Both Sides Do It

Regular listeners of the show recognize our Wednesday guest, Jeff Stein.  He's an old friend from my Ames, Iowa days and he is one of the smarter political minds I know.  He never panders to one side or the other, much to the chagrin of the listeners.  He often says, "Both sides do it," when referencing political mistakes and improprieties, in an effort to look neutral, but his continued use of the phrase has actually earned him a regular sound effect, only played when he says "both sides do it."

I don't like "both sides do it," (BSDI).  I can't stand it when someone says BSDI in regards to an issue where it might be true, but the severity of the offense is wildly uneven.  Both sides have PAC's airing ads for them, but the overwhelming amount of the dark money being spent is lobbed towards the Republicans.  Big Oil and Big Coal spend billions to keep promoting their agenda, and as a counter point, they excuse their behavior by pointing out the "real" villain, Big Green(!), which apparently is making loads of cash by not ripping the earth apart for it's resources.  Okay...?  It's like saying the murderer and the kid who stole a lollipop are both criminals.  While technically true, we can all acknowledge there is difference in the severity of the crimes, or can we?

This morning I was relaying to my sister in law and her husband about Sarah Palin, and the entire Palin clan's, wild drunken brawl in the suburbs of Anchorage.  Seriously, former GOP Vice Presidential candidate and her family, the supposed embodiment of good Christian Values, were in a raging, liquor fueled street fight.  You can't make it up.

My sister in law and her husband are cynical in regards to the news.  They don't vote and they don't pay attention to politics, but even factoring that in, what they said after I told them about the Palin clan made my jaw drop.

"Both sides do it."

Hey, I will be the first to acknowledge bone headed mistakes by Democrats over the years, but to my knowledge, no one from the left is rounding up their extended family and a few bottles of Jack, heading out to a upscale soiree, and then delivering beat downs left and right.  No, both sides DON'T do it.  It's become the easy way out for both far right apologists and political weary cynics to say BSDI.  They dismiss the bad news because they either don't trust the messenger, they have become so turned off by political malfeasance they're looking to get out of the topic quickly, or they are trying to dismiss the bad press.  "See, BSDI so there is no need to pay attention to this story."  This is a problem.

If we allow Republican mistakes, important, newsworthy events, to be quickly dismissed, while at the same time, watching the most minor of indiscretions and outright lies about the left being turned into week long news cycles, we have no chance.  Take my lead; when anyone says BSDI, if it's not true, then call them on it.  Challenge them.  Make them defend their self imposed dismissal.  I'm not saying it will change anyone's minds, but by not saying anything, we allow the BSDI crowd to win by default.