It's nauseating to see issues of national importance - like the 2009 Stimulus and now the Covid Relief bill - reduced to a partisan zero sum game. Even more nauseating is witnessing the media's failure to frame the issue as a matter of the government trying to perform a core duty (providing for the general welfare), and the Dems' maddening inability to speak with one voice. Republicans wreck the economy, and when Dems are elected to clean up the mess, Republicans do their best to make the clean up as hard as possible. The American people get screwed and the media focus is on the the GOP's admirable "hardball politics."
Eric has long been writing about how the DC press admires republican hardball obstructionism. That was on my mind when I saw and read the recent piece about the republican chair of a county in Pennsylvania who said with a sneer that they do not send representatives to 'do the right thing' or 'vote their conscience'. The way he said it left the impression in me that he considered such admirable goals to be for sissies, not for real men. I don't know how the DC Press came to embrace the republican core value of specious masculinity to replace integrity, but I do know it is not a democratic value.
Mika Brzezinski does too. She clearly was impressed by Trump when he first started to run. She was also a big fan of Chris Christie before he disgraced himself with Bridgegate. I was shocked that she defended Christie the time he verbally attacked a teacher who dared to challenge him. It wouldn’t surprise me if she goes back to fawning over him. Even worse that self-proclaimed champion of women actually tried to rehabilitate the odious bully and sexual assaulter Mark Halperin.
Keeps the focus away from the DC Press,, cowards that they are.. Deflection in other words. Love the other bullies so they don't bully you (press). Remember how Trump went after Katy Tur to the point she had to get security when she travelled to Trump rallies? She was doing her job and Trump went after her.
I hope that the blatant failure of the Republican dominated government in Texas to keep the lights on just because the weather got cold will wake a lot of people up to the fact that they put profits over governing. The insanity of blaming the failure on wind power and AOC should wake up a lot of people if the media doesn’t drop the story. I am hoping that wind power companies sue the pants off people like Tucker Carlson for disparaging their products. It sure worked when those voting machine companies went after Fox News.
Yes, the GOP is certainly eating itself. The Beltway press keeps looking for voters to turn on Biden, it's unbelievable. Biden is literally keeping his head down and staying focused on the tasks at hand. Obviously Covid relief, vaccinations, etc..but also repairing international relations that Trump left a mess. It isn't anything new for the GOP to ignore their own voters, in fact, they perpetuate it by creating a cultural and social hegemony that is bought by the base using religion race, and fear to name a few.
It's absolutely stunning just how much the press has failed us. Like this is a homerun for them if they jumped on this story. Expose the GOP in congress for their stupidity. The claim to be the party of pro life yet won't help save a life by voting in favor of this bill. They are a bunch of jokes yet they are all over the story about TJ who didn't want his relationship w/ a reporter out on front street. smh Get your priorities straight so called journalists!!
One change to your post I would make is "fueled by obstructionist Republicans" to fueled by obstructionist and insurrectionist Republicans. We have here, a party that has a high percentage of members in congress that are siding with insurrectionist thugs who put their very own lives in danger. In addition to pointing out how much Americans support the Covid relief bill, the headlines daily should also focus on why Republicans are so in bed with these animals who stormed the capital, killed a police officer and caused the deaths and injury of so many others. Regarding the Covid bill, the Republicans plan is so transparent. Stop any Democratic win, regardless of what it means to the well being of the American people. If they do that then they run in two years on how the Democrats didn't accomplish anything. The Dems need to pass this bill regardless of the Republican vote and they also need to convince moderate Dems that the filibuster must be blown up.
Yes. Obstruct at all costs! Much of what's behind Republiscum thinking is solely about taking 2024. Wonder what joke-of-a-human-being they'll be putting up *this* time? I shudder to think. But I also wonder what more slimy tactics they'll use to manipulate voting. The push needs to be on midterms and even local town voting, as giving R's a foot in the door at *any* level is destructive.
You know, I realize we want the press to stop paying attention to the Trump voters and "how they're doing and feeling," etc. and to pay more attention to Biden voters and the relief they're feeling. However ... given this morning's Morning Consult poll giving Biden a 62% approval rating, I wouldn't mind a piece or two or three from NYT, WaPo, et al, covering Trump voters who are saying things along the lines of, "Oh! Wait! You know, maybe I did make a mistake. Biden is doing a fantastic job and NOW I get the difference between him and Trump and, even though I didn't vote for Joe, I am SO glad and so relieved he's our President."
The Republican Voters you cite as in favor of President Biden’s Covid bill & opposed to Trumps tax cut; are the very 74 million voters who voted for Trump & down ballot Republicans in even greater number.
Suggest issues don’t matter. It’s the D or R that’s determinative of the vote.
