As expected Obama's nominee Sonya Sotomayor is likely to be voted in as the 111th Supreme Court Justice sometime in the next week or two. Last week's four days of testimony went as smoothly as could be with no big revelations that would lessen her chances of being confirmed. Sotomayor has wide Democratic support and growing support by Republicans. While some members of the GOP remain opposed to her nomination, there is no sign that they will filibuster or attempt to block the inevitable confirmation.
Last week, while I was painting my kitchen wall, I listened to parts of the confirmation hearing. It was about what I would have expected. Sotomayor was grilled on a number of different court cases and several interesting points of law were discussed. She answered the questions with calm deliberation. When they asked her about specific cases, she commented extensively. When they asked her opinions on very broad issues that have come up before the Supreme Court , she stated that she could not answer because law is typically decided on a case-by-case basis and might be applied very differently depending on the circumstances. I learned a few things, and, yes, I did find it to be a little boring.
What I really want to comment on, though, is what I heard on MSNBC in between and following segments of the hearing. Chris Matthews was talking with some other pundits. They were all talking about how absolutely dull the confirmation hearings were. Sotomayor has sometimes been known to be somewhat of a hot-head in the courtroom, they said. Why were her answers so measured? Why was she glancing at her notes from time to time and treating the confirmation hearings like a job interview? After all, she's a shoe-in for the job. Why didn't she show the public some of that fiery passion? How boring! To be fair to MSNBC I heard this sentiment expressed by other news agencies after the hearings.
At the risk of sounding like a Jerry Seinfeld parody, I have to ask this question. How ridiculous is that? If a Justice's confirmation hearing goes well, it should be boring. The process is about determining whether this person has the experience, demeanor, and ability to analyze the law and make decisions that are based on the law. Yes, there might be a few emotions involved in the process. Compassion might be a consideration. Supreme Court Justices are not robots. However, I personally don't want someone sitting up on the highest court in the land who flies off the handle when put under pressure. The last thing we need is someone putting on a show. We need people who think carefully about each decision and how they express those decisions. The confirmation hearings were just what they should have been. There was a great deal of substance and little fanfare.
This brings me to another point I have thinking a lot about lately. Does everything need to be entertaining? Sometimes I really just want news, and the recent death of Walter Cronkite made me consider this more than I might have otherwise. In case you don't already know this, Mr. Cronkite was a serious and respected news journalist that was an anchorman on CBS for 19 years. He had a lengthy career before that as a newspaper man and reported on several famous historical events. He was a big believer in objectivity and the idea that his job as an anchor was to simply report the news without bias. For the most part he stuck with this formula although he was known to insert his opinion on occasion. What I am wondering is if Walter Cronkite might have been one of the last of the "real" news people.
A lot of what calls itself news today is not really what I consider to be news. Standard news outlets are dying, and what they are being replaced with is a different animal. It seeks to constantly entertain or to make a point. (You might think this is pretty funny since that is what I am always doing in this blog.) There are so many different opinions out there. Whoever you are and whatever you believe, you can pretty much find news that is tailored to your viewpoint.
There is a positive side to this. Information is abundant. Freedom of information is a part of democracy. We are in the know, and we can all express ourselves. Because of wider dissemination, it is more difficult for totalitarian regimes to hide their brutality and to keep a firm hold on their subjects. We are witnessing this in Iran.
The flip side of this, however, is the absurdity that we see on a daily basis when we turn on our televisions. I won't even discuss Fox News except to say that it is so inaccurate and biased as to be beyond ridiculous, and I think many of us already know this. Think about some of the other shows you see though. The silliness exists everywhere along the political spectrum. I find it harder and harder to find a standard old news report. I used to watch MSNBC a lot. I still watch it sometimes, but it is increasingly becoming less about dissemination and more about Chris Matthews and Pat Buchanan trying to outdebate one another. In other words they are trying really hard to entertain, and I'm afraid it's a vicious cycle because if they don't entertain, they won't get ratings. If they don't get ratings, they will be booted off the air.
I'm not saying that news always has to be strictly about informing us, and that editorializing cheapens a news show. I spend a great deal of time listening to National Public Radio. NPR presents a great deal of interesting information and thought-provoking discussion. It has been mocked as being overly mellow in much the same way people criticized the Sotomayor hearings. It has also been accused of having a liberal bias, and I strongly disagree with this assessment. NPR presents many sides of many different issues. It's commentators do have serene voices. They talk about popular issues. They also choose unusual stories and ask questions that result in quality broadcasts that make you think. I can remember hearing a story about how bagged salad is manufactured, and it was, surprisingly, very interesting. There is almost no showmanship, with the exception of comedy shows they have on the weekends, and even these are more clever than most.
What is my point here anyway? I guess it is this. I'm tired of the general way that the news media operates lately. I miss the Weekly World News, a funny old tabloid that didn't ever present itself as real news. If real news is boring, then I guess I want boring.
Also, I'm really sorry if you found this boring! Next time I'll make up for it by talking about Brittany Spears and all of the Senators and Governors who have cheated on their wives.
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