President Trump’s tweet about MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski’s face-lift was the most talked about story of the week, probably because it was a low-blow and beneath the office of the president of the United States.
But there seems to be a disconnect between what outrageous sentiment is worth coverage (and how much) and what outrageous sentiment isn’t.
Trump’s comments about Brzezinski’s face were wrong, and I think most Americans wish he would log off, but he’s not the only source of heated rhetoric. As the healthcare bill makes its way through Congress, Democratic leaders have told us that hundreds of thousands of people are going to die if it passes; when President Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement, those same leaders warned that our children will suffocate. Both are bold (and false) claims, but the media coverage pales in comparison.
If we’re going to call out the president, we also need to call out the Democratic leaders’ rhetoric surrounding policies that directly affect us. As of late, the most common speech in reference to healthcare and environmental regulations is hyperbolic lies.
Here’s why that’s so damaging:
It keeps us in the dark
First, the Paris Agreement. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., not only said Trump’s decision to withdraw was “dishonoring to God,” but concluded in the same speech that his grandchildren may not have air to breathe.
And now that healthcare is in the spotlight? Pelosi once again claimed that those in favor of the bill (or some version of it) were “dishonoring God.”
She isn’t alone. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Al Franken, D-Minn., are also claiming hundreds of thousands of Americans will die in the streets if this bill passes.
We rely on the people we elect to not only represent us, but to also read bills and tell us the truth about their contents. Healthcare is complicated policy, and we’re not paid to figure out whether a 100-page bill is good or bad. We need our leaders to do their jobs and tell us the truth sans hyperbolic rhetoric and fear mongering. We elect you to represent our interests, not your own.
It puts us in harm’s way
If our representatives use hyperbole, they shut down the conversation – those who oppose the bill will assume they’re telling the truth and those who support the bill won’t challenge that belief. Why? Because now you not only have to argue the finer points of healthcare policy, but you also have to prove that you don’t want people to die. That’s not an enviable position to argue, and makes it dangerous for you to state your opinion. Hyperbole heightens the emotion.
Just ask Steve Scalise. No one is to blame but the shooter, but our leaders have a responsibility to be the voice of reason and not associate death and destruction with policy.
The more complicated the policy, the greater need we have that our representatives remain calm. It’s bad enough we live in a sound-bite culture, but where does that leave us when those sound bites are exaggerated and inaccurate? It leaves us confused. Americans want to make informed decisions but, sadly, good information is hard to find.
Don’t look to the media for clarification. They often feed off the hyperbole and turn interviews into a Q & A about why it’s okay to let people die. They feed the frenzy, repeat faulty information, and shut down discussion.
When someone has to take on the additional defense of proving they don’t want their neighbor to die if a piece of legislation passes, the ability to have a thoughtful and productive discussion on a complicated issue like Obamacare is reduced. We need the smart people we elect to tell us what’s going on, but they won’t be given the opportunity to do so if the media continues to feed the frenzy.
It keeps us divided
What happened to the call to work together after James Hodgkinson opened fire on members of Congress a couple weeks ago? The rally for unity lasted about four days, even though Scalise is still recovering from gunshot wounds.
The hyperbolic rhetoric makes it hard for political opponents to humanize each other. And if we can’t see the humanity on the other side of the aisle, we’ll never reach agreement. The divide will remain, which means we all lose.
Both Republicans and Democrats need to forgo the clickbait comments, and the media should call them out when they don’t. It’s time for us to have honest discussions about important issues facing our country. It’d be helpful if the White House could set that tone, but I’m skeptical.
Beverly Hallberg (@BevHallberg) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is president of District Media Group.
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