...American political extremism, that is.
Think about it. The Daily Kos and their band of raving fanatics could not defeat Joe Lieberman. Hugh Hewitt, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity won't be able to defeat John McCain. There's a lesson in all of this - the primary characteristic of loudmouths is loudness. Not intellect, numbers or influence, just loudness.
Seeing the influence of both groups wane is a good thing for all of us.
6 comments:
"Extremist".... kinda like the sound of that. Hey, pal - you've been linked ;)
KT,
I choose to vote for someone other than McCain not because of being a conservative but because I think that freedom of speech is a sacred right that should not be trampled by ambitious politicians. John McCain actually sued Wisconsin Right to Life to enjoin them from airing issues ads 60 days before an election. As Dean has previously opined, since when was freedom of speech a conservative issue?
Free speech has been infringed? What's the evidence? We're in the middle of the closest primary elections in 100 years and you think free speech has been infringed?
Personally, I love the limitations on giving to candidates. I didn't understandit before, but I do now. Imagine Huckabee or Dodd or any of the others with one or two sugar daddies to back them up with millions. Didn't happen. Now Moneybags Mitt is about to lose, too.
I haven't seen my free speech infringed at all. Look all over the blogosphere and ask yourself if free speech is in any danger.
Ironically, Rush Limpbough used to know this.
Michael Medved says whebn he first filled in for Rush, El Rotundo told him to never confuse the callers with the listeners, since listeners are generally more open-minded and more diverse than the callers.
No "extremist" to the left or right will ever win a major election. This is a phenomenon that occurs by the design of Democracy. Lefties will always vote for the most winnable democrat and righties will vote for the most winnable republican. The difference is among the undecided center, or moderates who may shift from liberal conservative to conservative liberal but it is this group (quite a large group in the US) who dictates the prime candidates on either side. Extremists follow this lead and vote for the wishy washier candidate for fear the other side will win. No one wants to waste a vote on an extremist who has no hope of capturing the centerists. It really is the same as voting for the opposition.
KT, Not talking about blogs, yet.
The BCRA of ’02 makes it a federal crime for a corporation (both for-profit and not-for-profit) to use its general treasury funds to pay for ads that refer to a candidate for federal office and is aired within 30 days of a federal primary election or 60 days of a federal general election. How is that not an abridgement of free speech? How do you square that circle?
And of course, its the richest candidates that have the resources to find and exploit the loopholes in this very sort of legislation to raise even more money than there less well-heeled opponents.
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