Arianna appeared on "The Tonight Show" Friday night to discuss her new book, "Third World America," as well as the rise of the tea party during the current election cycle. Arianna argues that the middle class has been abandoned by politicians and devastated by 30 years of neglect by both parties, but it's not too late to turn things around. (For more news on "Third World America, click here.)
She attributes the Tea Party's rise largely to the growing anger of struggling Americans who don't see politicians addressing their problems.
That fury is mostly directed toward Democrats at the moment because they hold the reins of power, Arianna said, but it's not exclusive to one party. "The anger is because the Democrats and the Republicans have for 30 years now screwed the middle class," she told "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno.
The Senate nomination of Christine O'Donnell in Delaware is one response, Arianna said, and it's not all bad. "Anyone in my book who gets Karl Rove that upset must be doing something right," she told Leno.
Arianna broke with O'Donnell, though, on one major issue. "She seems to think that masturbation is really a huge problem, and I don't think it's as huge a problem for Americans given all the other problems they're facing, like unemployment, foreclosures, et cetera," Arianna said. "Self-love is deficit-neutral."
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