If public opinion is the voice of the people, Jonathan Alter is a megaphone-wielding yodeler.
That’s not to say he’s shrill, annoying or mountain-dwelling. But as a columnist and editor for Newsweek, what Alter says gets heard and heeded.
The difference between Alter and other brazen pundits passing is his self-awareness. He knows opinions can’t solve problems, but through his analysis and insightful conclusions, they can shape public opinion and even direct the country’s future.
Barrett, the Honors College, used this spring’s Rhodes Lecture to cut out the media and bring Alter directly to ASU. Tucked in the postmodern, posh and red-carpeted Tempe Center for the Arts, he took his political analysis off the page and onto the stage.
The lecture focused on Alter’s experience covering politics, sticking to the theme: “defining moments” in presidency and democracy.
And following the grand tradition of comparing apples to apples, Alter drew many parallels between Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal program and the stimulus recently passed by Barack Obama.
He praised Obama’s auspicious beginning as a leader, but cautioned that the president has yet to execute his grand promises.
The lecture followed a somewhat-standardized format pragmatic listeners can easily dissect: 50 percent history lesson, 20 percent current events, 10 percent jokes and one-liners, and 10 percent progressive wisdom.
It may seem laughable that such a small portion of a lecture provides enlightenment for the future. However, Alter’s cautions held some gems of knowledge.
War-weary and economically weak, most Americans have lost confidence.
Banks fail, cartels feud, investments plunge, planes crash — and all in the past week. The future is so uncertain, people are questioning the actions they took and the values they hold.
In the midst of all the gloom, however, Alter saw a bastion of hope coming from an unlikely but familiar place: the government.
Public opinion points toward a more personal, active and purposeful government, he said.
“We’re at a pivot point for what Americans expect from their government,” he added.
The promise of a more involved youth leads Alter to believe politics may be heading in a new direction, away from the post-Nixon corruption and rampant partisan politics characteristic of today’s politics.
It’s unsurprising so much “hope” rhetoric surrounds Washington lately. In the face of chaos, people are turning toward the government to proved some stability, more regulation and oversight.
If this shift in public opinion is the backlash of too much deregulation and government disillusionment, we can’t let it go to waste.
If Washington is listening, we need to grab a megaphone and take advantage of the transition to make government less adversarial and more representative.
But before the national government, we need to start at 1700 W. Washington St. — the Arizona Legislature.
Alter’s most resonant comment was a local one, when he called the Arizona Legislature “asinine,” drawing gospel-esque outbursts and resounding applause from the academic crowd. Alter seized on the crowd’s encouragement, blasting the conservative Legislature for its foolish lack of understanding.
Do we really need a Washington import to give us a voice? In “straight-talking” Arizona, it’s past time the people spoke for themselves.
Warm up the old voice box with Channing at channing.turner@asu.edu.
