--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liberals dominate most of the leading…" description: "\"“Liberals dominate most of the leading opinion-making areas of American life-- journalism, the movie and television industries, academia, the publishin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/david-e-bernstein-49432_american-life_liberals-dominate-most-of-the-leading-op_947413.jpg" --- # Liberals dominate most of the leading opinion-making areas… ![“Liberals dominate most of the leading opinion-making areas of American life-- journalism, the movie and television industries, academia, the publishing industry, the legal profession, the mainline churches, and the arts. Conservatives dominate talk radio, evangelical churches, and have Fox News…” quote by David E. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/david-e-bernstein-49432_american-life_liberals-dominate-most-of-the-leading-op_947413.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/david-e-bernstein-49432_american-life_liberals-dominate-most-of-the-leading-op_947413.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/david-e-bernstein-49432_american-life_liberals-dominate-most-of-the-leading-op_947413.jpg) > ““Liberals dominate most of the leading opinion-making areas of American life-- journalism, the movie and television industries, academia, the publishing industry, the legal profession, the mainline churches, and the arts. Conservatives dominate talk radio, evangelical churches, and have Fox News, but that hardly evens things out. By contrast with liberal dominance in the opinion-making elite, the playing field is more or less level with regard to spending on political campaigns-- on average, Democrats and Republicans spend approximately the same amount. Nether party has the massive, structural advantages when it comes to campaign spending that the Democrats have in the broader political and ideological arena. Without the relatively level playing field of campaign spending, left-leaning opinion-makers would be able to virtually monopolize American political discourse. So the Obama administration's and leading Democratic politicians' over-the-top reaction to Citizens United was not because they suddenly became Boy Scouts interested in improving the American political system by reducing the relevance of money-- indeed, in 2008 Obama, breaking a campaign promise, became the first major-party candidate to decline federal campaign funds and the spending limits that come with those funds. His campaign wound up outspending McCain's by the largest margin in history. Rather, the Democrats understand that reducing the funds available to all candidates will disproportionately harm the Republicans, because Republicans have fewer "free" ways to get their message out.”” [David E. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-bernstein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that liberal dominance in media and cultural institutions gives them disproportionate influence over public opinion, while campaign spending is relatively balanced, so limiting money would hurt Republicans more. **In simple terms:** Liberals control many opinion‑shaping sectors; campaign money is roughly equal. Key Takeaway Recognize structural media bias when evaluating political arguments. Themes political influence media bias campaign finance partisan strategy Mood critical analytical skeptical Type political analytical critical When to use this quote - media analysis - political campaigning - policy advocacy - public education Key Concepts elite opinion public discourse financial regulation Questions to Reflect On - How does media ownership shape political narratives? - Can campaign finance reform alone ensure fair discourse? A Different Perspective Limiting spending may not level the playing field if media control remains unchanged. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) [Boy scout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boy-scout/) [Citizens united](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens-united/) [Fox news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fox-news/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Level playing field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/level-playing-field/) [Political discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-discourse/) [Political system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-system/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Talk radio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-radio/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in freedom of speech. And I believe that spending on political campaigns is a form of political speech that is protected under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-believe-in-freedom-of-speech-and-i-believe-that-spending-on/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Liberal dominance of important areas of America's social and political life has undermined many of the virtues that have sustained this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-charen/liberal-dominance-of-important-areas-of-america-s-social-and/) [Mona Charen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-charen/) > [It isn't generally the case that liberals dominate entire hierarchies. 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Because they were hypocrites, the Victorians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/virtually-all-political-discourse-in-the-days-of-my-youth-was-devoted/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [If you listen to the political discourse in America today, you would think that all our problems have been caused by the Mexicans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/if-you-listen-to-the-political-discourse-in-america-today-you-would/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [I grew up in the sort of cultural milieu that always regarded conversations about the political discourse as tremendously low-brow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/i-grew-up-in-the-sort-of-cultural-milieu-that-always-regarded/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) ## More by David E. Bernstein > [“A college student who wants to file a complaint of sexual assault within the campus disciplinary system informs a university employee such as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-bernstein/a-college-student-who-wants-to-file-a-complaint-of-sexual-assault/) [David E. Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-bernstein/) > [ “\[T\]he Constitution was built for deliberation, not for speed. The Founding Fathers sought to create a system of checks and balances that prevents any… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-bernstein/t-he-constitution-was-built-for-deliberation-not-for-speed-the/) [David E. 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Bernstein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-bernstein/) ## More American life quotes > [“As we look over the list of the early leaders of the republic, Washington, John Adams, Hamilton, and others, we discern that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-truslow-adams/as-we-look-over-the-list-of-the-early-leaders-of-the-republic/) [James Truslow Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-truslow-adams/) > [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) > [As Americans, we want peace - we work and sacrifice for peace. 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It is violence punctuated by committee meetings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/football-combines-two-of-the-worst-things-in-american-life-it-is/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [I produced a play in New York that got nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best American Play.The play is called Stalking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-richman/i-produced-a-play-in-new-york-that-got-nominated-for-an-outer-critics/) [Adam Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-richman/) > [The final test of Afro-American studies will be the extent to which they rid the minds of whites and blacks alike of false learning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-saunders-redding/the-final-test-of-afro-american-studies-will-be-the-extent-to-which/) [Jay Saunders Redding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-saunders-redding/) > [In the decade of the 1980s, a massive and comprehensive study of religion in American life was undertaken by the Gallup organization. The results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/in-the-decade-of-the-1980s-a-massive-and-comprehensive-study-of/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [Envy is the central fact of American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/envy-is-the-central-fact-of-american-life/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [A trillion dollars spent, 2,000 American lives lost - Afghanistan is the longest war in American history. But you don't hear a word about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-baumgartner/a-trillion-dollars-spent-2-000-american-lives-lost-afghanistan-is-the/) [Michael Baumgartner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-baumgartner/) > [Crime and the fear of crime have permeated the fabric of American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/crime-and-the-fear-of-crime-have-permeated-the-fabric-of-american-life/) [Warren E. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/) [Browse all 344 American life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Liberals dominate most of the leading opinion-making areas of American life-- journalism, the movie and television industries, academia, the publishing industry, the legal profession, the mainline churches, and the arts. Conservatives dominate talk radio, evangelical churches, and have Fox News, but that hardly evens things out. By contrast with liberal dominance in the opinion-making elite, the playing field is more or less level with regard to spending on political campaigns-- on average, Democrats and Republicans spend approximately the same amount. Nether party has the massive, structural advantages when it comes to campaign spending that the Democrats have in the broader political and ideological arena. Without the relatively level playing field of campaign spending, left-leaning opinion-makers would be able to virtually monopolize American political discourse. So the Obama administration's and leading Democratic politicians' over-the-top reaction to Citizens United was not because they suddenly became Boy Scouts interested in improving the American political system by reducing the relevance of money-- indeed, in 2008 Obama, breaking a campaign promise, became the first major-party candidate to decline federal campaign funds and the spending limits that come with those funds. His campaign wound up outspending McCain's by the largest margin in history. Rather, the Democrats understand that reducing the funds available to all candidates will disproportionately harm the Republicans, because Republicans have fewer \"free\" ways to get their message out.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David E. 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