The circle of nonsense - the polls, the media, the politicians - came to me listening to Diane Rehm
today.
They had, among others, David Corn on their panel (good!), as well as Michael Gerson (yuck). they spent quite a bit of time talking about the blame, effects, etc of sequestration. At one point, both "sides" used the phrase "polling indicates..."
But polling is a measure, especially in these polarized times, of what the people "hear" - since it is clear that most people just live within their comfort zone, believe what they are told (which is how and why advertising works)....
And since lately it is all about false equivalence ("both sides do it"
, the whole concept of what is wrong or right for the country gets completely lost.
So politicians lie, endlessly campaign - and in the case of the right wing, in general, hypocritically sling the bible in one hand while screwing people with the other....it gets equal billing to those (yes, I am biased, but those on the left most often) who are trying to do some good for the country. The media reports and distorts it and gets into the "both sides do it" thing - people watch or read and whatever fits into their particular belief system is what gets reflected in polling.
So, so frustrating - and to me, a really major player is the bullshit of false equivalence. How to fix it, I've no idea....but once again I found myself in the car fuming listening to the crap coming out of my radio....
= new reply since forum marked as read
Should she expose points of view to "the light of day," or limit her guests based on her judgement?
Remember, it's show business. 
--imm
I haven't experienced her guests get away with lying. For the most part she lets both sides get their points in (and allows the callers to make the rest).
Today Micheal Gerson was trying to make the point that GW Bush ran on Social Security reform and since he "won" (cough), then Congress theoretically should have supported the peoples' will (this was in response to a David Corn point that Congress should support Obama on tax increases on the wealthy since Obama won campaigning on that point).
Diane said emphatically that GW Bush's own appointed panel came back with points refuting GW Bush's own talking points on SS. She didn't let Gerson get away with that false equivalence at all.
POV.
Or else its only Dems who listen to her...
She has some pretty smart callers who get on air and call out the "false equivalence" which she then almost always agrees with the caller.
Today she smacked down Gerson pretty hard on his own faulty "false equivalence" about the Shrub and his Soc Sec.
but I find she doesn't nearly enough fight the false equivalence with what she is hearing from her calls (I suppose trying to appear to be "fair and balanced"?).
I find the call ins of more value - or at least more comforting - than much of what I hear on the show, to tell the truth!
but honestly, she's probably the last show that truly has a REAL leftie and a REAL rightie go head to head.
So yeah, she DOES work hard to keep the convo civil. David Corn is always a blast because he can get pretty revved up (I love that!)
The calls are the best part imho. I never fail to smile when she gets a Rethug calling in complaining that her show is "too left". She NEVER gets a caller saying her show is "too right" - only those calling the guests on the false equivalence.
I schedule myself to do paperwork at 9am every Friday so I can catch "The Friday News Roundup" every week. One of the better broadcasts on radio in a swamp of trash imho.
back atcha!
