muzzled by juan williams - excerpt

8/6/2019 Muzzled by Juan Williams - Excerpt

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Copyright 2011 by Juan Williams

All rights rsrvd.

Publishd in th Unitd Stats by Crown Publishrs, an imprint of th

Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random Hous, Inc., Nw York.

www.crownpublishing.com

and th Crown colophon ar rgistrd tradmarks

of Random Hous, Inc.

Library of Congrss Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Williams, Juan.

Muzzld : th assault on honst dbat / Juan Williams.

p. cm.

Includs indx.

1. Fredom of spechUnitd Stats. 2. Political corrctnss

Unitd Stats. 3. Williams, JuanPolitical and social viws. I. Titl.JC591.W55 2011

323.44'30973dc22

2011016800

ISBN 978-0-307-95201-1

ISBN 978-0-307-95203-5

Jacket design by Ben Gibson

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

First Edition


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C H A P T E R 1

I SAID WHAT I MEANT

I

AM A BIGOT.I ha Muslims. I am a omnr o ha and in-

olranc. I am a black guy who maks un o Muslims or

h nrainmn o whi raciss. I am brazn nough o do

i on V bor h largs cabl nws audinc in Amrica.And I am such a faud ha whil I was sprading ha o a

consrvaiv audinc a nigh I dlivrd a oally diffrn

mssag o a larg libral morning-radio audinc. I oold h

radio olks ino hinking o m as a vran Washingon corr-

spondn and h auhor o svral acclaimd books clbra-

ing Amricas batls agains racism.My animus oward Muslims may b conncd o my d-

sir or publici and h ac ha I am mnally unsabl. And

I am also a undamnally bad prson. I rpadly ignord

warnings o sop violaing my companys sandards or nws

analysis. And I did his ar rpad warnings fom my pa-

in mployr. Tror, my ormr mployrs mad h righdcision whn hy rd m. In ac, hy should b praisd or


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2 J U A N W I L L I A M S

Tis is jus a sampling o som o h racion o Naional

Public Radios dcision o r m las yar ar a n-yar ca-

rer as a naional alk show hos, snior corrspondn, and

snior nws analys. Ty wr no akn fom h anonymous

commns scion o a Youub pag or h rams o ha mail

ha oodd my in-box in h days bor h ring. No, his is

h rspons fom h NPR managmn whom I had srvd

wih gra succss or narly a dcad. I is also h racion

fom naional advocacy groups lik h Council or Amrican

Islamic Rlaions (CAIR), whos work I had gnrally ad-

mird and occasionally dndd ovr h yars. Joining hm

was a small, kne-jrk mob o libral commnaors, includ-

ing a New York Timesdiorial wrir, who dndd NPR as

an imporan nws sourc dsrving dral unding vn i i

man daming mh mad oolish and hurul rmarks

abou Muslims. Cabl V sar Rachl Maddow, a rvnchampion o fe spech, agred ha I had a righ o say wha

was on my mind, bu in hr opinion h commns amound

o bigory. I had a righ o spak bu no righ o kep [my]

job. NPR also ound suppor among lis inllcuals who

rgularly brag abou dnding h righs o h litl guy bu

had no problm siding wih a big insiuion ovr an individualjournalis whn h journalis was m. On wrir said I had

long ingraiad mysl wih consrvaivs and I had gotn

wha was coming o m. His conclusion abou m: Slep wih

dogs, g as.

Wha did I do ha warrand h ring and h ad homi-

nm atacks ha prcdd and ollowd?I simply old h ruh.


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M U Z Z L E D 3

ing my dismissal, I am sruck by how litl of i lls h full

sory of wha acually happnd. Basic facs wr disord,

imporan conx was no providd, and prsonal atacks

wr rad as ruh. T lack of hons rporing abou h

ring and h vns ha ld up o i was no jus unfair

mos of i was a-ou lis.

In his rs chapr, I will ll you h full sory of wha

happnd o m. My purpos in doing his is no o g popl

o fel sorry for m. T goal of his book is o s h rcord

sraigh and o us my xprinc in wha amouns o a po-

liical and mdia whacking as h saring poin for a much-

nedd discussion abou h currn, sad sa of poliical

discours in his counry. I is im o nd h ongoing assaul

agains hons dba in Amrica.


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C H A P T E R 8

THE PROVOCATEURS

IN THE MOVIE Te American President,acor Michal Douglas

plays a prsidn who wals ino h Whi Hous bring

room and dlivrs a powrul rspons o a poliical oppo-

nns prsonal atacs on his characr. W hav sriousproblms o solv, and w ned srious popl o solv hm,

h bgins. And whavr your paricular problm is, I promis

you Bob [his opponn] is no h las bi inrsd in solving

i. H is inrsd in o hings and o hings only: maing

you afaid o i, and lling you whos o blam or i . . . [so h

can] win lcions. In h nal lin o h spech, h calls ouBob: Tis is a im or srious popl, Bob, and your en

minus ar up. My nam is Andrw Shphrd and I am h

prsidn!

Li all good wors o cion, ha scn is so mmorabl

bcaus i ouchs on somhing so ral.

odays provocaurs in poliics and h mdia sed con-ic vrywhr. Bu nowhr do hy show a gnuin inrs


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M U Z Z L E D 211

hy did, hy migh b ou o a job, ar all. W ar no longr

living in h 24-7 nws cycl. Tis nw ra is bing calld h

1,440-7 nws cycl, whr mdia ar comping or h au-

dincs atnion vry minu o vry day. And on surr

way o g atnion in h 1,440-7 nws world is o say som-

hing ouragous. As a rsul, w hav an nir gradua class

o prossional provocaurs. W all now hm. Ty ar my

finds, my collagus, and occasionally my advrsaris in h

mdia. Rush Limbaugh. Rachl Maddow. San Hanni. Law-

rnc ODonnll. Glnn Bc. Evn my collagu and anispin

misr Bill ORilly has ben accusd o h rol, alhough I

nd his show balancd in a way w al shows on h L or

Righ can mach.

As is ru o h mdium, al-show hoss ar nrain-

rs as much as hy ar commnaors, and bing bland as

oas wins nihr rviws nor raings. Whhr on h L orh Righ, whhr on MSNBC or Fox Nws, ach is awar

o hir arg audinc. Each offrs provocaiv commn-

ary ha grabs our atnion and rs up dba. T prob-

lm is ha al-show hoss arn on h air o compromis

or bring opposing sids oghr; hy hav a srong poin o

viw, which hy rcly xprss. By hir vry naur hyar dsignd o spar dba, no sarch or answrs; ocus our

concrns, no rach a biparisan compromis. Bu in sparing

dba ha plays off o our ars and concrns, hy also ac o

driv ou raional discussion and rasond dba. Tir vry

uncion as hoss and provocaurs can srv o driv us apar.

