September 4, 2009
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Al Franken shows communication IS possible
Sometimes, very often in fact, both Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals feel like they are talking to brick walls. They feel as if the other side doesn’t hear them. Like they refuse to listen and that communication is wholly a waste of time.
The town halls were supposed to bridge that gap and open up a productive two-way dialogue. Obviously. For the most part, they failed. They became a media circus.
But they didn’t HAVE to fail. Believe it or not it IS possible for reasonable people on both sides to communicate rationally on important issues like Health Care. How do I know that? Because it’s been done. Lots of times. Here’s one example of a video where Al Franken does exactly that.
To be fair I should note the person who put this video on youtube labeled it in what I consider an unjust way. The people in the video in no way seem like “an angry mob”. To describe them as such without actual evidence is unfair. It’s possible that prior to the point where this video begins filming they were acting like an angry mob, but without actual video evidence we can’t support that claim. For all we know they were wholly polite the entire time. So the video should not have been labeled thusly.
Even so I think it’s an important video to watch both because you can learn a lot from the content of what is said here and because you can learn even more from the way in which this dialogue takes place. It’s respectful. It’s honest. And it makes progress in bridging the gap of hatred that divides the parties.
Too bad Al Franken is a prime target for regular vilification on conservative talk radio.
Comments (3)
Well, if Al Franken is doing a good job in his new position, power to him. I admit I had my doubts- he *is* a comedian, a performer, not a politician- but you never know when someone’s hidden talents are going to shine through.
Al Franken was a remarkable talk show host. He really used it to hone his ability to talk with people who disagree with him. He regularly invited such people on his show ans tried to win the argument with facts. I’m glad he’s brought this to the Senate.
@ModernBunny - @bjerre - I read his books back about a year after college. Before that I’d never heard of him. His books were impressive. They laid out very effective factual arguments that helped me to make sense of what happened in the 2000 elections. Those together with Eric Alterman’s What Liberal Media? formed my very early liberal education before I got deeply into the real heavy weights like Chomsky and Zinn.
He’s a very smart man. I’m in no way surprised he’s a good politician. Of course some of what he says sounds like talking points like all politicians use. But there’s more that’s original in his presentations of Congress I’ve seen than in most. I’m really glad he’s in the Senate, finally. Though hes’ got a long way to go before he gets substantial influence there.
Of course he’s a threat and worse his enemies just don’t like him. So I expect he’ll be attacked and run out of office in about six years.