Good one, Eric. PizzaGate was a turning point, for sure. Incrementally, though, this nonsense had been gaining steam for a while (Palin rallies? Birtherism? Alex Jones stuff). Then Trump came along and let the crazies out of the asylum, and of course the media has helped normalize the madness/racism - "Dems are not speaking to the (white) working class!" and "Trump has really tapped into something here!" Hopefully, the apex of this madness will be over the next 60-90 days, then it will start to simmer down once Trump fades away? Probably not. Media is addicted to Trump and will follow every future tweet.
Why are these people who are openly threatening elected officials not arrested? Why is the GOP not out in the media calling these people out as a threat to our country, which they are? There doesn't seem to be much of a consequence to any of their actions.
A couple of things. One is a minor correction: Brian Kemp.
The other is that Greg Sargent is consistently one of the few in the beltway media who tells it as it is, or at least tries. I'd also argue that the only pundit who regularly does reporting is E.J. Dionne, though there may be another.
Finally, in case this is the last pre-Christmas post, I want to thank Mr. Boehlert and the commenters for consistently great, thought-provoking analysis. I can tell it's great because Dean Baquet doesn't like it.
If there is anyone to blame for this mess, it's the Republican Party more than it is Trump who is just a symptom. The Republican party's inability to govern, to even have a coherent policy on anything, has led them to this place. They could not stand up for decency simply because the mad king put an "R" after his name. That fact draws all the blame to Republican Party. They've put themselves in a position where they must now embrace the lunatic fringe or loose their power for good. Well I say good riddance. The Republicans could have removed Trump from office after the impeachment trial (if you want to call it that). Heading into an election with a President Pence and perhaps taking Covid-19 seriously would have given them a much better chance of winning the election. Of course I'm glad Biden won but had the Republicans ousted Trump when they had the chance, they would have shown a spine and some guts. Perhaps after some gnashing of teeth from the wacko cult, things would have subsided by the election. But that's a fantasy of bygone Republicans, not this band of conspiratorial morons that hold office. They are now the party of Trump. Mathew said "Live by the sword, die by the sword". To the Republicans, Trump is their sword. Hope you have a great holiday Eric!
So much goes back to the Laffer Curve. Deliberate, knowing embrace of quackery as the basis of economic policy. Such a tiny little bite of the apple, and so expedient. What could possibly go wrong?
In the early 2000s I believed the problem with the Bush administration in general, and Karl Rove and Dick Chenet in particular, was Amorality rather than IMmorality. McConnell is cut from the same cloth. He has no moral base - everything is power. The GOP's embrace of a mentally ill TV clown shows Amorality has seeped into the entire party.
}[T]he idea that one of two major political parties in this country is committed to overturning elections and to mob rule is not a challenge the Beltway press wants to address."
LOL, as the kids say. If Democrats did the exact same thing, the coverage would be far different, heavy on the condemnation that the DC press corps can't bring to anything the GOP does. (Likewise, if a Democratic POTUS responded to a pandemic by exacerbating the harm, they wouldn't be treated with the kid gloves with which Trump has been and even continues to be treated. Full disclosure: Anything short of calling him a killer is dishonest reporting. He's a killer full stop.)
"It also opens up the news media to more hysterical claims of "liberal media bias," which reporters and producers don't want to deal with."
Like all buzzwords and shibboleths from conservatives, "liberal media bias" is a perversion of language. The establishment media by definition are conservative and being relatively liberal when it comes to soft news and lifestyle pieces in no way justifies conservatives' use of the term in regard to political and hard news. (Of course, a secondary issue is whether generating establishment propaganda given the national failure of both public and private leadership makes the media complicit, accessories, to the harm said leadership has done and is doing to the nation and the world.)
The PizzaGate election
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities" --Voltaire.
