open letter to Rachel Maddow

Rachel,
When responding to the new GOP Chair's distinction between making 'work' vs. making 'jobs' on the 2/9/09 show it felt like you intentionally misunderstood or refused to understand his point as a way to poke fun at his argument. While I understand the pull to maneuver and spin these soundbites, and while I agree that his proposition was preposterous, I think that in order for the nation to follow President Obama down the path toward more honest government where he is attempting to lead us, the press will need to cooperate by taking a more substantively engaged position on these issues.
In this particular case, the issue with the work/jobs distinction is based on the fallacious assumption that private sector jobs are more stable or last longer than government jobs. Or that infrastructure projects are somehow ephermeral in their impact. I think that these points can (and need to be) refuted, both with argument and with data. But to simply make de facto statements that his proposition is ridiculous only serves to preach to the choir and to further alienate those who are on the fence or on the other side of the fence.
I believe that we (liberals) have the truth on our side in these debates, but this is not cause for us to ridicule the opposition, it is a call to clarify and communicate that truth to the nation so that we can come together and move forward. We have an amazing opporunity. We have a sitting president with leadership skills and an acutal progressive agenda for the country (and perhaps the world). In order to capitalize on this opportunity we must all find a way to let go of the animosity and illusions that have characterized American politics since (at least) Reagan, and to move forward together.
I believe that you have a strong voice and have established yourself as a leading figure in political analysis for the coming years, we need your voice to help move the progressive agenda forward and it can't happen unless we are willing to take the arguments of the opposition seriously and to treat them with respect. This willingness is what seperates true liberalism from dogmatic liberalism, and it is only true liberalism that can move this nation forward.
Thanks for your time,
Eric Hepburn

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