On my way to Maine for a brief vacation, I'm halfway through "All the President's Spin," a book about the Bush administration's unprecedented efforts - and effectiveness - in manipulating the media.
Republicans like to invoke the virtue of "character" as an argument against the Democrats and for them, presumably because they - Republicans - believe that liberal political leanings are a character flaw. Not to generalize, of course.
It seems to me that accountability is a critical element in the virtue of character. It's one thing that Clinton didn't want to be held publicly accountable for foolong around with a White House intern; it's another thing entirely that the Bush administration is - if you believe this book - ducking responsibilities for its policies.
The authors (who run the website www.spinsanity.com) blame much of the Bush's spin effectiveness on the media, and so does the Daily Show. In a memorable report "live from Vietnam," one of the Daily Show journalist-comedians said that "objectivity" was all about giving each side of the story equal attention, without any getting into the merits of one side or the other.
I don't know if it's laziness or cowardice or both, but this kind of "balance" lends itself perfectly to manipulation, especially if you're anxious to create bias in the news.
But back to character: it's probably understandable and common that elected officials tend toward spin. On the other hand, there's got to be a recognition that the greater the spin, the greater the violation of the public trust. From the book I'm reading, it appears that the Bush administration's communications strategy is aimed at deflecting blame and attracting credit; making policy without answering for its consequences; and muting all political opposition.
This creates a troubling legacy. Leaders who are convinced of their own infallibility and aren't held accountable for their actions are rarely effective and usually lose sight of principles. The Daily Show has satirically been suggesting that this year's elections might simply be cancelled in the interest of national security. That the idea comes up - even as a joke - has to be telling.
Sent from my Blackberry
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