Probing a Political Paradox: Why the Discredited Right Still Sets the Agenda and Dominates the Debate

It's a paradox: the political center has clearly shifted; what used to be considered "left wing" positions have now become part of the mainstream, and the views of the Right are now at odds with the majority of the American public -- and with reality.

Yet, despite this seismic shift -- grossly underreported by the media -- the Right remains as powerful as ever when it comes to setting the national agenda and dominating the national debate.

Think about it: on Iraq and the exercise of American power, on economic fairness, on corporate responsibility, on the environment and climate change, on the universal right to healthcare, the progressive policies and positions long championed by the left have moved from union halls and MoveOn emails to the sidewalks, backyards, and kitchen tables of Main Street, USA.

Nevertheless, the traditional media -- and most politicians -- continue to insist on looking at every issue through a right vs left frame, then assume the answer is found by splitting the difference.

I've spent much of the last year trying to pinpoint the reasons for this startling disconnect in my new book, Right is Wrong, which is being released today (April 29).

And I concluded that there are three main areas to look at, not only to help us understand how we got in the mess we're in, but also to help us get out: the media, the role of fear in our politics, and the failure of political leadership.

These three factors have combined to allow the lunatic fringe that has taken over the Right to hijack our country, our democracy, and our Constitution. So that 28 percent of the population that continues to support George W. Bush no matter how many bodies pile up in Iraq, how many jobs disappear overseas, how many For Sale signs go up on their block, or how high gas prices get, continues to dominate our politics.

Let's take them one by one, starting with the media which remains hopelessly addicted to the false belief that in order to be fair and balanced every story needs to be given the "on the one hand... and on the other" treatment. But not every story has two sides -- and the truth is often to be found not in the middle but solidly on one side or the other.

The earth is not flat. Global warming is a fact. Evolution is a fact -- sorry Mike Huckabee. And not even Republicans still believe in the unfettered, free market. Look how they rushed to Big Government to save their beloved Bear Sterns.

Nor are there two sides to the proposition that Iraq is our generation's greatest foreign policy disaster. It is. Period. Full stop. Yet the same media that enabled the administration to sell us the multi-trillion dollar war are -- nearly six years later -- still pushing the Right's line that "the surge is working." Green Zone bombardments be damned.

Indeed, we are in the sixth year of an unnecessary and immoral war that has cost tens of thousands of lives, globally discredited the United States and has left us all less safe than the day Shock and Awe began. But the media are still debating the war's "progress," and describing the state of Iraq as "a mixed bag" -- which is a little bit like going to the doctor and having him tell you that you have a brain tumor but your acne has cleared, and you considering the diagnosis "a mixed bag."

What is behind the media's lapdog devotion to the messages and framing of the Right? It's a combination of self-loathing and abject fear. The media wear their dread like a cheap aftershave. The broadcast networks and the cable news channels live in mortal fear of a dip in the ratings, and newspapers are constantly checking their pulse -- convinced by their deteriorating profits and market share that the end is near. So they continue to offer the views of the newly marooned Right more than equal time.

Fear -- specifically the right wing's masterful manipulation of it -- has also come to dominate our politics.

In 2004 we had the whole sordid "al Qaeda really wants John Kerry to win" routine. And it's only April, but John McCain has already told us that al Qaeda will increase its violent attacks to try and defeat him, and that Hamas wants Obama to win. This is not only laughable but downright loathsome -- and there should be zero tolerance for such distortions in American politics.

Besides, why wouldn't al Qaeda want McCain to win? He's running to give a third term to George Bush, whose disastrous policies have been the terrorists' best recruitment tool.

McCain's "more of the same" platform should disqualify him from being allowed to use sharp scissors, let alone be president of the United States. But the mainstream media still treat him with kid gloves and continue to take his foreign policy positions -- however confused -- seriously.

You can be sure the Right will play the fear card again in 2008 because that's all that's left in its deck. And that's why it's incredibly important that Democrats take back national security as an issue from the Republicans, and why Hillary Clinton's latest attempts to out-bellicose McCain are so destructive.

The dynamic between the dithering Democrats and the reality-be-damned Republican Right calls to mind that great line from Yeats: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity."

The third factor in the continuing power of the loony Right is the abject, across the board failure of our political leadership to adjust to the fact that the game of "right versus left" has been rendered obsolete by the emergence of a new and vital center. But political movements and political shifts do not fully succeed without bold political leadership -- and if we ever needed that kind of leadership, it is now.