T inunc o al-show hoss on odays poliical cul-ur is prvasiv and worh xploring in mor dail. Som


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machins. Ohrs hav calld hir shows cho chambrs,

whr h hoss simply prach o h choir. Whavr you call

his phnomnon, h poin is ha h currn sa o mdia

and public affairs is siing h gnuin giv-and-a o hon-

s dba. Evry day a sram o snark, loud, and somims

angry voics fom h L and Righ ar giving rinorcmn,

rassuranc, and ndlss covrag o on or h ohr poliical

xrm. Tis is wha lis bhind our common prcpion ha

h crazis ar h ons doing all h aling. o a larg x-

n, hy ar.

Bu whn hs provocaursin poliics and h mdia

ar challngd on hir crass appals o ar, angr, and ha,

hy counr by charging hir criics wih poliical corrc-

nss and claim objcors ar atmping o cnsor hm. I

is a sragy ha has smid many criics. Casual obsrvrs

se h drioraion o imporan dbas on h issus inoa carnival sidshow, wih h clowns running an nrain-

ing, disracing, moionally chargd, bu no vry inorma-

iv spcacl. I bliv mos Amricans would passionaly

mbrac rasond, hons dba on h issus, bu hy don

now how o sop h drivl and prsonal atacs. And criics

in govrnmn crainly don wan o ris spaing ou ooloudly or ar o bing argd or atac by provocaurs on

h ohr sid. I has mad i hardr or h Amrican popl

o se whn poliically corrc hining is rally bing usd

no o opn a dba bu o shu on down, such as h NPR

rspons o my dba wih Bill ORilly abou Muslims and

rrorism.T rali o much o Amrican mdia oday mas a movi


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M U Z Z L E D 213

somon in auhori nally sands up o poliics and mdia

run amo. T naion would lov or a poliical Suprman o

a o as h growing hord ha has no inrs in solving

h srious problms acing Amrica.

Ls ac i, hs prossional rud boys (and girls) hriv

on arousing popls passions. Ty ma mony by maing

our problms vn wors. T mor bitr h divid ovr an

issu, h mor inracabl h problm, h brighr hy

shin. So hy ma us afaid o problms; hy blitl and d-

moniz hos wih a diffrn poin o viw as nmisvn

poliical allis who ar no willing o b as xrm or radical

in hir viws. W ar givn suprb poliical har bu litl in

h way o ducaion. I is li waching a docudrama a ims.

Ys, i is basd on h acs, bu hy hav ben mbllishd,

mad mor nraining, wih non o h painul sarching

and uncrain o ral li.T provocaurs dligh in coming up wih dmaning,

cuting sound bis ha quicly go viral on h Inrn and

cabl nws. My collagu Glnn Bc has ben guil o his

rpadly. Such atacs and prsonal pu-downs atrac atn-

ion, as wll as condmnaion fom criics. Nonhlss, h

spoligh, good or bad, brings h provocaurs o h atniono vn mor popl, puting mor popl in h sas or hir

carnival ac. And ha pus mor mony in hir pocs. I is

nraining among hir consiuns, o b sur. Bu hir

viriolic displays scar good popl away fom gting involvd

in poliics, and hy hav ld smar, wll-inormd popl in

h poliical middl o say away fom imporan dbas. Tprpual conic machin hs agiaors hav crad avors


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ral dba wih nw idas and hop or compromis as much

as or conrmaion o h blis hy alrady hold. Tir audi-

ncs ar capivad by h xplosiv angr hy se on h air,

arousing hir own angr and fusraion.

Tis phnomnon has rachd h poin whr our pro-

vocaur culur inhibis h uncions o govrnmn. Our

public srvans incrasingly rspond rs o h louds voics

bhind h biggs microphons, who can ma hm or bra

hm in h opinion polls and a h ballo box. T rsul is

a chronic hardning o poliical viws ha is dsroying h

xibili nedd or ffciv dmocracy. Bu odays polii-

cians el hy hav litl choic bu o play along. Ar all, h

prophs o doom and dsrucion g popl o atnd rallis,

o giv mony o poliicians, and o g ou and vo. Candi-

das running or offi c, and vn hos poliicians in lcd

offi c now, nd i o hir advanag o mimic h scraming,hcoring, and ngr-poining insad o looing or compro-

mis and soluions. Anyon who varis fom hir pars hard

lin is condmnd and ulimaly muzzld.

T Firs Amndmn o h Consiuion givs vryon

h righ o spa wihou ar o govrnmn cnsorship or

rprisal. I allows m o arn a living doing wha I lov odoaling and wriing abou poliics. O cours, i dos no

guarane hr will b an audinc whn I xrcis ha righ.

Somims blls and whisls, rwors and sparls ar

nedd o atrac an audinc. Somims w ned poliical

har o g us ino our sas. Bu his ned also cras pro-

grams wih atiud and opinion. Mos o h programmingday a Fox Nws Channl is an up wih nws prsnd by


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M U Z Z L E D 215

plling soris. T channl srivs o mainain and grow an

audinc by providing a mixur o hons, original, and n-

gaging analysis and nws. Bu i also offrs a vari o po-

n alk shows on h issus o h day wih hoss and guss

who hav big prsonaliis. Fox CEO Rogr Ails rcognizs

ha h mdia is a dmanding, compiiv businss and h

audinc canno b akn or grand. Atraciv, ngaging,

provocaiv popl and complling argumns ar always in

dmand.

Whnvr I appar on Fox Nws or wri a column or

T Hill, I ry o me h conomic dmands o hos ouls

by advancing h convrsaion, avoiding h prdicabl, and

making a consruciv conribuion o h discussion. I mak a

conscious ffor o avoid ad hominm atacks or nam-calling.

I atack idas and poin ou hir consquncs, rahr han

atack h popl who hold hm. I don say hings jus orh sak o bing provocaiv. I criiciz boh librals and con-

srvaivs whn I hink hy ar wrong and agre wih hm

whn I hink hy ar righ, rying o kep my argumns

groundd in hons, civili, and raional hough. As a rsul,

h largr-han-li mdia prsonaliiswho nvr nrain

any doub o hir xd posiionoccasionally shou m downand upsag m. Bu I giv hm ull crdi or having m on

in h rs plac o prsn wha is somims a conradicing

poin o viw. I wan boh lf-wing and righ-wing audincs

o pay atnion o wha I hav o say bcaus hy know m

as somon who is sraigh wih hm, who dosn com a

h issus om a xd idological posiion. I pu a prmiumon lling hm wha I rally hink, and hy sem o valu


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oo, vn i hy can coun on m as rliably consrvaiv or

libral.

O cours, causic poliical commnary and sair has

a chrishd, wll-sablishd radiion in Amrican hisory.

Mar wain, H. L. Mncn, Will Rogrs, Dorohy Parr,

and scors o ohr sairiss could hav ben dscribd as po-

liical provocaurs in hir day. W clbra hir wor and

can rcall hir mos mmorabl quos. Whn hy wro, h

mdia nvironmn was smallr, slowr, lss complicad, and

lss signican in Amrican poliics. Bu as mdia has volvd

ovr h las svral dcads, poliical commnaors hav b-

com an nirly diffrn spcis. oday poliical parisan-

ship has bcom insiuionalizd as mdia chnology has

incrasd ouls or nich poins o viw on h xrms o

h poliical spcrum, and h mony and clbri ow o

hos voics a h xrms hrough radio shows, boo dals,and Wb raffi c.

