Our Failed Political Press ™ are throwing the Republicans a life preserver. It is in the press’ best interest.
As Eric points out there is no Trumpism, there is only Republicans. I keep reminding myself that Trump won the primary with more votes than any Republican in that Party’s history. He didn’t bamboozle them, THEY embraced him so much that there was no Republican Party Platform at the 2020 nominating convention, except a bland statement that they support Donald Trump. Think about that.
No, our Failed Political Press ™ needs to have two parties to continue their lazy journalism that there are always Both Sides. If they admit that one of our two parties is full of crazy people, then they have to admit that they’ve been wrong since at least the Reagan era. And they also would have to admit that the Left has been correct all this time, and that the Press themselves have been wrong for 40 years.
That’s quite a losing streak. Who is going to listen to, believe in, and continue to read someone who’s got it wrong for 40 years?
"...all the intellectual cover of the right had been this tiny, thin layer on top of... something or other..."
Um, RACISM. It's been clear to us all along, but Sykes and Will still resist admitting what this "ugly something" is that has been driving the Republicon Party to this moment of anti-democratic, cult-of-personality fascism since the 1960s. Our government now takes seriously it's responsibility to protect minorities from the majority's complicit and complacent support of systemic oppression, instead of simply restricting the minorities' ability to oppose the majority. So now conservatives oppose government.
This is rather like scene towards the end of “Atlas Shrugged” where they are torturing John Galt, and are forced to realize that they’re in love with cruelty, death, and suffering - they’re anti-life.
The difference is that they’re not horrified by the knowledge - they’re liberated by it.
George Will and the like have spent their whole careers building an elaborate facade over the essential nature of conservatism: do unto others because you know they’ll do you if you let them.
The republicans are terrified by the knowledge that their 'old white mens' manifest destiny era is coming to a close, and there is nothing that they can do about it except adopt politics of exclusion at all costs. Appropriate that your "Good Stuff" followup covered the UNC journalism school fiasco. The bottom line is glaring; money, race, power. The founders' version of government of, by and for is a threat to them, and they'll kill it, "The People" be damned. You're right, journalists are one of the last lines of defense.
Exactly right! Trump's popularity is dwindling. His blog is floundering with little traffic. It's not Trump. It's the Republican Party that s hell bent on taking over this country on behalf of the billionaire class. It has been a goal decades in the making. They are a party who have no ideas for a majority who want progressive solutions. The only chance the Republicans have to regain power is to cheat and that is the only thing they are good at. Think about Memorial Day yesterday. Today's Republicans disgrace the honor of all those fallen heroes with the intent of destroying the very democracy our military died to protect. Trump gave everyone permission to remove the hoods. The Republicans are simply using Trump as an excuse as to why they will do nothing on behalf of the American people. And sadly, it boils down to the press who refuse to report the truth.
I don't buy that Sykes and Will had no idea what conservatism is all about after living through the racism and above-the-law behavior as far back as the Nixon and Reagan administrations. Iran-Contra was a huge, corrupt ordeal, to say nothing of Watergate. And Nixon's strategy of attracting the votes of the Dixiecrats post-Civil Rights Act is simply a matter of fact at this point for the Republican Party.
Blaming the FG is the easy way to report on the current behavior of the republicans. It’s been too hard for the main stream/ beltway press to report the truth for at least the last four years. And probably longer. The republicans no longer believe in the democratic principles on which this country was founded. Their only motivation is keeping power and making money. Period.
I was reading this as the TV was airing one of those 'scary music Nancy Pelosi yadda yadda' ads by an outfit called the American Action Network. Holy echoes of Jane Mayer, Batman, they don't need to disclose their donors, but its where defeated senators go when they appear to have dropped off the face of the planet (Norm Coleman). I'm convinced that is what has the Republican party in its grip: the dark money which the press relegates to the opinion pages, if it gets covered at all. Could it be the same need for cash has the press in its grip?
Eric- I would love to see a forum or gathering of journalists and media personalities with moderators who are black and brown (including Native Americans) have a conversation or reckoning about their own trajectory in reporting on race. I’m married to a black man and we have a daughter who is bi-racial (active in advocacy for Native A communities) and I thought I was ahead of everyone else until I realized I WASN’T. Some more known politicians and others have acknowledged the same. One moment that sticks in my mind was on Morning Joe where JS had Eddie Glaude Jr. as his expert on race. It was before hosts had the courage to call DJT a racist. Joe S cut EG off. It appeared demoralizing. I was really frustrated. There was a time not long ago where black and brown journalists were recognized only when they talked about racism and policing.
Eric, I think it's possible that both explanations for GOP behavior are correct. Otherwise, why did Rs who initially condemned the Capitol riot subsequently change their tunes?
Two nominations for president from the Republican Party are the only things Donald Trump has ever gotten without cheating. Says a lot about the Republican Party, and any reporter other than a big-money national political reporter would see it.
Our Failed Political Press ™ are throwing the Republicans a life preserver. It is in the press’ best interest.
