Obama, Bitterness, Meet the Press, and the Old Politics
I was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, 61 years ago. My father sold $1.98 cotton blouses to blue-collar women and women whose husbands worked in factories. Years later, I was secretary of labor of the United States, and I tried the best I could – which wasn’t nearly good enough – to help reverse one of the most troublesome trends America has faced: The stagnation of middle-class wages and the expansion of povety. Male hourly wages began to drop in the early 1970s, adjusted for inflation. The average man in his 30s is earning less than his father did thirty years ago. Yet America is far richer. Where did the money go? To the top.
Are Americans who have been left behind frustrated? Of course. And their frustrations, their anger and, yes, sometimes their bitterness, have been used since then -- by demagogues, by nationalists and xenophobes, by radical conservatives, by political nuts and fanatical fruitcakes – to blame immigrants and foreign traders, to blame blacks and the poor, to blame "liberal elites," to blame anyone and anything.
Rather than counter all this, the American media have wallowed in it. Some, like Fox News and talk radio, have given the haters and blamers their very own megaphones. The rest have merely "reported on" it. Instead of focusing on how to get Americans good jobs again; instead of admitting too many of our schools are failing and our kids are falling behind their contemporaries in Europe, Japan, and even China; instead of showing why we need a more progressive tax system to finance better schools and access to health care, and green technologies that might create new manufacturing jobs, our national discussion has been mired in the old politics.
Listen to this morning’s “Meet the Press” if you want an example. Tim Russert, one of the smartest guys on television, interviewed four political consultants – Carville and Matalin, Bob Schrum, and Michael Murphy. Political consultants are paid huge sums to help politicians spin words and avoid real talk. They’re part of the problem. And what do Russert and these four consultants talk about? The potential damage to Barack Obama from saying that lots of people in Pennsylvania are bitter that the economy has left them behind; about HRC’s spin on Obama’s words (he’s an “elitist,” she said); and John McCain’s similarly puerile attack.
Does Russert really believe he’s doing the nation a service for this parade of spin doctors talking about potential spins and the spin-offs from the words Obama used to state what everyone knows is true? Or is Russert merely in the business of selling TV airtime for a network that doesn’t give a hoot about its supposed commitment to the public interest but wants to up its ratings by pandering to the nation’s ongoing desire for gladiator entertainment instead of real talk about real problems.
We’re heading into the worst economic crisis in a half century or more. Many of the Americans who have been getting nowhere for decades are in even deeper trouble. Large numbers of people in Pennsylvania and across the nation are losing their homes and losing their jobs, and the situation is likely to grow worse. Consumers are at the end of their ropes, fuel and food costs are skyrocketing, they can’t go deeper into debt, they can’t pay their bills. They aren’t buying, which means every business from the auto industry to housing to even giant GE is hurting. Which means they’ll begin laying off more people, and as they do, we will experience an even more dangerous downward spiral.
Bitter? You ain’t seen nothing yet. And as much as people like Russert, Carville, Matalin, Schrum, and Murphy want to divert our attention from what’s really happening; as much as HRC and McCain seek to make political hay out of choices of words that can be spun cynically by the mindless spinners of the old politics; as much as demagogues on the right and left continue to try to channel the cumulative frustrations of Americans into a politics of resentment – all these attempts will, I hope, prove futile. Eighty percent of Americans know the nation is on the wrong track. The old politics, and the old media that feeds it, are irrelevant now.
Are Americans who have been left behind frustrated? Of course. And their frustrations, their anger and, yes, sometimes their bitterness, have been used since then -- by demagogues, by nationalists and xenophobes, by radical conservatives, by political nuts and fanatical fruitcakes – to blame immigrants and foreign traders, to blame blacks and the poor, to blame "liberal elites," to blame anyone and anything.
Rather than counter all this, the American media have wallowed in it. Some, like Fox News and talk radio, have given the haters and blamers their very own megaphones. The rest have merely "reported on" it. Instead of focusing on how to get Americans good jobs again; instead of admitting too many of our schools are failing and our kids are falling behind their contemporaries in Europe, Japan, and even China; instead of showing why we need a more progressive tax system to finance better schools and access to health care, and green technologies that might create new manufacturing jobs, our national discussion has been mired in the old politics.
Listen to this morning’s “Meet the Press” if you want an example. Tim Russert, one of the smartest guys on television, interviewed four political consultants – Carville and Matalin, Bob Schrum, and Michael Murphy. Political consultants are paid huge sums to help politicians spin words and avoid real talk. They’re part of the problem. And what do Russert and these four consultants talk about? The potential damage to Barack Obama from saying that lots of people in Pennsylvania are bitter that the economy has left them behind; about HRC’s spin on Obama’s words (he’s an “elitist,” she said); and John McCain’s similarly puerile attack.
Does Russert really believe he’s doing the nation a service for this parade of spin doctors talking about potential spins and the spin-offs from the words Obama used to state what everyone knows is true? Or is Russert merely in the business of selling TV airtime for a network that doesn’t give a hoot about its supposed commitment to the public interest but wants to up its ratings by pandering to the nation’s ongoing desire for gladiator entertainment instead of real talk about real problems.
