Freaky Show

I think you've got to give Ross Douthat credit for mounting a defense of both the ABC debate and the "freak show" approach to politics in general, but I'd associate myself with the rejoinders from Ezra Klein and Ed Kilgore. It's all well and good to say voters want insight into the candidates personalities, but questions like "you once had lunch with a guy who said something you clearly don't agree with what do you say about that and why didn't you refuse to eat with him!!!?!?!?" don't offer any actual insights.

Stepping back, one of the things the progressive political coalition is trying to do in the United States is formulate economic policies that serve the interests of the majority rather than those of a narrow elite. I don't think it makes sense for progressives to whine about voters choosing to vote instead on the basis of policy issues about culture and values -- gun regulations, abortion, gay rights, etc. But it does make a ton of sense to complain about the fact that much of the coverage of campaigns seems designed to deliberately obscure what the policy differences between various politicians are so as to make it difficult for people to assess where their economic interests lie.

Photo by David Shankbone