There's a timely interview at Bloomberg View with political scientists Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, whose 2012 book "It's Even Worse Than It Looks," laid the blame for political dysfunction at the doorstep of the Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid Party. Since their thesis was contrary to the media's "both sides do it" narrative, it was largely ignored. Now, with the meltdown of the House crackpot caucus, it's more difficult than ever for the media to ignore the obvious (but, trust us, they will). Here's an excerpt from the interview:
Mann: This is a Republican Party problem, which has serious implications for Congress as an institution and for American governance more broadly. Republicans are paying the price for having encouraged government-hating candidates to seek office with the expectation that they could undo Obama's 2009-2010 achievements. Their constitutional ignorance and political naiveté was breathtaking. But Republican establishment leaders, who had few policy differences with the new radicals, soon became victims of the forces they helped unleash. Their party reminds us of the nullification forces in the antebellum South. The champions of "The New Nullification," as we refer to it in our book, have left damage and chaos in their wake. More is likely to follow.In the course of the interview, Mann and Ornstein discuss the "asymmetric polarization" that has resulted in Republicans tacking far to the right, and are asked if the mainstream media would acknowledge that Republicans are "engaged in a unique form of politics that undermines the system itself."
Mann: ... If the coverage of this presidential election campaign is any indicator, the mainstream media is nowhere near accepting the reality of asymmetric polarization.Well, corporate media will always be more interested in generating dramatic story lines, readership/ viewership and, therefore, revenue, than it is in serving the public interest. This has produced an asymmetry in the media that has greatly favored Republicans, who have their own Fox "News," print outlets, and networks of hate radio stations to constantly peddle their right- wing talking points, plus an enabling, venal "mainstream media" unwilling to counterbalance Republican lies with the objective truth.
