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The Shallow Mind of David Broder

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:03:17 PM EST
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This diary at Daily Kos highlights a Broder answer in his chat today that exemplifies what shallow unthinking empty vessel he is:

Chaska, Minn.: As a political pundit how do you calibrate your perceptions on mainstream America? The reason I ask this is based on your recent columns. My guess is your views (as a lot of the Beltway punditry) is very skewed. Poll after poll validates that American values align with progressive positions on such issues as the Iraq war, abortion, Social Security and even health care. . . . So why keep insisting on bipartisan compromises when those views don't reflect the wishes of a large majority of Americans? . . .

BRODER: . . . This first letter from Minnesota challenges the conventional wisdom by asserting that the country overwhelmingly supports the liberal agenda, both at home and abroad. I have to disagree. I think the country is closely balanced, with a controlling group in the center that rejects extreme positions and seeks practical solutions drawn from the agendas of both liberals and conservatives. Most Americans I meet are not ideologues of any sort; they are practical people seeking practical solutions to real challenges.

Broder seems so incapable of thinking that he can only argue by label. To wit, the Democrats hold one extreme position and the Republicans another. Of course the question challenged that very assumption and instead of addressing the point, Broder is only capable of falling back into his shallow mindset.

Let's be clear, on Iraq, Social Security, universal health care, the environment and Roe v. Wade, Broder is simply wrong as poll after poll has demonstrated. The fact is that the Democratic position is the majority position in the country on the issues of a women's right to choose, Social Security, universal health care, the environment and global warming, stem cell research and especially, on Iraq.

In the world of David Broder, the actual views of actual Americans on actual issues are of no import - the Broder view of "bipartisan compromise" trumps the facts. It is why he has become an irrelevant figure in the political discourse. It's true we continue to spend a lot of time discussing him and we should not anymore. He does not matter anymore. I take the pledge today. No more discussion of David Broder.

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    The Shallow Mind of David Broder | 8 comments (8 topical)

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    Balanced Bipartisanship (none / 0) (#1)
    by Naftali on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:27:47 PM EST
    What I find interesting is how the current understanding of 'balance' in the media now infects broaders notions of partisanship, as well.

    The media abdicated its responsibility to report on truth, instead embracing journalism by truth-claim, wherein any claim can be reported, so long as it's 'balanced' by a contrary claim (and the opposing claim may be false, too). So that's what an unbiased, balanced media now means: every story has precisely two sides, and the media reports both of them, facts be damned. (Setting aside the question of overarching narratives.)

    And this is now true of political partisanship, too. The media can only understand politics the same way it understands journalism: as a fact-free zone. Two sides making claims, so the sweet-spot (not the 'truth' but the 'practical center') is always by definition in the middle. Also, any 'passion' is as deeply suspect in politics as in journalism, activists are immediately discounted simply for being activists, etc.

    I dunno, maybe this is already completely obvious to everyone but me. But I think the Beltway media's misunderstanding of 'mainstream America' isn't due merely to living in an establishment bubble; it also precisely reflects the new self-definition of the media's mission.

    "a controlling group in the center" (none / 0) (#2)
    by Alien Abductee on Fri May 04, 2007 at 04:28:16 PM EST
    It's all in how you define the center:

    Centered around imperialism and the push to expand its system over all or most of the earth, this "energetic" ideology employs the administrative and economic centralism that is the hallmark of modern American "liberalism," and the militarism and imperialism that is the hallmark of the modern "conservative," in a perfect synthesis of "left" and "right" that satisfies everyone and leaves the dissidents in the "far left" and "far right" margins. This is how our modern fascists can, with some justification, call themselves "centrists," and even "moderates."

    I'm afraid I'm in Kali mode today.

    The Dem wimp-out over the supplemental plus the fact that there's been zero public reaction in the media, just in the blogs, to that Mansfield screed in the WSJ promoting fascism for America has me totally flipped out.

    But Edwards's no-nonsense statement today in favor of cutting off funding was good.

    The New Yorker profile (none / 0) (#3)
    by andgarden on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:09:04 PM EST
    of Obama does not make me hopeful that he'll sign on the Reid-Feingold. It's all in Hillary's court, methinks.

    The Profile (none / 0) (#5)
    by andgarden on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:10:33 PM EST
    Is here, BTW. Pretty fair, I think. Not so encouraging, though.

    Parent
    Hopefully (none / 0) (#4)
    by Wile ECoyote on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:09:23 PM EST
    they don't poll americans on the death penalty or illegal immigration.

    Broder Is Not a Liberal But Plays One On TV (none / 0) (#6)
    by john horse on Fri May 04, 2007 at 05:51:54 PM EST
    Given all the ways Bush has screwed the country over I keep waiting for Broder to say about Bush something like what he said about Clinton "He trashed the place up".  

    Instead time after time Broder keeps giving Bush a free pass.

    Eric Alterman was right about the mainstream media.  There is a bias in the press against liberals rather than in their favor.  Take David Broder for example.  He long ago stopped being a liberal yet he plays one on tv.

    It's really (none / 0) (#7)
    by Che's Lounge on Fri May 04, 2007 at 07:10:12 PM EST
    Fair and balanced centrism.

    Is Broder in the bridge selling business also?

    No more discussion of (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Fri May 04, 2007 at 07:16:21 PM EST
    who?

    The Shallow Mind of David Broder | 8 comments (8 topical)

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