Zeleny discusses state of national government
National policy was in the spotlight Wednesday as ABC News senior correspondent Jeff Zeleny came to USC to discuss politics.
Topics ranged from Ted Cruz to HealthCare.gov as Zeleny talked about the mechanics of Washington and the work of a political reporter.
The topic of discussion quickly turned to Congress and the political gridlock that has recently gripped the country.
“After the problems with the Affordable Care Act, the most nervous people in Washington right now are incumbent Democrats running for re-election,” Zeleny said. “The Republicans only need to win six seats to gain control of the Senate, and they have a few locked down in states where longtime Democratic senators are retiring.”
Zeleny elaborated on the problems Democratic candidates face in traditionally Republican states.
“The problem that Democratic candidates have is that in these traditionally red states,” Zeleny said. “They need to get votes for more than just Democrats. You can’t win North Carolina just on the Democratic vote.”
Zeleny also talked extensively about the upcoming 2016 presidential election, noting that while Hilary Clinton seems a clear front-runner for the Democratic Party, the Republican Party has a much muddier outlook.
“The Senate has some of the highest turnover I think it’s ever had,” Zeleny said. “It’s filled with new faces, people like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul. … But Obama is the first president to come out of the Senate since Nixon. You have to look at the Republican governors who have a bit more executive experience.”
When the issue of the government shutdown was brought up, Zeleny was quick to dismiss further fears.
“The stomach is not there for the Republicans to try another shutdown. They know the politics were bad the first time; they’re not going to risk it again,” Zeleny said. “What does concern me is entitlements. These fundamental problems do still exist; we can keep pushing these deadlines back, but something will have to be done eventually.”
Before being hired at ABC, Zeleny previously had worked as national political correspondent for The New York Times, a position that involved constant discourse with Congressional officials and serving as the Times’ lead reporter for the 2012 presidential campaign.
Zeleny cited his move to broadcast journalism as a reflection of the changing dynamic of mainstream reporting.
“I realized that the website was becoming the most important part [of The New York Times],” Zeleny said. “The fundamentals were the same, but the communication is faster. Since I think most people now read from their smartphones, online content is becoming more important.
“How many people here would read an actual print newspaper if it wasn’t free on campus?” Zeleny asked.
Though only a few people raised their hands, Zeleny admitted more did than he expected.
“The important thing to note is that journalists still have the responsibility and mission to put things into context. We have to explain why in addition to what,” Zeleny said. “Even on social media, there’s still responsibility. You’re just using a different megaphone.”