From The Beeb’s Blogs
The Democrats’ debate in Las Vegas was interesting. I loved the introduction of a heckler in the early stages – presumably paid for by CNN to give the whole thing a less plastic feel.
On substance: I will leave the discussion of Hillary Clinton’s asbestos pant-suit to other, less salubrious outlets. But it seems to me that the Democrats, all of them, are entering potentially hazardous ground on Iraq. It was striking that they talked, all of them, about ending the war. They used that word: ending. They did not use the word with the same number of syllables but an altogether different feel: winning. Now, a few months ago the E word sounded just fine to most Americans and the W word rather unrealistic, even idiotic and insulting. But now?
Politics is about narrative and the narrative at the moment is of a war that is no longer out of control. It could, of course, go downhill again rapidly but at the moment it is not. For the Democrats, isn’t this is a trap even bigger than driving licences for illegal immigrants? Might they not sleepwalk into calling for a war to end that is actually being won?
And a word to CNN: years ago at my English boarding school we were told not to be boastful. Referring to your talented and thoughtful team of commentators and reporters as “the best political team on television” or whatever the precise phrase is, demeans them and you. After all, this is the “best website in cyberspace” and I am the “best BBC reporter writing this blog” but neither piece of information is interesting or validating unless it comes from others. The willingness of Americans to be proud of their achievements and unashamed to trumpet them is – in my humble view – a hugely attractive trait. But CNN has gone too far…
UPDATE:: What a coinkidink-just found this
::Tullycast:: 