Walter Lippmann’s trenchant 1922 analysis of the origins of public opinion happens to dovetail with my own program of fighting our modern political media complex. Lippmann identified realities that most of us today would accept, whether easily or grudgingly. Yet, in the past one hundred years …
Almost all public political dialogue is rooted in culture war issues because that’s what sells. It’s the only thing that people will pay attention to, it’s the main thing that will get them out to vote. One suspects it could not be otherwise…
George Hawley insightfully analyzes several different strands of conservativism—some more fringe than others—demolishing the view of conservatism as a unified movement. He first describes how “mainstream” conservative orthodoxy has at times been enforced, and then digs into a number of right-wing groups who have been out of the mainstream: