Perhaps a more apt title for author Mark Leibovich’s new book, “This Town,” would be “Mad Money,” as it makes it clear that our nation’s capital is about money, power, and little else. While the rest of the country suffered from the recession, Washington’s unemployment rate was one of the lowest in the country and the city became an engine of income for its residents, which is unusual for a city without any major industry ( apart from politics and press). Leibovich is the chief national correspondent for “The New York Times Magazine.” Although I was initially suspicious of the author’s intentions, he has actually done the country a great service by explaining what is wrong with politics on Capitol Hill.
From a journalist’s perspective, Leibovich reveals the true culture of DC, where there is an incestuous relationship between Government, Journalists and Lobbyists. They all scratch each other’s backs to climb their respective totem poles and grab as much money as possible along the way. He paints a picture of unadulterated collusion. He makes it clear that Washington does not exist to solve the country’s problems but to line the pockets of residents there. From this perspective, it shouldn’t surprise us more than how widespread the problem really is. Whether you’re a government official, a lobbyist, or a member of the press, it’s about making money and controlling the system. All three parties need love to stroke their egos, a lot, and see themselves as celebrities on the same level as Hollywood (or higher), which explains why they get along so well. They are so consumed with climbing the tree of power that they have lost sight of why they were sent to Washington.
Advertising and the press play a vital role in Washington, not so much to represent the interests of the nation but those of government officials who spend more time on re-election than on administration or government. It is not so important to report on what is being done in Washington, but who said what about whom, which, of course, is indicative of an irresponsible tabloid press. Instead of a 24-hour news cycle, today’s journalists make active use of social media (eg, tweeting, blogging, Facebook, etc.) to instantly report on anything insignificant. Through Leibovich, we begin to see how the media perceives itself as elitist and the American public as cattle. They are above everything. They are megalomaniacs, smug, infatuated with their brilliance, and therein lies their Achilles’ heel. They have no real grasp of reality, no ethics, just how resourceful and politically correct they can be and who they can make or break in Washington. If this isn’t “Rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic,” I don’t know what is.
Pleasing the media, politicians do the same and focus on the facade, not the substance. They focus only on those issues that are fodder for the press, not those issues that could help the American public, like balancing the federal budget. Being fully aware of their power, a sense of bullying has arisen in the press. Leibovich himself often refers to the press as “The Mafia” and reporters as “Wise Boys.” Get this, most of the political rhetoric coming out of Washington, particularly during the 2012 presidential campaign, is from Millennials trying to make a name for themselves, not veteran reporters.
Before his 2008 election, Barack Obama promised to become the most transparent president of all time, where lobbyists would have no influence and the administration would present all relevant news, facts and figures. Even Leibovich admits that this did not exactly happen, but rather that the lobbyists’ influence continued to grow unabated and the administration became more secretive with the press. He also reveals that both political parties have secret “Opposition Files” that are used to smear politicians, reminiscent of those owned by J. Edgar Hoover.
Throughout the book, Leibovich slips and reveals the Democratic bias of the press. Regardless of President Obama’s problems, he cannot be wrong in the eyes of the mainstream media. In his eyes, the president is innocent of everything and he is truly the most brilliant president who ever lived. This is second only to the media’s love affair with the Clintons. For some unknown reason, they are totally in awe of Hillary and her husband. Through the book it becomes pretty obvious who the press will be working for in 2016.
On the other hand, Republicans are despised and portrayed as fools, particularly by Leibovich. Sarah Palin and the Tea Party are favorite targets, probably because the press feels more threatened by them. Conservatives are completely dismissed without hearing their side of the story. During the 2012 presidential election, Leibovich constantly refers to “Romney-bots,” meaning that Romney supporters have no thought or idea of how the country works. Again, we see how the press “knows more” than the public. Throughout the campaign, the press focused on what Governor Romney said, as opposed to the record of the president.
Leibovich is also a shameless dropper, thus providing a “Who’s Who” of Washington, DC, and in doing so reveals the identities of the liberal left in the media, particularly within NBC and its MSNBC affiliate. Featured prominently: Andrea Mitchell, David Gregory, Tom Brokaw, Savannah Guthrie, Chris Matthews, and many others. The book begins with the funeral of Tim Russert, the designated “mayor” of “This Town”. Leibovich has surprisingly little to say about Fox News and conservative radio.
If the book teaches us anything, it’s that the system is broken and needs major repair. The only way to fix it is to somehow stop the flow of money. This can be done in a number of ways, such as term limits for politicians, prohibiting politicians and their aides from joining lobbyists, limiting campaign spending, or requiring a 50/50 split of all campaign spending between the media. and charities, or pay off the federal debt. .
This is an important book that everyone should read, not necessarily for its entertainment value, but as confirmation of the mess we find ourselves in. Reading Leibovich’s book, you may not like what he has to say or how he says it, but he has actually performed an important public service: confirming our belief in what is wrong in Washington, DC.