Much o h hisory o provocaurs in Amrica is par o

h glorious hisory o fe popl spaing felydmocracy

in acion. Ts voics mrgd o challng h saus quo or

in som cass o dnd h saus quo agains h orcs o

poliical corrcnss, boh good and bad. Som o our naionsmos had dbas oo plac during h posrvoluion-

ary ra as Tomas Jffrson, Jams Madison, and Alxandr

Hamilon argud passionaly ovr h dails o our naions

dmocraic bluprins, h Dclaraion o Indpndnc and

h Consiuion.

Tomas Pain is among h mos rnownd o h ounding-ra provocaurs. H is h original Amrican agiaor, an


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M U Z Z L E D 217

Common Sense. His rais, which raild agains Briish co-

lonial dominaion, was inndd o inam and goad Amri-

cans o rbllion. H wro in bold languag: Evryhing ha

is righ or rasonabl plads or sparaion. T blood o h

slain, h weping voic o naur cris, .

His words mad h Amrican Rvoluion much mor han an

uprising. H ransormd i ino a holy crusad or all human-

i. T caus o Amrica is in a gra masur h caus o

all manind, Pain wro.

By h la 1800s, Pains pugnacious phrass semd po-

li and poic compard o h daily viriol prind by h o

gra nwspapr magnas o h im, William Randolph

Hars and Josph Pulizr. Tir covrag o h nws, fom

crim o poliical scandals o war, was a sudy in snsaional-

izd accouns, including ourigh disorion and lis, in a batl

o sll mor paprs in Nw Yor Ci. T high-dcibl consben Harss New York Journal and Pulizrs New York

Worldgav ris o h rm yllow journalism. I dscribs

alarmis, snsaionalis journalism ha is drivn by a dsir

or atnion and is willing o inci and provo radrs wih

litl rgard or h acs. Hars and Pulizr bcam ina-

mous or saring a ral war. Ty whippd up so much angra Spain hrough inammaory soris abou Spains handling

o Amrican vssls ha hy incid h Unid Sas o go

o war wih Spain in h Spanish-Amrican War.

Radio had mrgd in h arly nih cnury as a

orm o mass mdia. T bs-nown voic o arly hundr

on radio was Caholic pris Charls Coughlin. Fahr Cough-lin spwd an inammaory mix o poliical ourag, social


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rach ou o a counry sruggling o rcovr fom conomic

dprssion; his us o radio was a rs or a prsidn, and his

occasional rsid radio chas fom h Whi Hous bcam

a signaur o his prsidncy. Fahr Coughlin rs gaind

prominnc as a supporr o Prsidn Roosvls Nw Dal

programs. Bu h urnd agains hm wih qual ury. H

blamd Jws or h Gra Dprssion, sympahizd wih Hi-

lr, and bcam an ardn opponn o U.S. involvmn in

World War II. H onc broadcas a qusion ha combind

isolaionism and ani-Smiism: Mus h nir world go o

war or 600,000 Jws in Grmany who ar nihr Amrican,

nor Frnch, nor English ciizns, bu ciizns o Grmany?

His populari ll, howvr, whn h was lind o a group

rying o ovrhrow h govrnmn.

T cold war, wih is srong anicommunis snimns,

producd svral arly vrsions o odays provocaiv mdiaprsonaliis. Far o communis inlraion ino h Unid

Sas sirrd h audincs o ha ra. Radio shows, pam-

phls, and spechs wr sponsord by h paranoid, ar-righ

John Birch Soci.

T civil righs movmn o h 1950s and 1960s, oo, pro-

ducd a class o racial provocaurs. Svral sas addd somvrsion o h Condra ag o hir sa ags. Alabamas

Govrnor Gorg Wallac proplld himsl o naional prom-

innc and a hird-par candidacy or h prsidncy using a

sas righs argumn, as wll as championing h good

o racial sgrgaion. In Jun 1963 Govrnor Wallac drw

world atnion whn h physically sood in a schoolhousdoor o bloc blac sudns fom nring h Univrsi o


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M U Z Z L E D 219

U.S. Jusic Dparmn offi cials sanding nx o him, h an-

nouncd ha h dral acion o ingra h school was in

violaion o righs rsrvd or h sa by h Consiuion o

h Unid Sas and h Consiuion o Alabama. Lar, h

sirrd warli passion by proclaiming, In h nam o h

gras popl ha vr rod his arh, I draw h lin in

h dus and oss h gaunl bor h e o ranny and I

say, Sgrgaion now, sgrgaion omorrow, sgrgaion or-

vr!

Wallacs succss as a poliical provocaur was aidd by

his prominnc as govrnor o h sa. Bu i was also bol-

srd by h growh o mass mdiaradio and Vha

rumpd his words o vry cornr o h naion.

In h ra o domsic social uphaval during h 1960s and

1970s, h ladrs o h minis movmn, h sudn pro-

ss agains h Vinam War, and h civil righs movmnall capializd on h growh o V nws and commnary o

build suppor or hir causs. Evry caus now had o ma

sragic dcisions on h us o visuals, signs, and symbols

inndd o display disdain or h sablishmn, as wll as

whn o sag marchs or maximum lvision covrag, how

o incras im on V by mploying Hollywood clbriis ospa or a caus, and how o nlis musicians and mssags in

movis o agia or chang.

Ronald Ragans prsidncy saw poliical polarizaion

rach anohr lvl. Prsidn Ragans prossional acing and

spech-maing sills, combind wih h birh o V cabl

nws and h al/nws radio orma, urnd poliics ino l-visd conss o rhoric and saging. Woring wih a pub-


17/40


dircor, h prsidn ld h naion wih bold languag and

powrul stings or his spechs. H sood a h Brlin Wall

o challng Sovi ladr Mihail Gorbachv wih h lin,

Mr. Gorbachv, ar down his wall. H did no hsia o

labl h Sovi Union h vil mpir. H anagonizd his

libral criics by aling abou poor womn as wlar quens

in pin Cadillacs, aing h bold conomic posiion ha i

h rich go richr h poor would also b hlpd bcaus a

rising id lis all boas. Considraion o on Ragan nomi-

ne or h Suprm Cour, Robr Bor, ransormd l-

visd Sna conrmaion harings ino a sag or poliical

ghs ovr aborion, rac, gun conrol, and vry ohr ho-

buton issu. As nod arlir, during h Bor harings, Sna-

or d Knndy unlashd his own inammaory atac on

h nomine. Robr Bors Amrica, h snaor said, is

a land in which womn would b orcd ino bac-ally abor-ions, blacs would si a sgrgad lunch counrs, rogu

polic could bra down ciizns doors in midnigh raids,

schoolchildrn could no b augh abou voluion, wrirs

and ariss could b cnsord a h whim o h govrnmn,

and h doors o h Fdral cours would b shu on h n-

grs o millions o ciizns.al shows bgan o combin h chniqus o nws pro-

grams wih nrainmn shows. Phil Donahus V show,

which was syndicad naionally or a rcord n-six yars,

s h sandard or puting srious convrsaions on h air in

h arnoon, bu his show also bcam nown or acling

aboo subjcs and bringing lighning-rod prsonaliis on odiscuss hm. Up-and-coming V producrs ollowd in his


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M U Z Z L E D 221

daling wih en hamongrs, which aurd a mmbr o

h Whi Aryan Rsisanc Youh and a blac gus. Maury

Povich bcam nown or rvaling h rsuls o parni

ss o coupls on liv V, wih all h prdicabl moional

ouburss and ars. Jrry Springrs show acually rang a bll

as guss rgularly jumpd fom hir sas in rag o gh

on anohr. Oprah Winfys show bcam h gnrs mos

popular in h naion as a mor rspcabl al show or sub-

urban mal viwrs, y i has nvr srayd ar fom amily

uds, Hollywoods las clbri crisis, and al abou sx

and halh. Bu Oprah ralizd raings gold in clashs ovr h

days xplosiv social issus.

