<http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr031008.asp>
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Yeah, I had an interesting conversation with a friend about this very topic. Well, not precisely on this topic, more like a living example of what the poll results convey.
It started when he said, quite unexpectedly, that "Tom Brokaw drives us conservatives crazy."
I had a dificult time imagining Tom Brokaw driving anyone crazy but I was willing to learn more.
"So uh, why do you say this?"
"The way he bad mouths the President. He smirks and whenever he says Bush's name, you can tell he's disrepecting him."
Needless to say I was floored. Here was this man, tuning into whatever network Brokaw works for (I should have Googled it but I'm a bit lazy at the moment) watching him read the news in that odd way he has and instead of yawning and turning the channel as any sensible person would do, he glared at the screen searching for clues of liberal perfidy.
"Now look" I said, "Brokaw's an employee, a very well-paid employee, an employee who has 'fuck-you' money, unless he's blown it all on Lambos, Hugo Boss and houses made of sky blue tinted glass by the sea, a pampered employee, but an employee nonetheless. He works for a big-ass company that can only be called liberal if you're referring to the bonus program for execs.
He likes his gig; he doesn't want to rock the boat. Trust me, there's no secret squirrel smirking going on."
This argument had all the effectiveness of using kisses to stop bullets.
"Well," the media IS liberal too, including his bosses."
He then went on to describe "all the people on the blogs and discussion boards across the country" who feel exactly the same way.
About, of all people, Tom Brokaw.
Tom friggin Brokaw.
What was that phenomena Herman and Chomsky discussed in "Manufacturing Consent"? You don't squelch debate, you simply make the acceptable paramenters so narrow that you're shouting at your opponent from within the tiny space permitted.
Thank you Fox News. Thank you Rush. Thank you all for helping to make America the most heavily armed looney bin in the history of history.
DRM
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