The Power of Mythology

Continuing from Paul Krugman's great article, let's look at another aspect of Republican Mythology. The myth of the "liberal media."

I hear some of you saying already, "Wait a minute, are you saying that there is no liberal bias at all?" Oh, there probably is a little. My old theory was that the media skewed a little left on social issues and a little right on economic issues, and I think that still might hold. But the mythology of the "liberal media" has nothing to do with that.

I've praised the Daily Howler enough that you should all know what I think of it. Well, on Friday, they outdid themselves with a few succinct paragraphs that analyze this problem and give, what seems to me, a very workable solution.

Forty years ago, the GOP did something quite smart; it began to develop a meta-narrative to explain its place in the world. That meta-narrative is Liberal bias, a pleasing tale the GOP recites to explain all unpleasant events. (You saw Bush do it last night.) Voters have heard about "liberal bias" for decades. Any time an event occurs which puts the GOP on the defensive, hacks haul out this pleasing excuse. And they've learned to use this old script quite well.

The time has come when our uncaring Democrats have to start telling the truth to the people. But what meta-narrative should the Dems tell? They need to tell an accurate narrative: Every four years, Republican hacks make a joke of our lives, inventing strange stories about the Dem candidate. They distract; they deceive; they direct us to trivia; they make a joke of our public discussion. It's perfectly clear that our Big Major Dems don't really care if this costs them elections. But will these lazy, feckless pols ever defend the rights of the public? Will they ever show that they actually care when a joke is made of our White House elections? On Wednesday night, the Bush camp was lying in voters' faces in those speeches by Miller and Cheney. And the DNC plainly doesn't care - doesn't bother debunking the charges, doesn't bother explaining the process. As long as they get to sell us their cook books, the whole thing is just fine by them.

The DNC needs a meta-story - the Republicans keep making a joke of your discourse. But to tell a story, again and again, DNC honchos have to believe it - and care. We see no sign that they really do care, and that explains our quadrennial clowning. Clearly, the Washington press doesn't care. Does the DNC care? Let them prove it.

I couldn't agree more. One of the more frustrating things about this campaign is watching republicans tell the same discredited stories over and over again. Senator Kerry's $87 Billion for example. Or Kerry being the most liberal senator in the Senate. Or Senator Kerry's voting against weapon systems (parrotted by Zell Miller at the RNC). How many different ways are there to explain the deceit? And why aren't the people who tell such transparent falsehoods embarrassed or ashamed? Where are our people to hit back. Why doesn't the "liberal" media discourage such blantant disregard for the truth?

I don't know, I guess there aren't any answers to those kinds of questions.