Eric...I followed you on Twitter as a newbie to the platform these past few months. So, I think I get it with Barr's shenanigans. I always try to imagine what is happening in the 'back room' with these guys. McConnell is essentially using his "political skills" and engaging with Barr (he hates Trump) while both conspire to delegitimize Biden? Who are these people? After the 2016 election, a family member who is a woman of color said something that has stuck with me ever since November 4th, 2016, "WOWWW...ya'll hate us this much". It's true...white people really don't want equity with anyone who is not white...including Barr, The Tea Party, Pompeo, Emily Murphy, DeJoy and on and on. This is WAR their war on Race, pure and simple...The english language has no word for my contempt for all of them.
Instead the media is praising the benefits of having Republicans control the Senate. At least the Washington Post seems to be getting their act together. I am seeing better and better reporting and media criticism coming from them. Jennifer Rubin, the Plum Line, Maragaret Sullivan, EJ DIonne, Catherine Rampell are all speaking out about media gaslighting.
The American rightwing is deeply divided between dog-whistle libertarians and bullhorn libertarians – conservatives who tolerate racist allies to get tax cuts vs. conservatives who ARE racists and want/tolerate tax cuts for their wealthy allies. It is that division which threatens to sink the GOP candidates in Georgia, plus Stacey Abrams' phenomenal organizing efforts. Looking forward to Jan 5th.
They are faux libertarians. They have no problem with government subsidies and regulations that give more power to big business and/or their brand of Christianity. They are a bunch of plutocrats and/or theocrats and many are also white supremacists. An ocean full of deplorables.
We will see if the press chooses to emphasize these differences on the right or opt instead for the centrist/progressive differences on the left. So far, it appears that the AOC angle has more appeal for them, at least nationally. I hope the Georgia coverage is different.
When discussing what happened in GA, can we please mention the Republican vote suppressing shenanigans, from clearing voters off the voting rolls based on Kris Kobach Kansas lists, to reducing the number of polling places in more Dem leaning areas? Greg Palast did a superb job in the last few years suing to get those lists and checking them and finding hundreds of thousands of voters improperly taken off the voter rolls. Stacey Abrams did a superb job paying attention to this, and bringing this to the attention of the electorate. In Georgia, and in fact all over the country, voters (especially Democratic voters) brought a new vigilance to checking and re-checking their registrations and their ballots. I have no doubt this had a significant effect on the outcome.
This latest stunt between Barr and Mitch McConnell to appease Trump and keep his base involved and energized and a pain in our ass so they’ll show up for, vote for and donate to the Republican Georgia runoff candidates is going to backfire on them in the same way the general election shenanigans backfired on them, in that, while it may hold onto the Republican base, it will for sure infuriate, mobilize, and passionately fire up the Democratic base. And there are more of us than there are of them, even in Georgia.
And this time, they won’t be able to cheat, because the whole world will be watching.
The Washington Post’s EJ Dionne recently wrote that “myths often grow out of mistaken first impressions.” How the media first reports a story often becomes truth in peoples’ minds. This is the same problem that cognitive linguist George Lakoff has been trying to get the media and Democrats to understand — how a story gets “framed” is determined by what people hear first. Republicans have know that and used that knowledge to control public perception for decades. That is why Lakoff urges the use of the “truth sandwich” to report on false claims.
The media assumption that those two Ga seats won’t be won by Democrats is an implicit frame — Democrats can’t win those seats — that can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy because it discourages Democrats from donating and from getting involved in that race.
The other way the media is manipulating people’s attitudes in a way that can influence that race is by framing divided government as a good thing. This was pointed out by the Post’s Catherine Rampell in her article “Stop romanticizing divided government. If McConnell is majority leader, there will be no progress”
By portraying divided government as a good the media is creating another powerful myth. The underlying message is that it will stop Democrats from getting too extreme — something I actually read recently. By downplaying the real damage that a Republican-controlled Senate will cause, that myth will also discourage people from supporting the Georgia candidates. The “divided government is good” claim has been sold for years by the media despite all the evidence of the harm it has done when Republicans have the power to obstruct Democratic policies the American people clearly support.
