60 Minutes Attacks Betsy DeVos from the Left

I had just finished my essay on education as the path to achieve the American Dream when I decided to relax by watching CBS’ 60 Minutes television magazine show. I like 60 Minutes. 60 Minutes invented “gotcha journalism” where the reporter confronts a malefactor with the incriminating evidence of his (or her) crime and demands an explanation. Like almost all national broadcasters they lean a little left and their victims tend toward being corporations or conservative politicians but they throw in wide range of malefactors and their bias is usually not too obvious.

Such was not the case on last night’s (Sunday May 11, 2018) piece, Betsy DeVos on Guns, School Choice and Why People Don’t Like Her. Secretary of Education DeVos appears to be a fairly nice person but it was pretty clear that her CBS interviewer, Leslie Stahl, can be counted as one of the people that don't like her. I could give a blow-by-blow description of Ms. Stahl’s snarky questions but you can read and/or watch the interview by clicking the link embedded in the title above.

The problem is that there was no incriminating evidence for the “gotcha”. Ms. DeVos’ only crimes (other than being very rich which most progressives believe is criminal in and of itself) are her political convictions. Political convictions are fair game for discussion but 60 Minutes is not branded as a forum for political discussion but for news reporting. Ms. Stahl and her CBS producers have done their viewers a disservice by portraying such a slanted portrayal as journalism.

The fact is that Ms. Devos is trying to remedy the exact same problems I pointed out in my essay, The Path to the American Dream. It was also clear that Ms. Stahl was firmly allied to the advocates of the current mediocre educational system that is failing our children and our nation. Whether or not Ms. DeVos will be successful in her efforts to reform education remains to be seen. But at least she is trying. Her good faith efforts are not deserving of a “gotcha”.