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Opening Arguments

Strangers in a strange land

There was an interesting segue during the roundtable discussion on ABC's "This Week" yesterday. A discussion of the GOP chairman's image problems specifically and people's disgust with Washington generally was followed immediately by a discussion of the latest sex scandal of the Catholic church.

During the political segment, former Clinton administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich said this:

I think that voters -- and it's not just Tea Parties -- voters all over this country right now are saying, as they've said before -- but I think with a greater sense of commitment and intent right now -- they're saying, the establishment politicians just don't get it. They don't know where we are. They don't understand what we're suffering with regard to unemployment or the economy. They don't understand fiscal responsibility. They don't -- they don't get any of the -- anything that we are talking about in our families and among our friends.

And this is bad. It's bad for Democrats. It's also bad for Republicans.

Republican strategist Matthew Dowd agreed, noting that the big problem today is "a total lack of public trust the public has of trust in Washington, whether it's Democrat or Republican. This is not a partisan problem."

The church segment featured comments by Dowd and Democratic strategist Karen Finely, both Catholics. Despite their political differences, they were united in their anguish over what's happening in the church and how to respond to it. Here's Finley:

You know, the mission of the church is to serve the faithful and to serve the innocent, not to leave children to be preyed upon by sexual predators, and that is essentially what is happening. That's what happened in the United States. Now we're learning that it is a much bigger problem.

And so I think this is a very -- I will be going to church after the show today, and I go to church with a very heavy heart. This is a real crisis of faith for many of us who are questioning, what is the mission of the church if we can't protect children from within our midst?

Dowd agreed:

The problem is -- and I agree with Karen -- the problem is, it's an institutional problem. It's an institution that, in my -- my view, has grown so big and so unwieldy and now only feeds itself, only serves to feed its own self and has forgot about the flock, the billion people out there that are Catholics.

The obvious connection to make between the political and church segments, though no one on the panel made it, is the theme of alienation. Both Washington and Rome have become giant institutions that seek more to attend to their their own ends than the needs of the people they are meant to serve. This creates a vast disconnect between the general polulations and those at the seats of power who "just don't get it." Throw in all the other ways people feel alienated today -- from companies that don't value their labor, from banks that don't care about their struggles, from media conglomerates that sell spin instead of distributing news -- and what we have today is not just an "anti-incumbent" mood or an "anti-Washington" mood. What we have is an anti-instititotion, anti-authority mood that's as strong as any I've seen. And I came of age in the anti-everything-traditional hippie era. We invented modern alienation.

People feel like strangers in their own country, not sure what the rules are anymore so not trusting anybody. That is the main thing our political class has to address, and I don't think they have a clue. I don't, either, but I think it's a little more complioc

Comments

Kevin Knuth
Mon, 04/05/2010 - 10:06am

People keep mentioning how low Obama's approval rating is- most polls show him tracking in the mid to high 40's- with close to an equal number disapproving.

A recent CBS poll showed that only 17% of Americans approve of Congress as a whole (74% disapprove). A CNN breakdown by party showed 42% approved of Democrats (57% disapproved), while only 36% approved of Republicans (63% disapproved).

Obama's numbers may not be great, but he is doing better than congress! Oh, and keep in mind- Reagans numbers dropped BELOW 40% in his first term.

littlejohn
Mon, 04/05/2010 - 7:17pm

Kevin, I think you may be mixing up polls on Obama's policies with polls on Obama personally. The difference is astounding.
The country is pretty much split on his policies, with his policies just a bit under half.
He, on the other hand, is still safely in the sixties. In other words, most Americans like him, but not quite half entirely agree with him. It's very odd.
I think it's probably a bit like Reagan, as you suggested. No matter what you thought of their policies, both men were charismatic. I generally didn't agree with Reagan, but as a guy who interviewed him, I can tell you he was one of the nicest, most agreeable men you'd ever want to meet. I could never dislike him.
I think Obama has a bit of that same Teflon. Politically, it's magic, and it's why I'd bet Obama will be re-elected, even if some things go badly.
If there were some way to make and bottle whatever both those guys had/have, we'd both be rich.

Lewis Allen
Mon, 04/05/2010 - 8:00pm

Once in a while, Leo nails it. I've got nothing to add, other than this analysis is spot on.

tim zank
Mon, 04/05/2010 - 9:22pm

Leo, you're right, it may be a little more complicated than

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