Our failed political press always misses the story, which is that *elected Republicans* do not represent their constituents. And of course the other great missed story of our generation is that one of our two political parties has gone completely off the rails.
There’s probably a journalism prize waiting for whoever writes that story. (That was a hint, Eric!)
The media see their job as reporting on politics as if they were reporting on a sporting events - which side is winning, has the better tactics, has the most exciting, colorful players, etc. They don’t see their job as serving our democracy by focusing on what the people need from them. Clearly of they did see it that way they would put much more focus on the fact that one party repeatedly goes against the will of the people and sometimes even that of their own party. For example for decades Americans have consistently supported the right to abortion by a pretty strong margin but the media’s focus on the pro-life hypocrites givens the impression that they represent the majority of Americans.
To be fair some there are people on MSNBC that do focus on giving their viewers substantive information.
That was always the thing with Chris Matthews that I think everyone missed; he really only ever asked one question: Did the strategy work? He never asked if it was right or wrong, or even if the issue was good or bad, it was just “Did it work?”
It came across as being amoral, but he saw it as a sport, as you say.
Yes many do support the covid-19 relief package/STIMULUS PACKAGE But are caught up in mindless and endless culture wars and will never vote for a democrat cause u know they're coming' fer dere guns & our children.
Yesterday, Jen Psaki, who may end up the best White House press secretary since Jim Brady, made short work of a "reporter" who asked her about this issue. It won't help, because it would require the members of the DC political media brothel--99.99 percent of those employed there "covering" politics--actually to do their jobs.
Yes many do support the covid-19 relief package/STIMULUS PACKAGE But are caught up in mindless and endless culture wars and will never vote for a democrat cause u know they're coming' fer dere guns & our children.
The work you do is really important to me but more to the point - is the press listening?
thanks, and good question....I like to think the answer is yes and we do see small improvements in the margins
It's nauseating to see issues of national importance - like the 2009 Stimulus and now the Covid Relief bill - reduced to a partisan zero sum game. Even more nauseating is witnessing the media's failure to frame the issue as a matter of the government trying to perform a core duty (providing for the general welfare), and the Dems' maddening inability to speak with one voice. Republicans wreck the economy, and when Dems are elected to clean up the mess, Republicans do their best to make the clean up as hard as possible. The American people get screwed and the media focus is on the the GOP's admirable "hardball politics."
so true. I’ve said for years the DC press remains in aww of GOP hardball
Eric has long been writing about how the DC press admires republican hardball obstructionism. That was on my mind when I saw and read the recent piece about the republican chair of a county in Pennsylvania who said with a sneer that they do not send representatives to 'do the right thing' or 'vote their conscience'. The way he said it left the impression in me that he considered such admirable goals to be for sissies, not for real men. I don't know how the DC Press came to embrace the republican core value of specious masculinity to replace integrity, but I do know it is not a democratic value.
I believe that the media admires it because they see it as macho. I will never forget how they mocked Bill Clinton for feeling our pain.
DC Beltway Pundits love their Republican Bully Daddies. Especially Chuck Todd.
Mika Brzezinski does too. She clearly was impressed by Trump when he first started to run. She was also a big fan of Chris Christie before he disgraced himself with Bridgegate. I was shocked that she defended Christie the time he verbally attacked a teacher who dared to challenge him. It wouldn’t surprise me if she goes back to fawning over him. Even worse that self-proclaimed champion of women actually tried to rehabilitate the odious bully and sexual assaulter Mark Halperin.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mark-halperin-enlists-pals-joe-scarborough-mika-brzezinski-and-michael-smerconish-to-rehab-his-career
I would love for Mary Trump to write a book about the media and its bully love. The more examples we have the creepier it gets.
Keeps the focus away from the DC Press,, cowards that they are.. Deflection in other words. Love the other bullies so they don't bully you (press). Remember how Trump went after Katy Tur to the point she had to get security when she travelled to Trump rallies? She was doing her job and Trump went after her.
I hope that the blatant failure of the Republican dominated government in Texas to keep the lights on just because the weather got cold will wake a lot of people up to the fact that they put profits over governing. The insanity of blaming the failure on wind power and AOC should wake up a lot of people if the media doesn’t drop the story. I am hoping that wind power companies sue the pants off people like Tucker Carlson for disparaging their products. It sure worked when those voting machine companies went after Fox News.
Yes, the GOP is certainly eating itself. The Beltway press keeps looking for voters to turn on Biden, it's unbelievable. Biden is literally keeping his head down and staying focused on the tasks at hand. Obviously Covid relief, vaccinations, etc..but also repairing international relations that Trump left a mess. It isn't anything new for the GOP to ignore their own voters, in fact, they perpetuate it by creating a cultural and social hegemony that is bought by the base using religion race, and fear to name a few.
