A reader writes in:
Why can’t we have a nationally televised debate about HCR and stimulus? The main problem that I see is ignorance. Most people get their news either from cable or the evening and neither one feels like their object is to really inform! If we had a debate (like Obama vs McCain) the truth of these numbers and what would really be accomplished would emerge. Republicans with the aid of Fox News, radio (Beck, Savage, and Limbaugh) control the message and MSM does not contradict them. We need the public to have the opportunity to be educated!!!!!
First off, Democrats already tried to do this over the summer- they were called town hall meetings, and basically they were freeped by a coalition of corporate backed teabaggers, spooked blue hairs who wanted to keep government out of their medicare, shameless Republicans interested in political advantage, and, in no small part, the mainstream media who simply regurgitated all of their bullshit.
I have seen nothing that would suggest that a national town hall meeting would lead to anything different. As entertaining as it was watch Obama make the Republicans look like the idiots that they are at their retreat last week, what really changed? They still believe all their talking points, as do their teabagging base, because this isn’t about facts or logic or reason, this shit is religion to these folks. And it wasn’t more than a few hours that our Politico inspired media was offering “equal time” for the Republicans to edit their remarks and inject more bullshit into the debate. Jeb Hensarling was given multiple opportunities for a do-over immediately after being depantsed, and guess what the media did?
That’s right- they just wrote down what he said and didn’t bother to fact check it or point out he is full of shit. And so it goes.
When you realize that our media is basically a bunch of 12 year olds (see the #dickwhisperer’s column on the sexiness of Orzag for yet more evidence), there simply is nothing you can do to inform the public, half of which chooses to remain uninformed (seen the polling on evolution lately?). Add to it that the Democrats all want different things from the bill, and so value and cherish their independence and willingness to criticize (we’re not like Republicans! We criticize our leaders! Fap! Fap! Fap!) that none of them can suck up their pride and work together, and this would probably just provide another opportunity for a circular firing squad.
I’m getting to the point that I just don’t give a shit anymore. Now that I am recovering quite well from the surgery and exposing myself to more news and politics, I’m thinking maybe being in a percocet haze with a throbbing shoulder wasn’t so damned bad after all.
*** Update ***
PS- I blame Rahm.