Many of us feel disturbed by statements about the US being a “polarized” nation. When I looked into it, the first thing I noticed is how polarized the news media have become. To a casual observer, the war between Fox News and CNN seems amazing. A friend of mine decided to watch these cable networks reporting an event. He said it seemed like two separate events in two separate universes.  Polarization of news media goes way beyond expectations, and I think few would deny that the N. Y. Times and Washington Post lean distinctly left, while the N. Y. Post and Wall St. Journal lean distinctly right.

Isn’t anybody in the middle anymore?  The answer may surprise you. Greater than 40% of Americans. 

Each year since 2012, according to Gallup Polls, 40-42% of Americans self-identify as “independent” while the percentage of self-identified Democrats was 30-31%.  Republicans have not cracked 30% since 2012.

A Stanford researcher named Morris Fiorina has written a book entitled: Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America.  Fiorina’s research suggests most Americans are still in the middle, where they have been deserted by both political parties and the national news media.  Fiorina has plenty of data, and he shares examples in which each of the political parties take much more extreme positions than most Americans.

In recent years, the Democrat position on abortion has become “anytime, anywhere” while the Republican position has been moving toward “never, nowhere”.  Actually, most Americans believe that abortions should be legal, but regulated.  Bill Clinton’s famous quote (from a bygone era) that abortion should be “legal, safe, and rare” is now subject to media/political attack from both sides … yet it probably represents the position of most Americans.

Similarly, the Democrat position on immigration has become “anywhere, anytime”, while the Republican position is moving closer to “never, nowhere”.  Yet, the majority of Americans believe immigration should be encouraged and legal, but regulated.  Positions advanced by the two political parties in the national media on gun control and health care are typically exaggerated and more extreme than most Americans would like.

According to Fiorina, a nonexistent “culture war” is perpetuated by journalists who cover extremist political elites. “The elites are polarized and this political class is imposing its will on America. This dysfunctional political system is not serving the electorate.”

As you might expect, the main stream media insists “culture wars” are real, and they are reporting national trends. Fiorina’s view has not become “popular” since it reflects poorly on politicians and the media, people who “make the news”.  What are we then to think, then?  Are politicians and the media creating or just reflecting this trend?

Here’s the thing. If most Americans aren’t polarized, and the media is making it up, wouldn’t that be a kind of crime?  When a TV detective, like Harry Bosch, investigates a crime, he always asks a legal question so ancient it is phrased in Latin: Cui Bono? Who Benefits?  After answering this question, Harry would place the people who would benefit from the crime on his suspect list.

Who benefits from the notion that America is polarized and riven by a culture war?  Certainly not most Americans, for whom it is a big pain in the a__.  Conversely, the media benefits greatly from culture wars as they report on conflict and hatred, then, heroically, discover problems of privilege, microaggression, racism, xenophobia, etc., and present them to politicians who promise immediate solutions. If things are mostly OK, and Americans are generally solving their own problems (the actual reality), the media and politicians become a lot less important.

I think that most Americans are not engaged in racism, xenophobia, or homophobia.  Nor do most Americans want to abolish freedom of speech or religion and install socialism.  One of the worst things most Americans have done is to support the extremist nonsense of the two major political parties which no longer serve the majority of Americans.  Gallup’s score in 2018 was (Democrats + Republicans) = 56%, (Independents) = 42%.  If the number of people who identity with neither party were to exceed 50%, perhaps the parties would rediscover the need to attract moderates.

Americans could make it so in 2020, 2022, or 2024.

Categories: Commentary, Politics