Will The Web Produce Politicians Who Must Actually Express Genuinely Held Opinions?
Mickey Kaus has a piece in Slate that reports on a theory of Joe Klein, expressed at L.A. party for his new book, "Politics Lost". Kaus summarizes as follows:
Mickey then goes on to discuss McCain as the prime example of a politician whose recent career has featured his ability to be immediate, clear and direct. But, as Mickey notes, now that McCain is running for the nomination of the Republican Party, he must, as do Democrats, pass the muster of the polarized interest groups that hold power in the respective parties.
Mickey's conclusion:
Joe Klein advanced an intriguing, optimistic thesis relating 1) the need for a candidate who exhibits humanity and competence, in part by expressing occasional deeply-felt heterodox, inconvenient, authentic views (as opposed to safe poll-tested views); 2) the rise of the interactive, 24/7 Web. ...
Mickey then goes on to discuss McCain as the prime example of a politician whose recent career has featured his ability to be immediate, clear and direct. But, as Mickey notes, now that McCain is running for the nomination of the Republican Party, he must, as do Democrats, pass the muster of the polarized interest groups that hold power in the respective parties.
Mickey's conclusion:
If the Web is going to fix our politics, it might have to undermine the two-party system first.
posted by Joe Hogan at
1:05 PM
