I often feel that this might be the deliberate purpose of right wing talk radio and other such outlets. If people like Imus, Rush and Ann (with whom I am only a bit sexually infatuated) can spout ultra far right wing, bigoted, anti-American effluvium, then the rest of their ilk seems that much more reasonable.
Thomas | Homepage | 05.10.07 - 10:02 pm | #

Your feeling is absolutely correct. That is the entire point.
Demosthenes | Homepage | 05.11.07 - 10:09 am | #

Hmm...then the constant accusation that any Democratic proposal is "extreme, outside the mainstream, radical, shrill, deranged" etc. is a pre-emptive strike on any attempt to push the window back.
Jim 7 | 05.11.07 - 1:20 pm | #

Partially. It's also organic to the whole process- it's an attempt at shrinking the window itself, which is often as important as moving it. (Hence the next post)
Demosthenes | Homepage | 05.11.07 - 11:57 pm | #

The Overton window is a great concept to understand the climate change debate. I pointed this out about a month ago as part of the framing climate change debate. It also explains why triangualtion always loses in the long run.
Eli Rabett | Homepage | 05.13.07 - 12:54 am | #

Thanks, Eli.
Demosthenes | Homepage | 05.13.07 - 1:13 pm | #