Recantation, Both Sides Not Dept. 0
In The New York Times, Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein concede that they got it wrong. Oh, they make a half-heared defense of their past position, but, really, now. Here’s a nugget:
Which is not to say that we were totally off base in 2006. We stand by our assessment of the political scene at the time. What is astounding, and still largely unappreciated, is the unexpected and rapid nature of the decline in American national politics, and how one-sided its cause. If in 2006 one could cast aspersions on both parties, over the past decade it has become clear that it is the Republican Party — as an institution, as a movement, as a collection of politicians — that has done unique, extensive and possibly irreparable damage to the American political system.
We need more respected (forget whether they deserve respect–in many cases, that’s a whole nother story) voices in the media to realize that no, both sides don’t do it.
Afterthought:
I share their concerns. I am nagged by fear that the American Dream will soon have become a long, deep nightmare, thanks to Republican subterfuge, Nixon’s southern strategy which is still working today, hate radio and the Fox propaganda machine, social media trolls, and gullibility.
