I agree that things are getting worse right now but I do think such things go in cycles. I simply don't agree that the media over hyping things is the primary cause for things slipping. If you look back at my post I have been saying for some time that insulting and dismissing the critics of the administration and the blatant bias shown by the media was going radicalize people. When the media and the democrats insulted and dismissed these people they made a tactical error. They didn't realize that for every person shouting at a town hall there were thousands who at least sympathized with them. The more they attempted to dismiss these people the more the angered their supporters and spread the movement.

And sorry the speaker of the house doesn't get to use the term Nazi in any fashion when referring to peaceful protesters and then act like she was not trying to imply they were Nazis. You may choose to defend her by splitting hairs over what she said but we all know the message she was trying to send and I judge her by her intent. She damn sure doesn't get be all weepy afterwards and wring her hands over the tone of the argument after throwing terms like Nazi and un-American around.

There are reasons why the last few presidents have been seen as less then legitimate. Clinton was only able to win because the crazy little dwarf pulled so many votes from Bush and Dole. Clinton never received 50% of the popular vote so he always operated mandate free. Bush of course had the 2000 vote going against him even though he did get more then 50% in 2004. With Obama I think the majority of people are not bothered so much by the question of if he was born in the US, the majority know they are being disingenuous with that and simply refuse to admit it, but they think he was helped by a biased media who had their thumb on the scale. Who did things like run hit pieces on McCain and his family but refused to vet Obama. He amplified every mistake Palin made but laughed off glary and shocking errors made by the much more experienced Biden. The ignored things like even with all the damnation of lobbyist Biden’s own son is a lobbyist.

So yes things have gotten worse of late but it isn't because Fox News ran clips of ACORN helping set up childhood white slavery rings so much as the rest refusing to do so until Fox forced their hand. Why is Fox always the first one to get these clips out there? Are they simply so much better or do the others just not want to run them?

You may have linked a Friedman article, who I agree can’t be seen as a person solidly in one camp or another though I do think he leans left, but Friedman was hardly the first to raise this issue and he is more giving voice to others argument then he is making one his self.