What they mean when they say "sound byte politics"
This is the best this AP report on CNN.com could do when quoting Bill Frist on the estate tax repeal:
"This death tax is unfair," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee.
That quotation just struck me as completely useless and infantile upon reading it. Not just the content of Frist's statement, but the fact that that was what the news media decided it would be best for us to hear as the Republicans' side of the story. If the US public is wary of Congress, perhaps it's because the portrait we get of them is one of imbecilic whiners. (I'm not saying that Frist isn't an imbecilic whiner, but you could at least give him a more flattering quotation. Furthermore, we also know that whatever he might have said about the estate tax is bunkum. If the public sees this, they too might more quickly and easily see its bunkumness.)
On the other hand, someone at CNN should be commended for including the full PDF file of Arlen Specter's letter to Cheney. I found this pretty fascinating, especially at the end when Specter rips into Cheney for all the executive privilege bullshit we've seen in the past few months. I've seen some liberal blogs lay into Specter for not pursuing the FISA matter enough, but in this instance it seems he was bamboozled by Cheney and Orrin Hatch. (And sweet Jesus, if you thought John Ashcroft's songs were ridiculous, I've got news for you--four dudes from Wash U aren't the only Hatch makin' music in the house.)
"This death tax is unfair," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tennessee.
That quotation just struck me as completely useless and infantile upon reading it. Not just the content of Frist's statement, but the fact that that was what the news media decided it would be best for us to hear as the Republicans' side of the story. If the US public is wary of Congress, perhaps it's because the portrait we get of them is one of imbecilic whiners. (I'm not saying that Frist isn't an imbecilic whiner, but you could at least give him a more flattering quotation. Furthermore, we also know that whatever he might have said about the estate tax is bunkum. If the public sees this, they too might more quickly and easily see its bunkumness.)
On the other hand, someone at CNN should be commended for including the full PDF file of Arlen Specter's letter to Cheney. I found this pretty fascinating, especially at the end when Specter rips into Cheney for all the executive privilege bullshit we've seen in the past few months. I've seen some liberal blogs lay into Specter for not pursuing the FISA matter enough, but in this instance it seems he was bamboozled by Cheney and Orrin Hatch. (And sweet Jesus, if you thought John Ashcroft's songs were ridiculous, I've got news for you--four dudes from Wash U aren't the only Hatch makin' music in the house.)
posted by to scranton at 9:11 PM
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John Major put it so well at our commencement, "neva trust sound byte govament (british accent)." I thought it was great that the whole audience cheered at that sound byte, which is one of the few pieces they will remember from that not so memorable speech.
The influence of the media(s) on our government has been particularly paralyzing for real political progress. I remember after the 109th Congress ended its session there was a large press conference with major Democrat powerholders in Congress (Schumer, Reid, Pelosi, etc.). The politicians basically discussed how we have endured another year of Republican mishaps and tomfoolery. Yet the Democrats ultimately did not pose any solutions for next year, nor did they provide any analysis of their own mistakes (nominating Nancy Pelosi as majority leader, for one). This was done all in the name of sound bytes, so an uninformed limousine liberal voter driving home from his cushy consulting job could hear a 10 second Republican-bashing clip from his representative or senator. Ultimately, sound bytes such as this have done little to increase the accountability of the Democratic party; instead, voters are constantly reminded that Dems are bashing Republicans while failing to think of real ways to coordinate and organize their fragmented party.
I work on a political campaign in good ol' St. Louis where the candidate has provided an interesting solution to the sound byte dilemma. Jeff Smith has decided to do video drops of 10 minute clips explaining Missouri conservative politics and his campaign to save our state from Matt Blunt and his cronies. If voters simply pop this in their VCR, they get a huge dose of political information, much more memorable than the shit from any major media outlet. Perhaps the Democratic party can work on a more grassroots level such as this to educate voters as to the workings and goals of the party, instead of pandering to the voters who listen to the news in their 10-minute car ride from work.
Takers?
I say ban television and radio altogether and limit the suffrage to those who read at least fourteen books a year, four of which must be either on philosophy or political theory.
Jeff Smith has an interesting idea going there, although I would say that politicians have always provided their own media, usually with considerable leeway in the "factual evidence" department. I'm not saying that Smith isn't honest (in fact from what I've heard quite the opposite), but US voters know that private news sources are less trustworthy. The onus remains on public news, then, to shape up and provide some decent coverage. And get rid of those damn Video News Releases while they're at it.
Yeah Sebonde, but then you'll get people asking, Does this Thomas Friedman column count?
I didn't know it was "I'm moving away from Tennessee so I can bad-mouth my senators day," Sheriff. Have some class.
ps. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I will say that the NPR hourly news-roundups weren't much better on the matter.
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