The Toxic Thinking of the Right Infects the Body Politic

Yesterday, I wrote about how the mainstream media have completely internalized the framing and messages of the lunatic fringe now in control of the Republican Party, and offered a series of the latest examples.

Like clockwork, as soon as I published that post, yet more evidence arrived in my in box -- word that Tony Snow, late of Fox News, and more recently of the White House, where he earned high marks as a gifted purveyor of Bush/Cheney propaganda, would be joining CNN (the self-anointed "Most Trusted Name in News") as a commentator. I guess Karl Rove was too busy with his Newsweek gig, and Bill Kristol with his New York Times gig, hence the opening for Snow. What next, Scooter Libby and David Addington signing up at NPR?

But it isn't just the media that have been infected by the toxic thinking of the Right. It has also been absorbed into the bloodstream of the body politic. The political class has allowed the Neanderthal wing of the GOP to drag the political debate so far to the right, that even Democrats find themselves getting cozy with ideas that not so long ago would have been the exclusive domain of arch-conservatives.

For example, I was in New York last Thursday giving a speech at the famously progressive New School. In the green room before I spoke, I was talking (in the presence of a CNBC camera crew) about the previous night's ABC debate with New School president and former Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey. He seemed genuinely surprised with my negative review, telling me that Gibson and Stephanopoulos were only asking the questions the American people wanted asked. It took everything I had to stop myself from asking him when his spaceship had landed, bringing him back from whatever universe he'd been living in.

Something tells me that lapel pins, 60s radicals, and ugly innuendos about patriotism are not the issues that caused 83 percent of the public to say that America is heading in the wrong direction in the latest Gallup survey.

Then I saw that dreadful new ad featuring Nancy Pelosi and Newt Gingrich, sitting side by side on a couch in front of the Capitol Building, robotically espousing the need for bipartisan agreement on global warming. What was Pelosi thinking? Yes, global warming is a crisis that needs to be addressed. And yes, it is an issue that gives lie to the media-promoted notion that all issues should be viewed through a left vs right prism.

As it happened, I first saw the Pelosi-Gingrich ad on the same night that I caught Gingrich telling Sean Hannity that "the left wing of the Democratic Party, frankly, kind of admires American terrorists." A more outrageous statement would be hard to find. But instead of consigning Gingrich to the slagheap reserved for the likes of Rep. Steve "al Qaeda Will Be Dancing in the Streets if Obama Wins" King, Pelosi -- who according to Gingrich is enamored of home-grown terrorists -- scooches in next to him, smiles for the camera, and enhances his legitimacy as a statesman and champion of reasoned compromise.

And what exactly are we to make of Gingrich's sign off line in the ad: "If enough of us demand action from our leaders, we can spark the innovation we need"? Who exactly are "our leaders"? Aren't they, to paraphrase Pogo, them?

Can't wait to tune into CNN to see what Tony Snow thinks of Nancy and Newt.

Comments

[phughez]

Thanks to the toxic right influence, "The War on Terror" is by now a patently accepted, politically correct American foreign policy canon, yet we know absolutely nothing about terrorism, it's roots, how to stop it--our collective ignorance of the subject is profound. Yet the media props up the War on Terror as an ironclad, incontrovertible patriotic principle--as for the countless lies, it is politically correct to leave those alone--the ends justify the means. It is enough that we might have an enemy, somewhere; who or what or where that enemy is?--TBA, stay tuned, MSM will advise us.
Listening to Rev. Wright with Bill Moyers on PBS was watching a drama within a drama within a drama. A blast from the "radical" past, from the era of Freedom of Speech, a coup d'etat for PBS, this was an interrogation of an African-American preacher.MSM will reinforce an image of an "extreme," anti-American, dangerous inciter of riots, a man of hate. Unarmed, Wright was preaching scripture--- with the goal of giving his downtrodden flock some hope.His entire sermon, that God is a higher law than secular government, was clear enough, though Bill Moyers looked like he was having some difficulty digesting it, defaulting to the MSM version of the sermon as if it were Gospel, trying to keep an open mind to Wright--it was a typical media posture, presuming absolute political, moral correctness; PBS together with the viewing public ate Wright alive.

[ResidentChimp]

The fault, dear Arianna, is not in our stars, But in ourselves.

[Meatball1]

Don't criticize San Fran"sicko" or University professors or praise the United States Marine Corps or your post will be rejected here!

Thanks,
http://www.djgoski.com

[SPENCER]

Arianna:
I agree with wholeheartedly, especially about the flag pin question, which is an all-time low in American journalism; Bob Schieffer said it best this week with this comment that you should post prominently:

Finally, today, I watched the ABC debate the other night when that question came up again about why Senator Obama doesn"t wear a flag pin in his lapel. Since no one asked me, here is my thought on all that. I think it"s a nice thing if people want to wear a flag on their lapel. But I believe it more important to keep the flag behind our lapel in our hearts. I feel the same way about wearing my religion on my sleeve. It just fits me better on the inside. When I go to see our local baseball team, I do wear my Washington Nationals baseball cap. But am I less a fan if don"t wear it to work? The truth is I have been known to wear a red, white and blue stars and stripes tie on the Fourth of July. But am I less patriotic when I trade it for my Santa Claus tie at Christmas? Patriotism is no more about signs or pins than religion is about reminding others how pious we think we are. No, the proof in these puddings is not the signs that we wear, but how we act. Wouldn"t that also be a better way to judge our presidential candidates than by the jewelry they wear?

