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Differing Realities

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:22:07 PM EST
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liburro points us to this in last weekend's NYTimes magazine:

“If voters are similarly polarized and if they’re seeing two different realities, a Sean Hannity reality and a Keith Olbermann reality, then we’re not going to be able to get done the work we need to get done,” Obama said.

He said it, I didn't.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

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    Differing Realities | 26 comments (26 topical)

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    Don't blame me, Obama says, (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by oculus on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:30:44 PM EST
    if I don't accomplish anything as President.  Blame TV!  (At least no blame for Hillary!)

    Well, Hillary got Olberman mad (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by Stellaaa on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:49:35 PM EST
    and polarized, therefore it is Hillary's fault, get it?

    Parent
    Need that [snark] tag... (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Fabian on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 03:13:48 PM EST
    (For those who don't recognize classic abuser logic, this is the old "Why did you make me do it?" dodge.  The abuser, who is the controller in the relationship, declares that the abused is responsible for the abuse.)

    Parent
    I don't think we are.... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by kdog on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:32:47 PM EST
    that polarized...or should I say I hope we aren't.  The media likes to play it that way, but I don't buy it.

    One of the few things I like about Obama, that most left-leaners seem to hate, is his willingness to work together and find a common ground with the right.  I mean, we all have to live in this country, right and left leaners alike, there has got to be a give and take so we have a country we all can live in and love.

    Where there is genuine common ground (5.00 / 4) (#16)
    by ruffian on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 02:33:06 PM EST
    I applaud his ability to find it.  But I don't want him to make common ground for the sake of common ground.  For example, on social security, I can easily see him thinking compromising and giving some privatization is a good way to meet in the middle, regardless of the soundness of the policy.

    Parent
    Point taken.... (5.00 / 3) (#23)
    by kdog on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 05:35:30 PM EST
    the common ground has to truly be common ground, and not simply giving in to those who disagree and calling it a compromise.

    Parent
    K dog, I wouldn't have pegged you (none / 0) (#11)
    by oculus on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 01:30:41 PM EST
    as a "unity-schtick" type guy.

    Parent
    I'm very set in my beliefs.... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by kdog on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 01:50:13 PM EST
    and think I'm right and the next guy who disagrees is wrong...but I can still acknowledge that the other guy doesn't have to be evil because he disagrees, and we all have to live here.  

    Doesn't it bug you that our leaders are de-facto forbidden from admitting when the guy across the aisle has a point?  Who does that serve?

    Parent

    Good point. Obama is (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by oculus on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 01:57:11 PM EST
    willing to acknowledge the other person's good ideas.  That is a laudable quality.

    Parent
    What bugs me (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Demi Moaned on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 05:42:15 PM EST
    ... is when our leaders concede totally erroneous facts and support disastrous policies for the sake of appearing reasonable/moderate/centrist.

    I don't know too many leaders on our side who seem unwilling to grant the guy across the aisle a point.

    Parent

    Somerby as usual (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by Stellaaa on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:45:17 PM EST
    Gives a good spanking to "our side", and the winner is, my all time favorite hack, Josh

    We're all Drudge now: How big a Sully-clone is Marshall? In his first update, he responds to a reader who pointed to the obvious case of the Nixon campaigns. That's why I said the past 35 years, Josh replied. But Josh's second update shows why he has to go. Incredibly, Josh posts this tired old tripe from a reader. Simply put, we're all Matt Drudge now:

    E-MAIL TO TPM: I don't want to diminish the extent to which the McCain campaign has mired itself in the muck, but I think you are losing the forest for the trees. It should be noted that for whatever reason, McCain has so far refused to go places that Hillary went in the primary (Wright, explicit comments about "hard-working, white" Americans supporting her, distributing emails with pictures of Obama in Muslim garb, etc.).

    Good God! To this day, Josh continues to air that highlighted claim, which originally came from Drudge--a claim whose absurdity became clear within about ten minutes. (As an adept of The Cult of the Offhand Comment, Josh is also eager to throw in the "hard-working, white" quote.)

    Hasn't the public suffered enough from the actual Andrew Sullivan? Defending Bush, avoiding Campaign 2000, Josh makes himself a Serious Person. But you can't build a progressive politics by respecting the need of people like this to shape-shift the recent past.
    Comment in crowd= lynch mob (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Stellaaa on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:47:28 PM EST
    That was another of the absurdist extremes people are going towards.  The "wurlitzer" of demonization has been turned on full force and full idiocy.  

