South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, thinks he knows why the country is increasingly divided on ideological lines, and it has a lot to do with MSNBC and Fox News.
In an interview Tuesday with NBC, Graham said the current media environment makes it difficult for lawmakers to accomplish anything. He envisioned what it would be like for the Constitution to be written, had MSNBC’s liberal Rachel Maddow and Fox News’ conservative Sean Hannity been there for its creation.
“So, you’re at Philadelphia Hall, you’ve got satellite trucks parked outside,” Graham said. “You know, Ben Franklin comes outside and Rachel Maddow and Sean Hannity jump on him, ‘Don’t give in, Ben.’ Just think how hard it is in today’s 24/7 news cycle, talk radio, cable television and money [in politics]. There is a group telling you to say no about everything.”
Graham said he believes he has the ability to at least bring lawmakers together to pass new legislation. “I do have the ability to get in a room and say, ‘All right guys, what do you want, what do you need? Here’s what I want want, here’s what I need,'” he said.
Graham is considered by many in political and media circles to be a long shot for the GOP presidential nomination. He is currently polling in 14th place in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls of of official and likely Republican candidates.