We’re heading into the worst economic crisis in a half century or more. Many of the Americans who have been getting nowhere for decades are in even deeper trouble. Large numbers of people in Pennsylvania and across the nation are losing their homes and losing their jobs, and the situation is likely to grow worse. Consumers are at the end of their ropes, fuel and food costs are skyrocketing, they can’t go deeper into debt, they can’t pay their bills. They aren’t buying, which means every business from the auto industry to housing to even giant GE is hurting. Which means they’ll begin laying off more people, and as they do, we will experience an even more dangerous downward spiral.
Bitter? You ain’t seen nothing yet. And as much as people like Russert, Carville, Matalin, Schrum, and Murphy want to divert our attention from what’s really happening; as much as HRC and McCain seek to make political hay out of choices of words that can be spun cynically by the mindless spinners of the old politics; as much as demagogues on the right and left continue to try to channel the cumulative frustrations of Americans into a politics of resentment – all these attempts will, I hope, prove futile. Eighty percent of Americans know the nation is on the wrong track. The old politics, and the old media that feeds it, are irrelevant now.
posted by Robert Reich | 11:26 AM
212 Comments:
Dear Dr. Reich,
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo,
On all counts.
Just please do not equate the money with education, please...
ON all other things here... Magnificent, spoken like a true independent thinker. I noticed the SHALLOW waters threaded by FOX, especially... Hahahaha... Nothing I said says I endorse Obama, I do not know the man and like him more than anybody in the race, but I do not think I can trust him either. Just looks too much like all other politcians...
GOod Trading
Prof. Reich,
I agree with you only so far. I could care less if "bitter" was le mot juste or not. And if they are bitter it is likely about the economy and the erosion of the middle class. But, much of the media missed the problem with Obama's statement by concentrating on the word bitter. Unfortunately, you missed the matter too.
Look past the word bitter in Obama's statement: “It's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them...". This is a condescending remark that belittles people of faith.
Faith is, by and large, a positive thing in American life. I don't know what faith if any you embrace, Dr. Reich, but I would not presume to think you arrived at it out of fear, loathing or bitterness unless you demonstrated such was the case. People seek God as a way to better their understanding of their place in the world. Faith is the refuge that allows people the strength to do what is right even when the odds are against them.
It is true that faith can be used to manipulate people and that some can be inspired out of fear to seek God. But it is just plain incorrect to generalize and say that faithful people in small towns arrive at their faith through petty motives, such as bitterness. Obama shows he looks down on people in small towns with his fallacious generalization. His statement shows his sense of self superiority. He is elitist. His statement was demeaning.
It really is breathtaking the way the pundits focus on the inane and avoid anything meaningful.
The point to remember is that the media loves this primary battle. They want it to continue, so they keep throwing Hillary enough flotation to keep her afloat.
Of course there was barely any coverage of the video when HRC was asked about a conflict of interest with respect to Bill earning 800K from folks that support the Colombian Free trade deal.
Meet the Press did cover the serial lies about the Bosnian sniper fire, but never called them lies. Can you imagine what the punditocracy would do if Obama had lied like this?
It is too much to expect, thoughtful objective coverage of this campaign.
Anonymous #2:
When Rove and Co. put the Gay Marriage issue on every possible ballot across the country for the '02 election, we saw what Obama was talking about recently. People did show up to vote because they were presented with an emotionally charged issue upon which to do so. It's the nature of the wedge issue. Yes, people cling to issues such as gun rights and religious issues, and they're supported in this by politicians that benefit by the focus away from more complicated issues like Economics.
Obama doesn't speak in simplistic politicspeke, and it's a risky road to take to the Whitehouse, but it's the right path to take.
I, for one, am really tired of having a few wedge issues divide up the Country while those that propagate those divisions make off with the loot.
Thank you sir. I hope Carville doesn't get too pissy w/you
Dr. Reich, please run for president.
Also, if anonymous trolls become a problem, you can change blogger's settings so they at least have to choose a name for themselves.
Yes, these things need to be out on the table, even if they are uncomfortable. The notion that Obama, raised by a single mother, could be an elitist just boggles the mind.
He will have to learn sometimes to hold his tongue.
D pickard: Of course the religious have been manipulated by Karl Rove but you don't TELL THEM THAT! They don't want that kind of straight talk. You can not avoid coming off like your claiming that the ONLY reason they vote for guns and school prayer is because they are bitter and stupid. This was a monumental f*** up on Obama's part and I don't see how he recovers from it until the other to schmucks say something even more inane (to you, Mr McCain)
I am embarrassed that Dr Reich glossed over the second, inflammatory part of Obama's statement to dwell on the first, little disputed one.
Dr. Reich,
CNN is joining the media chorus tonight, "pandering to the nation's desire for gladiator entertainment instead of real talk about problems," at 8:00PM your time.
Could you give some deeper insights into WHY the nation desires gladiator entertainment and cannot discern how their intelligence is being made so much fun of?
Obama made a poor choice of words which he admitted to right away... in sharp contrast to Hillary's not admitting her repeated lies. Any thinking person looking into Obama's heart, his whole character, and background knows what he was trying to say.
American inability to separate Garbage from Quality never ceases to amaze me! HYPE IS LIFE! ... sadly so, even when it comes to electing a future President.
anonymous #2:
Your interpretation is only one of many possible interpretations.
