Over the weekend, the spouse and I decided to upgrade our cable service, and add a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) for an extra $9.95/month. This was very good timing, as Monday began the televised version of the Al Franken Show from Air America.
For those of you unfamiliar with the show, it’s one hour (well, technically 45-50 minutes plus commercials) of the radio show, televised on Sundance Channel, featuring some of the guests and comedy bits done during the three-hour broadcast. It’s on at 11:30pm, then repeated at 2:30am and 7:00am; not exactly the best hours for people who have a daytime life, so I record it and the spouse and I watch it the next evening.
Last night, we were watching the telecast of the Tuesday show, and one of the guests was Frank Rich, the New York Times columnist. As the interview went on, talk moved to the Downing Street Memo (or Minutes), and I’m glad I had the show recorded. Here’s the section of the interview I transcribed:
AL FRANKEN: A lot of people, including myself, have been saying that this [DSM] hasn’t been getting enough play. You disagree…
FRANK RICH: I do disagree. Could it have gotten somewhat better play from the New York Times, which played it inside, as I recall, but had at least two columnists — not me, but write about it in detail. My feeling is that it didn’t land, and it didn’t land because it wasn’t news. What…we all knew this, and this is another confirmation. But we knew this from Richard Clarke’s book. We knew this from Bob Woodward’s book. I think this country…
FRANKEN: Paul O’Neill’s book.
RICH: Paul O’Neill’s book…we knew the fix was in. The country knows this, and my own theory about why people didn’t get up in arms about this memo, including in newsrooms, is not any political agenda, but just a feeling that this country is really going to turn on this war, and if you look at the polls…
KATHERINE LANPHER: What do you mean, “turn on the war”?
RICH: They think it was a mistake. Every poll is showing that a clear majority of this country thinks that it was a mistake to go in, and you know that part of the reason they think it was a mistake is that every one does know that we were lied to about whether there was…
FRANKEN: Yeah, but there’s a difference between “a mistake” and lied to.
RICH: Right, but the polls don’t make that distinction…I’m sure if they did, people would have various reasons why it was a mistake…
Frank Rich, I think, is being a bit naive here. I also think he’s putting way too much faith in both the mainstream media (MSM) and the mainstream public (MSP).
I think of myself as a pretty politically savvy person. I do a lot of reading, I follow the news to the best of my ability. I spend time on blogs (probably too much time, judging from my lack of housekeeping). But last year was a pretty hectic year. I had a job (which ended in October, but that’s another story). The spouse and I moved from his parents’ home (where we were staying for a year getting our lives together) to a new apartment, and it took a while to get internet access. My mom was dying of cancer and heart disease, and I was concentrating on her as much as possible. I read a few books, but not Clarke’s or Woodward’s or O’Neill’s. I really never heard any mention of the intelligence being “fixed”, of the circumstances being arranged to produce the results desired. How many more ordinary working folks, members of the MSP, are in that same boat?
In addition, just as there’s a difference between “a mistake” and being lied to, there’s a big difference between words in a book that the right-wing talkers can chalk up to “disgruntled ex-employees” and “liberal speculation”, and an actual document that may be a greater ground for impeachment than a stained blue dress. (I could also ask how many members of the MSP actually look “inside” the New York Times, but that may bruise Rich’s tender ego…)
We’ve got to keep up the pressure on the media outlets to cover this story, especially John Conyers’ efforts for a full investigation, and coverage of groups such as After Downing Street. The ordinary person can’t decide if this is important if they don’t know about it.
I agree, I think he was wrong…but not because of making a mistake. He may just want us to think that.
The press is afraid of this administration and afraid of this story. More afraid, unfortunately, than they are of the public. I don’t see this getting much play until the administration is gone (and the free press will be even further and irreparably damaged than it already is – in my own opinion it’s too far gone already and will have to be rebuilt).
against a wall. The other night I was watching “Countdown” and some staff reporter from The Washington Post was saying that the memo is a dying story and just hasn’t struck a nerve with people. I tried to find his email, I couldn’t, so I could ask him how on earth it was supposed to affect people, who don’t even know about it. Especially given that this story played out in such an embarrassing fashion in his own paper. This is the echo chamber that is media, folks. They wonder why stories they beat to death, like Clinton’s blow-job, don’t turn public opinion, and why stories they don’t report don’t change perception, either. The problem is that they believe they speak and think for the people. Whatever their perception is, it must be the same as their readers and viewers. If it doesn’t surprise them, how could it possibly matter to the rest of the country.
