It's political Christmas and everyone is getting what they want. The Obama White House is fighting several scandals, and Toronto mayor Rob Ford has been allegedly caught smoking alleged crack. The question is: will it make a difference? The usual thinking is, yes of course, but we're in a new world where silly little things like "reality" don't really matter.
As I've pointed out in the past with my post about Literally Unbelievable, partisan people talk about fictitious events just the same way they talk about real events. I haven't been following Fox News's coverage of the scandals, but those that have report that their attitude hasn't really changed from the norm. In fact, liberal journalists are surprised that conservative journalists are putting so much effort into the Byzantine dead horse that is Bengazi, not the simpler and more-damning IRS scandal. Even though that seems to be the perfect issue for them: conservatives being opressed by government bureaucracy using taxes. The only thing they could ask for on top of that would be a taking-our-guns-away angle.
Democrats have an attitude of running to stand still: They control the White House and Senate, but it's all they can do to keep the government open for business. With that kind of political calculus, Democratic politicians openly condemning the President would probably get him impeached.
As for Toronto: Just when many people were asking, "Is Mayor Ford on crack?" It turns out there might just be something to it. But once again, the battle lines are drawn so deeply, that it's hard to imagine anyone changing sides even now.
A few months ago, during a lull between Ford controversies, I read an article that pointed out that the weird thing about Ford is not what he's done, but the fact that it's unsurprising. That is, it's not like he pretended to be straight-laced and polite, then changed when he got into office. Voters new what they were getting and got what they apparently wanted.
As I've pointed out in the past with my post about Literally Unbelievable, partisan people talk about fictitious events just the same way they talk about real events. I haven't been following Fox News's coverage of the scandals, but those that have report that their attitude hasn't really changed from the norm. In fact, liberal journalists are surprised that conservative journalists are putting so much effort into the Byzantine dead horse that is Bengazi, not the simpler and more-damning IRS scandal. Even though that seems to be the perfect issue for them: conservatives being opressed by government bureaucracy using taxes. The only thing they could ask for on top of that would be a taking-our-guns-away angle.
Democrats have an attitude of running to stand still: They control the White House and Senate, but it's all they can do to keep the government open for business. With that kind of political calculus, Democratic politicians openly condemning the President would probably get him impeached.
As for Toronto: Just when many people were asking, "Is Mayor Ford on crack?" It turns out there might just be something to it. But once again, the battle lines are drawn so deeply, that it's hard to imagine anyone changing sides even now.
A few months ago, during a lull between Ford controversies, I read an article that pointed out that the weird thing about Ford is not what he's done, but the fact that it's unsurprising. That is, it's not like he pretended to be straight-laced and polite, then changed when he got into office. Voters new what they were getting and got what they apparently wanted.
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