In my opinion Mr. Obama said something very correct: that people who believe in god, when faced with dire circumstances, tend to cling to their faith and often what they perceive as patriotism, as a means of getting through bad times.
That's nothing but the truth.
Now, when you want to have these people's votes, you can do two things:
1. help them aka "the hard way"
2. scare them by telling them that the [blacks, intellectuals, atheists, gay people] want to take the last thing they have: their faith
The Republican Party always, really always, chooses option 2.
...and you're just repeating their spin.
Thank you Dr. Reich for your comments. It's always refreshing to hear what you have to say.
I believe that Senator Obama is as religious as any of the other candidates. He did not mean that people choose religion out of fear as a general rule. I'm sure that he didn't become a Christian out of fear.
HRC, McCain, Fox News, and various bloggers will take what Obama said and use it for their purposes, rather than participating in a civil conversation about the economy, American life and how we can improve it. It's unfortunate. It's a long campaign.
Thank you so much Dr. Reich for your insightful blog. Your ideas are always spot on!
The problem is summed up in one word - demagoguery. Looking on wikipedia I found this great quote from Mencken:
"one who will preach doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."
To what end? For a few more dollars, a nicer house, the rush of power etc etc.
It's a problem I've seen growing since the early 90's and the same time I had to stop listening to talk radio. Give me dialogue not monologue.
Dear Professor Reich,
If Russert believes that todays show is "educational" in any meaningful sense of the word, then we can comfortably conclude that the man is on crack.
And while I agree with your enthusiasm about people being politically engaged, and getting past much of the stupidity that characterizes some of the political world, and talking about the real issues... Russert is simply fulfilling his legal responsibility to his shareholders (ie. the "bottom line" is selling to audiences). Can we really be mad at HIM for that?
aly k
Dr. Reich,
You make some good points, but please do not engage class warfare. Poverty has not increased. Money does not equated better education. Most additional monies in education go administrators and unions and not the classroom.
As for political spin, if many voters do not educate themselves on the issues and candidates they have only themselves to blame.
What do you know about the economy? You served during the bubble :) It's true I heard it on the TV.
I was also born in Pennsylvania to a working class family. My grandparents were coal miners, mill workers and sometimes farmers and many of my relatives lost their lives to mine accidents and health to black lung, emphysema, and other cancers. Mining companies made lots of money off those workers and that land and when the coal was gone they moved on leaving a barren scarred earth, and some very bitter people. These workers gave everything they had to participate in an American dream that that left them far behind and without an opportunity to catch the tails of prosperity. I can go on and on about all that came next - a Vietnam war that lured young men with college educations (like my dad and uncle), alcoholism, drug abuse, and now Iraq - but lets just say that Obama was completely correct to note and talk about the bitterness and Reich is brave to stand behind his comments. If the MSM is all worked up about the anger of black Americans, just wait until working America takes the lids of their resentment. I suppose that turning Obama into an elitist is far easier than coming to terms with his acumen.
I see no reason not to be as furious at the Democratic Party's cowardice and complicity in this whole mess as I am at the Republican Party's own crimes.
2006 ought to have been the last straw.
The longer reform is postponed, the higher the bill in blood.
But Obama's comments were no different than most of the middle class pap we're fed through the media. That it's not true is irrelevant. One need only go to the NYT and look at the voter analysis for propositions in California. There you will find that, on all issues except gay rights (Prop. 22), the following hold:
1. Richer people are more conservative; one's commitment to anti-progressive positions increases with income. And it doesn't matter whether the issue is race (affirmative action, trying young people as adults), class (union rights) or whatever.
2. Education status has two odd blips. People with advanced degrees have the same voter distribution as high school graduates--basically 70% to the liberal end, 30% to the conservative. People who have some college are more conservative than people with B.A.s. Neither, however, is as progressive as people with advanced degrees and high school graduates.
anonymous who said, "please do not engage class warfare": The US has been engaged in class warfare since Hamilton expressed his fear of the great beast.
peoninchief: the education claim makes sense, but do you have references to back that up? I'd like to repeat it, but I know I'll be questioned if I do.
Mr. Reich,
You are one of such a few voices who speak for the American Public. I appreciate your comments and concern for our nation. I wish more men like you were in our government today. May God help this nation.
KK , Dallas TX
Let’s just recount for a moment what’s gone missing during Dubya’s benighted reign:
4 airplanes
2 towers
3000 American citizens
4000 American soldiers
2 million Iraqis
Bin Laden
Al Zawahiri
WMD
An historic Southern city
An 85 year old investment brokerage
A third of the value of a dollar
Gas at $1.47/gallon
Crude at $24.95
The homes of half a million American families
3.2 million jobs
Integrity, competence and personal accountability among our public servants
And, oh yeah, the economy of the richest nation in history.
I'd break into my anorexic piggy bank and spend good money on a bumper sticker that said:
Bitter? Hell yes we're bitter!
Bravos Dr Reich. Well said.
I could not have said it better myself. It is high time that we stop allowing MSM to drag the conversation down to a 30 second sound bite and start talking seriously about the issues and how we can change the world.
The old media are getting more irrelevant, but they are still powerful.
Why has there been only minimal exposure of Bush's admission that he authorized the US torture programs? These are serious crimes in both US Federal law and International Law, as the US Supreme Court said, violations of Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions are known as 'war crimes'.