As al shows bcam V snsaions, radio programming

urnd up h volum oo, wih insuls, sx al, snsaional

poliical soris, and caricaurs o wha hoss saw as polii-

cally incorrc poliicians. Don Imus and Howard Srn soardin h raings wih a combinaion o humorous pu-downs and

a willingnss o ma conrovrsial, vn insuling, samns

o inci hir audincs. Imuss ocus was poliical, wih sna-

ors, congrssmn, and businss ladrs on joining him o

rad gossip, jos, and pu-downs. Srn rod h prsona o

an ovrgrown schoolboy sipping class wih his finds o hava smo in h boys bahroom and rad iillaing locr-

room al abou sx. T wild succss o boh shows inspird

counlss imiaors in local radio mars. And h succss o

hs shows ld o h xplosiv growh o rali lvision,

piting popl agains on anohr o rval ha which is mos

bas, primiiv, jalous, and violn in us, as rali V d-volvd fom shows li Survivor o Te Real Housewives and


19/40


advisr o Prsidn Carr, rcognizd his criical shi in h

mdia, and is powr conribud o a chang in h naur o

govrning. H warnd h prsidn ha i had h powr o

driv rnds and opinions o such orc ha hy could swamp

vn h mos sincr and abl ladr. Caddll old Carr, I

is my hsis ha govrning wih public approval rquirs a

coninuing poliical campaign. Ta man ha vn vicori-

ous candidas, onc in offi c, had o ep campaigning; hy

nedd o se govrning as a spara, somims scondary,

as i hy wand o hold on o h powr ha coms fom

srong public approval. In ha sns, a prmann campaign

bcam h qual o a Hars-Pulizr circulaion batl, a

raings war, and a compiion ben brandsa qus o

siz yballs, o capur hars, and o sir passions. Polii-

cians ned o absorb h lssons o h mdia abou apping

ino h biggs possibl audinc and holding ha audinc.T y lsson is ha hr is nohing lss dramaic han a

w popl aling raionally, ignoring xrmiss and now-

nohings, whil maing sady, incrmnal improvmns in

public policy. Evn an uninormd, unducad rub can ba

a brillian sasman in opinion polls i h rub has passion,

prsns himsl as a vicim o Washingons arroganc, and iswilling o a a sand and pu on a show o populis ourag.

In poliics, h had mdia culur o h 1980s and

1990s saw h ris o hre major poliical prsonaliis who

h mold o provocaurJss Jacson on h L, Pa

Buchanan on h Righ, and Ross Pro as a poliical indpn-

dn.Jacson had rs usd h powr o lvision in h imm-


20/40

M U Z Z L E D 223

on air h nx day waring a shir ha h said was saind

wih Dr. Kings blood. Troughou h nx svral dcads,

his public samns and apparancs on V and radio spo

o his ambiion o bcom h nx Dr. King. By h 1988

prsidnial campaign, Jacson was widly acnowldgd as

h prsidn o Blac Amrica, a maninglss il xcp

in is powr o command h atnion o h mdia and win

Jacson his own cabl V show.

Pa Buchanan, a ormr aid o Prsidn Nixon, posiiond

himsl as a social consrvaiv and a man o principl willing

o lad h charg in wha h calld h culur wars. I was

Buchanan who had coind h rm siln majori.

Buchanan bcam a rgular on poliical V and radio

shows and vnually landd his own. H was on o h origi-

nal cohoss o h cabl V shouing mach Crossre,which

crad h spi-ying, barbd-pu-down, L-vrsus-Righmpla or poliical panls and programs ha hav com

sinc. H ran a lucraiv nwsltr aimd a consrvaivs

seing hard-lin righ-wing viws.

Li Jss Jacson, Buchanan mad a run or prsidn. In

1992 h usd his hard-righ sands on social issus o atac

Prsidn Bush as a poliical modra who mad bacroomdals wih Dmocras and did no dsrv a scond rm.

Ross Pro, li Jacson and Buchanan, also ran or prsi-

dn. In an amazing urn, h walhy corpora xcuiv ran

as a populis, a man raind by his succss in businss o g

hings don. T hro and proagonis o a bs-slling boo

and V sris, On the Wings of Eagles,abou how h organizdh rscu o mployes bing hld hosag ovrsas, Pro


21/40


spo as a no-nonsns pragmais wih a paricular disas

or Prsidn Bush. In nonsop mdia inrviws, including

rgular apparancs on cabl Vs Larry King Live,h labld

Prsidn Bush a wa ladr wih no conomic now-how

and lacing in srong principls.

Tis ci [Washingon] has bcom a own lld wih

sound bis, shll gams, handlrs, mdia sunmn who pos-

ur, cra imags, al, shoo off Roman candls, bu don

vr accomplish anyhing. W ned deds, no words, in his

ci, Pro said. On o his mos lling campaign pldgs

h vr-scalaing mdia culur o h im. H said ha as

prsidn h would govrn by paricipaing in lcronic own

halls, whr popl could spa ou and also rgisr hir

prrncs or policy and lgislaion.

Bu Pros rraic bhavior, dropping ou and hn renr-

ing h prsidnial rac in a mdia fnzy, and his charg hagovrnmn agns had rid o ruin his daughrs wdding, as

wll as his choic o h unnown and ou-o-his-dph Admi-

ral Jams Socdal as his vic-prsidnial running ma, un-

drmind Pros candidacy. Nonhlss, h won 19 prcn

o h vo, a rcord or an indpndn candida.

Bu mos o all, Pro, Buchanan, and Jacson l an in-dusry o xrm poliical pundis in hir wa, poliicians

and al-show hoss who gaind a lvl o walh and poliical

powr nvr nown o arlir poliical commnaors such as

Will Rogrs and H. L. Mncn. Ty pridd hmslvs on

bing ousid obsrvrs o h procss.

T currn crop o provocaurs, oofom Glnn Bco Arianna Huffi ngonhav bcom playrs in ha procss.


