did you actually watch the clip?… he got Kristol to admit that the government can provide exemplary healthcare, in the face of a constant stream of claims to the contrary… he came at it from the position of a comedian and ended up highlighting something pretty fundamental.
The point with all of this is that he doesn’t go in for the adversarial punditry that seems to predominate in the US, he relies more on the art of conversation. By that I mean that he doesn’t look to adopt a stance and make that position irrefutable; he is swayed by the conversation, he appears to accept the other persons point of view and importantly gives them a chance to speak. He challenges and at times he aggressively marks the territory he believes he has won. But he mostly just leaves it up to the viewer to fill in the gaps.
And I wouldn’t call it Stewart destroying Kristol. I think that tag is unhelpful. Kristol ends up destroying himself well enough; he had more than enough rope and he chose to hang himself with it. Stewart looks at the world on a slant as every good comedian does, and he holds up a mirror to those in the frame, which is what good journalism is all about.
The likes of Glenn Beck would beter serve the American people by relying less on the cartoon character he tries to be, dropping the opinion a little, stepping back, listening and holding up the mirror a little more. Beleive it or not, I have a lot of respect of Beck. He’s said some stupid things but he has shown a true inciteful nature also. What bothers me is that the media powerhouse that pushes the likes of Beck the image (just as in the left and right pundits in Crossfire above) detracts from a serious look at real issues. Its all smoke and mirrors and viewing figures, ann unneccessary bow ties.
Yes, Stewart is an entertainer also. But he uses his platform to inform, and rather than hammering opinion he allows his viewers to take the journey with him, to work it out for themselves. He shows a respect for both his audience and the people he interviews and attempts to talk to them on a adult, intelligent level.
This quote from Beck kinda says it all for me: “‘I say on the air all time, ‘if you take what I say as gospel, you’re an idiot.’” — Glenn Beck, New York Times, March 29, 2009. Fair enough Glenn; but if thats the case… how about you tone it down a little, and start listening.
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