POTUS 08

On the weekend I was in Florida for a speech and got a car with XM radio. XM is one of two satellite radio services and this year they have added a channel (XM 130) which is a real delight. It has what the fairness doctrine claimed to have but never really achieved - that is it presents a wide range of political opinion.

For example on the drive to the hotel I got to hear an interview with Jonah Goldberg who is a National Review Columnist who has written a fascinating book called Liberal Fascism, a Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning while the book looks at the American left the most interesting point he made was the linkage of all people who want to advance state power. He asked whether there was a substantive division between something like "No Child Left Behind" and "It Takes a Village" - both assume an increasing role for the state in the management of children. I am just as concerned about an initiative on the right which assumes significantly greater power as I am about one on the left.

On the way back (at 5 AM in the morning) there was an hour show which presented first a perspective of the Christian Right and then "Progressive" ideas. I was amused that both of the programs spoke about conspiracies of the other side. (The Christian Right spent some time about the attempts to secularize our institutions and the progressives talked about the conspiracy to hold down legitimate protest). The parallels were fascinating.

POTUS 08 attempts to present 24/7 news of this year's presidential contest in a non-partisan manner. From my short chance to listen they seem to be doing a great job of doing that. The channel can also be accessed from the Web for those who do not have XM on a regular basis. POTUS 08 is but another example of why the fairness doctrine, which some democrats have sought to reinstitute, is so far out of date. Indeed, the airwaves and other media channels should give citizens a wide diversity of opinion - but indeed, that seems to be what is happening.