22/40

M U Z Z L E D 225

and ma h mos ouragous atacs, who garnr h high-

s lvision raings, h largs radio audincs, and h mos

Wb si raffi c. Ty n lucraiv boo conracs and rciv

rapurous sanding ovaions a poliical conrncs. And hy

hav discovrd hy can ma or bra li-mindd poliical

candidas wih hir commnary and ndorsmns. Voics

o modraion and calm prsuasion hav a hard im bing

hard ovr h loud, graing voics o odays poliical provo-

caurs. And h Inrn and h communicaions plaorms

i has cradfom Facboo o blogshav suppord h

mrgnc o vn mor provocaurs: popl paid or scram-

ing ou any conrovrsial ida, any conspiracy hory. Mos

o hs agiaors ac wihou ar o bing hld o accoun

or disorions or ourigh lis. Whn challngd on h acs,

hy run bhind h Firs Amndmn and charg ha hir

fedom o spech is bing an away. T acolys in hiraudinc could car lss abou spin and disorionunlss i

is commitd by hir poliical os. Ty jus wan o har a

rousing spech by a al-show hos who agres wih hm.

Tis psychological phnomnon is on surprising rsul o

chnologys abili o dlivr mor cabl channls, mor radio

saions, inni Wb sis, and witr eds. Wih h grarvari o plaorms o g nws and opinion, mos radrs,

viwrs, and lisnrs ar drawn o plaorms and prsonaliis

o hir choic, in h sam way homown audincs bcom

ans o a basball am. Ty bliv hir am can do no

wrong. Ty rvl in h company o li-mindd hinrs.

Ty rally don wan o har nws ha mas hm qusionhir poliical prjudics. Ty don wan opinions ha chal-


23/40


ory poin o viw. Ty wan consisncy. Ty ar glad o

dismiss criics, h loahsom mainsram or righ-wing

mdia, and opposing poliical paris. Ty bond wih ohrs

as ousidrs and g a ic ou o prsonaliis who us moc-

ing ons o dbas h insidrs or li who disagre wih hm.

I is his nw poliical culur ha producd Al Frann

and Rush Limbaugh, sand-up comic and disc jocy wih

brash poliical viws, o unny guys who hav risn o unb-

livabl prominnc in h naions highs councils o srious

poliical dba.

Limbaugh is h louds o all h voics in h consrvaiv

mdia cho chambr. A collg dropou and aild disc jocy,

h crad a on-man poliical show mad possibl by h r-

pal o h Fairnss Docrin in 1987. Radio saions no longr

had o air opposing viws, and Limbaugh is crdid wih bing

h rs and crainly h bs o a advanag o h nwlaw. H bas on idological drum or hre hours a day

h drum o social consrvaism. H has mad himsl ino

h voic o opposiion o vryhing libral, fom aborion o

war pross o concrn ovr orur o capurd rroriss and

civil righs aciviss. H lambasd womns righs aciviss as

mi-Nazis, dclaring, Fminism was sablishd so as oallow unatraciv womn asir accss o h mainsram o

soci. H mocd AIDS aciviss by inroducing any dis-

cussion o h disas wih Dionn Warwics hi song Ill

Nvr Lov Tis Way Again. On Limbaughs show, mmbrs

o h miliary who did no agre wih Prsidn Bushs dci-

sion o invad Iraq wr phony soldirs. H showd no aro maing h ind o racial poliics pu-downs o blac popl


24/40

M U Z Z L E D 227

blac callr o a h bon ou o your nos and call m

bac. His a on h majori o blac Amricans idniing

wih h Dmocraic Par? Tyr only 12 prcn o h

populaion. Who h hll cars? On im h rmard ha

all composi picurs o criminals loo li Jss Jacson. A

big ooball an, h nonhlss disparagd h larg numbr

o prossional playrs who ar blac by saying: T NFL all

oo on loos li a gam ben h Bloods and h Crips

wihou any wapons. Tis pisod was cid as on o h

rasons NFL powr brors blocd Limbaughs atmp o

buy an ownrship sa in h S. Louis Rams ooball am in

2009. Ar h plan ll hrough, libral comdian and al-

show hos Bill Mahr jod ha his had dashd Limbaughs

lilong dram o on day owning blac popl.

Limbaughs comdic aln, his mimicry, his us o music,

and his buffoonli boas ha h is aing on h L wihhal my brain id bhind my bac ld h New York imeso

dscrib him as a vaudvillian. Whn Michal Sel, chair-

man o h Rpublican Par, dscribd h radio al-show

hos as mrly an nrainr who sirrd up his audinc

wih incndiary and ugly commns, h ound himsl dl-

ugd wih rbus fom h Rush dito hads and hrandwih a loss o nancial suppor or h par. So dspi Sels

poliical sanding wihin h par, h bowd his had, offrd

a prsonal apology o El Rushbo, and appard chasnd,

vn abjc, whn h bsechd h nrainr o go asy on

him. As Prsidn Obama nrd h Whi Hous a a im

o war, rror hras, and conomic crisis, Limbaugh baldlysaid, I hop h ails. H lar rid o xplain ha h was


25/40


apologic commn, indiffrn o h neds o h naion bu

crafd o grab atnion, Limbaugh prcly.

Limbaughs sharp ongu has mad him h mos succss-

ul radio broadcasr o all im. His ponymous radio show,

which bgan in 1988, now has an simad wekly audinc

o fen million lisnrs. According o a Nwswek rpor

las yar, h is by ar h highs-arning poliical prsonali,

arning $59 million annually. For rrnc, Glnn Bck cam

in scond a $33 million. In hird was San Hanni a $22

million. Limbaughs saur is all h mor imprssiv whn

you considr ha his show savd h AM radio quncy om

irrlvanc. Consrvaiv alk-radio hoss vr sinc hav cop-

id h Limbaugh modl.

T succss o righ-wing alk radio in shaping naional po-

liical opinions and policy vnually prompd h qusion,

Why don librals hav hir own alk shows? T answr washa librals did no el alinad om wha consrvaivs

calld h mainsram mdia. T oldr, whi majori o

consrvaivs had long complaind ha hy wr ignord or

marginalizd as rligious xrmiss, sxual pruds, and big-

os by h major nwspaprs and broadcas norks. And

h libral il in Hollywood producd popular libral-laningV sicoms going back as ar as All in th Family,in which a

consrvaiv blu-collar workr was prsnd as unducad,

ull o blusring rsisanc o raing womn and blacks as

quals. T movis promod libral hms, including racial

ingraion, prmarial sx, and disdain or h Amrican mil-

iary, om M*A*S*Ho Platoon. On h radio dial, NPR gois sar in h arly svnis as a nork o collg saions.


26/40

M U Z Z L E D 229

grssional harings ha ollowd, wih Prsidn Nixon as h

villain. NPR was immdialy adopd by h campus pros

crowd and libral inllcuals.

Consrvaivs had complaind or dcads ha librals

ndd o win nurd acul posiions a h naions op uni-

vrsiis. NPR bcam an xnsion o libral campus coun-

rculur. o consrvaivs, h arrival o righ-wing al

radio on h AM dial crad a singular oupos or hir viws

in a libral mdia landscap. Bu o librals and Dmocras

h succss o consrvaivs li Limbaugh and hir powr

o push naional poliics o h righ was maddning. Libral

counrprogramming nally hi h airwavs in 2004 wih a

nw radio ou calld Air Amrica Radio. And is sar, h

Ls answr o Rush Limbaugh, was h comdian and sai-

ris Al Frann.

