Karen Handel Quotes

There are 435 members of Congress. There's one 'Morning Joe' show. Hopefully, we can keep hammering the argument that you can disagree with other people and have debates but remain civil.

In a lifetime of observing and participating in political debate, I have seen a lot of meanness.

Maybe it is because of Facebook or something else, but I have been interested in journalism for a long time.

There is a long-standing tradition in the mainstream press of middle-of-the-road journalism that is objective and fair. I would hate to see that fall victim to a panic about the Fox effect.

The thing that sustains a strong Fox network is the thing that undermines a strong Republican party.

He's a jackass at a time when we need to have a serious debate.... Every time I turn around somebody asks we what I think about Donald Trump and the latest person he has trashed.

The press has a tendency to focus on what politicians disagree on.

The journalistic traits that are valued on TV and radio talk shows are destructive to democracy.

Television has shortened our political discourse.

One of the things that is worrisome about politics is the lack of civility.

Too much of our political debate...has become a race to the bottom. An exchange of insults and slanders more appropriate to reality television than a legislature.

I want to shine a spotlight on showing how dangerous Trump and his Twitter button can be.

In a true democracy, there has to be a line between deliberative debate and mob rule. Trump has crossed the line, and much of the media has exacerbated the problem by treating his remarks as entertainment, effectively encouraging his competition to do the same.

Politicians should aim for higher discourse, the media should report context instead of seeking to inflame the public, and the public should not reward bad behavior nor engage in it on social media.

Every journalism bromide - speaking truth to power, comforting the afflicted, afflicting the powerful - that otherwise would be hopelessly sappy to a journalist of any experience, has become a Twitter grail. The true business of journalism has become obscured because there is really no longer a journalism business.

I think there are a lot of reasons to be critical of the media in America.

The thought that so many people get their news from social media really is scary.

Politicians wishing to set a better tone should have the discipline to avoid televised cage matches.

I see good ideas on the Republican side as well as the Democratic side. You have to return civility and statesmanship to governance. If you don't do that, it doesn't matter what portfolio of issue you're pushing, nothing is going to get done.

Years ago on my radio show, I used to say, 'I'm a conservative, but I'm not in a bad mood about it.' I've always believed that civility in heavy doses is essential in self-government.

American media has just become talk radio, incredibly partisan name-calling and op-eds. I think the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan proved it has completely failed to act as an effective fourth estate. And young people didn't sleep through that, as is widely believed; they learned instead not to trust what they were being told.

There aren't enough good journalists. There are too many who really weren't groomed to be reporters and, as a result, some of the reporting is shallow.

Politicians need a film appreciation course.

I'm very concerned about the tone of politics in recent years. We've seen a decline in civility and bipartisanship, and a rapid increase in hostility between those who have differing opinions. I think this has led to the alienation of the public in governance, which jeopardizes democratic participation.

I have already said and will continue to say that I won't respond to personal abuse, and I never make any personal abuse, ever, to anybody. I just don't do that kind of politics.