first segment where only Mann and Ornstein and Chris spoke and kept Steele from monopolizing (which he did later) and Barnard once again putting forth the "it must be Obama's fault that he's not talking with Republicans." If Newt Gingrich was such a person that Bill Clinton could persuade (and vice versa) to make deals, where's his counterpart today? Boehner? McConnell? We know where they all stand. Rachel needs to have these men on also (and not include Steele.)
Thanks for calling attention to the show yesterday and putting the links so we could see all three parts.
To go along with judy's point , most folks have little time to catch these details , so when there is a out right black out , an opin/truth like this is missed for sure ..
This subject is frustrating because the gop can lie all day , get it in their talking points on the msm , and the dems contradicting it with the truth amounts to nothing , 50% of the population are supporting fabrications , as these gentleman with the book are pointing out , it will destroy america eventually , we will be naziland ...
My friends that vote gop were able to pretend they were not extremist before , now they can not lie about it , anyone claiming to be a moderate gop is a joke
As Orwell said (approximately): it is difficult to get a man to accept as fact something for which it is in his financial interest to not accept as fact. For the Washington establishment to admit that the GOP is now the party of Southern Treason, which treason hasn't changed in 150 years, is to wreck all their well-paid careers saying the opposite.
It was Upton Sinclair: 'It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.' There are many in the media who have a strong interest in understanding very little.
Damn the video here as well as the links show:
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They were on The Daily Show last night. The episode should repeat today at 7:30pm.