Less Views For Fox News?

Shortly after the presidential election, I noted that "In recent months, acquaintances my age, many of whom rarely spoke about politics, were saying that they hadn't contributed to a candidate before, but … , or they never volunteered for a campaign before, but … . One qualifier was a version of the same perception; the country is headed in the wrong direction, or worse – because of Bush, America is headed into decline."

If that outlook motivated people who had no history of political involvement, what would you expect of someone who has been aware and active for years? Take, for example, the tale of someone who goes by the pseudonym blue collar doc.


I Know It When I See It

Last week, blue collar doc objected to seeing Fox News playing on the television in his dentist's waiting room. In polite society, such an offense might generate a snicker, or a shrug of resignation. In this case, politeness met commitment. The result unfolds in an open letter to the dentist:

I have been utilizing your services for the past four years, and have been completely satisfied. Unfortunately, when I came in for a cleaning yesterday, I was quite distressed to be subjected to political propaganda. The Fox Propaganda Network was on the TV in your waiting room. In my opinion, there is no place for this type of programming in a place of business; frankly, pornography would not have any more objectionable.

[ … ]

This network validates the most destructive xenophobic instincts in our society, and for me to overlook transgressions of this type would be a violation of my most basic principles. In addition, businesses who subject their patrons to this trash must be informed that not all approve. While I hold no personal animosity toward you or your staff, I have no choice but to seek dental services elsewhere.

That's the end of the letter, but is it the end of the story? Many trusted news outlets shirked their responsibility by being compliant with the Bush administration. Fox News slithered past compliance and embraced advocacy. Their pretense of “Fair and Balanced" was dismantled by Al Franken (and his 14 Harvard Kennedy School of Government graduate-assistants) in the book, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. Franken's graphic representation of a Fox News former evening program is a concise distillation of the truth about the network. The show pitted a demagogic neoconservative ideologue against a tepid liberal. Its name was typeset as Hannity & colmes.


Who Do You Trust?

Fact-checking on the web and in newspapers was prominent in the 2008 presidential election, but a recent Pew poll found that 70% of people rely on television for national and international news. A Zogby poll taken since the election identified Fox News as the most trusted television news source, topping CNN and MSNBC combined. However, the most significant finding is that the web, with access to news sources all over the world, beats every other medium for trustworthiness.

If you value trust and good judgment as much as I (and our protagonist) do, a dentist's preference for Fox News is a valid reason to move on, but as veteran Democratic Party campaign strategist Joe Trippi said in October of 2008, Barack Obama marks the end of the television presidency.

A Web of Democracy

Expectations for President-elect Obama are framed, to a large degree, by the perceived performance of President Bush. The current president's low approval ratings hardly measure the level of opprobrium many voters feel toward George W. Bush. In recent months, acquaintances my age, many of whom rarely spoke about politics, were saying that they hadn't contributed to a candidate before, but … , or they never volunteered for a campaign before, but … . One qualifier was a version of the same perception; the country is headed in the wrong direction, or worse – because of Bush, America is headed into decline. The other qualifier was unanimous; Barack Obama offers hope, competence, and a renewed pride in our democracy. In other words, an antidote.

Young voters favored Obama by a lopsided margin. According to Future Majority, counting only those age 18-29, the President-elect tallied 455 electoral college votes to Sen. McCain's 57 (additionally, there was no data for 20 votes and 6 were tied). Those numbers continue an age group preference for Democratic presidential candidates that began in 1992. Their political memories contrast the presidency of George W. Bush to that of Bill Clinton. They typically reject the hot-button social issues that motivate many Republican voters. Obama was the natural choice for this race-blind, ethnically diverse generation.

The challenges facing the new president present huge opportunities. Leaders are measured by how they deal with big problems. Those problems also present great risk. The conflict in Afghanistan is likely to escalate. Pakistan, their nuclear-armed neighbor, is in crisis. The financial market mess is on everyone's front page. Barack Obama will need a long grace period, and we will need some good news.

The key to extending the electorate's patience is transparency and participation. As he did in his campaign, President-elect Obama is expected to use the web to inform and involve citizens. The first step in that transition is the new site, Change.gov.

Obama's campaign email database is estimated to exceed 10 million addresses. Over 125 million people voted in the presidential election. Participation creates accountability. Will citizens become the biggest special interest group in America?

The possibility is more than a maverick could imagine: everyone wired, everyone welcome.