Democratic leaders need to re-define the center of American politics. Right is no longer the opposite of left. It is the opposite of wrong. And what used to be the left needs to redefine itself as something more than just an opposition force -- but rather as an active, positive, mainstream current that includes independents, Republicans aghast at what has happened to their party, and many new voters who are tired of empty partisanship.

Over this past year, it has seemed that America is ready to define a new center and to turn a new page and close the book on this tragic chapter of our history. The nomination of John McCain, however, could obstruct this transition. McCain is the Trojan Horse the Right desperately needed to put a faux maverick, faux independent, faux straight-talker imprint on the same ruinous policies that have taken us down this dark road.

Though the era of the Right has exhausted its historic course, collapsing in moral, political and economic bankruptcy, the transformation and co-opting of McCain from a maverick into the Second Coming of George W. Bush shows the durability of the Right and the lingering danger it poses. There is nothing automatic about its disappearance from the stage. Not unless we, together, give it -- and McCain -- a mighty push into the wings and right out the stage door.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[mbaty]

The people in power--the same ones that brought you so many "Military analysts" --are doing a pretty good job of getting their McManchurian candidate to the forefront, We are all wondering the same thing you are, "is anyone in the media going to actually say what's what?" But the idea of the media being liberal or even "balanced" is erroneous. Just look at who the new hires are at Newsweek and the Times and on Tv...the Right wants to spin it like the media is liberal, but clearly, that's not the case at all.

[teemunney]

It's amazing how 81% of Americans think our country is going in the wrong direction, yet 45% or so are ok with voting for McCain in November. Either a) America likes our country going down the toilet, or b) Americans still think McCain is a "maverick".

By the time we wake up and smell the coffee, it very well may be too late.

[700poundNASCARFAN]

or c) they don't like the democratic nominee (which ever it happens to be).

[priscianusjr]

or (d) the polls don't mean what they seem to mean, maybe they don't mean anything at this point ...

[Dunnage]

The 28% must stand behing their man. Do they want to be responsible for death and destruction? Do they want to feel responsible for a wrecked economy? I think not.

So it is the fault of liberals, gays, wetbacks, traitors, arabs,socialists, Chavez, Castro, Iran, China, North Korea, France. I wonder how many of your readers support The Wall we're building? No grip on reality. Getting ready to send more troops to Afghanistan and your blog spends 90% of its time bashing Clinton getting ready to explain why Obama looses in the fall.

[argeec]

I've got a different, much simpler answer - MONEY!
Ever since the supreme court decided, in Buckley v. Valeo, that money should have the same protections as speech, plutocracy has ruled our politics.
There are three factors that determine the welfare of average Americans - taxes, financial regulation and foreign policy.
Tax policy has shifted income upwards.
Financial regulation, or lack thereof, has shifted wealth upwards.
Foreign policy has shifted income to the military-industrial complex.
In all these areas, democrats like Schumer and Emanuel and republicans like McConnell and Gramm have been prime movers because they have had pipelines to money.
There are proximate causes and ultimate causes. Media, fear etc. are proximate causes, i.e., they result from ultimate or root causes - which in this discussion is the power of money in American politics.

[rabrophy]

Great post Ms. H but i would take your three points back a step to, what i feel, is the singulatiry of right wing power:
MONEY!

The right wing tide in american political life for the last 30 years has been very, very good for the rich and super-rich. This group includes the politicians, the pundits, the corporate CEOs .

The War has been a God sent for the rich. Why would they want to stop it?

[tbone99]

Despite Obama's statements that this is a new America - I still think RACE is one of the biggest factors fueling the Repugs.The Iraq war was permissable because we see them as worthless people of color.Look how long we ignored the Nazis because thats the racial make up of the real American. The extreme positions Repugs take on the social safety net is precisely becuse they don't want to support "those" people.

[wonderingstar]

Brava Arianna. Your point about the brain-dead media's giving "equal time" to discredited positions on the Right, reminds me of the 1971 (Lewis) Powell memo, which some say laid the blueprint for the Right's ascendancy in media and American life.

Powell wrote:

"It will be said that few invitations would be extended to Chamber [of Commerce] speakers. This undoubtedly would be true unless the Chamber aggressively insisted upon the right to be heard -- in effect, insisted upon "equal time."

University administrators and the great majority of student groups and committees would not welcome being put in the position publicly of refusing a forum to diverse views...

The two essential ingredients are (i) to have attractive, articulate and well-informed speakers; and (ii) to exert whatever degree of pressure -- publicly and privately -- may be necessary to assure opportunities to speak.

