Ezra Klein: C-SPAN Open Thread

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September 02, 2006

C-SPAN Open Thread

For those who watched, for those who didn't, for those who just have something to say. I will say this: Their green room has chocolate muffins and seed-encrusted bagels. Both are delicious, but they seem hazardous before a television appearance.

September 2, 2006 | Permalink

Comments

Great job on CSpan again. You are very telegenic!

Posted by: Michael | Sep 2, 2006 9:13:47 AM

Good job, especially on the last question. I was glad to see that you could hold it in until you had it well formulated. Great control of emotion.

Posted by: R. D. H. | Sep 2, 2006 9:33:19 AM

I saw and listened to you today on C-Span. When I tuned in this morning and saw you I didn't know who you were or what your ideas were so I listened carefully, and here I am willing to listen to you more.
I agree with R.D.H. 'Good job, especially on the last question'.

Posted by: Betty | Sep 2, 2006 9:49:14 AM

Last night I jokingly said that I might be home in time to catch your 4:45 appearance, anticpating a night of debauchery at some local club. Instead I rebuilt a server, and didn't notice the clock until 5:25. Oh well, maybe next time.

Posted by: mike | Sep 2, 2006 10:46:23 AM

I was very impressed with your presentation on C-SPAN this morning. Impressed enough to Google your name, as I had never heard of you or American Prospect. It was well worth my time. The story of the unmasking of the sock puppet "Sprezzatura" really made my day. Now that "Sprezzatura" has soiled the good name and reputation of Lee Siegel it would seem that Mr. Siegel will now need to create yet another identity in order to continue his writing career.

Rather than take issue with any of your positions I would like to very briefly state my own views concerning the future of our beloved republic and what will probably happen.

The two engines of American prosperity, cheap oil and the population bulge will soon dissappear.

Globalization will continue to favor China and India to the disadvantage of the U.S. economy.

The U.S. will never be able to defend its borders and will become increasingly fascist in attempting to do so.

The unlikely solution to these problems might be the annexation of Mexico, Canada, and Iraq. Think about it. The bonus is they all have oil.

DDH

Posted by: Don Head | Sep 2, 2006 11:07:32 AM

I think you won over a lot of folks
who are getting more fed up every passing hour.
You did great!
And who KNEW you were sooo cuuuuute too?!

Posted by: Ahyoka | Sep 2, 2006 11:14:24 AM

The ladies say the Ezra's too good-looking to be a real pundit. Or so I hear.

Posted by: Nicholas Beaudrot | Sep 2, 2006 11:22:59 AM

Any chance you could YouTube your peformance, for those of us on the West coast who didn't want to turn on the TV at 4:30?

-- ACS

Posted by: Andreas | Sep 2, 2006 11:29:59 AM

I was delighted to see you on Washington Journal this morning, especially so soon after your article in The American Prospect appeared. When I began reading articles about WalMart workers liking their welfare (before your article appeared) I was optimistic about the Dems using this to recapture the working poor into the Democratic Party fold. However, now I share your concern that the Republicans will be able to use the "welfare state" (privatized, of course), to keep their "values" voters. Dems absolutely must come forward with a boldly progressive agenda!

Posted by: KathyP | Sep 2, 2006 11:45:40 AM

Andreas: www.cspan.org has great, searchable archives and you can replay everything. Ezra's segment isn't available yet, but should be there by tomorrow at the latest. I only see the programs from 9/1 listed under "Recent Programs" right now. Although I hold Ezra in high esteem, 4:30 was somewhat outside of my functionality range.

Posted by: J Bean | Sep 2, 2006 12:40:54 PM

C-SPAN archives don't get updated over the weekend, and the weekend Washington Journal's don't always get added in a timely fashion. Still, it'd be good to see the E-man in action.

Posted by: ahem | Sep 2, 2006 2:29:48 PM

Ezra

I saw you on cspan this morning. Very good. I sent you email. Regarding National Defense, REPUBLICANS appear weak on national defense. Only the REPUBLICANS have actually demonstrated their weakness on terrorism and national defense on Sept 11, 2001 when the Bush administration failed to defend America, while 2750 people died.