Unli Limbaugh, Frann was a op-noch sudn whograduad fom Harvard wih a dgre in poliical scinc.

And h had ben a sar on a hip, libral-laning V show, Sat-

urday Night Live, or en yars. In 1996 Frann wro a

New York imes bs-slling boo wih h insuling, scahing

il Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.

In 2004 Frann was slcd o hos Air Amricas mainshow. H was sen as h man o a on Limbaugh as wll

as h succssul Fox Nws Channl and is lad prsonali,

Bill ORilly. Frann iniially calld his show Te OFranken

Factor. Bu h shows proccupaion wih mocing consrva-

iv radio and cabl prsonaliis did no lad o raings succss.

Frann l i wihin hre yars as h nor sruggld opay is bills and hn collapsd.


27/40


had writn a scond boo, ild Why Not Me?, a sairical ac-

coun o a cional Frann campaign or prsidn. And in

on o hos bizarr momns whn li imias absurdis ar,

Frann acually ran in 2008 or a ral U.S. Sna sa in his

hom sa o Minnsoa and won in a vry clos rac ovr a

Rpublican incumbn. In h Sna, h mad nws whn h

rolld his ys and mad acs o disgus whil Rpublican Sn-

a minori ladr Mich McConnll spo in opposiion o a

Dmocraic nomine o h Suprm Cour. Ta prompd

McConnll o rbu him wih h commn Tis isn Satur-

day Night Live,Al. (Frann lar wro a handwritn ltr

o apology o McConnll or using his comic raining on h

oor o h Sna whn ral issus wr bing dbad.) Bu

wha was asounding was h lvaion o Frann, a man bs

nown or clowning and poliical sair, a man wih no prior

poliical xprinc, o a sa in h U.S. Sna. Frann maynow b mauring in h job, bu his bacground is as a hclr

and provocaur.

Tr is a vas consllaion o sars li Limbaugh and

Frann now blaning h mdia and poliics. On h L

hr is Michal Moor, h mos succssul documnary

lmmar o all im. H is a ol hro o h Amrican Lwho is praisd on collg campuss, on h libral cabl chan-

nls, and in h progrssiv nroos communi. Arianna

Huffi ngon, h Rpublican pundi urnd libral rbrand,

crad an incrdibly succssul Wb si, h Huffi ngon Pos,

which provids librals wih nws and opinion. T Huffi ng-

on Pos has ben so succssul ha sh was abl o sll i oAOL or $315 million arlir his yar. Lawrnc ODonnll,


28/40

M U Z Z L E D 231

hoss h nors 8:00 p.m. show, which comps wih Bill

ORilly.

On h Righ, Rush Limbaughs lgacy has spawnd a

plhora o consrvaiv al-radio hoss who hav ollowd

in his pah: San Hanni, Michal Savag, Laura Ingraham,

Mar Lvin, Nal Boorz, and Mi Gallaghr. Each on has

achivd succss by parlaying his or hr radio show ino l-

vision apparancs and boo dals. Prhaps h mos asci-

naing xampl is Glnn Bc, who atracs h hird-biggs

audinc in consrvaiv al radio, bhind Limbaugh and

Hanni. Li Limbaugh, Bc nvr graduad fom collg

and had a chcrd carer as a disc jocy playing prans

and hi rcords. Bc bgan his poliical al show in 2000

on a ampa, Florida, AM saion, mixing consrvaism and

conspiracy horis. In dar, whisprd voics h claimd lib-

rals wr ploting o dsroy Amrica, whil also conssingo his li as a rcovring alcoholic and convying occasional

rligious mssags.

In addiion o his radio show, wih a wely audinc o

abou n million lisnrs, Bc had a 5:00 p.m. show on Fox

Nws ha garnrd highr raings han h combind raings

or prim-im programs on CNN and MSNBC. His boosinsanly caapul o numbr on on h New York imesbs-

sllr liss. Tough no as parisan as Limbaugh, Bcs ms-

sag is clarly consrvaiv and highly criical o h Dmocras

and Prsidn Obama. H amously rmard ha h prsi-

dn was a racis who had a dep-sad hard o whi

popl. In airnss, h apologizd and rracd ha rmarlar. Bu h rouinly calls h prsidn a socialis, a commu-


29/40


on compars h agnda o Obama and h Dmocras o

Nazi Grmany, Maois China, and Russia undr h Sovis.

T philippics and oulandish irads agains h Obama

adminisraion orm h ngin or Bcs succss. Wihou

hm, no on would pay atnion o his warmr, uzzir, and

somims lgiima claims abou hisory, morals, and valus.

Bu rahr han spar a gnuin dba, Bc ses o igni

our ir and go on h atac. Tr is no progrssiv conspiracy

o dsroy h Unid Sas o Amrica fom wihin, and i is

absurd o suggs ha hr is. Alhough o Bc and hos

who ollow him, i may wll sem as i I am dismissing h ida

bcaus I am a par o h conspiracy. For ha matr, you

mus b oo, i you agre wih my idas. I can se h chal-

board diagram now.

Ts provocaurs cross h poliical spcrum and ar

paid salaris normally associad wih Las Vgas nrain-rs. Prsonali is y hr. Anyon can say provocaiv hings

and voic conrovrsial opinions. T popl whom I hav

mniond ar ffciv bcaus hy ar always saing on

h dg o ouragous conrovrsy, always pushing h limis

o supporabl acs, logic, and rspc or popl who hold

opposing poliical viws. Tir audincs wan o se how arhy can go wihou crashing. Prhaps hy shar h sns

ha h rs o h world is crazy and hy ar no going o

a i anymorhy ar going o s h rcord sraigh and

ll i li i is. And our hoss dlivr daily jrmiads ha con-

rm w ar no h only ons who bliv hs poliicians

and world ladrs and corpora moguls and pamprd movisars and ahls ar a bunch o hivs, liars, and idios. T


30/40

M U Z Z L E D 233

o a man or womanconsrvaiv or libralwho is no in-

rsd in aling withpopl. H or sh is in h businss o

aling atpopl. T closs hs dominaing radio and V

prsonaliis com o an xchang o idas is atacing hir

rivals on anohr nor. T insuls y, and hn hir r-

spciv audincs ar rousd o dnd hir hros, and h

raings climb vn highr as mor and mor popl un in or

h spcacl.

Now, hr is nohing wrong wih al radio bing domi-

nad by consrvaiv prsonaliis or Hollywood bing

dominad by libral wrirs and acors. Compiion among

poliical idas is ssnial o Amrican dmocracy. I migh

b hard o nd a libral radio show as inunial as Rush

Limbaughs program, bu hr is no absnc o libral idas

and prsonaliis lswhr in h poliical univrs and h

mdia. A h high o hir powrs, h consrvaivs on alradio could only wach as prhaps h mos libral mmbr

o h Sna, Barac Obama, was lcd prsidn. Ta

is why I will sand sid by sid wih Rush and San in oppos-

ing atmps o manipula ha marplac wih h rurn

o h Fairnss Docrin. Prsidn Obama has also said h

opposs h rurn o a govrnmn-imposd manda haach individual saion provid qual im o all sids o a

poliical issu. A his poin ha ind o lgislaiv rspons

o h provocaurs will no srv o dissmina mor idas

and opinions. I amouns o a libral sragy dsignd o a

down Limbaugh and h ohr consrvaivs who domina

on ormaal radio. I am or h govrnmn offring axbras o suppor mor programs wih local al and nws.


