Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Civility in Politics
I've just read an Opinion piece in today's Los Angeles Times by Duncan Black, aka Atrios. The theme of the piece is the Lieberman campaign in Connecticut for the Democratic nomination to the US Senate. Mr. Black comments on the lack of civility and polite discourse exhibited by many bloggers who support Ned Lamont over Joe Lieberman.
Mr. Black comments as follows:
One of my former bosses at work was an Englishman. He compared the conduct of political campaigns in this country with those in England. He marveled at the attitude of Americans who would suppress or at least discouraging heckling of a politician campaigning for votes. In England, he would say, anyone who undertook to campaign for office would be expected to deal with hecklers, and part of his ability to hold office would be his ability to provide witty and effective answers to hecklers.
Mr. Black writes that politics is a contact sport, and that loud and raucous debate is a healthy part of our democracy.
We have something to learn from the Brits.
Mr. Black comments as follows:
Much of the interest in this race is not because of Lamont but rather his perceived base of support from bloggers, including me. One prominent pundit claimed that Lamont's online backers were practitioners of "blogosfascism;" another called the campaign an "inquisition." Online political discourse can indeed be caustic and combative, like talk radio. But too many in the Lieberman wing of the party have elevated civility and the illlusion of bipartisan comity over challenging Republicans' failed lpolicies. In the lprocess, they have echoed GPO jargon in dismissiing critics as "angry" and "hate-filed."
One of my former bosses at work was an Englishman. He compared the conduct of political campaigns in this country with those in England. He marveled at the attitude of Americans who would suppress or at least discouraging heckling of a politician campaigning for votes. In England, he would say, anyone who undertook to campaign for office would be expected to deal with hecklers, and part of his ability to hold office would be his ability to provide witty and effective answers to hecklers.
Mr. Black writes that politics is a contact sport, and that loud and raucous debate is a healthy part of our democracy.
We have something to learn from the Brits.