Yes indeed. I'm a therapist by training and experience. I don't know her personally and she probably thinks I stalk her at this point, but Dr. Bandy Lee, from Yale and a Forensic Psychiatrist who has been persistently trying to get media to recognize that mental health and mental capacity are important concepts that should be better understood. She was "muzzled" and gaslighted by Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, a well known Psychiatrist, slowing her ability to help people understand the dynamics of Trump, Republicans who previously had decent reputations, news organizations and their leadership and went all in with Trump and his followers. Predominantly white male leadership and the long toxic history of Republicanism as Stuart Stevens has written about his former party is increasingly baked in. For the public to understand the psychology of their behavior and actions is deeply critical at this moment. Way to many people endlessly keep asking why with every new outrage. Why Guiliani, Barr, Haley, Noem, evangelical leaders, and on and on...
Well there is a theory that the reason why Democrats didn't do better in the Senate is because there are many Republican voters who hated Trump but just couldn't get themselves to vote down ballot. That's the one thing that scares me regarding Georgia's runoff Senate elections. But on the bright side and to your point, Georgia is changing. One reason is that there are so many northerners living there now and perhaps the biggest reason is Stacey Abrams who has educated and fought so hard for so many voters in the typically red leaning state. We must phone bank, text bank and donate to both Raphael Warnock, who actually had the highest vote total of the three in his race and Jon Ossoff who was brilliant in the debate against corrupt incumbent David Perdue. We must follow Abrams' lead to get these two elected. Just minutes ago I heard Willie Geist on MSNBC say that these two seats will most likely fall Republican. If it's such a sure thing Willie, then why does Georgia have to have two runoffs?
Loeffler is not the kind of person you want to vote into the Senate or anywhere else for that matter. She was placed in there by Trump. Then, she was caught after she dumped a bunch of stock after hearing in a closed door Senate meeting that the stock would crash because of something going wrong with one of the product.
The Republican candidates Loeffler and Collins apparently received over 2.2 million votes, besting Warnock by over 1/2 million; and Purdue defeated Ossoff by 88K. The press seems to conclude that this is enough to predict both January Senate elections. Maybe. I think it's a heavy lift for us in a southern state, despite the changes in the last years.
But the next 7-8 weeks may prove damaging to Republicans (including above) that support the legal cases filed by trump. And we have Stacey Abrams, nothing short of a once-in-a-generation political force in GA, and Kamala.
I think the voters in GA, don't like Loeffler for the simple reason first. She was put in there by Trump. I don't think Trump is feeling the love from GA these days. Rev. Warnock needs to keep that thought in voters minds. Plus, she is married to the, CEO of the company that owns the NYSE. For what reason does she want to be a Senator? Most likely to change laws affecting her husband's business for starters. Trust me, she like McConnell, do not give one damn about the voters. Only the power, money, and control. Come on, GA, lets go blue for the entire country
You DO realize that when the restrictions and masks are off, the members of the DC political media brothel--the chief chucktodd of them all, madam; Norah O'Donnell, holder of the David Broder Chair in How to Destroy a Once-Good Reputation; MoDodo, Grand Wizard--can all return to lunching together and convincing one another of conventional wisdom rather than having to do it via Zoom.
Personally, I expect the runoffs to result in a split. On the other hand, my track record at projections is pretty bad.
But if in fact a split or Perdue and Loeffler both winning is the likeliest, the DC press corps' obsession with Biden having to deal with Moscow Mitch makes sense up to a point.
But since there's a real possibility of both Dems winning, maybe there should be some think pieces on life with a 50/50 split with Harris as a tiebreaker. Then again, actually informing competently isn't something the DC press corps has been too interested in for decades.
Eric...I followed you on Twitter as a newbie to the platform these past few months. So, I think I get it with Barr's shenanigans. I always try to imagine what is happening in the 'back room' with these guys. McConnell is essentially using his "political skills" and engaging with Barr (he hates Trump) while both conspire to delegitimize Biden? Who are these people? After the 2016 election, a family member who is a woman of color said something that has stuck with me ever since November 4th, 2016, "WOWWW...ya'll hate us this much". It's true...white people really don't want equity with anyone who is not white...including Barr, The Tea Party, Pompeo, Emily Murphy, DeJoy and on and on. This is WAR their war on Race, pure and simple...The english language has no word for my contempt for all of them.