31/40


voics or having h govrnmn dica programming dci-

sions is in eping wih h Firs Amndmn promis ha

Congrss will ma no law rsricing fedom o h prss.

T ral dangr hr is byond h scop o govrnmns

powr. T xcss o provocaurs corruping public dialogu

in Amrica ss up a gh on vry issu or vry Amrican.

Tis rbllion agains h provocaurs will hav o b don in

h radiion o colonial parios, who cam ou o hir homs

and ormd priva armis o gh Briish ranny. Individual

Amricans ar going o hav o urn away fom h nrain-

mn associad wih xrmis, a ims buffoonish, dma-

gogus on h air and hir imiaors who ar now running

or public offi c. Ty will hav o prsonally rais h bar or

convrsaions abou imporan social and poliical issus. In

ohr words, w hav o a matrs ino our own hands. Or-

dinary Amricans ned o join h gh agains h scourgha is undrmining our ssnial Amrican bli in lting

popl spa hir minds. T dominanc o h paid agia-

ors has ld o a loss o criical-hining sills by Amrican

ciiznsw ned o hin or ourslvs. T scramrs, h

sl-righous, and h arrogan on radio, on V, in prin, and

on h Inrn cra an nvironmn in which a lo o poplin h middl don bohr spaing up bcaus is hard o

shou abov h bombas and nois. A lo o us, I suspc, el

an urg o a covr unil all h shouing and nam-calling

sop. W ar waiing or somon ls o ll h provocaurs

ha hir en minus ar up.

I ar ha a baclash agains h provocaur culur iscraing cynicism abou h nir poliical procss. Rvulsion


32/40

M U Z Z L E D 235

pcially young popl. And ha pah lads o poliical apahy.

wo hirds o h Amrican popl ll pollsrs h counry

is hadd in h wrong dircion. Y incrasingly, poliicians

hmslvs bgin o ac li h provocaurs in h mdia,

rsoring o h sam crass schoolyard bullying and nam-

calling. In on o h mos offnsiv campaign ads o h 2010

poliical campaign, a Florida Dmocra, Rprsnaiv Alan

Grayson, rrrd o his Rpublican opponn, Danil Wb-

sr, as aliban Dan. Labling somon, vn in hyprbol,

a mmbr o a brual rgim ha slaughrs is own popl,

and Amricans or ha matr, is bad nough. Bu on op

o ha, h viriol bhind h samns was basd on a li.

Grayson usd a vido clip ha showd Wbsr lling womn

o submi o hir husbands in eping wih h ns o an

xrmis inrpraion o h Bibl. Bu Grayson had did

h clip o disor wha Wbsr had acually said. In rali,Wbsr had cauiond rligious mn no o us liral ransla-

ions o som Bibl xs o opprss womn.

T indpndn poliical wachdog group FacChc.org

was appalld by Graysons blaan atac on his opponn and

h ruh. W hough Dmocraic Rp. Alan Grayson o

Florida rachd a low poin whn h alsly accusd his op-ponn o bing a dra dodgr during h Vinam War and

o no loving his counry, rpord FacChc.org. Bu now

Grayson has lowrd h bar vn urhr. Hs using did

vido o ma his rival appar o b saying h opposi o

wha h rally said.

T 2010 lcion also saw Sharron Angl, h Rpublicancandida or a Nvada U.S. Sna sa, ll a group o vors


33/40


rmdiso dal wih mmbrs o Congrss who did no go

along wih hr idas. Sh mad hadlins wih h snsaion-

alis bu oally als charg ha hr Dmocraic opponn,

Sna majori ladr Harry Rid, wand o giv Viagra o

sx offndrs. Angl also ran ads suggsing Rid was giving

ax bras o illgal immigrans. Tos V ads dpicd h

popl crossing h bordr o com ino h Unid Sas as

huggish, hraning, and dar sinnd, in a crass atmp o

sir up vors ars and win vos.

Tis low lvl o poliical discours is chasing away al-

nd popl who would ohrwis pu hmslvs orward as

candidas or offi c. Who wans o b subjcd o shrill and

malicious atacs? Who wans o b calld nams and vrbally

icd around by opponns who ar no hld o accoun?

In vry dmocracy, no matr wha h ra, h languag

o poliics is on prsonal, on harsh, and a ims down inh gutr. Tis was ru o poliical opponns o Prsidns

Tomas Jffrson and Ab Lincoln. Bu h proliraion o

mdia hrough high chnology in h las n yars has

ld o 24-7 sabs fom sharp voics, and I ar h body pol-

iic is bleding o dah. Tr is no off-sason or poliical

atacs, spcially around lcion im. W now liv wih aprmann campaign; i is a yar-round spor. From rrorism

o budgary criss o immigraion o h war in whrvr, h

al-show saic is so loud ha voics o lcd offi cials ry-

ing hir bs o rsolv horny poliical issus can barly b

hard. T rsul is ha a gnuin dialogu abou imporan

issus gs pu off ar oo long. T urgn ned or soluions,combind wih our anxi ovr a alring conomy, mulipl


34/40

M U Z Z L E D 237

racial minoriis and immigrans, has crad a poliical prs-

sur coor. T only sound o b hard is h angry sam

vning fom ovrhad popl.

Ta is wha happnd during h dba ovr halh-car

rorm in 2010. Amricas gra radiion o own halls whr

ciizns can xprss concrns o lcd offi cials dvolvd ino

circus-n spcacls, in which vry shri mimicd h

harsh rhoric, angry on, and prsonal insuls ha pi h

mdia provocaurs Amricans lisn o and wach daily. And

h hosil nor o h meings was s by hos provoca-

iv prsonaliis. During a dba on halh car, fshman

Sna Dmocra Al Frann, siting as prsiding offi cr o

h Sna, cu off Snaor Jo Librman, h snior snaor

fom Conncicu. Wilding Gavl, Frann Shus Libr-

man Up! is how h incidn was dlighdly dscribd in

h libral-laning Huffi ngon Pos. Givn ha a rqus onish a bri n-minu spech is commonly grand in h

Sna, h dcision had h avor o disrspc. And h ac

ha Snaor Frann, a ormr nrainr, was h lad acor

prompd Snaor John McCain o lamn h dmis o ci-

vili vn among snaors. Iv ben around hr or mor

han n yars, McCain said, and ysrday on h ooro h Sna, h snaor fom Conncicu was nishing his

rmars . . . and was objcd o by h nws mmbr o h

U.S. Snaand in h mos brusqu way. Lar h addd:

Tas how h comi in his body has driorad. W go

o sopw go o sop his ind o bhavior.