    Seems to me the USA is that polarized. (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by wurman on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 02:16:43 PM EST
    The culture war(s) happen to be a very clear and obvious divide for the nation.

    I would prefer that Obama, Reid, & Pelosi choose to steamroll the congressional GOP.

    It's my opinion that the multiple quagmires left by Bu$hInc will demand more energy & time than is available.  This should leave the god, guns, & gays klaptrap "off the table" for several years.  Also, it appears as if one or two appointments to the Supreme Court could or would make some of the conservative "fantasies" become hopelessly remote once again.

    The potential for 60 actual Democratic Party senators is a powerful dream that may be coming true & that, too, would push many of the right wing hopes into the background.

    I don't know which annoys me more (none / 0) (#1)
    by andgarden on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:24:43 PM EST
    Obama's false bifurcation or Olbermann-Hannity hackery.

    I've been as critical of KO as anyone (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by ruffian on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 02:22:03 PM EST
    In fact, I can't watch him anymore.  But even I would never go as far as to say he is as full of it as Sean Hannity.

    If Obama tries to find a middle ground between Hannity and Olbermann it is going to someplace around Joe Scarborough, ie. not in the left at all.

    Aaargh...after 8 years of knocking down Bush's strawmen, I was kind of hoping to get a rest.

    Parent

    I should add that Obama's golden mean solution (none / 0) (#2)
    by andgarden on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:25:28 PM EST
    doesn't do anything for me either.

    Parent
    It's quite ironic what relativists the (none / 0) (#3)
    by ThatOneVoter on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:26:28 PM EST
    right wingers have become in the last 25 years.
    I agree with Obama. First area for application of this maxim? Global warming.

    Some serious (none / 0) (#6)
    by lilburro on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:42:47 PM EST
    under the bus throwage right there.  If Obama wants to earn political points by putting Olbermann out there with Hannity, then I don't think Olbermann is ever going to come back from the brink.  How does one bounce back from that?

    I bet Olbermann is hurting.  

    I don't know. (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by dk on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 12:45:45 PM EST
    I think the MSM has a history of propping the politicians who are the most contemptuous of them.  I mean, look at how long they rooted for W.

    I think it's a macho thing.  They fall head over heels over the candidate that acts too cool and "manly" to care what they think of him.

    Parent

    It is a macho thing in that (none / 0) (#17)
    by ruffian on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 02:37:26 PM EST
    both the media and the candidates court the same demographic: males roughly between the ages of 18 and 40.  The candidate that gets that demo excited gets the media behind him.  

    Parent
    That age group is the group they (none / 0) (#25)
    by hairspray on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 08:50:12 PM EST
    are targeting their commercials to. Its the advertising dollars.

    Parent
    Obama's rhetoric is right though: (5.00 / 3) (#18)
    by ThatOneVoter on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 02:52:30 PM EST
    Olbermann and Hannity both have very distorted perceptions. Degree isn't really the issue, is it?
    The difference between mega-hack and super-hack isn't so clear to me.

    Parent
    The solution is to ignore hacks (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Fabian on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 03:19:51 PM EST
    or to ridicule them.

    Paying attention to hacks, even negative attention, just encourages them because it makes them significant.

    Hacks tend to represent the most extreme opinions because people who are that far from the moderate middle don't have a lot of spokespersons.  As a result, being  extreme with style tends to net you a lot of fans.

    Parent

    The assumption/fantasy (none / 0) (#20)
    by lilburro on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 03:17:09 PM EST
    I think is that once Obama becomes President, Olbermann is respected and the Obama administration pays visits, since he is such a good team player.  And his show is thus more respected by the rest of the media/public.  

    But if Obama is calling Olbermann a hack he'll obviously want to stay clear of his show.  Unless he changes his mind on the merits of Olbermann.

    Parent

    Obama has actually done this? (none / 0) (#26)
    by sallywally on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 10:18:46 PM EST
    Thrown Olbermann under the bus with Hannity? When did this happen?

    I haven't been able to watch Olbermann for many months now but am surprised to hear this.

    Parent

    well (none / 0) (#22)
    by connecticut yankee on Tue Oct 21, 2008 at 04:05:35 PM EST
    Story over politico with a rep from NC warming up a Palin crowd with this slice of bipartisan pie:

     

    liberals hate real Americans that work and accomplish and achieve and believe in God

    Denied he said it at first and was then busted by audiotape. (duh)

    Rep. Robin Hayes (R, NC).

    Differing Realities | 26 comments (26 topical)

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