Yes, Jennifer Rubin nails it again! She is a fine thinker. Your humor in these parlous days is so bracing, and I appreciate so much your pep talks when actors in our own government seem to be hams of the first order and unworthy os anything except contempt. Biden’s conversation with Xi was historic, dignified, and worthy of the adjective “diplomatic.” Remember diplomacy?
Thank you for your comments about the press. When an infrastructure bill that is going to change so many people’s lives gets less coverage than Cruz and Big Bird, you have to know something is seriously wrong with the way the media is reporting what truly matters to the public.
Robert, thanks for that last paragraph. I find "polls" of current feelings close to meaningless.
First I am not confident that the polling techniques provide any sort of true representation of American sentiment. I question how they are done and the small samplings.
Second, to support your point, I might respond in the negative to a number of questions like "Is the US headed in the right direction?" or "Is our government doing the right thing about climate change?" or "Is President Biden moving us in the right direction?" etc, etc, etc.
But if a presidential election were held today, there is nobody else I could imagine voting for.
Rubin is absolutely correct regarding the media. The 'both-side-ism' of time-honored practice looks pretty quaint in the face of growing autocracy. BTW, one can call oneself a journalist without getting a license or certification to practice it. While most journalists have bachelor's degrees, relatively few have been trained in journalistic practice, let alone ethics.
Good for Ms. Rubin! I've actually been pretty disgusted by the media ceaselessly negative coverage of the Biden administration and its accomplishments. The media also downplays the hypocrisy of GOP congress people who voted against the infrastructure plan, but who are now bragging about it (aka, taking credit) to their constituents back home. So, do you think that "the media" actually pays attention to and is influenced by folks such as Ms. Rubin? Just wondering.....
I think the media doesn't know what to do with Rubin. She was a fairly predictable conservative until Trump, then she became very critical of the media's coverage of Trump. The right wing is roasting Rubin for her column, saying that she wants to muzzle freedom of the press.
The Wyoming Republicans have a central committee? Sounds Communist to me!
More seriously, perhaps part of the media problem (I'm tempted to say "the media's problem," but that may not be the whole story) is that we Democrats sit and stew and complain among ourselves, and do not do enough to call out media companies for their one-sidedness (or their related both-siderism). I used to write a lot of letters to the editor of the New York Times (indeed, I was invited to a reception for the people who got letters printed most frequently some years ago), but now I more often content myself with comments--which I very much doubt are read by editors. Do I write and complain to Fox News? No--I never pay attention to Fox. Do I write to CNN or Politico? No. Nor to my local paper or local news station. But maybe I should. And maybe if a lot of us criticized the nature of the coverage, it would change. Not overnight, but still change. Just a thought.
Yes, Jennifer Rubin nails it again! She is a fine thinker. Your humor in these parlous days is so bracing, and I appreciate so much your pep talks when actors in our own government seem to be hams of the first order and unworthy os anything except contempt. Biden’s conversation with Xi was historic, dignified, and worthy of the adjective “diplomatic.” Remember diplomacy?
Argh! I should have said "diplomatic but tough." That is what it was.
What you wrote gave a fine picture of cordial but truthful talks. “Tough” is implied if the topic is Taiwan!
Thank you for your comments about the press. When an infrastructure bill that is going to change so many people’s lives gets less coverage than Cruz and Big Bird, you have to know something is seriously wrong with the way the media is reporting what truly matters to the public.
Robert, thanks for that last paragraph. I find "polls" of current feelings close to meaningless.
First I am not confident that the polling techniques provide any sort of true representation of American sentiment. I question how they are done and the small samplings.
Second, to support your point, I might respond in the negative to a number of questions like "Is the US headed in the right direction?" or "Is our government doing the right thing about climate change?" or "Is President Biden moving us in the right direction?" etc, etc, etc.
But if a presidential election were held today, there is nobody else I could imagine voting for.
Exactly. Many polls seemed designed to elicit responses that ensure press coverage.
Rubin is absolutely correct regarding the media. The 'both-side-ism' of time-honored practice looks pretty quaint in the face of growing autocracy. BTW, one can call oneself a journalist without getting a license or certification to practice it. While most journalists have bachelor's degrees, relatively few have been trained in journalistic practice, let alone ethics.
That is a good point. I will think about separating journalists from "guest opinion" writers, bloggers etc.
Good for Ms. Rubin! I've actually been pretty disgusted by the media ceaselessly negative coverage of the Biden administration and its accomplishments. The media also downplays the hypocrisy of GOP congress people who voted against the infrastructure plan, but who are now bragging about it (aka, taking credit) to their constituents back home. So, do you think that "the media" actually pays attention to and is influenced by folks such as Ms. Rubin? Just wondering.....
I think the media doesn't know what to do with Rubin. She was a fairly predictable conservative until Trump, then she became very critical of the media's coverage of Trump. The right wing is roasting Rubin for her column, saying that she wants to muzzle freedom of the press.
The Wyoming Republicans have a central committee? Sounds Communist to me!
More seriously, perhaps part of the media problem (I'm tempted to say "the media's problem," but that may not be the whole story) is that we Democrats sit and stew and complain among ourselves, and do not do enough to call out media companies for their one-sidedness (or their related both-siderism). I used to write a lot of letters to the editor of the New York Times (indeed, I was invited to a reception for the people who got letters printed most frequently some years ago), but now I more often content myself with comments--which I very much doubt are read by editors. Do I write and complain to Fox News? No--I never pay attention to Fox. Do I write to CNN or Politico? No. Nor to my local paper or local news station. But maybe I should. And maybe if a lot of us criticized the nature of the coverage, it would change. Not overnight, but still change. Just a thought.