Lodal letter: Debates

Watching the mayhem and the angst and the juvenile behavior of the Republican debates has been fascinating. Many years ago when Fox News first came on the air, I tuned in to hear a different point of view. What I found was a 24/7 editorial that clearly sought to appeal to the anger and frustration of listeners who shared their ideology. Not much on issues but lots on character assassination and promoting a sense of being victimized by the liberal media.

This approach earned lots of listeners, grew a serious cultural divide in the USA, and fueled legislative gridlock in D.C. We can thank Roger Ailes and his staff for this result. Now watching those angry voters align with Donald Trump and turn on Fox News as not being ideologically pure enough is almost hilarious.

The Constitution was written to ensure that no single branch of government had too much power. That can also be interpreted as the founding fathers codifying the need to communicate, collaborate, and compromise if anything was to get accomplished. That means listening and giving the other guy the benefit of the doubt whenever possible. And that is not what Fox News or Trump is preaching.

This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 12:20 AM with the headline "Lodal letter: Debates."