It’s interesting to note GOP also ignored GOP voters when passing Trump’s tax cut for rich—polls showed GOP base disapproved
Yes. They don't care in this Darwinian nihilism they engage in.
It's absolutely stunning just how much the press has failed us. Like this is a homerun for them if they jumped on this story. Expose the GOP in congress for their stupidity. The claim to be the party of pro life yet won't help save a life by voting in favor of this bill. They are a bunch of jokes yet they are all over the story about TJ who didn't want his relationship w/ a reporter out on front street. smh Get your priorities straight so called journalists!!
One change to your post I would make is "fueled by obstructionist Republicans" to fueled by obstructionist and insurrectionist Republicans. We have here, a party that has a high percentage of members in congress that are siding with insurrectionist thugs who put their very own lives in danger. In addition to pointing out how much Americans support the Covid relief bill, the headlines daily should also focus on why Republicans are so in bed with these animals who stormed the capital, killed a police officer and caused the deaths and injury of so many others. Regarding the Covid bill, the Republicans plan is so transparent. Stop any Democratic win, regardless of what it means to the well being of the American people. If they do that then they run in two years on how the Democrats didn't accomplish anything. The Dems need to pass this bill regardless of the Republican vote and they also need to convince moderate Dems that the filibuster must be blown up.
Yes. Obstruct at all costs! Much of what's behind Republiscum thinking is solely about taking 2024. Wonder what joke-of-a-human-being they'll be putting up *this* time? I shudder to think. But I also wonder what more slimy tactics they'll use to manipulate voting. The push needs to be on midterms and even local town voting, as giving R's a foot in the door at *any* level is destructive.
Great piece this morning, Eric! Thank you.
You know, I realize we want the press to stop paying attention to the Trump voters and "how they're doing and feeling," etc. and to pay more attention to Biden voters and the relief they're feeling. However ... given this morning's Morning Consult poll giving Biden a 62% approval rating, I wouldn't mind a piece or two or three from NYT, WaPo, et al, covering Trump voters who are saying things along the lines of, "Oh! Wait! You know, maybe I did make a mistake. Biden is doing a fantastic job and NOW I get the difference between him and Trump and, even though I didn't vote for Joe, I am SO glad and so relieved he's our President."
Well, one can always hope.
Mr. Boehlert:
The Republican Voters you cite as in favor of President Biden’s Covid bill & opposed to Trumps tax cut; are the very 74 million voters who voted for Trump & down ballot Republicans in even greater number.
Suggest issues don’t matter. It’s the D or R that’s determinative of the vote.
Our failed political press always misses the story, which is that *elected Republicans* do not represent their constituents. And of course the other great missed story of our generation is that one of our two political parties has gone completely off the rails.
There’s probably a journalism prize waiting for whoever writes that story. (That was a hint, Eric!)
The media see their job as reporting on politics as if they were reporting on a sporting events - which side is winning, has the better tactics, has the most exciting, colorful players, etc. They don’t see their job as serving our democracy by focusing on what the people need from them. Clearly of they did see it that way they would put much more focus on the fact that one party repeatedly goes against the will of the people and sometimes even that of their own party. For example for decades Americans have consistently supported the right to abortion by a pretty strong margin but the media’s focus on the pro-life hypocrites givens the impression that they represent the majority of Americans.
To be fair some there are people on MSNBC that do focus on giving their viewers substantive information.
That was always the thing with Chris Matthews that I think everyone missed; he really only ever asked one question: Did the strategy work? He never asked if it was right or wrong, or even if the issue was good or bad, it was just “Did it work?”
It came across as being amoral, but he saw it as a sport, as you say.
What this tells me is that Republicans are confident in their power to regroup come election time. Until then R's are gonna R.
Yes many do support the covid-19 relief package/STIMULUS PACKAGE But are caught up in mindless and endless culture wars and will never vote for a democrat cause u know they're coming' fer dere guns & our children.
Yesterday, Jen Psaki, who may end up the best White House press secretary since Jim Brady, made short work of a "reporter" who asked her about this issue. It won't help, because it would require the members of the DC political media brothel--99.99 percent of those employed there "covering" politics--actually to do their jobs.
Great piece, Eric.
Time to steamroll right over them and don't look back. The people will be with him.
Yes many do support the covid-19 relief package/STIMULUS PACKAGE But are caught up in mindless and endless culture wars and will never vote for a democrat cause u know they're coming' fer dere guns & our children.
Reading this brought back this memory: https://www.upworthy.com/20-years-of-data-reveals-that-congress-doesnt-care-what-you-think.
Were I so inclined, it might be interesting to see how (if?) the Beltway press influences this outcome.