It's not only President Boy in a Bubble who lives in one. He's surrounded by the Beltway Bubble, a small, incestuous community of insiders [among the most prominent being, of course, the DC press cabal] who live, eat and sleep together 24/7-- a syncophantic clique who echo and regurgitate each other's every half-baked opinion and superficial 'analyses' into what they call 'conventional wisdom'. It is certainly conventional, at least in the sense that it is very tired, but it is rather less than 'wise'.
Here is a classic object lesson in how Beltway Conventional Wisdom is formed, brought to you by the WaPo's reliable team of Tedious Republican Spokesmouths, including Dan Balz and David Broder:
One year before the 2006 midterm elections, Republicans are facing the most adverse political conditions of the 11 years since they vaulted to power in Congress in 1994. Powerful currents of voter unrest -- including unhappiness over the war in Iraq and dissatisfaction with the leadership of President Bush -- have undermined confidence in government and are stirring fears among GOP candidates of a backlash.
Interviews with voters, politicians and strategists in four battleground states, supplemented by a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, found significant discontent with the performance of both political parties. Frustration has not reached the level that existed before the 1994 earthquake, but many strategists say that if the public mood further darkens, Republican majorities in the House and Senate could be at risk.
So this article is ostensibly about how things don't look so good for Republicans. But wait, there is GOOD NEWS -- your only other choice, the Democratic Party, is a bunch of losers:
One bright spot for the Republicans is the low regard in which many Americans hold the Democrats. The public sees the Democrats as disorganized, lacking in clear ideas or a positive alternative to the GOP agenda, and bereft of appealing leaders. In the Post-ABC News poll, voters gave Washington low grades without favor: Just 35 percent said they approved of the job Republicans in Congress were doing, while only 41 percent gave a positive rating to the Democrats.
You see, the 'public' sees the Democrats as 'disorganized, lacking in clear ideas or a positive alternative to the GOP agenda, and bereft of appealing leaders'. Funny thing is, I guess I'm the 'public' and I don't see things that way at all. But even though this piece sets itself up as a 'neutral' discussion of the problems facing the GOP, this is what you 'learn':
Repubs:Dems, on the other hand:
- have 'an ample treasury and a tested turnout operation'
- have 'been resilient and very disciplined in the way they stay on message and win campaigns'
- can 'regroup and reclaim the mantle of reform and change'
- believe that, 'given clear choices, voters will continue to favor candidates who preach ... smaller government and who favor lower taxes and the vigorous pursuit of terrorists'
- 'need to get their act together'
- 'will need some breaks'
- 'are not offering the country a clear direction that is different from the Republicans'
- and on the question of which party has stronger leaders, 'Republicans thump the Democrats by 51 percent to 35 percent'
And then there's this:
Ask people to name attractive Democratic leaders and they hesitate, pause or come up empty. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York enjoys clear support, but even several who said positive things about her questioned whether she could win the presidency, given the controversy that attaches to her history and name.
'The controversy that attaches to her history and name' -- that's an object lesson itself, in the Beltway black art of sliming without seeming to say anything overtly negative, but conjuring dark deeds and illegitemacy.
So what do you come away with from this 'mainstream media' analysis? Why, rightwing talking points, of course. While the uneducated masses may be restive, Repubs remain 'resilient' and 'disciplined' and favor 'reform, smaller government, lower taxes, and vigorous pursuit of terrorists', while Dems are 'weak', 'disorganized', 'negative,' and 'unappealing'. And that's the way your 'liberal' media works, every day, to create the narrative and therefore, construct the reality, of how we live in America today.