Ken Walsh | The Architects of Toxic Politics in America

Video Description

How did politics become so poisonous in America? Journalist Kenneth Walsh articulates the unique character of the current political moment, and the forces that have created it, by comparing and contrasting the Trump and Biden presidencies with administrations of the past. Walsh also profiles some of the key political “attack dogs” who have shaped the modern landscape: the campaign strategists, activists, and media figures who have played outsized roles in political campaigns. Drawing on his long career as a journalist specializing in presidential coverage, Walsh argues that due to the complex, often conflicting nature of American government, the angriest, most decisive voices can command media, voter, and legislative attention and thereby maintain and consolidate their power. This results in frustration, alienation, and cynicism, and ultimately a diminishment of voter participation that can reinforce this vicious cycle and lead to electoral disaster. June 4, 2024 Photo courtesy the speaker. Speakers Kenneth Walsh, Journalist; Historian; Former White House Correspondent, U.S. News & World Report; Adjunct Professor, American University School of Communication; Author, The Architects of Toxic Politics in America: Venom and Vitriol In Conversation with George Hammond, Author, Conversations With Socrates 👉Join our Email List! https://www.commonwealthclub.org/email 🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories. CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century. In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.