All This Has Happened Before

...and will happen again."  So quoth the old hybrid cylon in Battlestar Galactica. Here's more by David Halberstam in his "The Best and the Brightest" book:

Around the country he flew, reckless and audacious, stopping long enough to make a new charge, to exhibit a new list, a good newsworthy press conference at the next airport … the American press exploited in its false sense of objectivity (if a high official said something, it was news, if not fact, and the role of the reporter was to print it straight without commenting, without assaulting the credibility of the incredulous; that was objectivity).
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So the Democratic Party, victim of his charges, did not fight as an institution, nor use its real force, but the Republicans were worse. They welcomed him; the more he assaulted the Democrats, the better for them; the Democrats were on the defensive, and the Republicans were the beneficiaries. He was, in the words of one observer, “like a pig in a minefield for them.” … “[Y]ou’re a real SOB. But sometimes it’s useful to have SOBs around to do the dirty work.”

This observation was in regards to the early success of Rep. Joe McCarthy (R-WI) and his anti-Communism rant. Today, it could as easily apply to any cabinet member of the Bush administration, former VP Dick Cheney, or any Faux News Channel talking head. For decades, the Republicans have been more interested in winning than actually supporting the resolution of serious policy issues. For decades, the Democrats since 1950 have been more interested in idealistic policy solutions than actually seeing serious policy issues addressed. And for decades, the press has repeatedly failed to objectively address these public issues or to hold either party to account for their respective statements for decades. Obviously there are exceptions to these statements, but they are few and far between. It's just amazingly depressive sometimes.

Comments

[Ray]

I remember those witch-hunt McCarthy days. I though the US Constitution had been truly hijacked. Horrors.

[Scathsealgaire]

There is no news media, only infotainment.
This is why I get my news from the only credible news source. A group willing to take the mickey out of any politician, no matter which side of the "political divide".
The Dailey Show.

[keyokia]

so fema has happened before ! im gettin out of america