Comments on: The battle inside…

By: Snarkmarket

Snarkmarket — Tue, 18 Nov 2003 15:35:05 +0000

The Ghost of Democracy Speaks

Jay Rosen is running the smartest and most provocative blog around these days. His most recent post confirms it. It’s an argument against political realism — the calculation that says only a handful of swing districts matter in elections –…

By: acline

acline — Tue, 18 Nov 2003 04:47:19 +0000

Jay…excellent example. I should have qualified my remarks further. That axiom is purely an expedient (beyond which so many politicians are unable to think). I think Goldwater would have preferred to lead as president. And I’m not sure he could have predicted a long-term good coming from his loss. But, as it turned out, he was able to lead his party and, in time, foment a change in politics.

By: Jay Rosen

Jay Rosen — Mon, 17 Nov 2003 20:59:32 +0000

Andrew: Thanks for this analysis, and for uging people to check out PressThink. Now about this: “You can’t lead if you don’t win…Bucking the system, even one dumber than spam, is a sure route to loss of leadership–a form of political death. That’s dumb!”

There is one outstanding example in American politics that confounds this wisdom, which I would place in the “realism” category. That example is Barry Goldwater. He bucked the system. He lost. But with his insurgent campaign began the rise of the conservative Right based in the South and West; and that party is now triumphant. Those he inspired have won big in the 40 years following his candidacy. Goldwater led. He just didn’t head the government but in the longer term he won.

Political realism is a form of persuasion; and it does not have absolute validity.

By: PressThink

PressThink — Mon, 17 Nov 2003 10:57:18 +0000

A Politics that is Dumber Than Spam

When 95 percent of the nation can be ignored by the operatives who run presidential politics, there is something wrong. Yet realism in the press says this is the way it is. Will that continue to be so?