And yet, the MSM and Democrats in Congress yawn.
This is a tragedy for our country, we have admitted war criminals in the White House, and the MSM let's out a collective yawn.
Will the blogosphere be able to drive coverage of these crimes, instead of Obama's bowling score or some duplicitious twisting-of-words by McCain and HRC?
This post has been removed by the author.
Have any of you read Obama's original comments;
"And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
He just told small town Americans that their enthusiasm for gun ownership and their moral opposition to gays and immigration are merely because they are "bitter." Not that they actually believe that the Second Amendment guarantees them rights. Not that they believe that gay marriage is an affront to God's law. Not that they are afraid that immigrants will change the face of the towns their great-grandparents founded. I may disagree with most of their sentiments but telling them their believes are merely because they are bitter belittles them and is by definition Elitist.
All that said, I will vote for Obama in November because he is the best candidate and the only person still running who isn't dangerous.
Scott, that is a very creative interpretation of what Obama meant.
Obama's problem is he isn't radical enough by half, not that he is some nasty divider.
I want a f-cking divider.
I want Debs.
Scott, I don't doubt that's what some people are hearing, but what he said is that some frustrated people turn to religion and gun rights--but note that he is very much in favor of religion and gun rights. He's not knocking either.
Ah, well. Politics is all about being extremely clear or extremely vague, and Obama wasn't quite either in this case.
But I agree with him.
I live and work in a small town in the hinterlands of Michigan. My occupation allows me a window on the events of the day. Events from business failures to families cobbling together an existence on minimum wage and a K-Car.
We are invisible and the only thing that we produce with any regularity is young men and women for the military needs of the nation.
People here worship their God and morning coffee at the local restaurants that are still open. After the requisite bitching about the weather and the performance of the local sports teams ends, the talk turns to the economy. We don't have much of one here. There are too many "For Sale" and "For Rent" signs . Then the talk turns to politics.
I will tell you this much. Nobody here is bitter. No, they are angry. It is the seething anger that is popping the rivets of propriety. It is the anger of people who just figured out that they have been scammed. And what is different about the anger is that it is not directed at any party or candidate. There is a consensus of anger. No more talk of the election of 2000 or the so-called Clinton Prosperity years. We agree and we know that none of the candidates have the answer--just hot air.
There is no change in sight. Nosireebob. There is the promise of collapse. We may be hayseeds, but we can count.
It's another sloppy speech.
"And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
All those "or's" in there equate gun ownership and religion to anti-immigrant sentiment and xenophobia. It's not a case of "one or two of these things is not like the other." He comes across as saying that these are all traits and activities which are to be abhorred.
I don't blame some people for wondering to what extent it's a Freudian slip.
So, would I be leaping to conclusions if I assume that the reason you haven't signed your remark is because you -must- be a coward, Anonymous?
That is the only implication which ought to be drawn?
Obama is not saying these are activities which ought to be abhorred.
I am, though. Religion is poison. Gun fanatics are insane. Xenophobes ought to read their birth certificates... I'm guessing it doesn't say "Native American" on them.
You are brilliant! Obama is all of us.
Dr. Reich--that said it all, and eloquently.
Someone posting missed the context of Obama's remarks. they were in response to a question about why did blue collar workers invariably vote against their own economic self-interest. It think the answer was right--nothing else is going to change for them in any of the fundamental ways that would make a difference in their lives, so they rally around one of the wedge issues that the Republicans choose each election--guns, gays (religion), abortion (religion), you get the drift, and vote for Republicans, who then spend their terms in office shoring up the wealthy and the corporate.
Dinerlee
Obama speaks of what some don't want to hear because they have caused so much of the financial stress that has faced the working class. The media has driven up entertainment costs to the point where many middle class can't even afford cable anymore. The media has monopolized the airways, thus promoting one-sided spin. Seniors are looking forward to $4000.00 a month rent for a room in a retirement home that pays their help minimum wage. This does not include the cost of healthcare. They will have to sign over the deeds to their homes. Safeway grocery pays minimum wage to unionized workers. My friend's third grade class has more students from broken homes than children with married parents. My last employer decided that pregnant employees do not require light duty while working on the railroad, needless to say, my son was born 2 months early. Yea, I am bitter. What does my son have to look forward to? My water bill, electric bill, gas bill, property taxes, phone bill and garbage bill increase at least once if not twice a year. I haven't had a raise in 3. All of my friends who work for the state and local goverments are voting republican because they have great healthcare benefits and they don't see any problems out there. Yea, I am bitter. Chris Mathews said there was no way Obama would get elected President of the US. How many votes did Obama lose because of that statement? I'm going with my gut feelings, I'm voting for Obama and the media can take their spin for a flying leap.
A Fan in La Grande
This whole controversy is disgusting.
