CNN was smart enough to cut Dana Bash's final line to wrap up this rather long panel segment on DACA on today's State of the Union:
"Well, if anyone doubted why this is such a difficult problem to solve, they wouldn't after watching this segment."
Sadly, Dana Bash has a point. But I'd add the caveat that the reason that DACA (and pretty much everything else Americans are facing) is difficult to solve is EXACTLY because of the way that CNN handles this segment:
- Dana Bash offers little to no moderating of the panel, allowing the panelists to talk over one another.
- Dana Bash allows unchecked the conflation of several concepts rather than keeping the focus specifically on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
- CNN books former senator (and useless pundit) Rick Santorum in the first place, allowing him to talk over other panelists and filibuster the majority of the segment, but adding no actual constructive information to the issue.
- Rick Santorum blasted out just a metric ton of talking points and false facts and figures multiple times without ever being fact checked or corrected by Bash. And then he talked over anyone trying to correct or question his information. Watch Center of American Progress' Neera Tanden's incredulous expressions as he does it.
So yes, it will be difficult for Americans to wrap their head around the issues of the day. The information war is real and many have to rely on these cable news shows to place things into context for them.
That's because CNN makes it that way with segments like this. It is inarguable that we are in this position because they abdicated their responsibilities in 2016.
They MUST do better.
