COMMENTARY: If Today’s Brain-Numbing Political Coverage Happened to the Bible

c. 2004 Religion News Service (Rabbi Rudin, American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser, is Distinguished Visiting Professor at Saint Leo University.) (UNDATED) Television’s 24/7 news cycles are now a permanent feature of America’s presidential election campaigns. As a result, the networks have an insatiable need to fill the TV screen with high-pitched verbal skirmishes between […]

c. 2004 Religion News Service

(Rabbi Rudin, American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser, is Distinguished Visiting Professor at Saint Leo University.)

(UNDATED) Television’s 24/7 news cycles are now a permanent feature of America’s presidential election campaigns. As a result, the networks have an insatiable need to fill the TV screen with high-pitched verbal skirmishes between representatives of the major parties.


These one-on-one brief encounters usually last less than three minutes. After all, there must always be time set aside for commercials.

No matter how irrelevant or arcane the subject or how late or early the hour, Democrats and Republicans are now required to supply the networks with an endless stream of “spokespeople” who yell at one another and spew out pre-cooked, pre-tested talking points while, of course, staying “on message.”

It makes for predictable and brain-numbing viewing, and I doubt few minds or votes are changed by the furious mini-debates. But, hey, I’m happy so many “spokespeople” have good jobs that have not been outsourced overseas.

The phenomenon of fast-food political debate on TV set me wondering.

If there were TV news programs during biblical times, there was no shortage of important issues for the ancient “spokespeople” to argue about.

For starters, God commanded Noah in Genesis to construct a large, three-deck, wooden ark in anticipation of a 40-day deluge of rain that would destroy a world made violent by wicked human behavior. The large boat was 300 cubits in length, about 438 feet, and was designed to hold Noah’s family and pairs of the world’s animals.

Naturally, such a large shipbuilding project attracted media attention. TV reporters pressed Noah to explain his weird and mysterious actions. Conspiracy theories about the ark’s true purpose were widespread. One cable TV talk show host publicly asked: “What did Noah know, and when did he know it?”

Rather than appear himself on TV, Noah sent Shem, one of his three sons, to represent the family. During his brief stint before the camera, Shem faced a government “spokesperson” who claimed Noah was wasting precious natural and human resources by building a nautical vessel that was obsolete and not needed. In addition, Noah’s ark, while providing temporary employment for shipbuilders, was causing unease within the general community. Finally, still “on message,” the official called Noah’s huge boat “an environmental disaster.”


Shem countered that God intended to bring down a devastating flood of water onto Earth as punishment for society’s evil actions. Shem’s TV opponent scoffed at such a grim prediction, calling Noah and his family “pessimists” and “nay-sayers.” Besides, the weather service was certain no rainstorm could possibly last 40 consecutive days. Talk of a destructive flood was “scare tactics.”

But before Shem could answer his critic, the news anchor noted it was time for a commercial break, and the TV debate was finished.

Centuries later, during his heated confrontation with the Egyptian pharaoh, Moses was asked to appear on “Nile News Night,” a top-rated TV news show. Moses turned down the invitation because as he said in the book of Exodus, “I am a slow speaker, and not able to speak well.” But Moses asked Aaron, his articulate brother, to go on the program instead.

The Egyptian ruler sent one of his communications people to debate the well-spoken Aaron. On the TV news show, the government official complained that Moses and Aaron were leading a mean spirited campaign against Pharaoh.

“Recently, your brother Moses had the arrogance to insult our popular leader by insisting on the immediate release of the nation’s Hebrew slaves. That will never happen on this pharaoh’s watch. And Aaron, you tell me what Moses meant when he insulted our ruler by demanding, `Let my people go!’ Go? Go where? Into the Sinai wilderness? You and your brother can’t be serious.”

The always-eloquent Aaron answered: “Moses and I represent human liberation and freedom, a powerful idea whose time has come. We may be slaves, but we do not answer to Pharaoh, only to a higher power who will lead our people back to our ancestral homeland. That is where we are going.”


Pharaoh’s representative smirked and said: “Not a chance. Besides our focus group polling has shown that the Hebrew slaves are content in Egypt. You and your brother are dangerous agitators.”

Aaron answered: “If Pharaoh does not release us, the God of Israel will. `Let my people go’ is more than a convenient slogan.”

But before Pharaoh’s representative could respond, the news anchor jumped in: “Thanks to you both for coming by. Time now for an important message from our sponsor.” The TV debate was finished.

DEA/JL END RUDIN

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