A half dozen pundits and commentators joined in this conversation during the Aspen Ideas Festival, including David Brooks of the New York Times, Jim Wallis of Sojourner magazine, Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post, Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report, Amy Goodman of The Pacifica Network's Democracy Now! and Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post. Moderating the roundtable was Jonathan Alter, columnist with Newsweek magazine.
The pundits had both criticism and praise for the presumptive presidential candidates. Ariana Huffington of the left-leaning Huffington Post website, has issues with Barack Obama playing to the center, but that doesn't mean John McCain gets her vote:
Ariana Huffington: "That is a man who has abandoned every sacred principle in the quest for the presidency."In an election year where the word"Change" has taken center stage New York Times Columnist David Brooks wonders how much change will actually happen:
David Brooks: "To me, the question is, can each of them, if elected, actually turn the page in American politics and create a new style of politics?"
But Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! says that change won't come from the politicians ... it will come from the voters.
Amy Goodman: "Barack Obama changes each week; McCain changes. What is going to hold their feet to the fire is all of you, and not sitting back and being spectators."
What's your take on the 2008 presidential candidates? Has John McCain "abandoned every sacred principal," as Ariana Huffington says he has? Who is better suited to, as David Brooks says, "turn the page in American politics?" Will this be the election year where American voters stop "being spectators," and start holding the candidates' "feet to the fire," as Amy Goodman suggests?
We'd like to hear from you. Have a listen to this week's Word for Word to hear the full media roundtable from the Aspen Ideas Festival.
_________________________________________________Suzanne Pekow
Word for Word
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Comments: 11
The nice thing about the Republican party is that has so many factions, it can be just about anything. Fighting off Democrats in an Obama administration is an identity, but not the successful identity that would be created if McCain won.
Clear as mud?
Those are some VERY IGNORANT "pundits..."
In the real world, there are two candidates, whether you approve of them or not. Ignorant people, in my experience, tend to believe it of others in broad sweeping classifications of large groups of people. The rest of us tend to recognize it only in those that insist on wearing it on their sleeve........
I don't think that Obama is as fresh and new as his campaign proclaims, but I do think he is intelligent, competent, and has good character when it comes to making decisions. On the economy and on Iraq Obama will take us in a direction we desperately need.
P.S. I encourage all of you to join our Word for Word group and continue to participate in weekly discussions related to Word for Word content.
LOL Right, you tell me all about it you young firebrand. You're a riot.