The Iron Yuppie

IFILM - Short Films: Jon Stewart's Brutal Exchange with CNN Host

I wish that everyone in the media could go watch this clip and realize that you just are not doing your jobs. This goes back to the game theory thing where you'd think if there was some advantage to the media doing their jobs right, they would be doing it. But they're not doing their jobs and I cannot figure out why. Maybe it's because you'd be cut off by the people you're trying to interview if you ask tough questions. Maybe the audience just likes to hear an answer from someone they believe who will tell them the truth and that's why the talking points are so valuable. But no matter what, politicians are not doing their jobs because our representatives (the media) are not doing their jobs. The media is the only method by which an average person ideas can be heard in today's environment. You can say I could write a letter or something, which I can, but it's just as lost as me showing up to a rally and holding up a banner (though not even this would be possible at some rallys). Being on the front cover of the Times or the Post is the only way to really scare politicians any more. Maybe blogging will reach that point some day, but it's not soon, I guarantee it.

For the news media, here are some questions you can ask either candidate that will greatly help the American people:

Bush:

• Why did you decided to go into Iraq? [pause for answer] If that is the reason you decided to go into Iraq, how did you distinguish that reason for going into Iraq over all the other reasons to go into Iraq? [pause for answer] Because you think that is the most important reason, why was it necessary to go into Iraq vs. all the other countries in the world that meet that criteria (depending on answer, this will be between 20-40 countries)?
• Why did the top 10% of earners in the country need a tax cut? Forget about the other 90%, why did the top 10% need a tax cut? (note, he say something about the 90% here) No, I said forget about the rest of the 90%, leave those tax cuts. Why did the top 10% need a tax cut? (note, he say something about small businesses) No forget S Corps and LLCs, why do individuals who earn in the top 10% of all people in the country need a tax cut?
• Why won’t you denounce the Sinclair media group and/or the veterans for “truth”? (will say something about not supporting them) Ok, fine, glad you don’t support them. Why won’t you denounce them and demand they stop showing it?
• Why won’t you release all the information from the secret meetings about energy policy? (will mention something about national security) Come on, national energy policy is national security protected?
• What did you say you would do 4 years ago when you took office? What have you done? (will list a bunch of stuff, none of which will be matched by the things they said they would do) Why should we believe you that you will get those things done when you didn’t get them done then? (will mention something about 9-11 etc) No, you had an opportunity to act even before 9-11, and you didn’t; after 9-11 you acted to go into Iraq, but could have acted on anything you claimed you would do, but did not… why should we trust you now?

Kerry:

• Why are you pushing off our negotiating with drug companies to Canada? (note, will say something about enabling Medicare to negotiate) Fine, but before you try and implement nationalized health care or getting Medicare moving, why wouldn’t you try and negotiate down prescription drugs by doing volume purchasing? Why do you think the drug companies wouldn’t prevent you from getting drugs from Canada en masse?
• When the U.N. passes 17 resolutions against Iran or North Korea, when will you invade? (will mention something about when the coalition agrees, etc) Ok, but Iran isn’t invading anyone, North Korea isn’t invading anyone, how are you going to get a coalition together? These are clear and present dangers against the safety of the world, what will be the line after which you will invade?
• Why won’t the health care plan increase the deficit and/or reduce money available for something else? (will answer something about the roll back of the top 2% etc) Fine, if that’s the case, then before the tax cut, you’re claiming we had that money, which we clearly did not. How are you going to fund it? (will continue to answer something about the top 2% tax cut) Ok, so you’re saying you can add a huge new expense (homeland security) and a huge new expense (war in Iraq) and a huge new expense (medical coverage for everyone) and increase revenues by an amount not enough to cover any of them (top 2% tax cut reversal) and not increase the deficit?
• The number 1 killer of Americans is not terrorism, it’s heart disease, then cancer, then stroke. Why would we spend so much on terrorism when we should be spending all our money on the above three?

I admit I believe that Kerry exaggerates less than Bush probably based on my personal politics, but this may be verified by the relative number of misleading items identified by factcheck.org. These seem like simple questions, why can’t we get straight answers? Why wouldn’t shows that claim to be straight forward with politicians ask these questions over and over again until they get answered? Note: these questions may also be asked of the commentators. In the mean time, here’s an interesting take from the guy who was actually asked these questions for six years… “Ask. But Don't Tell.” – Michael Kinsley

As an aside, I'm going to spend the next week getting all these political commentary points out of the way, since it'll be at least 3.5 years since I'll be able to do that again.

D

posted by Iron Yuppie  # 10/18/2004 02:56:00 PM