No wonder Obama can't stand calling o TV reporters. They have no interest or understanding of policy, and therefore lurch from talking point to talking point. It becomes wrestling, with the only constant being the call for entitlement cuts.
I don't think the administration has done a good job of explaining that the secretary has broad power to implement the statutes and perimeters of the law, but you'd think a reporter would understand that and thus explain it to the public.
I was hoping this would change with the advent of wonkblog and sites like it but it never did.
The media in washington by and large doesn't want to explain things, they want to tell stories, they're all aiming to write a gamechange or woodward type book. They have no idea how policy works, nor do they really want to, I can be you they never even read the law. Look at news stories and see how many times instead of stating the law they quote a think thank explaining it. In the post watergate era its all about 'holding power to account,' which means gottcha questions that further undermine any trust the public has. Its all about the narrative.
I went to a politico playbook event last week and it was a year end wrap up from the media, they admitted they have a bias towards sensationalism in politics and their solution? Stories on 'poverty' which is just a kind of sensationalism for the masses (though something that affects a far larger number and is more important).
That new york times piece on poverty is great story telling and illustrates a very real problem but you know you can talk about these things when legislation is up for debate;
talk about how cutting food stamps leads to poverty and hardship, talk about how voter id laws aren't just political talking points but have a measurable effect in elections, hell you can be critical of dems and talk about how the changes in the health care law do have negative effects on some people. Use numbers and not just those cited by the respective ideological think tanks. Have discussions and challenge the notions the politicians hold, they can change the 'narrative' instead of just being beholden to it. Its frustrated because their solution doesn't change the major problem, they don't act as referees they're the play by play which is by and large useless, I can watch the game myself.
Post some Kelly's back, you know, for the lulz.
Isn't this from the onion?
I am spending my christmas looking at my jawbone through the sockets of two of my recently extracted teeth.
It's creepy.
Wisdom?