GOP is a deeply radical and dangerous enterprise, and has been for years. I wish press would be honest abt that
Instead the media is praising the benefits of having Republicans control the Senate. At least the Washington Post seems to be getting their act together. I am seeing better and better reporting and media criticism coming from them. Jennifer Rubin, the Plum Line, Maragaret Sullivan, EJ DIonne, Catherine Rampell are all speaking out about media gaslighting.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/stop-romanticizing-divided-government-if-mcconnell-is-majority-leader-there-will-be-no-progress/2020/11/09/1d911d22-22c6-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html
Looks like some powerful voices in Australia are speaking out against Murdoch.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/nov/10/qa-malcolm-turnbull-clashes-with-news-corps-paul-kelly-over-climate-coverage
The American rightwing is deeply divided between dog-whistle libertarians and bullhorn libertarians – conservatives who tolerate racist allies to get tax cuts vs. conservatives who ARE racists and want/tolerate tax cuts for their wealthy allies. It is that division which threatens to sink the GOP candidates in Georgia, plus Stacey Abrams' phenomenal organizing efforts. Looking forward to Jan 5th.
also, seems clear McConnell is amplified the ‘rigged’ election lies to pump up Jan turnout in Ga...dangerous stuff
They are faux libertarians. They have no problem with government subsidies and regulations that give more power to big business and/or their brand of Christianity. They are a bunch of plutocrats and/or theocrats and many are also white supremacists. An ocean full of deplorables.
We will see if the press chooses to emphasize these differences on the right or opt instead for the centrist/progressive differences on the left. So far, it appears that the AOC angle has more appeal for them, at least nationally. I hope the Georgia coverage is different.
We cannot trust to the press to do anything but what they are doing. They will cover like they do everything else poorly. The press is about greed.
When discussing what happened in GA, can we please mention the Republican vote suppressing shenanigans, from clearing voters off the voting rolls based on Kris Kobach Kansas lists, to reducing the number of polling places in more Dem leaning areas? Greg Palast did a superb job in the last few years suing to get those lists and checking them and finding hundreds of thousands of voters improperly taken off the voter rolls. Stacey Abrams did a superb job paying attention to this, and bringing this to the attention of the electorate. In Georgia, and in fact all over the country, voters (especially Democratic voters) brought a new vigilance to checking and re-checking their registrations and their ballots. I have no doubt this had a significant effect on the outcome.
Good pt! GA GOP has spent years making sure people can’t vote...abd they still lost last week
This latest stunt between Barr and Mitch McConnell to appease Trump and keep his base involved and energized and a pain in our ass so they’ll show up for, vote for and donate to the Republican Georgia runoff candidates is going to backfire on them in the same way the general election shenanigans backfired on them, in that, while it may hold onto the Republican base, it will for sure infuriate, mobilize, and passionately fire up the Democratic base. And there are more of us than there are of them, even in Georgia.
And this time, they won’t be able to cheat, because the whole world will be watching.
This. And as clowns Barr and McConnell risk political backlash, don't forget the king of stupidity has 2 months to shoot Rs in the foot.
Hahaha! This just made my day. And so true.
The Washington Post’s EJ Dionne recently wrote that “myths often grow out of mistaken first impressions.” How the media first reports a story often becomes truth in peoples’ minds. This is the same problem that cognitive linguist George Lakoff has been trying to get the media and Democrats to understand — how a story gets “framed” is determined by what people hear first. Republicans have know that and used that knowledge to control public perception for decades. That is why Lakoff urges the use of the “truth sandwich” to report on false claims.
The media assumption that those two Ga seats won’t be won by Democrats is an implicit frame — Democrats can’t win those seats — that can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy because it discourages Democrats from donating and from getting involved in that race.
The other way the media is manipulating people’s attitudes in a way that can influence that race is by framing divided government as a good thing. This was pointed out by the Post’s Catherine Rampell in her article “Stop romanticizing divided government. If McConnell is majority leader, there will be no progress”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/stop-romanticizing-divided-government-if-mcconnell-is-majority-leader-there-will-be-no-progress/2020/11/09/1d911d22-22c6-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html
By portraying divided government as a good the media is creating another powerful myth. The underlying message is that it will stop Democrats from getting too extreme — something I actually read recently. By downplaying the real damage that a Republican-controlled Senate will cause, that myth will also discourage people from supporting the Georgia candidates. The “divided government is good” claim has been sold for years by the media despite all the evidence of the harm it has done when Republicans have the power to obstruct Democratic policies the American people clearly support.
