Back in 2002, Clay Waters of the Media Research Center had a pretty concise definition of the term “liberal cocoon,” the epistemic closure that so many on the left seem to operate in:
Slate journalist Mickey Kaus has developed an explanation for why Democrats tend to disappoint on Election Day — “liberal cocooning.” Kaus explains: “The point is that reporters and editors at papers like the Times (either one!) are exquisitely sensitive to any sign that Democrats might win, but don’t cultivate equivalent sensitivity when it comes to discerning signs Republicans might win. (Who wants to read that?) The result, in recent years, is the Liberal Cocoon, in which Democratic partisans are kept happy and hopeful until they are slaughtered every other November.” Kaus’ subject was an article in the L.A. Times, but his theory applies equally well to the paper’s New York namesake.
Kaus didn’t actually invent the term, but he did help popularize it. And eight years after the above description, the cocoon is arguably screwed down even tighter around the MSM, which during the naughts basically defined itself as “Not Fox News.”
So let’s watch how painful it can be to a liberal when the cocoon gets pierced:
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Sherman was either lying or telegraphing his woeful disconnect from any news he doesn’t want to consider as important to him. The Panther story has been everywhere for a week, and Sherman’s profession of ignorance was instantly understood by the crowd as either deception or irresponsibility. John notes that the crowd is very well-informed and that MSM cannot black out stories it doesn’t like anymore and this is exactly correct. Democratic congressmen are serially getting caught unprepared or defensive in their responses to an active and informed citizenry that is disgusted with long winded evasions and practiced canards.
Each of these episodes builds on the previous one, and the mood in the country will be implacably demanding a giant purge at the polls come November if the House and senate Democrats do nothing between now and then. A simple five year extension of the Bush tax cuts would immediately produce political gains and economic energy, but the ideologues at the top will not allow it, no matter how much sense it makes. And as the NASA/Panthers/vote fraud stories grow and grow, the movement demand a big brush will as well.
But there’s an easy solution to bring Rep. Sherman (D-CA) up to speed. He’s in Southern California. He’s been interviewed by Pajamas Media before. I’m sure if he were to drive over to the L.A. studios of PJTV, they’d be happy to record an interview between Sherman in L.A. and J. Christian Adams on the opposite coast. Adams, one would assume, would be delighted to bring Sherman up to speed, to better serve his constituents. Or at least not get shown up on YouTube again.
What say you, congressman?
Update: More cocoons pierced here.
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