Snaor McCains complain cam barly o monhs arRprsnaiv Jo Wilson o Souh Carolina bro radiional


35/40


o yll, You li! Ta disrspc was unprcdnd, and h

congrssman was wrong on h acs, as wll. A a Massachu-

sts own-hall meing during h sam priod, Rprsna-

iv Barny Fran wn o-o-o wih a woman who hld up

a sign auring Prsidn Obama porrayd as Adol Hilr.

Sh asd hr congrssman why h was supporing his Nazi

policy. Fran rspondd: On wha plan do you spnd mos

o your im? T hons answr is ha sh is living on a

plan ull o provocaurs on hr radio, V, and Inrn.

Formr Alasa govrnor and vic prsidnial candida

Sarah Palin usd h Inrn o conribu o h poisonous

amosphr in own-hall meings in 2010. Jus bor h

congrssional summr rcss and h bginning o h own-

hall meings, sh wro on hr Facboo pag: T Amrica

I now and lov is no on in which my parns or my baby

wih Downs Syndrom will hav o sand in fon o Obamasdah panl so his buraucras can dcid . . . [a ciizns]

lvl o producivi in soci [and] whhr hy ar worhy

o halhcar. Tis mislading dscripion o h provisions

o naional halh-car rorm was surprising, and disappoin-

ing, givn ha Palin rgularly confond h mdia or ma-

ing hings up abou hr.Som popl migh rgard h passiona ouburss during

h own halls as ovr-h-op bu wihin h limis o dmoc-

racy in acion. Bu somhing diffrn was going on hr. T

ac ha hr wr so many hras o violnc and vicious,

prsonal insuls xchangd and posd on Youub lads o

qusions abou h dircion o Amrican poliical culurand h impac o h provocaurs. Whr ar hy aing


36/40

M U Z Z L E D 239

wr srious popl who cam o hs own halls waning o

g answrs o qusions abou h halh-car bill and o har

inormaiv dba on h issu. Polls had consisnly shown

or dcads ha Amricans, boh individuals and businsss,

hav ben burdnd by h high cos o halh car and wand

rorms. Bu h own-hall meings wr no abou wighing

h comparaiv impac o rorm proposals. T goal semd

o b an xrcis in mocry, cynicism, and vn conmp or

h poliical sysm. Tr is no way h own halls wr good

or dbaing lgislaion. Spcacls li hs undrmin h

uncioning o govrnmns o any poliical srip and ar a

hra o a vial, halhy dmocracy.

Robr Rich, who was scrary o labor in h Clinon

adminisraion, wro abou ouring h counry o se som

o h own halls. H ralizd ha h provocaur mdia

culur had ben hijacd by h lobbyiss and businssmnopposd o halh-car rorm o cra a circus ha d h

righ-wing radio al shows and V cabl programs in an a-

mp o shoo rorm down. I hn inspird mor hras and

urhr hysria a uur own hall meings.

On our driv across Amrica, Rich wro a Salon

.com, my son and I hav spotd spi whi vans mbla-zond wih phrass li ObamaCar Will Rais Your axs,

and ObamaCar Will Pu Buraucras in Charg o Your

Halh. Jus ousid Omaha w drov clos nough o a

a pe a h drivr, who lood as duiully prossional as

h spaning nw van h was driving. Tis isn grassroos.

Is Asrour. T vans carry h logo Amricans or Prospr-i, on o h Washingon fon groups orchsraing h gh


37/40


ha hs fon groups usd h hos o h provocaurs o

sag rsaz local aniunivrsal halh rallis, and ll hom-

own mdia wih carully crad, mar-sd mssags

dmonizing halhcar rorm.

Rich is obviously a parisan wih a poin o viw. And no

vryon opposd o halh-car rorm is an agn or h

lobbyiss or a mmbr o h Rpublican Par. Bu his ob-

srvaion ha prossional poliical and indusry groups wr

dlibraly craing mdia spcacls o advanc hir nan-

cial and poliical inrss is xacly righ. I mus b nod

ha librals also us h acic. Whn Wisconsin govrnor

Scot Walr proposd budg cus and nw rsricions on

collciv bargaining or public-scor unions, opponns did

no ma hir cas in dbas. Ty sagd spcacular pro-

s rallis ha playd o h camras and microphons and

sarrd clbriis li Michal Moor. Tos pross clarlyhad a lo o Richs Asrour in hm. In his cas unions

and h sas Dmocraic Par supplid h aric. In ac,

ouren Dmocraic sa snaors acually d h sa, pr-

vning h majori Rpublicans fom bing abl o mov h

bill hrough h lgislaur. T spcacl o h Dmocras in

hiding includd on sa snaor bing inrviwd on GoodMorning Americafom an undisclosd locaion.

On h on hand, sripping public unions o hir righ o

collciv bargaining is drasic, spcially wihou ull discus-

sion. Morovr, h unions had accpd many o h govr-

nors proposalshy had agred o conribu mor o hir

pnsions and halh-car plans. I was h govrnors atmpo unilarally srip h unions o bargaining righs ha s


38/40

M U Z Z L E D 241

paris who ar incapabl o civil, rasond dba in srvic

o h public good. On sid, h Dmocras, lf h lgisla-

ur in an ac o har and poliical gamsmanship insad o

agreing o alk. Bu Govrnor Scot did no sem opn o d-

ba and prsuasion, a las om h Dmocras prspciv.

Nonhlss, h is h lcd govrnor o h sa o Wis-

consin. As Prsidn Obama amously said: Elcions hav

consquncs and a h nd o h day I won. Tis is qually

ru or h Rpublicans in h Wisconsin sa hous. o hav

Dmocraic lgislaors run away o dny h govrnor h quo-

rum ncssary or a vo whn h had nough vos o win

amound o hijacking our rpublican orm o govrnmn.

o m, wha happnd in Wisconsin conrmd ha w

hav nrd an ra o sun govrning. Tis gos byond h

poinlss scraming discussions among xrmiss and provo-

caurs on h alk shows. Now govrning, oo, has bcomon big sidshow in which srious issus and h neds o h

popl can b honsly dbad and stld; govrnmn o-

cials rduc hmslvs o Blay vrsions o h provoca-

urs. Ty inroduc maninglss lgislaion o ban Sharia

law in Oklahoma or call or Prsidn Obama o mak public

his birh crica. Tr is no subsanc o hs acs xcpo produc hadlins and mor pppry gris o b chwd ovr

on h parisan alk shows. An ouragous was o axpayr

im and mony by lcd offi cials is olrad and accpd.

And raional voics atmping o do h hard work o seking

compromis on big issus know ha highly parisan primaris

will ambush and punish hm or vn alking o h ohrsid o h aisl. T provocaurs hav ld h way o an ag


39/40


h rul. T mgaphon o h provocaur culur has ovr-

whlmd dlibraion and gnuin atmps a lgislaion. T

voic o hons dba in Amrica has ben muzzld. And as

hos voics o hons dba hav grown siln, h quali

o our poliical insiuions has ben diminishd. Tos own-

hall meings, school-board meings, and join sssions o

Congrss drmin h viabili o h Amrican xprimn

and all h drams i mbodis. W can afford o los hm.


40/40
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