Anyone who believes Republicans appear strong on national defense either apears in denail or works for the Republican party congressional and senatorial campaigns in 2006 and for the RNC in 2008

Posted by: www.dmocrats.org | Sep 2, 2006 2:55:15 PM

I got sucked into this blog from Cspan on his last appeareance. Your performance onscreen is always impressive, its nice to see a sentient being out there that isnt just hiding behind talking points.

Thank you Ezra.

Posted by: david b | Sep 2, 2006 2:58:55 PM

Good for Ezra Klein for having the wit to answer and turn to fortunate advantage some typically unchallenged Republican doctrines.

For example (my paraphrasing):

"I never said conservatives were uneducated, I said they are wrong."

"People participate in government to benefit each other, themselves, and everyone else. It is really a shame that you can't see that."

I'm still thinking about Ezra Klein's use of the word "cruel" which seems to be prohibited by the strongest tabu in American politics -- the notion that we can't question the basic goodness of America.

Bravo

Posted by: Scroop Moth | Sep 2, 2006 4:03:40 PM

I'm glad it went well. And I admire you greatly.
But 7:30 am on Saturday morning?
Not if Charlize Theron was sitting on your lap.
Rerun times available?

Posted by: Charles Pierce | Sep 2, 2006 4:04:58 PM

Ezra, I watched your segment, having heard about it here, and you were great. But I think you missed an opportunity with that last caller. Yeah, he was nuttier than a fruitcake: "do you think it's ok to slip your hand in someone's pocket...", i.e., taxation is theft. And I probably would have been as dumbstruck as you and the host were, though you recovered nicely.

But he really would have been the perfect guy to run the Douthat platform by, i.e., "My article is all about pro-family social spending proposed by Republicans, how do you feel about that? Would your Republican friends support such initiatives?"

Posted by: kth | Sep 2, 2006 4:50:02 PM

I actually woke up early today to watch you. ONE THING, I really DID appreciate this when I turned on the set the first thing this morning was you dressed well.
One morning I turned on Michael Weisskopf on C-Span and he was wearing a striped jacket with a sort-of multi-colored shirt and a paisley tie. I screamed. My husband came running out of the bathroom and said, what, so the guy dressed himself in the dark. big deal.

I "felt" you were excited and a little nervouse but you had pretty good control of yourself and your message. I love Josh Marshall, but he is a very receding intellectual type and if there is another person on with him he sort of dissolves. He really DOESN'T want to argue (He just did a posting this week on the fact that he really IS a moderate and WANTS to think those who disagree with him are honorable and is FINALLY getting out over that misapprehension.) and it shows.

You weren't argumentative (agree with the comment about your response to the last caller) with the last guy who was basically saying all taxation is theft (I ALWAYS want somebody to ask the people who espouse that view, well, OK, what IS fair where taxation is concerned, considering the benefits of life in this country); I agreed with what you said but I guess it really isn't right to get snippy with the callers.

The host really jumped in pretty well though.

Anyway, I enjoyed it all.

Posted by: eva | Sep 2, 2006 5:43:21 PM

Ezra,
I was extremely impressed with you on C-Span this morning. You were very articulate and measured in your responses. You fought off the wingnutz with logic and fact to back up your points, without appearing weak or defensive. You touched on the correct answer to the right wing talking point "The Democrats don't have any plan". I thought you did an OK job of shooting that down by mentioning the fact that there are in fact quite a number of plans,(Murtha,Biden,Korb,Brezhinski etc.) but the bills and Ammendments that the Democrats have never see the light of day because they are not in power and the Republican Congress just kills them in committee.......Although this is one explanation of part of the problem, and it is an answer of sorts to the dishonest talking point of "Democrat=No Plan", I do not feel it is the correct answer. It sounds appologetic, and like an excuse, because the answer is incomplete. This, I feel, SHOULD be the answer to that talking point:
The Democrats not having "One Plan" is positive, not negative. Congress is supposed to be a deliberative body exercising debate in order to reach a conclusion that is the best and most representative of the people for all points of view involved. The fact that the Democrats don't have one position, illustrates the fact that they are diverse just like America itself is diverse. The Republicans having majority rule in Congress and the White House, have failed the American People by not exercising debate. The Fact that the Republican Congress has made "Stay the Course" or in other words "Do Nothing" merely exposes the fact that they refuse to exercise their Constitutional obligation to debate, thus cheating the American People of responsible representation. Notice I didn't say "Leadership" but instead stated "Representation" because we don't elect "Leaders" we elect "Representatives".
"Follow the Leader with no debate"=Republican
"Diverse Ideas and Conclusions through Debate"=Democrats