I don’t even know why I consume a product, news, that does nothing but tell me what I think. Polls and assumptions, endlessly. Polls to remind me of what the rest of the tribe thinks, so I can get in line with the group-think. And when that poll shows them that public is woefully uninformed, like the majority thinking that Saddam attacked us on 9/11, they’re not even introspective enough to consider they might be partly responsible. They just shake their heads at our ignorance.
Well, now their shrugging their shoulders at the indifference of the populace over a smoking gun they forgot to tell us about. Give us the facts, people. Just give us the facts. We’ll decide what we think. Crazy-making, this shit.
Thanks for the transcription. That can’t have been fun to do.
(I wish Air America made transcripts available.)
Look, I think just another story, more proof, that BushCO lies with every breath, ISN’T news to anyone. His supporters don’t WANT to be told the truth. They EXPECT a “leader” to lie, just as a parent hides unpleasant truths from their children. Many conservatives I’ve spoken to in my life actually believe that wholeheartedly. That’s the essence of the Republican appeal; “We’ll take care of the nasty hard stuff, you go out and make money and take care of your family. Don’t worry.”
Bush lying is part of most mainstream comics routines now. NONE OF THIS IS REALLY NEW.
Rich is also right that the mindset of many Americans makes it VERY difficult to admit defeat. How often in your daily life do you hear someone ADMIT they were wrong, or take back a decision? Our culture ruthlessly punishes people who do. Bosses change course by finding a scapegoat, or changing a policy over time by stealing the ideas of their critics.
Americans also really believe that we’re a force for good in the world. They’ve been fed that fairy tale their whole lives. That’s why the “few bad apples” thing flew so well.
It’s going to take emotional appeals to end this war. Reason and evidence won’t do it. We need people, like Cindy Sheehan to make a “closing argument” FOR all of the evidence. (DemBloggers have video up of her appearance on Ron Reagan’s show. Check it out).
Closing arguments to present the facts. That’s where we are now. Believe me, Pat Tillman’s parents had a bigger impact than any government memo/minutes would EVER have.
They EXPECT a “leader” to lie [….] conservatives I’ve spoken to in my life actually believe that wholeheartedly. That’s the essence of the Republican appeal
Yes and the left is not coming to grips with this very well at all.
We approach it as an error with the angry “it’s ok if Republicans do it” meme. But to the contrary, thinking Republicans approach it as a Mission Impossible type of policy where ugly things have to be done out of sight (the secretary will disavow any knowledge…). The religious right of course is trying to conquer the nation, so secretive authoritarian rule is precisely what they’re after.
It’s going to take emotional appeals to end this war. Reason and evidence won’t do it.
Yes, in a large part because the right does not reason, they only believe–principally, in their authorities and leaders. So they’re not looking to us or anywhere for different ideas or logic.
But beyond this, the direction of the emotional appeal is crucial.
Since as you say the right (all branches: economic, militaristic and religious) actually desire secretive rule, pointing out examples of it will only encourage them. It’s like them accusing us of diverting tax dollars to poor people.
What we have to do is point to threats and failures the leadership has created.
that’s why I think the parents and widows/widowers of dead vets (Tillmans et al) are going to help end this war, and I think disappearing pension money in places like Ohio (Coingate) is going to help end Republican rule. It just might take a while, and it will only happen if Democratic elected leaders and spokespeople help it along.
Dean’s “white christian party” was a dead-on way of emotionally waking people up, and it’s going to stick. They would NOT be going after him so hard if it wasn’t stinging.
Highlight that they are dangerous, in all ways, to the continued health, viability and safety of this country. All the facts are there for people who care to look. What is needed now are effective advocates to entice people to look.
Rich was wrong. Most people DON’T know this info, and most people have NOT just said “ok, the president lied.”
Sometimes op/ed writers have a problem stepping out of their bubble.
That said, Rich is almost always dead on in his analysis. I really like him.