[Sanity01]

I am a 58 year old white male. Is there any hope for me? Is it OK for me to vote for the candidate of my choice or am I required to vote for the first (serious) African-American candidate or the first woman candidate? I would just feel so guilty if I didn't.

[PaulC37943]

Talk to your kids. They'll set you straight.

[YouThinkAndTalk]

"Lapel pins, 60s radicals, and ugly innuendos about patriotism" have replaced gay marriages, abortion, etc. And the purpose is only one: Americans don't feel the pain when they get raped. And this is seems to be the primary job of MSM.

[Diana]

HuffPost's Pick

Great commentary, Arianna, as all your pieces about the disintegration of the MSM have been!

Absolutely outrageous, absurd, flat-out lies and propaganda have been mainstreamed to the point where hillary feels free to call Move-On the 'extreme left-wing of the democratic party.' And instead of limbaugh fading away, his brand of highly viscious, mind-numbingly hateful propaganda is actually flourishing--despite the fact that, I believe, he has a much smaller audience than previous.

When propaganda is so refined--to a science, really--and so widespread, I have a difficult time believing this country can be turned around. That's why I'm especially grateful to read peices like yours and read the comments of my fellow citizens.

[ChristianEcon.com]

I agree--I'm appalled at how conservatism has not been relegated to the proverbial ash-heap by mainstream America. Especially the media conservatives (Hannity, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, et. al.) who propagated this comprehensive ideological disaster; to listen to these people and how often they're still parroted--it's as if this decade never happened!

[larryburns94]

You do realize how hypocritical you sound, right? You support Obama this agent of "change" that is above partisan politics, yet you're angry when people on the opposite end of the political spectrum get together for a good cause? PLEASE.

[urweatherman]

Good comment, I agree...for too long the far left had complete control of the airwaves with the mainstream news media. Now they no longer dominate and they can't handle the competition and the fact that (ratings prove it), that the majority are tired of one-sided journalism. Now for Obama...has anyone check the latest statistics on where Illinois ranks among the states on crime, economics, etc? I'm afraid he is good at talking the talk, but does not walk the walk!

[elbzee]

it's not that we can't handle the competition, we just can't keep our lunch down after the forced fed crap they're shoving down our gullets!

[danceswithyids]

Seeing as Arianna sat so comfortably on the Right wing for so long, we can only thank her for allowing us to share her ability to see the light.
America- Arianna is very far left and is no better than those on the extreme right.
The political spectrum is not a line, but rather a doughnut.
Both extremes on the left and the right actually meet and overlap.
The extremes of both parties are what is ruining America, thanks for doing your part Ari.

[CivilDisobedient]

I'll take two choclate covered, and two glazed, please.

[mgsorens]

There are toxic ideas and characters on both sides of the aisle. By our support them we empower them. We ought not to have blind faith in a politician or his ideas just because he belongs to our party or supports our favorite candidate.

This vitriolic partisanship that has divided our country and the politics of personal destruction that currently divides the Democratic party is partially our fault.

[Binx101]

While I believe the overall point you were making is on point - that is to say - WE the Electorate - are responsible too - There are some forces that may be out of our immediate vision.

The same forces that took an out of work Actor like Ronald Reagan and made him Gov then Pres
The same forces that have taken the wife of a President and made her Sen and trying for Pres

We spoke yesterday about it: http://binx101.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/barack-obama-vs-the-oligarchy-deal-or-no-deal/

Binx101
The Almost Daily Binx
http://binx101.wordpress.com

[DesertLight]

SO, was this really about Arianna being upset because Pelosi and Gingrich had found common ground in preserving the planet?

[Freemind42]

No, this was about the Democrats bending over for the neoconservatives and how the media is only perpetuating this slimeball way of running a country. lie to our faces and deny any responsibility...that's the current "body politic"

[urweatherman]

No, thats the current democratic party. Lying, bashing, denial, blame, and excuse making. I would not be surprised if they have already mapped out an excuse for blaming the Republicans if the Dems get the white house, pull troops from Iraq, and we get hit with another 9/11. They will blame everyone else but themselves....

[chuckd74]

Dems enjoy bending over for neocons why they support the Rainbow Coalition.

OK that was wrong I will apologize for that one LOL.

[larryburns94]

Could you be more dramatic?

[milo9]

What can be done?

[ibsteve2u]

I have to give this nomination process and the Balkinization of America's political process that Arianna refers to credit: I have no doubt that the big-wheel politicos would now consider me to be a "fringe element". I simply can't subscribe to the notion that the person who is most adept at mud-slinging and fear-mongering represents the best choice for the future of America and her children.

The fact that so many Americans do makes me think that we as a nation are becoming suicidal.

[LesHamilton]

We know that a substantial number of voters do not "tune in" to messages from candidates that may challenge their biases. Nor do they appear to reflect on the quality of the candidate's thinking and what that may mean when it's applied to decisions about the future of the country and the world. Nor do the media think the voters need to deal with that aspect of politics.
The result is that anyone with enough connections and purchased face visibility can be thrown into the White House with a single tattered index card of repeatable messages and a busload of mud-slingers to follow behind to slander the opposition.
Who then is worried about the quality of decision making in that office for the next four or even eight years?

"Mr. President, you like your ice cream don"t you?"
"Yeah, I sure do Dick."
"Well George, have you heard the term global warming?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Well, Mr. President how is that ice cream of yours, has it melted?"
"No Dick, it"s just fine."
"So, where"s the global warming?"

[daddysboy]

American television media is at that dangerous point where not enough people that would care are watching and too many people that can't care are glued to the screen. PBS has yet to be taken over but something tells me no one will have to bother.