Random Observations on Movies & Politics

We’ve got to give credit to the conservatives in at least one area: they are extremely well organized. Every week Grover Norquist gets the troops together so they can plan a coordinated message and distribute the talking points, around which conservative talk show hosts can build their shows.

We liberals have some great spokespeople, but unfortunately the guest lists on the talk show circuit are skewed heavily to Republicans and conservatives: the typical talk show’s idea of balance is to have ONE person (a Democrat or a moderate/liberal or a journalist who in theory represents the “liberal” media but who is more likely a centrist) on a panel with THREE right-wingers (seemlying the more far-right the better.) And that doesn’t count the (generally) conservative host! Even when we get our opportunities it’s evident that many of our people are not quite ready for Prime Time because they don’t really know how to play the talk show game (“Don’t answer the question, just use it as an opportunity to get your talking points out,” “Continually interrupt your opponent,” “Run out the clock towards the end of the segment so you are sure to get the last word,” etc.) Robert Reich and Katrina Vanden Huvel know how to play and win this game. Ever since his abortive campaign for President Wesley Clark has done quite well for himself in these situations, and Paul Krugman has really gotten it together in the last year.

But as is pointed out virtually every day by Bob Somerby of The Daily Howler, we still lag behind the conservatives and our spokespeople/pundits rarely fully capitalize on the few opportunities offered to us.

But there are two liberal Democrats out there who near always acquit themselves well and I wish had wider exposure: Flavia Colgan and Lawrence O’Donnell, political analysts for MSNBC. Especially last Fall they were turning up regularly on many MSNBC shows, most often on Hardball and on Scarborough Country, a show which I find hard to watch unless one of them is on. Flavia and Lawrence can also occasionally can be heard on Air America Radio (she on Majority Report, he on Al Franken.) O’Donnell can also been seen periodically on The McLaughlin Group,

Joe Scarborough obviously likes to have Flavia Colgan on because she’s both articulate and attractive – which makes for “good TV.” (Actually there are quite a few conservative bloggers who find Flavia “hot” and wish she were on their side; I’m not aware of any liberals – and, no, I don’t count Bill Maher as one - who consider Anne Coulter to be “hot” – and certainly none would want that wacko on our side!)

On Scarborough Country, Flavia always acquits herself quite well, and she’s especially good when attacking the usual conservative charges of liberal bias in the media. as the did in this memorable appearance on January 15th which Bob Somerby immortalized in a recent Daily Howler.Somerby immortalized in a recent More