There is no doubt that Obama's choice of words will continue be framed as an insult rather than what they really were. He was merely trying to characterize the overall feeling that has been imparted to him by no doubt thousands of middle americans. I am one of them, and he spoke quite eloquently with regard to the deep and heartfelt bitterness that has become such a part of our existence that we sometimes forget its there. We just remain cynical and have little hope that anyone in government cares what becomes of the folks who have kept the machinery of America online and functional since America was born. And yes, I am sure that he regrets saying something that could so easily be mischaracterized by people who know full well what he meant, but are so cynical themselves that they take the cheap shot, characterize it as an insult, and gleefully gloat on what easy pickins that the American people seem to be. Where is the press who also know full well that it wasnt an insult? They would rather use it to tittilate their audience, than to point out the obvious...that he was voicing an understanding of the very people he is championing in his run for the presidency. They ARE bitter! It isnt an insult, its a fact, and those who speak the loudest in protest are likely the most bitter of all. He isnt, nor should he be "sorry". Why do the majority of the main stream press play into this crap when they know better, it is very telling about just how "informative" our current news organizations really are. I can only count on Keith Olberman to take the high ground when it comes to truth, the rest are cheap tabloid journalists who should be ashamed. And fox...they seem to be another species.
Why are we letting pundits and Russerts patronize us? When a thoughtful citizen states a truth they label him/her an elitist. When the right drenches us with falsehoods disguised as facts they don't bother to make mention on their shows. We are in the mess that we are in because concerted effort to dumb our thinking. We have been reduced to being treated as first graders. We re elected a criminal that stoled the Presidency. We have not used the power to impeach this administration for fear that voters will be distracted from the election. We are allowing a bunch of gangsters to declare war on Iran before this year is over. And we are concerned with choice of words to describe a reality.
We are idiots and deserve the ridicule that we bring on ourselves by other countries. Frankly, on second thought we should another eight years of McCain/Bush politics so that this system collapses and we can re build a true government of the people for the people by the people.
We should give the people what they deserve. 90% should live in caves and 10% in palaces. That's how the majority voted for the past 30 years.
I say screw em. Maybe Jesus will bail them out.
Besides "Countdown" w/ Keith Olbermann, I find Dan Abram's show, in it's new format, on MSNBC is giving more fair coverage lately. The BEST political News coverage, ironically, can be found on the DAILY SHOW & the COLBERT REPORT, on Comedy Central!
It's a pretty sad state of affairs, when the only people with the guts to speak truthfully, can only be found on COMEDY T.V. shows!
A quick nod of mostly praise also to: DAVID LETTERMAN & CRAIG FERGUSON, of CBS Late Nite Talk shows; & Conen O'Brien's Late Nite T.V. show on NBC.
I can't believe that we've become a Nation where just about all that is sold at Walmart says "MADE IN CHINA"-- or just says "DISTRIBUTED BY (name of company) without saying WHERE the product was made--because they don't want you to KNOW it was actually "MADE IN CHINA"!
But, I blame President BILL CLINYON for the sad state of Economic affairs, as much as the Republicans, for supporting NAFTA & "FREE TRADE", thus sending MILLIONS of American jobs to be OUTSOURCED to India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. etc.
I agree with the commenter who mentioned that anger is quietly simmering at a slow boil, all across America. The Corporate News Media, as "ELITIST" as they come, Sen. John McCain, Hillary Clinton & the Democratic & Republican "Establishment" Elites sure don't want to acknowledge this Truth, because they'd have to admit they created it!
No wonder they're all piling on Barack Obama, they're trying to bury the essential TRUTHS of what he was saying, when he talked about Small Town Americans being "BITTER"!
Robert Reich's blog post was right on, but didn't he champion NAFTA & Free Trade, when he was Bill Clinton's Labor Secretary? I seem to recall that he did? If so, does he regret it now?
"bitter" reminds me of Howard Dean's "yee-ahhay" with the noise-canceling microphone. The Roger Ailes-Rush Limbaugh-Swift Boat Veterans focused in on that. The clip appeared on the Internet, and the next day he was out of the race.
The Roger Ailes noise machine drove a governor with executive experience for the presidency and a medical degree, with insight into how to fix health care, out of the race. Seems like Roger Ailes, Karl Rove, college dropout, should be driven out of the race. "Bitter" seems like the same distraction.
Dr. Reich:
Wages rose when union membership was strong.
After a half century of public relations battles with industry in which unions were often their own worst enemy, union membership is today a fraction of what it once was.
Can unions make a comeback after decades of decline? If not, why? And if unions are no longer plausible, is there another way common people can gain some leverage against corporations?
Professor Reich,
At age 67 and being retired for 5 years, I am probably the last of those that did (almost?) as well as their parents. My children, with far more education than I had, are not doing nearly as well.
We need someone who can bring us togather and help us find a workable solution. Unions?
Dear Dr Reich - I just recently saw you on the 4th episode of Century of the Self. As long as we have this "dog biscuit politics" where the voters are treated (and act) like consumers we are at the mercy of the corporate media.
Its not about the candidates, its about the voters. If the voters continue to act as "consumers" and want their every (conflicting) desire fulfilled, we are controlled by their pandering to whatever the research data shows the voters will react to. Their unconscious desires, fears, etc.
We (the voter populace esp the swing voters) need to stop acting like consumers and start behaving like citizens. Otherwise we loose to the big business model.
For everyone out there - Google "Century of the Self". Watch the videos and ESPECIALLY video number 4 and listen to what Dr Reich says at the end.
Anonymous-the-recent,
Would that be the Democratic Big Business Model, or the Republican Big Business Model, and how do you propose to get an actual non-big-business candidate past the DLC?