Yes indeed. I'm a therapist by training and experience. I don't know her personally and she probably thinks I stalk her at this point, but Dr. Bandy Lee, from Yale and a Forensic Psychiatrist who has been persistently trying to get media to recognize that mental health and mental capacity are important concepts that should be better understood. She was "muzzled" and gaslighted by Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, a well known Psychiatrist, slowing her ability to help people understand the dynamics of Trump, Republicans who previously had decent reputations, news organizations and their leadership and went all in with Trump and his followers. Predominantly white male leadership and the long toxic history of Republicanism as Stuart Stevens has written about his former party is increasingly baked in. For the public to understand the psychology of their behavior and actions is deeply critical at this moment. Way to many people endlessly keep asking why with every new outrage. Why Guiliani, Barr, Haley, Noem, evangelical leaders, and on and on...
Well there is a theory that the reason why Democrats didn't do better in the Senate is because there are many Republican voters who hated Trump but just couldn't get themselves to vote down ballot. That's the one thing that scares me regarding Georgia's runoff Senate elections. But on the bright side and to your point, Georgia is changing. One reason is that there are so many northerners living there now and perhaps the biggest reason is Stacey Abrams who has educated and fought so hard for so many voters in the typically red leaning state. We must phone bank, text bank and donate to both Raphael Warnock, who actually had the highest vote total of the three in his race and Jon Ossoff who was brilliant in the debate against corrupt incumbent David Perdue. We must follow Abrams' lead to get these two elected. Just minutes ago I heard Willie Geist on MSNBC say that these two seats will most likely fall Republican. If it's such a sure thing Willie, then why does Georgia have to have two runoffs?
It’s so frustrating! why so “likely”....two incumbent GOPs just failed to get 50%
Loeffler is not the kind of person you want to vote into the Senate or anywhere else for that matter. She was placed in there by Trump. Then, she was caught after she dumped a bunch of stock after hearing in a closed door Senate meeting that the stock would crash because of something going wrong with one of the product.
The Republican candidates Loeffler and Collins apparently received over 2.2 million votes, besting Warnock by over 1/2 million; and Purdue defeated Ossoff by 88K. The press seems to conclude that this is enough to predict both January Senate elections. Maybe. I think it's a heavy lift for us in a southern state, despite the changes in the last years.
But the next 7-8 weeks may prove damaging to Republicans (including above) that support the legal cases filed by trump. And we have Stacey Abrams, nothing short of a once-in-a-generation political force in GA, and Kamala.
I think the voters in GA, don't like Loeffler for the simple reason first. She was put in there by Trump. I don't think Trump is feeling the love from GA these days. Rev. Warnock needs to keep that thought in voters minds. Plus, she is married to the, CEO of the company that owns the NYSE. For what reason does she want to be a Senator? Most likely to change laws affecting her husband's business for starters. Trust me, she like McConnell, do not give one damn about the voters. Only the power, money, and control. Come on, GA, lets go blue for the entire country
A couple of things I'm watching regarding the GA race.
1. Can the GOP get the Qidiots and racists to go to the polls?
2. Will Trump's post-election grifting tour siphon money away from the GA race?
thatS the Q—will not having Trump on ballot in Jan hurt GOP re: “Qidiots” shoeing up to vote? I suspect it might
*showing up
You DO realize that when the restrictions and masks are off, the members of the DC political media brothel--the chief chucktodd of them all, madam; Norah O'Donnell, holder of the David Broder Chair in How to Destroy a Once-Good Reputation; MoDodo, Grand Wizard--can all return to lunching together and convincing one another of conventional wisdom rather than having to do it via Zoom.
If Democrats do win both seats, Kamala Harris becomes the key. Is there a Majority leader in such situations?
If the Senate is evenly-split, I suspect the vote of the President of the Senate would give one party the majority and thus, also, a Majority Leader.
Yes Joe Scarborough said this this morning Republicans would take the senate. I didn’t think that was right
Great piece, Eric.
Personally, I expect the runoffs to result in a split. On the other hand, my track record at projections is pretty bad.
But if in fact a split or Perdue and Loeffler both winning is the likeliest, the DC press corps' obsession with Biden having to deal with Moscow Mitch makes sense up to a point.
But since there's a real possibility of both Dems winning, maybe there should be some think pieces on life with a 50/50 split with Harris as a tiebreaker. Then again, actually informing competently isn't something the DC press corps has been too interested in for decades.