In that televised satire is increasingly influencing the way that people think about politics. In an important way, The Daily Show, Colbert Report, and SNL have been able to do what Democrats have been unable and the mainstream media has been unwilling to do: reveal the utter absurdity of the Republican spin machine.
I think we've seen a trend since the late sixties/early seventies, where Republicans have simply kicked the Democrats ass in terms of political strategy. On the discursive battleground, Republicans have taken state programs (social spending on health care, education, etc) and transformed them into "state socialism;" they've taken the '60s rhetoric of equality and turned them into arguments against affirmative action ("we must all be treated as equals!"); and they've successfully transformed the unfettered free market into THE only variant of capitalism that's acceptable (any other forms devolve into the bogeyman of socialism).
They've been able to do this through failures of both the Democrats and media. Democrats, for their part, have been paralyzed by their very virtue: their moral highground. Civil rights movements, feminists, and environmentalists know they have the Truth, and I think that this has undercut their strategizing. While republicans have formed an enduring coalition between corporate big wigs (freemarketeers) and poor white trash (the religious right) - two groups, mind you, that have absolutely nothing in common - Democrats have been unable to keep blue collar white dudes (many of whom are union men) in their corner. I think that this failure is due to too much preaching and not enough politicking. Obama may not strike back against Republican absurdity, but Colbert will...
In terms of the media, Republicans have made the notion of "objectivity" their bitch. No longer is it objective to report all of the pertinent facts of an issue, media objectivity now means giving both the Republican and Democratic spin...no matter how ridiculous it is. The Denver Post may give the impression that anyone criticizing Palin is anti-woman, but John Stewart will tear that to pieces.
2 comments:
I think that you're onto something here...
In that televised satire is increasingly influencing the way that people think about politics. In an important way, The Daily Show, Colbert Report, and SNL have been able to do what Democrats have been unable and the mainstream media has been unwilling to do: reveal the utter absurdity of the Republican spin machine.
I think we've seen a trend since the late sixties/early seventies, where Republicans have simply kicked the Democrats ass in terms of political strategy. On the discursive battleground, Republicans have taken state programs (social spending on health care, education, etc) and transformed them into "state socialism;" they've taken the '60s rhetoric of equality and turned them into arguments against affirmative action ("we must all be treated as equals!"); and they've successfully transformed the unfettered free market into THE only variant of capitalism that's acceptable (any other forms devolve into the bogeyman of socialism).
They've been able to do this through failures of both the Democrats and media. Democrats, for their part, have been paralyzed by their very virtue: their moral highground. Civil rights movements, feminists, and environmentalists know they have the Truth, and I think that this has undercut their strategizing. While republicans have formed an enduring coalition between corporate big wigs (freemarketeers) and poor white trash (the religious right) - two groups, mind you, that have absolutely nothing in common - Democrats have been unable to keep blue collar white dudes (many of whom are union men) in their corner. I think that this failure is due to too much preaching and not enough politicking. Obama may not strike back against Republican absurdity, but Colbert will...
In terms of the media, Republicans have made the notion of "objectivity" their bitch. No longer is it objective to report all of the pertinent facts of an issue, media objectivity now means giving both the Republican and Democratic spin...no matter how ridiculous it is. The Denver Post may give the impression that anyone criticizing Palin is anti-woman, but John Stewart will tear that to pieces.
Looks like we beat NPR to the punch:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95567799
Also, some links to SNL/Comedy Central skits:
VP Debate -
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/vp-debate-open-palin-biden/727421/
Palin/Couric -
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/couric-palin-open/704042/
Palin/Clinton -
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/
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