I'm constantly surprised at the narrow, superficial analyses by the demagogues of the far right. Their focused attacks on FDR and the New Deal ignore an important political player during the Great Depression - Huey Long. In 1934 Louisiana Senator Long proposed radical measures to redistribute wealth including; limits on personal assets to between $1.5 million and $5 million, and 100% tax rates for incomes above $1 million. Blackwater is a new wrinkle in this round of the class war contest. With a corporate army available, will the 21st century version of the business plot lead to actual blood shed? Nothing would surprise me at this point. However, a warning to the right, my sense is that the vast majority of the military are now just as pissed off as the left. Tread with caution plutocrats, the day of reckoning looms.
And you are no different than the others...spin...spin...spin. Like Obama, you cloak your words in lofty rhetoric and shill for your candidate. "Old politics" is nothing but a hackneyed phrase created by a clever publicist. And Barack Obama is nothing more than the creation of the genius of David Axelrod, much as he created Deval Patrick. And these 'created' candidates are the real problem with the system, not the system itself.
Halli Casser-Jayne
http://www.thecjpoliticalreport.com
The problem is that the media is owned by the largest corporations, and therefore controlled by the richest in the country. Meet the Press is GE owned. They are hurting, and their financial services devision is suffering worst. They want an owned politician, and both the Clintons and McCain are in the pocket.
And they are very afraid of Obama. The rich bought the politicians, but now, we, the people are mad enough that we just might vote in this un-owned pro-middle class guy.
Yes, the bankers are scared, and while they know they control sHillary and McKeating, they are unsure what to do about Obama. Hence, the idiotic attacks. It is sad to see Russert compromise what integrity he has left, though. I believe this leaves him with none.
Not only is Obama hope, Obama is the ONLY hope.
Mr. Reich, you said "We’re heading into the worst economic crisis in a half century or more", Didn't you say that in 1986, and wasn't it just as untrue then?
Thank you, Dr. Reich.
When he said cling to guns, religion...he meant gun and religious political issues. you all know it so stop trying to spin it otherwise.
Obama 08
Sec. Reich,
Would you do the country a small favor? Would you make a video recording of your remarks and put it on YouTube? That would help get your word out.
Interestingly, the pundits and Hillary/McCain are the only ones who are het up over this -- Gallup and Rasmussen tracking polls show that this hasn't put a dent in Obama's lead over Clinton (or, in Gallup, his lead over McCain).
Dr. Reich,
You have always been a truth teller among BS artists of very high caliber.
I perused the "news" shows over the last few days (are there really any news shows, anymore? They're all opinion...) and found myself shaking my head and laughing at all of these out-of-touch millionaires telling America what they're supposed to think about Barack Obama's characterization. I live among these people, these people are my friends and family members. My father was a steelworker, and my best friend was a Teamster for many years; I hear what people like this think every day, and let me tell you; if these millionaires are so out of touch that they think the rank-and-file are thinking anything other than "right on!" than I'm thinking the news shows need a new breed of folks to come on and tell Russert what's really going on.
As for the absurd idea that Barack Obama could possibly be elitist, I've written a blog post on it, at http://www.pleasecutthecrap.com.
Great post, and thank you...
Milt Shook
Thank you, Dr. Reich. Some commenters here insist that Senator Obama was saying that people only cling to religion and guns because they're bitter. That's not what he said. He said that people are bitter because for decades, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush have ignored their economic concerns. Therefore, some people may become bitter about ECONOMICS, and vote on emotional issues like religion and gun rights.
I wish that anbody in the media were capable of getting this distinction.
Thanks for the honesty. As someone who got poorer and poorer under your tenure while working longer and longer hours - I vividly recall listening to the impeachment hearings on NPR while driving a car with two donuts to work b/c I couldn't afford to buy new tires, and being jeered at it by my liberal environmentalist employers - and who remembers, albeit from a child's perspective, the widespread national bleakness of the '70s, I appreciate the acknowledgment of failure and need for reform.
Cold comfort for both of us, but one takes what one can get.
Thanks so much for bringing a rational perspective to this so-called issue. It's one thing to have Politico.com get all lathered up about it, it's quite another to have trusted journalists like Mr. Russert promote this as some kind of game-changing event.
This is the down side of an Internet era where continuous connectivity seems to be driving a compulsive need to generate blog postings on a continous basis. The problem is not the blogging, but the blather that results when bloggers have nothing much to say.
Simply a ... ' Thank You Robert Reich '. I always stop and listen or read to whatever it is on your mind. Sometimes things found along the path are just too, beautiful or rare or ... evoking of compassion ... to pass by.
Very, very well said. I am one of those rural Americans that the Clinton campaign is trying to pass out "I'm not bitter" buttons to. But I am bitter. The failure of Washington politicians to truly reform health care has totally shattered my life. I've become a statistic. Damn Right I'm Bitter.
Shortly after remission I was invited to this bizarre Washington dinner for a few patients, nurses, and Congresspeople/big media people. Tony Snow and Bob Schieffer were there. The message of those people was so out of touch with the message of my experiences and of the experiences of the countless fellow patients I talked with in waiting rooms across Baltimore.