I also feel that the Democrats have been complicit in this whole thing by not expressing this obvious difference in philosophy between Democrats and Republicans. I am extremely frustrated with the Democratic establishment in it's failure to take advantage of this blatantly obvious illustration of what is wrong with government as a whole.

I could go on and on....
The bottom line is that I wish you were being hired as a consultant by Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, or Harry Reid to straighten them out. They are blowing the chance of a lifetime right now by not recognizing that the opportunity is available to have a revolution in congressional representation not seen since 1966.

Keep doing what you are doing, and go back on C-Span very soon. What is the chance that you have been in contact with Keith Olberman or Chris Matthews?

Posted by: Irishamerican | Sep 2, 2006 7:47:55 PM

"Their green room has chocolate muffins and seed-encrusted bagels. Both are delicious, but they seem hazardous before a television appearance."

What, no milk? Are they trying to kill their guests before they even get on the air? :)

I'm sorry I missed it - but not only is 4:30 way outside my "functionality range" as well, I so seldom turn on my TV I'm not even sure it still works. I might try downloading the segment, though a transcript would be better.

Oh, and re the Siegel thing: Ezra, you're a mensch.

Posted by: CaseyL | Sep 2, 2006 8:32:44 PM

Saw you on Cspan this morning and was very impressed with your answers to the conservatives. You totally shut them down. And in a very classy and intellegent way.
You expressed what I've long thought about how the war is bad for us. Actually, Bush and his cronies are bad for us.
Anyway, just wanted to drop you a line and hope the next time you are on with Brian Lamb. That would be a gas.

Posted by: dlake | Sep 2, 2006 11:36:22 PM

For those who missed it:
Ezra

Posted by: J Bean | Sep 2, 2006 11:48:40 PM

Sorry, no that's only through yesterday.... Will have to wait until after the holiday.

Posted by: J Bean | Sep 2, 2006 11:50:16 PM

Not as relaxed as your previous C-SPAN appearance, but still quite well done. You managed to both get your point across (an interesting one, btw,) while neatly parrying the nonsense coming over the phone lines.

My only wish is that you keep doing TV. Lefties tend to shy away from TV, either due to the hassle factor, or due to thinking it's below them. But we need good lefties who can play the TV game, and you've got the mad skillz necessary.

And remember, the more you do it, the easier it gets, and the better you get.

Posted by: Petey | Sep 3, 2006 8:00:03 PM

Superb job, Ezra, both overall and in debunking the "Democrats have no plan" meme and especially your defense of government's role in our lives (and I look forward to reading the article); one criticism, however, and one correction. I wonder whether it was wise to frame your criticism of the Iraq war in terms of its allegedly showing the world what our military couldn't do. For the most part, the emphasis on our military's image or reputation (as opposed to our moral authority) is a concern voiced by pro-war ideologues, a rationale for perpetuating the Iraq conflict and drumming up future ones, as if anti-American extremists contemplating terrorism or harboring terrorist sympathies would more likely be intimidated than provoked by our occupation, if only it could be made more effective. I realize you were making a different point, but the similarity in the structure of the argument to this hawkish perspective is striking. The correction is that Newt Gingrich was not voted out of office but resigned after the disappointing (to the Republicans) 1998 midterms.

Posted by: jason | Sep 5, 2006 12:33:57 AM

Posted by: werwe | Sep 15, 2006 5:18:52 AM

Posted by: werwer | Sep 26, 2006 10:45:38 PM

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September 02, 2006

C-SPAN Open Thread

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