June 18, 2024
On the general value -- and electoral benefits -- of respect...
I keep rewriting the intro to today’s link because I can’t decide where to start (this is my fifth go). So that I can send this out before I turn to dust, I’m just going to give you a numbered list of reasons, in no particular order, of why today’s column is so worthwhile.
For Democratic readers, The Liberal Patriot is, as far as I’m concerned, the best website to show the Democratic party’s depth of thought and potential for widespread appeal. Yes, it is tough on the party at times, but in an attempt to improve it, not destroy it.
For Republican readers, The Liberal Patriot is, as far as I’m concerned, the best website to show the Democratic party’s depth of thought and potential for widespread appeal. They also give Republican arguments their honest due and offer Republican voters the greatest respect. When you think of “the other side,” please think of The Liberal Patriot, not MSNBC.
For all readers, the author lays out the best description I’ve seen in some time of our political news cycle, which goes something like this: a prominent politician/cable news host/cable news guest on Side A says something inflammatory about Side B. A prominent politician/cable news host/cable news guest on Side B takes the line from Side A and uses it to justify retaliatory remarks. Side A airs Side B’s retaliation, hurls it back at Side B, and we all start praying for death.
The key word for me in the above scenario is “prominent.” Prominent is not the same thing as representative. These politicians, cable news hosts, and guests are prominent because they fit a type — angry, indignant, dramatic.1 The Liberal Patriot’s contributors strike me as far more representative of the Democratic electorate and, thus, a wonderful opportunity for both sides to break the feedback loop. (I know Donald Trump is a representative for his party. Today’s columnist addresses how representative he is of the party. Maybe that’s semantics, but I think it’s a distinction worth making if it’s there.)
I’ll stop at that, though I could happily go on. I hope you enjoy the column, and I hope you bookmark The Liberal Patriot no matter your political bent. They do phenomenal work there.
David Brooks wrote a piece earlier this year called “Chicken Littles Are Ruining America” in which he describes his audition for CNN’s “Crossfire.” A producer on the show informed him prior to his screen test that what he said was less important than how angrily he reacted to his liberal co-host. The show wasn’t about an exchange of ideas. It was about a clash of wills. Fun.