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a line of argument that rejects critical thinking, exploits paranoia at the expense of reason and ignores the contingency of events in search of plots the powerful few implement at the expense of the powerless many . . . is not simply the everyday pollution of political discourse.
It is the nullification of political discourse.

I put it to you that political discourse is not nullified but vigorously exerted here on FR and on the typical "right wing" talk radio show, but it is nullified in news reporting. Political discourse can be nullified only to the extent that the mind is diverted from reason, and the format of discourse known as "news" is designed to do that in two ways:

by rejecting self-criticism, which is the implication of claiming objectivity and using power (in this case, PR power) to "reject labels." That is what journalists do - and journalists allow Teddy Kennedy to do exactly the same thing.
by using the deadline and the arbitrary enforcement of the "rules" which determine what is news and what is not. Journalism's agenda is that journalism be important, the corollary is that what journalism can easily cover is important. Since government happens at a predetermined place and time, journalists know where to be, when, to cover it - in the same way that a sports reporter knows where and when to put his TV camera to capture the drama of a ball game. The principle that the least government is the best government is actual liberalism; the principle that government should be dominant is the ersatz "liberalism" of the socialist.
Running on Hearsay--John Kerry looks to the black helicopter crowd for votes.
Wall St Journal ^ | March 23, 2004 | LAWRENCE F. KAPLAN