The Washington set thought that once someone beat back a disease, that their problems were over and the sky was the limit. They didn't think about having to file endless appeals with insurance companies because of improper denials. They didn't think about the staggering copays which bankrupt many patients. They didn't think about the fact that a job might not be there for a person after a long illness. And they didn't think about the fact that employers don't like to hire people with resume gaps because it's a health red flag. Their system is different. Tony Snow or Bob Schieffer would both have a job if they had to take a year or two off for medical reasons (they both have the same condition--Crohn's Disease/Ulcerative Colitis) as I do. Didn't work out that way for me. Of course, I'm bitter. And I absolutely have a right to be.
Dr. Reich,
You move among these people (Russert, et. al.). Do they have even the least bit of embarrassment about what they're doing? Or do they just not care?
Dave Burgess, it was absolutely true then. That's because this is the very same crisis, still undermining our economy 22 years later. It never went away; it just got bad enough that even the media finally noticed something was wrong.
Dr. Reich,
This blog post nails it!
Please, if you ever are asked to enter public service at the highest levels again, consider it!
We need more intelligent and tuned-in people like yourself!
Regards,
--Jon
Dr. Reich:
Another nice post but not exactly epiphanic.
It is not news that politicians become semantic/rhetoric experts during election periods (which seem neverending).
It is not news that the media focuses on that which stirs viewer's entertainment interests versus their intellectual aspects.
We are, again, in the heat of a primary campaign where there are no major differences between the Democratic candidates. In that scenario; call it unfair, peevish, damaging to the party, nitpicking or whatever miniscule adjective you choose to employ, it is politics, plain and simple. It ain't pretty but it can be effective.
Were your post to be an objective social/political analysis rather than an Obama campaign speech, you might have mentioned the Hillary incident from last week.
After relating a story told to her about the mother and child who died in the hospital, the hospital issued a cease and desist proclamation claiming the story was untrue. The media, especially the 24/7 cable genre, hour after hour repeated the clip of Hillary's statement followed by noting the hospital's disclaimer. They paraded consulant after consultant, pundit after pundit, asking each, what was she thinking and how will this affect her. Their answers clearly exposed that the consultants/pundits really had no idea what the facts were. Most replied with, "Well it goes to her trustworthiness", end of query.
Now the next day when the Washington Post reported that the Hillary story was essentially fact, we saw a very limited response from those same media. Admittedly, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker in their Senate hearings were providing the entertainment for the day, so there was little time to repeat and repeat that yesterday's news story was tainted. The point being that the correction received almost no airtime at all.
As a social/political commentator casting critiques on the media, perhaps your focus should be less concentrated.
Most likely we can trace the change of media news?, at least for TV, to the conversion of it from a public service function to a profit center. As a profit center it must produce revenues and for a news program to effect revenues it must dwell more on the entertainment aspect than the pure informational aspect. On a positive note, the heightened coverage has many more people paying attention than was historically the case.
There have been a few entries here alluding to Rove as the author of dirty, inane politics. Actually, dirty politics has been with us for throughout our history. Today's version, with an emphasis on fatuous sound bites and splitting hairs can probably best be laid at the feet of Lee Atwater. Rove merely improved on the model.
The public, voting or not, is as responsible for the political tone as any one person or the media. They have absorbed and responded to the vitriolic nature of what we refer to as debate, be it direct or through advertising or through media programming. Listen to the many callers to Rush, etc., and hear the regurgitation of the message they are receiving. That alone is enough to make one bitter.
We are a nation enrapt with competition. We love the game, be it sport or debate or politics. We relish the "fouls" and then the successful free throws. We seem to live vicariously through the competitive efforts of others. As much as we rail indignant and plead for a better way, we respond to the status quo. Until that changes nothing else will change.
I, personally, don't disagree with Obama's statement. I do believe that for many the emotion has shifted from frustration to bitterness over the direction our beloved country has been traversing. Religion is clearly the venue that many seek out when they are frustrated or confused by the actions of our leaders or our economy. This is not demeaning nor is it cowardice. It is merely seeking answers or comfort from that which those inclined rely on for solace.
Guns can fill that void as well. Guns, for target practice or hunting, restore, in some people, a sense of power, of control. Unfortunately, some carry that need for power and control to using guns to harm other people as an expression of extreme frustration or bitterness or despair. For those less inclined to using a final determinate such as guns, blaming others becomes, if not the answer, at least the resolver of who or what is causing their angst.
I keep remembering memorable lines from, The American President, a movie that every politician should be forced to watch every morning: "And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections."
One cannot easily discern the complicated thoughts that emote through language. Those who use language well can be awesome. They can also be foolish if they underestimate the nuances of language. The art of politics requires thinking as an elite - we don't want another "common man" as President, we're just finishing with that experiment - and yet communicating as "everyman". It can be very thin ice. Obama generally does it well but missteps are the stuff that opponent's dreams are made of.
As of late, Dr. Reich, only ventures into analysis of our political processes when defending or promoting his favored candidate. Perfectly within his rights. One would only suggest that a disclosure of some kind might be in order since many of his readers consider his comments as objective analysis with no particular bent.
I am not an Obama supporter at this point. I lean toward Hillary but will support Obama if he prevails. My biggest concern is his, to me, naivete. His seeming belief that he alone can change the tone of political debate in DC. If I am correct in my view of his inexperience, this could lead him to be manipulated by more experienced political advisors and staff. Not altogether a bad thing but with so many things needing fixing, he will likely need 8 years to be effective. Depending on his successes in the first couple of years, the 2012 campaigning might have to start early, draining time and energy. It is imperative that he hit the ground running if he wins. Inexperience and naivete could be a barrier.
