Fraters Libertas

Betting On Bennett

After listening to snippets of the first three days of Bill Bennett's Morning in America, I am cautiously optimistic about its prospects for success.

No one is going to confuse Bennett with Rush Limbaugh when it comes to being entertaining, nor with Michael Savage when it comes to heated hyperbole, but his sober, serious style has its own appeal. His steadily pitched voice and understated tone are a welcome reprieve from the screeching and bombastic blasting that are common on many morning shows. It's almost like listening to NPR, without the omnipresent liberal political undercurrent.

And then there are the guests. Bennett is a well connected man, and he used those connections to land some big fish this week.

Donald Rumsfeld
Rush Limbaugh
Bill Cowher
Mario Cuomo
Tim Russert
Pat Sajak
Naomi Judd
Robert Bennett

And that was all on Monday! Yesterday he had Joseph Lieberman and this morning he had Jack Kemp. My only complaint is that he sometimes didn't spend enough time with the guests. It's probably because of scheduling conflicts and lack of time, but it would be nice to hear him get a little more in depth with the big names.

I am also impressed with Bennett's choice of guests. Make no mistake about it, he is a partisan conservative. But he also understands the need for real discussion and debate across political lines. By having the likes of Cuomo, Robert Bennett, Lieberman, and Russert (he certainly ain't no con) on to constructively engage in arguments, he is attempting to bring a measure of civility and respect back into politics.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those who whines about the "vicious tone of politics" and decries the lack of bipartisanship today. I don't think that the Democrats and Republicans need to be feeling each other up like a couple of Ecstasy fueled ravers. There are real and serious disagreements between the parties and politics is about winning, not making pals.

But just because someone isn't on the same political plane as you doesn't mean they're one of Satan's minions. It's easy to forget when you've got irresponsible soaks like Ted Kennedy running around blathering nonsense about Iraq being Bush's Vietnam, but there are good people on both sides of the aisle who are dedicated to working for a safe and prosperous future for our country. As Le Monde famously (and rather disingenuously it turned out) said, "Nous sommes tous Américains."

If Bennett accomplishes nothing more than reinforcing that idea to his listeners, his show can be deemed a success.