Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Where are the Dems?

I'm seeing lots of complaints on the internet that the Republicans are dominating the cable chat fests. Will the GOP be left uncontested in their attempts to define the narrative on the stimulus? Perhaps. But two thoughts occur to me:

1. The Dems probably aren't on TV that much because they are actually working to put together the bill.

2. I'm just not sure that the pundit chat is as significant in defining the narrative as it used to be.

I barely watch these shows any more. I suspect a lot of other people don't either. More and more people are getting their information and narratives from alternate sources (i.e., the internet). So I'm not sure that a preponderance of Republicans on Chris Mathews will have much impact on public perception of this package. What people pay attention to is news reports of layoffs, falling/rising prices and other general economic news. Those are the factors that will really swing the narrative in the coming months.

There was a time when TV face time was a vital component of political power. My suspicion is that that time has passed.

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