Barone: America is two countries, not on speaking terms  By |
Politics,Michael Barone,Campaign 2012   But whether Barack Obama
is re-elected to a second term or Mitt Romney is elected the
45th president, the contours of their support during this
fiercely fought campaign show that we live in Two Americas.  The
culturally cohesive America of the 1950s that some of us
remember, usually glossing over racial segregation and the civil
rights movement, is no longer with us and hasn't been for some
time.  That was an America of universal media, in which everyone
watched one of three similar TV channels and newscasts every
night. Radio, 1930s and 1940s movies, and 1950s and early-1960s
television painted a reasonably true picture of what was
typically American.  That's not the America we live in now.
Niche media has replaced universal media.  One America listens
to Rush Limbaugh, the other to NPR. Each America has its
favorite cable news channel. As for entertainment, Americans
have 100-plus cable channels to choose f