As Eric points out there is no Trumpism, there is only Republicans. I keep reminding myself that Trump won the primary with more votes than any Republican in that Party’s history. He didn’t bamboozle them, THEY embraced him so much that there was no Republican Party Platform at the 2020 nominating convention, except a bland statement that they support Donald Trump. Think about that.
No, our Failed Political Press ™ needs to have two parties to continue their lazy journalism that there are always Both Sides. If they admit that one of our two parties is full of crazy people, then they have to admit that they’ve been wrong since at least the Reagan era. And they also would have to admit that the Left has been correct all this time, and that the Press themselves have been wrong for 40 years.
That’s quite a losing streak. Who is going to listen to, believe in, and continue to read someone who’s got it wrong for 40 years?
"...all the intellectual cover of the right had been this tiny, thin layer on top of... something or other..."
Um, RACISM. It's been clear to us all along, but Sykes and Will still resist admitting what this "ugly something" is that has been driving the Republicon Party to this moment of anti-democratic, cult-of-personality fascism since the 1960s. Our government now takes seriously it's responsibility to protect minorities from the majority's complicit and complacent support of systemic oppression, instead of simply restricting the minorities' ability to oppose the majority. So now conservatives oppose government.
This is rather like scene towards the end of “Atlas Shrugged” where they are torturing John Galt, and are forced to realize that they’re in love with cruelty, death, and suffering - they’re anti-life.
The difference is that they’re not horrified by the knowledge - they’re liberated by it.
George Will and the like have spent their whole careers building an elaborate facade over the essential nature of conservatism: do unto others because you know they’ll do you if you let them.
The republicans are terrified by the knowledge that their 'old white mens' manifest destiny era is coming to a close, and there is nothing that they can do about it except adopt politics of exclusion at all costs. Appropriate that your "Good Stuff" followup covered the UNC journalism school fiasco. The bottom line is glaring; money, race, power. The founders' version of government of, by and for is a threat to them, and they'll kill it, "The People" be damned. You're right, journalists are one of the last lines of defense.
Exactly right! Trump's popularity is dwindling. His blog is floundering with little traffic. It's not Trump. It's the Republican Party that s hell bent on taking over this country on behalf of the billionaire class. It has been a goal decades in the making. They are a party who have no ideas for a majority who want progressive solutions. The only chance the Republicans have to regain power is to cheat and that is the only thing they are good at. Think about Memorial Day yesterday. Today's Republicans disgrace the honor of all those fallen heroes with the intent of destroying the very democracy our military died to protect. Trump gave everyone permission to remove the hoods. The Republicans are simply using Trump as an excuse as to why they will do nothing on behalf of the American people. And sadly, it boils down to the press who refuse to report the truth.
I don't buy that Sykes and Will had no idea what conservatism is all about after living through the racism and above-the-law behavior as far back as the Nixon and Reagan administrations. Iran-Contra was a huge, corrupt ordeal, to say nothing of Watergate. And Nixon's strategy of attracting the votes of the Dixiecrats post-Civil Rights Act is simply a matter of fact at this point for the Republican Party.
I look forward to The NY Times headline. Maybe soon.
“IS AMERICA IN THE GRIP OF A REPUBLICAN FASCIST MOVEMENT ?“
Blaming the FG is the easy way to report on the current behavior of the republicans. It’s been too hard for the main stream/ beltway press to report the truth for at least the last four years. And probably longer. The republicans no longer believe in the democratic principles on which this country was founded. Their only motivation is keeping power and making money. Period.
I was reading this as the TV was airing one of those 'scary music Nancy Pelosi yadda yadda' ads by an outfit called the American Action Network. Holy echoes of Jane Mayer, Batman, they don't need to disclose their donors, but its where defeated senators go when they appear to have dropped off the face of the planet (Norm Coleman). I'm convinced that is what has the Republican party in its grip: the dark money which the press relegates to the opinion pages, if it gets covered at all. Could it be the same need for cash has the press in its grip?
Eric- I would love to see a forum or gathering of journalists and media personalities with moderators who are black and brown (including Native Americans) have a conversation or reckoning about their own trajectory in reporting on race. I’m married to a black man and we have a daughter who is bi-racial (active in advocacy for Native A communities) and I thought I was ahead of everyone else until I realized I WASN’T. Some more known politicians and others have acknowledged the same. One moment that sticks in my mind was on Morning Joe where JS had Eddie Glaude Jr. as his expert on race. It was before hosts had the courage to call DJT a racist. Joe S cut EG off. It appeared demoralizing. I was really frustrated. There was a time not long ago where black and brown journalists were recognized only when they talked about racism and policing.
Eric, I think it's possible that both explanations for GOP behavior are correct. Otherwise, why did Rs who initially condemned the Capitol riot subsequently change their tunes?
To be fair, the headline here doesn't work. The republic party isn't descending into madness. It has been there for decades.
Two nominations for president from the Republican Party are the only things Donald Trump has ever gotten without cheating. Says a lot about the Republican Party, and any reporter other than a big-money national political reporter would see it.