Mansfield: The Danger of Politics as Entertainment { 0 }
Stephen Mansfield is the author of The Faith of Barack Obama, which I wrote about briefly yesterday in this post.
I was poking around on one of Mansfield’s sites — that of the Mansfield Group — and read a few blog posts.
One entitled “The Danger of Politics as Entertainment” was particularly interesting, and I recommend you go read it.
(Normally I would link to the post, but you can’t. His site doesn’t quite work that way. So click here, then click on the “BLOG” link at the top of the page and then find the Aug. 8 post with the above title.)
The post is about an interview he gave on Hannity and Colmes on FoxNews. He explained how off camera he and Sean Hannity were having a nice conversation, how on camera they sparred and how off camera after the taping the resumed their conversation.
He related it to an old story he remembered about President Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neil:
Republican president and the Democratic speaker would fight it out politically all day. Then, around six in the evening, one would call the other and say, “Hey, buddy: it’s after six. Are you coming over?” And the two Irishmen would drink whiskey, play cards and tell stories until wives and duties intervened. I knew of this initially because I had some light connection to the White House. But I also knew that on the street there were people who hated each of these men while claiming the other their hero. I remember knowing of a group who literally prayed for Reagan while asking God to humiliate O’Neill. Then there were those who hated Reagan and thought O’Neill the only righteous one among them. Yet neither man’s supporters out in Daily Life American had any clue that the two men loved and respected each other and that actually it was their friendship that allowed their political jousting to conclude peacefully.
He ends his post with this:
Our politicians should model for us strident political dialogue. We need it. But we also need to know how to laugh, celebrate and work together after the bar room fight is over.
Show us both, Washington. Show us both, media. See you soon, Sean.
That’s truly the side of politics most people don’t see and they should. It would make for a more civil discourse among the masses.
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