Elite Media (4.00 / 5)

David identifies E. J. Dionne, Frank Rich, and Eugene Robinson as elite media journalists disputing the center-right meme. These are progressive writers who happen to have won contracts with major newspapers. It happens sometimes. A long time ago, the New York Post was a liberal paper from top to bottom!

It's not that the blogosphere has convinced Dionne and comrades. They are long-time liberals. Give them credit for that. Don't forget Harold Myerson.  

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by: jacobsdc @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 18:29:31 PM CST

Agreed, but... (0.00 / 0)

It's more to the point that they're writing about this topic as opposed to others, which is good.  I agree though, I couldn't even read Robinson or Rich during the campaign they were so biased.

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by: md @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 18:40:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Agreed (0.00 / 0)

It was pretty bad.  Dionne was up there with them, although Robinson and Rich were among the worst players.  

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by: damitajo1 @ Wed Nov 12, 2008 at 02:19:37 AM CST

[ Parent ]

EJ DIonne (0.00 / 0)

was advocating a pretty strong progressivism back when few other journalists were.

Frank Rich, well--let's just say he's a fine theater critic.

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by: david mizner @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 18:48:59 PM CST

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There's A Lot More Of Them, Actually (4.00 / 2)

These are some of the most progresive.

But there's really a lot of them who are generally progressive, which is why they are so easily played.  They want to be "fair" and "give both sides" which is the tepid residue of an ardent opposition to authoritarianism.  If something could only happen to wake them up to what's going on in the world right now, we wouldn't be hearing any more of this blather.  But about the only thing that would do that is if one of their family members ended up in Guantanamo.

And so we start out cheering on the low-hanging fruit.  What else can we do?  Other than furiously shaking the trees, that is!

"Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition"

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 19:21:26 PM CST

[ Parent ]

If You Keep Talking About A "Center-Right Nation" (0.00 / 0)

That means it exists - It doesn't!  It's right wing propaganda.  The majority doesn't know what it means nor care.  If you forget about it it will go away -  

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by: steve katz @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 18:39:02 PM CST

Weird comment (4.00 / 4)

When the establishment press turns on Obama for "governing as a liberal in a center right nation" and accuses him of breaking his campaign promise to govern as a non-ideological centrist, the majority will get the message loud and clear. That's why telling the true story of the election and of the country's makeup is important.

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by: david mizner @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 18:42:27 PM CST

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We Are A Center Left Nation? (0.00 / 0)

Take a look at Robert Borosage's column at HP The Center Left Nation

On issue after issue, moderates stand with liberals, not conservatives. This is a center-left nation.

Republicans are not only an aging, monochromatic, regional minority party. They not only must now suffer the circular firing squad that follows defeat. They not only struggle to find a compelling leader or a relevant agenda. They swim against the tide. They are a largely conservative party in a center-left nation. Obama's mandate is clear. And they'd be well advised to get out of the way.

Borosage echoes what I think.  My greater point is we should spend our ink on great governance, if America likes the job the president and congress are doing the right/left thing is moot and marginalized.

As far as the "establishment press turns on Obama for "governing as a liberal" they have to come up with so many columns a week and as you know writing is all about conflict.  So that leaves the positive thoughts to "naive" folk like me.

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by: steve katz @ Wed Nov 12, 2008 at 07:12:51 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Michael Dukakis Tried That Already, 20 Years Ago (0.00 / 0)

"This campaign is about cometence, not ideology," he said, in complete and utter denial of the fact that the other side was not about to stop with its ideological blather.

It was a real winning strategy... in his home state.

"Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition"

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by: Paul Rosenberg @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 19:23:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Pretty weak pushback, really (4.00 / 1)

He ignores the pile of empirical evidence showing that the United States is, at least on bread and butter issues, left-liberal in the Bernie Sanders mold. Instead, he just says that a center-right country wouldn't have elected John McCain and surmises that the county goes back and forth between center-left and center-right. Glad to have any sort of pushback, but journalists, elite or otherwise, should start using the info that exists, some of which I collect here.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

The truth is that on trade, taxes, the budget, health care, and the environment, Obama would have to move well to his left to meet most Americans where they are.

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by: david mizner @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 18:40:14 PM CST

Devil's advocate (4.00 / 3)

We are always quick to point out that this is a center-left (or lefter) nation based on the polling that shows broad support for liberal domestic policies. But we can't just ignore the many other indicators that support the center-right premise. If you were to ignore policy positions and instead look out our nation's handling of sexuality, gender, privacy, security, religion, taxation and militarism, we look very much like a rightist nation. We take the opposite approach, ignoring all of that and focusing on support for liberal governance.

I'd suggest this is all very regional, even though I'm sure I'd get attacked for bashing the South. But if you remove the South and the Mormon West from the equation, I think we could argue for a very liberal nation on virtually all fronts. But when we add in the most culturally conservative parts of the country - and they are very populous and very conservative - we need to accept that there is a large minority that is extremely conservative and they are the overwhelming majority in some states.

And all cultural issues aside, it is worth noting that the same populous that loves worthwhile social programs also hates taxes. How "left" is the nation if they just likes the idea of liberal governance but absolutely refuse to pay for it?

"Don't hate the media, become the media" -Jello Biafra

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by: LandStander @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 19:02:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

forget empiricism... (0.00 / 0)

this is all about discursive framing.  though of course it helps that we know we're the ones who are actually right.

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by: md @ Tue Nov 11, 2008 at 19:29:55 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Why: (4.00 / 1)

Why do you believe people who agree that the nation remains center-right are necessarily taking part in an "elite" or "conservative" conspiracy?  Ask a lot of poor black people or gays and lesbians whether they think the nation has swung widely to the left, and they will probably give you a more cynical response than Dionne, Rich, and Robinson.  Rich, by the way, argued that the election meant the "death" of the evil GOP; so for him to now say this means that he has emerged from his Obama-buzz.  

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by: damitajo1 @ Wed Nov 12, 2008 at 02:17:32 AM CST