I was also disappointed by Drum's piece. I often like his long-form writing for Mother Jones, and that one was just boring. It felt like it was stringing together evidence without really explaining anything.
That said, if you think the question at hand is something like, "Is Fox News, by itself, responsible for ~40% of the change in how, "culture wars" take place in the US, or ~10%?" There's no definitive way to answer that question, but they way in which you answer the question will significantly impact your reading of American politics. If Fox News is responsible for ~40% of the observed change then it really does need to be singled out as specific bad actor.
Could prejudice on the left be doing anything to amplify the division?
I've got some leftish tendencies (it's complicated), but when I look at the way people on the left I know talk about anyone who's even somewhat on the right, I keep thinking that I wouldn't be likely to be receptive to anyone who hates me that much.
Yes, there was definitely something going on that so many people loved listening to Limbaugh.
I was also disappointed by Drum's piece. I often like his long-form writing for Mother Jones, and that one was just boring. It felt like it was stringing together evidence without really explaining anything.
That said, if you think the question at hand is something like, "Is Fox News, by itself, responsible for ~40% of the change in how, "culture wars" take place in the US, or ~10%?" There's no definitive way to answer that question, but they way in which you answer the question will significantly impact your reading of American politics. If Fox News is responsible for ~40% of the observed change then it really does need to be singled out as specific bad actor.
Could prejudice on the left be doing anything to amplify the division?
I've got some leftish tendencies (it's complicated), but when I look at the way people on the left I know talk about anyone who's even somewhat on the right, I keep thinking that I wouldn't be likely to be receptive to anyone who hates me that much.
Yes, there was definitely something going on that so many people loved listening to Limbaugh.