Good one, Eric. PizzaGate was a turning point, for sure. Incrementally, though, this nonsense had been gaining steam for a while (Palin rallies? Birtherism? Alex Jones stuff). Then Trump came along and let the crazies out of the asylum, and of course the media has helped normalize the madness/racism - "Dems are not speaking to the (white) working class!" and "Trump has really tapped into something here!" Hopefully, the apex of this madness will be over the next 60-90 days, then it will start to simmer down once Trump fades away? Probably not. Media is addicted to Trump and will follow every future tweet.
Why are these people who are openly threatening elected officials not arrested? Why is the GOP not out in the media calling these people out as a threat to our country, which they are? There doesn't seem to be much of a consequence to any of their actions.
Biden and Harris are profoundly well qualified to take charge at this moment in American history.
Our democracy is in such major jeopardy—and it doesn’t have to be this way.
A couple of things. One is a minor correction: Brian Kemp.
The other is that Greg Sargent is consistently one of the few in the beltway media who tells it as it is, or at least tries. I'd also argue that the only pundit who regularly does reporting is E.J. Dionne, though there may be another.
Finally, in case this is the last pre-Christmas post, I want to thank Mr. Boehlert and the commenters for consistently great, thought-provoking analysis. I can tell it's great because Dean Baquet doesn't like it.
If there is anyone to blame for this mess, it's the Republican Party more than it is Trump who is just a symptom. The Republican party's inability to govern, to even have a coherent policy on anything, has led them to this place. They could not stand up for decency simply because the mad king put an "R" after his name. That fact draws all the blame to Republican Party. They've put themselves in a position where they must now embrace the lunatic fringe or loose their power for good. Well I say good riddance. The Republicans could have removed Trump from office after the impeachment trial (if you want to call it that). Heading into an election with a President Pence and perhaps taking Covid-19 seriously would have given them a much better chance of winning the election. Of course I'm glad Biden won but had the Republicans ousted Trump when they had the chance, they would have shown a spine and some guts. Perhaps after some gnashing of teeth from the wacko cult, things would have subsided by the election. But that's a fantasy of bygone Republicans, not this band of conspiratorial morons that hold office. They are now the party of Trump. Mathew said "Live by the sword, die by the sword". To the Republicans, Trump is their sword. Hope you have a great holiday Eric!
I feel overwhelming sadness that this is what we've become.
So much goes back to the Laffer Curve. Deliberate, knowing embrace of quackery as the basis of economic policy. Such a tiny little bite of the apple, and so expedient. What could possibly go wrong?
Oh no. You used the phrase “going forward “. I was hoping you were immune to inane corporate speak.
Otis Redding singing “Merry Christmas Baby” ....hard to top. But definitely NOT traditional.
Sorry, have to disagree... Bing's version of Jingle Bells w the Andrew sisters is the best! 😉
In the early 2000s I believed the problem with the Bush administration in general, and Karl Rove and Dick Chenet in particular, was Amorality rather than IMmorality. McConnell is cut from the same cloth. He has no moral base - everything is power. The GOP's embrace of a mentally ill TV clown shows Amorality has seeped into the entire party.
}[T]he idea that one of two major political parties in this country is committed to overturning elections and to mob rule is not a challenge the Beltway press wants to address."
LOL, as the kids say. If Democrats did the exact same thing, the coverage would be far different, heavy on the condemnation that the DC press corps can't bring to anything the GOP does. (Likewise, if a Democratic POTUS responded to a pandemic by exacerbating the harm, they wouldn't be treated with the kid gloves with which Trump has been and even continues to be treated. Full disclosure: Anything short of calling him a killer is dishonest reporting. He's a killer full stop.)
"It also opens up the news media to more hysterical claims of "liberal media bias," which reporters and producers don't want to deal with."
Like all buzzwords and shibboleths from conservatives, "liberal media bias" is a perversion of language. The establishment media by definition are conservative and being relatively liberal when it comes to soft news and lifestyle pieces in no way justifies conservatives' use of the term in regard to political and hard news. (Of course, a secondary issue is whether generating establishment propaganda given the national failure of both public and private leadership makes the media complicit, accessories, to the harm said leadership has done and is doing to the nation and the world.)