It’s arguably the biggest political story of the week — the GOP steps up its efforts to drive Trump non-believers from the party, and prepares to strip Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) of her leadership title. All because she won’t endorse the Big Lie about how the 2020 election was “stolen.” It’s part of a larger push to disregard election results.
But have you noticed in the coverage how infrequently Democrats are quoted and given a chance to articulate how radical and dangerous the Republican Party has become? The Cheney controversy revolves around President Joe Biden’s victory, but Democrats aren’t allowed to comment? It’s another disturbing example of how the Beltway press views the news through the prism of the GOP.
Question for PRESS RUN readers: Do you think Cheney will still be serving in Congress after the 2022 elections?
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So you are assuming that everybody believes that the past election was not stolen? The it was fair and square? Those people who believe so are out of their mind - democrat or republican! You gotta be kidding me!!! What are you inhaling? Are you out of your mind???
I do think Liz Cheney will be re-elected. More information about the previous administration will be coming out as time gones on and the GOP's love with the orange man will start to disminish, slowly. Too slowly.
The media will not let the Democrats define themselves until the Democrats force them to. As frustrating as it is to see the media be so derelict in their duty, it is incumbent on the Democrats to craft a message that the media cannot ignore. And not some ridiculous James Carville rant about educated people not being able to connect with other people. All messages matter to save our democracy now given that GOP is determined to strip the USA's citizenry of our right to vote.
Grateful to Press Run Media for all the wonderful critiques, insights and music that come to my inbox. Keep it coming !
You know, there's another way to look at this. DJT and his RepubliCon sycophants in Congress have made Liz Cheney a very famous woman. People of all stripes admire a person of strength, a person who stands by their convictions. I can imagine a time - just a few months away, I hope - when DJT is indicted and the long string of his many crimes and sins against the country and a Constitution he took an oath to protect and defend start to unravel before our very eyes. I do not think his base will continue to support him to the extent it has thus far. And in such a scenario, people like Kinzinger and Cheney, Rick Smith and Steve Schmidt and others will start to make a lot more sense to some people on the right. I don't know if she'll be able to save her seat - kinda depends on how quickly all this unfolds (the Trump indictments that are coming), but she IS a force to be reckoned with and I predict she'll be in the news a lot more than the Trump fascists would like.
It's immaterial to 2022, which is about the only thing that counts right now. Either way, the misdirection of the GOP is fodder for Wisc., N.C., & Pa. voters to choose Dems senators, each of whom will be running in states that elected the current (and in two cases, retiring) GOP senators by less than 5% in 2016. Win those three and, Manchin be damned, you can probably nix or reform the filibuster and pass most of the Biden agenda. I think the GOP circular firing squad can get us 5%. And in 2020, about 15 GOP congress people won their seats by less than 5%. Focus and let Stacey Abrams et al do their thing.
To answer your question, I think it is unlikely that Cheney will survive. If she does, it will be in a greatly diminished capacity. How ironic is it that a miserable neocon, the daughter of Dick Cheney, is somehow the height of sanity and integrity in what we still, by long habit, call the Republican Party? The purges will continue until purity is achieved. I'm not sure what this portends for America or our politics, but it doesn't strike me as anything healthy.
To answer your question...the wagon's are continually circled around Republican's like Lynn Cheney when they are perceived victims and when they are perceived perpetrators. Not a fan of Cheney. Her 'conservatism' is disgraceful and exactly like her parents. She chose political strategy and Republican amorality when she rejected gay marriage. Her sister is gay and she still is against gay marriage.
Eric- I try to look at journalism through the lense you center your work on these days. MJT and Gaetz, Cheney, McConnell, even blogger DJT is creeping back in....their opinions are always big media stories. But, is it simply because media focuses on Republican's or because Democrats continue to follow the old rule book of civility and passivity? I am progressive, and resist messaging that is divisive within the part of America that is sane, rational, moral and above all else terrified of losing our Democracy. Liz Cheney supported all of DJT's crap before the insurrection. If she's not in politics she'll be absorbed by the Heritage Foundation or some other right wing group.
Liz Cheney has done one thing in her life I agree with. She will state publicly that a free and fair elections was indeed free and fair. Will the voters in her home state return her to Congress? I don't know. I do know that I am not at all happy with the press coverage of all of this. This is not a horse race or a sideshow. I feel like we are in an ongoing Republican attempt to control our government even though they (and their ideas) are in the minority. Every day that we give the Big Lie oxygen is another day our representative government is under threat. State by state, Republican legislatures are working overtime to pick their voters by targeted suppression. The illegal circus of a vote recount in Arizona is scary. That is the big story.
Don’t underestimate Liz Cheney. At. All. As a 4th-gen Wyomingite, who’s adopted by NYC, I can say that the DT-GOP has much that Wyos question.
