If what ails the current campaign coverage is a dearth of issues-focused coverage, then the cure is The Brian Lehrer Show’s “30 Issues in 30 Days” series.
With a mix of historians, policy wonks, professors, and calls from real people, Lehrer asks questions that challenge the assumptions prevalent in stump rhetoric, such as “Do We Need A War on Terrorism?” and “ Should The No Child Law Be Left Behind?”
Last Thursday’s episode, “Partisanship in Washington,” dissects the history of the Republican-Democratic divide, both through policy and geographic factors.
The rhetoric of bi- and post-partisanship has gained traction this election, but Lehrer asks, “Is this really so bad? We all love to hate the other side, whoever the other side is for us, but would it be worse if a bipartisan power elite ran everything?” And his guest, Princeton professor Julian Zelizer, reminds listeners that bipartisanship actually delayed civil rights reforms, and inter-party friction was necessary to advance the cause.
Lehrer’s series cuts through the play-by-play campaign noise that dominates coverage with a long view perspective, a well-assembled line-up of guests, a host who challenges their assertions, and a focus on what campaign promises mean for voters. This is solid stuff. The full listing, with streaming, is available here.
Katia Bachko is on staff at The New Yorker.