Category Archives: media

Why the Left Excels at Political Humor and the Right Not So Much

Posted on June 25, 2017 by politicaloptic

It is almost a cliché that political humor is owned by the left. One can’t help but be bowled over by the number of liberal-leaning comedians sucking up oxygen on the airwaves. For a long while it was people like … Continue reading →

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Will Trump Exploit a Terrorist Attack for His Own Ends?

Posted on February 26, 2017 by politicaloptic

Because Trump’s tweets are spontaneous, they provide a useful indicator–a kind of Rohrschack Test–of his fundamental instincts. One recent tweet, reacting to the Federal Court’s  blockade of his immigration executive order, was nothing less than a wake-up call for concerned Americans. Trump tweeted: “Just … Continue reading →

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The Email Controversy

Posted on July 21, 2016 by politicaloptic

Whoever could have predicted that an issue as technical and nerdy as  Clinton’s email system would become so controversial? The scandal has dominated her candidacy and sucked much of the oxygen out of issues that cry out to be discussed in the … Continue reading →

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Trump’s Bullying of the Press is a Threat to Democracy

Posted on March 29, 2016 by politicaloptic

Donald Trump crosses the line of acceptable political behavior so often that it is easy to become numbed to the danger he presents. A key example is his treatment of the press. An independent, robust free press is one of the things … Continue reading →

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Andrew Breitbart’s Role in the Media War

Posted on May 9, 2012 by politicaloptic

The American right has been waging a campaign against the so-called liberal media from as far back as the Nixon era. It mostly began in the late 1960’s and early 70s with concerted attacks on news organizations by Nixon’s vice president, Spiro … Continue reading →

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The Republican Right and Saul Alinsky

Posted on April 12, 2012 by politicaloptic

The Republican Right can’t seem to get its mind off of Saul Alinsky. Alinsky was the Chicago activist who organized the powerless and gave them a voice back in the old days when workers and minorities were mostly ignored. His book Rules for Radicals, … Continue reading →

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The Fox Effect

Posted on March 16, 2012 by politicaloptic

Fox News has found a new public enemy. This time it’s not Acorn, George Soros, or the Occupiers of Wall Street. Instead it’s an entity with a low profile and a tedious job: Media Matters, the watchdog  organization that tracks … Continue reading →

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