Let us not get all bent out of shape with the vagaries of the game. It can be disgusting and disheartening. As with all contests, we want our favorite to win but the true enthusiast also appreciates the flow of the game. The feedback would imply that many of the public agree with Hillary's and McCain's view of the remarks. That is why careful communicating is important.
A small anecdote about this:
My wife comes from a small coal town in southern Appalachia, where the hot job prospects at present are openings for guards at a recently built federal prison.
For the last few months, she's been leaning toward Clinton, while I've been in the Obama camp. Friday night I found the Washington Post article and read aloud to her what Obama said in San Francisco, and also Clinton's response about how small towners are not bitter, but "resilient" and "optimistic" etc. etc.
My wife's immediate reaction was: OK, I see what you mean now, Obama *is* better.
Beautifully written. This should be on every op-ed page in America. And it should be (in spoken form) on every talk show in America, too.
Well said, Mr. Reich.
Dear Dr. Reich,
To thank you for this honest assessment I will buy and read Supercapitalism.
I have been meaning to check it out since I saw you on Bill Maher framing our current economic situation as socialized capitalism, where profits are privatized and costs are socialized.
Thanks,
Bitter, but getting more hopeful in Oregon.
Would it help if we had a more prominent public broadcaster that treated the news as a common good, rather than a product that we consume? This is the business model for everything from network news to 24-hour cable...we have information, but to get it you have to sit through these car and drug ads.
PBS has Charlie Rose and Jim Lehrer. Perhaps we should consider a stronger, more robust public broadcaster to provide us with more thoughtful, "slow" news (ie not 30 sec sound bytes).
I mean, you've got the BBC, or NHK in Japan, or RTHK in Hong Kong...I've been to all three places and watched their nightly news programs. It seemed so much more mature than what we have here in the USA.
Here, we have to rely on Comedy Central to provide the public with access to both prominent politicians and important intellectuals (in between the ads for cheetos and hanes)...
Finally, I know Obama didn't mean to demean anyone who stands for 2nd amendment or abortion rights. He was responding to a specific question ("why do some in the middle and lower classes vote against their economic self interest?") His answer was spot on! I grew up in a small town in Utah, and when Bill Clinton was discussing an increase in the minimum wage, all my coworkers in the restaurant where I washed dishes were opposed to it because Rush Limbaugh said it was a bad idea--and ALL OF THEM LIVED OFF MINIMUM WAGE!!! Clinton was trying to give them more money and they told him to shove it. (These co-workers weren't Mormon, BTW, but rather the beer and shot huntin' crowd Hilary is currently courting in PA)...
Well said, Dr. Reich, as always.
One point that hasn't been made - the people in the audience, who Obama had just "insulted", gave a STANDING OVATION to his remarks. As he said in his response - "... and they say I'm out of touch??"
Very much right on topic. As others pointed out, why does the media latch on to it? Does Tim Russert lower himself to the standards of the Jerry Springer show (Springer himself is a reasonable man but somehow decided to make a living doing the unspeakable).
At times I wonder - How does one concoct a meaningful speech without constructing a sentence which, taken out of context, leaves one open to some of the most vicious attacks. Hats off to Obama for so far having mostly escaped these cheap shots.
Sure, Hillary got hers for misrepresenting a significant event repeatedly, then warmed up by her husband, but it does not seem to quite compare to a mere phrase uttered at a lone fundraiser.
What does this say about America? Is it really made up of a nation of myopic, gun-toting bigots that hate nothing more than to be called on it?
Anytime I have heard you being interviewed, you always seem to me to be speaking truthfully and intelligently, too bad that these are not popular attributes for the typical TV commentator. The main stream media has been progressing towards "tabloid" style news coverage over the last couple of decades. I am afraid that not enough of us are making it clear to network advertisers that this is unacceptable.
Thank You Dr. Reich. I haven't been paying much attention to the race since Obama won Texas, but this "bitter" stuff got me interested. For the life of me I can't figure out what all the fuss is about. Obama is just telling it like it is. I guess the good news is that they can't find anything worse to attack him with then this!
Anyway. Regarding being bitter. Not only am I bitter, but "I'M MAD AS HELL! AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
I'm another product of a Pennsylvania working class (yes, coal mining) family who can attest that Hillary underestimates the intelligence of PA voters when she thinks she can paint Obama as an elitist. Most Pennsylvanians see the kernel of truth in Obama's much hyped comment, and they know Hillary is twice the elitist Obama ever could hope to be. At least Obama's not afraid to speak the truth.
Dr. Reich, there is just one little problem with your interpretation. All of the ills of American society came right after a government program that was supposed to solve them known as the Great Society. Your indictment of America is also an indictment of the very liberal policies that you espouse.
Furthermore, you basically want the media to act as nothing more than a mouthpiece for liberal philosophy. You have to be kidding me here. The media should focus on why progressive taxation is better. Why is it better? The reality is that you are a naked partisan and in your world, the media should be nothing more than a moutpiece for your ideals.
Dear Dr. Reich,
thanks.