The Polarization Of America With No End In Sight

Ikari said:

Media is along for the ride, they do not rock the boat. During the Bush/Kerry elections Badnarik (libertarian) and Cobb (green) were arrested outside the Presidential debates while trying to serve a legal Order to Show Clause. Handcuffed, taken to jail, held till the debates were over. 2 valid Presidential Candidates with a legal Order to Show Clause were arrested, detained, and not a peep out of the mainstream media.

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and the Republicans keep ranting and hooting ab out how the MSM is on the side of the Democrats. It seems it is on the side of the status quo, the Republican/Democrat hegemony of political power.

I am now convinced the media, not politicians are driving the divide. Watching Morning Joe on 02-17-14 on MSNBC the woman host made fun of the republican strategy urging them to continue to guarantee a dem. victory in the coming presidential election. It proved this is not a news show rather a political show. So it brings up this questions, with the laws governing equal time how do the commentaries fit in? Should Fox vs. MSNBC be held accountable of the quantity of comments? How dangerous will this get? Isn't this close to being government run media? Isn't the media now telling us how to think?

rhinefire said:

I am now convinced the media, not politicians are driving the divide. Watching Morning Joe on 02-17-14 on MSNBC the woman host made fun of the republican strategy urging them to continue to guarantee a dem. victory in the coming presidential election. It proved this is not a news show rather a political show. So it brings up this questions, with the laws governing equal time how do the commentaries fit in? Should Fox vs. MSNBC be held accountable of the quantity of comments? How dangerous will this get? Isn't this close to being government run media? Isn't the media now telling us how to think?

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I think the First Amendment is the answer to most of the above questions. If we don't want either Fox or MSNBC telling us how to think, then it's up to us to listen to a little bit of both and then make up our own minds.

rhinefire said:

I am now convinced the media, not politicians are driving the divide. Watching Morning Joe on 02-17-14 on MSNBC the woman host made fun of the republican strategy urging them to continue to guarantee a dem. victory in the coming presidential election. It proved this is not a news show rather a political show. So it brings up this questions, with the laws governing equal time how do the commentaries fit in? Should Fox vs. MSNBC be held accountable of the quantity of comments? How dangerous will this get? Isn't this close to being government run media? Isn't the media now telling us how to think?

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Most people will assert that they already know "how to think" but tend to seek confirmation bias. Obviously, any news media cannot hope to cover all of the news - media bias is mostly by omission and, as you say, by use of commentary "explaining" the news. What is "dangerous", IMHO, is when people state "facts", like the Tea Party is racist, yet cannot name a single example to back up their assertion.

There really is no polarization of America to begin with. There is an increase in the perception of a polarization, but there isn't a polarization itself. It is an illusion. Granted, the illusion is powerful enough to actually effect our politics, but it is an illusion none-the-less.

U.S. Political Divide Said Not So Wide : Discovery News : Discovery News

So, it appears that the divide is not growing between political parties themselves, but rather growing between the groups within those parties, between those who are moderate about their views and those who are extreme in those views. And it is happening on both main sides, leaving moderates and many independents in the dust.

Dittohead not! said:

I think the First Amendment is the answer to most of the above questions. If we don't want either Fox or MSNBC telling us how to think, then it's up to us to listen to a little bit of both and then make up our own minds.

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Or listen to neither. There have go to be better news sources out there.

MoSurveyor said:

Or listen to neither. There have go to be better news sources out there.

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You would think, but what are they?
Local news: mostly sports, traffic, and maybe a local store was robbed. 20 minutes of news, 10 of commercials. Not much there.

Rant radio: All Democrats are devils, Republicans are all conservatives and therefore correct.

Local paper: Anything they print has already been on TV and/or the internet.

Colbert/Stewart: Not really a news show, but you can catch the humorous side of the news.

I suppose that leaves CNN.

Dittohead not! said:

You would think, but what are they?
Local news: mostly sports, traffic, and maybe a local store was robbed. 20 minutes of news, 10 of commercials. Not much there.

Rant radio: All Democrats are devils, Republicans are all conservatives and therefore correct.

Local paper: Anything they print has already been on TV and/or the internet.

Colbert/Stewart: Not really a news show, but you can catch the humorous side of the news.

I suppose that leaves CNN.

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And reading the direct AP and Reuters feeds off the Internet - along with various special interest eZines and websites depending on your tastes. I visit maybe half a dozen science and tech sites a week to see what's new. If I was seriously dedicated to politics I'd watch CNN more. Sometimes someone will post good CNN stories/issues on YouTube but I only watch if they'd unedited - I distrust videos that reduce a two hour hearing into 10 minutes of PR. That's no better than Fox.


And I do like Colbert/Stewart when I get the chance to watch. I need a good dose of humor now and then.