The objective always must be to inform and enlighten, and not merely to propagandi­ze." END QUOTE

See: Attack on American Free Enterprise System - Background
http://www.mediatransparency.org/story.php?storyID=22

"not MERELY to propagandize" is another way of saying they are there mainly to propagandize.

See also Who's Behind the Attack on Liberal Professors? (2003)
See http://hnn.us/articles/1244.html for a brief history of the conservative movement from the Powell Memo onward.

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?articleId=9606 has an alternative view.

[DumbDad]

good post, helpful link! thanks!

[LetterFromHere]

Enjoyed your appearance on Wisconsin Public radio this morning. Ironically, this is the week that we lost one of the few daily newspapers that has been known for actively fighting back against rightwing lies. The Capital Times in Madison, which dates back to the dawn of the Progressive era and Robert M. La Follette, ceased publication as a print daily, continuing on as a ghost of itself on the Internet, with a couple weekly print supplements:

http://letterfromhere.blogspot.com/2008/04/lighting-funeral-pyre-to-bring-closure.html

I've been reading the paper for most of my life. I brought closure to my long relationship by making a funeral pyre in the backyard.

[xenofile]

That's my favorite poem.
The full first verse:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

[steamboathunter]

O dear me, "wolves in sheep's clothing?" What on earth is a phrase from the bible doing here? Know ye not that the book which yielded those words also contains "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." I'm appalled! Give me liberty or give me dearth but please quote Tom Pain from now on.

[TheOtherMaven]

"Wolf in sheep's clothing" is not from the Bible, it's from the fables of Aesop. Get your knickers out ot a knot.

[steamboathunter]

Dear Maven, check in your bible under Matthew 7:15. Knicker's not.

[alireiner]

If you really want to understand who Arianna Huffington
is catch a replay of the interview on Blomberg Business that ran 29 April: then run out or click on buy her book as I did

[bija]

I believe the reason the Right sets all the agendas on debate is because they own the mainstream media. We need more diverse media.

[Chemwiz]

are you on crack? the only media they have in fox news... CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNB, PBS, etc. etc. are all leftist...­get out from under the rock...it'­s a sunny day!

[laocoon]

that is really a painting of the sun on the wall in the cave where you live. the underlying conventional wisdom assumed by the media serve the right wing. show me the left wing CONTENT any where ---except sometimes on PBS which covers both wings.

[urweatherman]

Totally correct...­but the true wacky-left media...(A­ir America) goes bankrupt mainly because their views replicate the views of the author of this main article.

[UPer]

If you think CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN are liberal media, you've got your head where the sun don't shine. All above mentions networks are subsidaries of large corporations with vested interest in keeping Repukes in power. NBC is owned by GE ....which just happens to have huge contracts in Iraq. Listen to Matt Laurer lambast any Democrat on the Today show .....liste­n carefully and you'll see a Republican hack support the parent company GE and their intererts in Iraq. ABC is owned by Disney...w­hich is so right wing and 'family values' that they wouldn't back a Dem if their life depended on it. Don't be so naive, the day of the liberal media is long past.

[mtuckey]

In addition we are troubled by wolves in sheep's clothing, like Clinton. By parroting right wing propaganda-- and acccepting the way they frame their arguments-- she reinforces the validity of their arguments. The whole red phone thing in Ohio was a disgrace. Her saying McCain was more qualified as commander in chief than Obama, set democrats back by years. Each election cycle she pulls some more fear out of her hat. If we lose our only real candidate, the one who is giving us an opportunity to frame the debate in our own terms, expect the right to continue to dominate.

[Mike O.]

The left's unwillingness to look inward and correct its many faults is the reason that you will lose the election in November. Until you realize that America does not agree with your opinions, you will continue this losing streak. I'm not complaining. I think it's great!

[Mike O.]

P.S. I does not concern me that you will actually take heed of my prior advice. If you do, you will field candidates that I may actually agree with. If you don't, which is probably the case, your candidates will continue to lose, so, no harm done.

[bobdob]

Personally, I think the candidacy of Hillary Clinton shows the lingering danger of the Right. If there's a Trojan Horse in this race, Hillary is certainly it.

[elbzee]

McCain's "more of the same" platform should disqualify him from being allowed to use sharp scissors, let alone be president of the United States. I just love your writing Arianna!

I'm getting pretty damned tired of having my strings pulled by people whose priorities violently clash with my own. And I especially hate being treated like a fool!

[urweatherman]

I think the writings of Arianna are totally unsubstantiated. Tired of all the complaining about the folks providiing for her the means by which she has lined her pockets!

[Mike O.]

Stop acting like a fool and people will stop treating you like a fool.