Monday, July 18, 2011

The media and the message. . .

. . . do not always arrive in optimal fashion. The news media, in particular, have evolved over the past thirty years, but not necessarily for the better. And our 'leaders', well, they're even worse. (Fortunately, our current president is head and shoulders above his predecessor in this regard. We do, however, need a better class of 'leaders', in general.)

First, the media. . .
From "America- Our Next Chapter" by Chuck Hagel, Republican (yes, Republican) Senator from Nebraska. . .
"Right alongside them (legislators), kind of like backup singers in a rock group, we have the pundits. They are supposed to be sage fonts of political wisdom; just ask them. When they are not shouting at one another, they are little more than partisan mouthpieces who have learned their talking points by rote. Collectively these "chattering classes" create a hostile, venomous atmosphere, raising the temperature until any politician with a sense of moderation and balance risks appearing as a wimp next to these high-octane blowhards. But reasonableness doesn't push ratings and low ratings hurt the bottom line of the media corporations.

Then, the message. . .
Again, from "America- Our Next Chapter" by Chuck Hagel, Republican (yes, Republican) Senator from Nebraska. . .
"America has always gravitated toward leaders who talk straight, who refuse to constantly calibrate their responses based on the advice of political handlers, polling, and focus groups. Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan were leaders who simply and straightforwardly spoke the facts as they saw them. . . We need leaders who can articulate a vision of where we want to take this nation and then lead us there; honest, competent, accountable leadership is what has always mattered most."



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