Outsiders have consistently tried to colonize Wyo since its creation. Voters there see it at 100 paces. With a tiny population, Wyos know they’ll be left behind in a heartbeat, especially by a nationally focused party. DT will not tolerate a candidate who doesn’t praise him. That'll make it worse.
Gaetz showed East coast hypocrisy by flying to Cheyenne, saying he “loved Wyo” after being there for an hour, and put DT Jr on a speakerphone! Neither one could even spend the night to listen to state GOP leaders. This matters. Cheney’s consistently delivered for statewide concerns, and has a very strong ground game. DT’s appointees did little.
Moreover Wyomingites don’t swarm around indicted politicians. The motorcycle MAGAs at Gaetz’ rally? The could easily have ridden in from Colorado. In short, despite appearances, she’s not as vulnerable as it may appear.
BTW, yes, DT won Wyoming with 70% of the vote. That's a national job. Considerations for Congress and statewide elections have different considerations.
Nah, I don't think Liz survives. Those Republicans as she well knows are ruthless and ain't really anyone coming to her defense plus she's a woman. She's going to lose her seat for sure.
In several recent columns you've identified examples where the press is disproportionately quoting Republicans on major issues. I think this topic could be a theme for a future column and you could perhaps cite several examples. To me this is a vital issue because the press claims that it can't call out Republican lies and hypocrisy because it needs to be objective and give both sides, but in reality it's only featuring one side.
I take Eric's point to be that the in-fighting and Cheney isn't the important story. The important story is the radicalization of the Republican party, and the failure to allow Democrats to weigh in. And I agree. We are witnessing a major American party abandon the right to vote, free and fair elections, and therefore democracy. Cheney's ouster is a symptom, not the disease. Report on the disease.
I read Press Run to feel connected, encouraged and at times learn things I knew nothing about before opening the page. In days gone I needed encouragement watching the attacks on Muslims, children taken from their parents, unbridled criminality and corruption--well we all know the list-as at times I felt the desire to just quit. Thank you Eric and readers.
I have no opinion about Liz Cheney, who ran on her name, and her father was likely the chief architect of WMD and the invasion of Iraq. Disgusting. But what is happening to her is important even if she isn't.
I have 4 children under 25. Their lives are full and eyes wide. They don't know how the filibuster or Senate Rules work, how many states have passed or proposed voting restrictions, or the history of the expression The Big Lie. (Coined by Adolf Hitler, in Mein Kampf, to describe the use of a lie so "colossal" that no one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.")
It actually upsets me greatly to see Liz Cheney portrayed by the media as some kind of heroine when she's nothing but her father's daughter, a champion of waterboarding and a member of Congress heavily promoting the fossil fuel industry and opposing women's reproductive rights. I don't consider Cheney an asset to Wyoming or to the GOP. She's no less disgusting than the cult that wants to oust her.
So much can happen in a year. The lawsuits against Fox and company for disparaging the manufacturer of the voting machine will force those involved to recant their lies. God willingly trump and company will be arrested for their crimes. The Big Lie is built on a house of cards that can fall at anytime. Whether or not the MSM press be cover it as closely as they’re covering Chinese space debris is unknown. I do know that the influence of that press group is dwindling
They along with the Republican Party are complicit in their own demise. Good riddance
No justice in our lifetimes. The Republicans will succeed in their efforts to control US policy causing major disruptions to our country while the wealthy live in guarded, protected gated communities. As long as we live in chaos, the super-wealthy are assured of their supremacy.
The only surprise is that they aren't promoting Bobert or Greene for her leadership position. Stefanik? A total opportunist with zero credibility but an endorsement from Trump.
That a member of the Cheney dynasty is getting tossed over the side for a Trumplican shows the GOP is unsalvageable. The only question is how much damage they are going to do before they self-destruct. Is this going to be the American sequel to Throne of Swords?
Cheney may still be around in 2022 - it depends on who they find to primary her, and how bad the crazy gets between now and then.
The demise of the GOP has its roots in the disastrous election of Reagan. From 1980 until the present, unions have been shrinking (by GOP design, don't forget the PATCO union), the advent of social media and its unpredictable influence, and the unwillingness of politicians on the wrong side of the aisle to come to some form of common sense, and until there is a grassroots movement to wake more people up and the GOP returns to some form of sanity I cannot see anything getting better on their side.
Those that still believe the 'big lie' are doomed to repeat that lie for the foreseeable future.
So... Friends don't let their friends vote for republicans. Speak out. Be reasonable. Be consistent. Be a producer of "good trouble" it's all we have left to save this democratic republic.
What has been underreported is the process for deposing a GOP leader. Under the current rules, it requires a two-thirds vote. They can change the rules and make it a simple majority, but it's still a secret ballot. If Adam Kinzinger is anywhere near correct - that most rank and file members don't believe Trump's Big Lie - what's to stop them from voting to keep Cheney? Not that that will happen, but why should we believe the McCarthy-Scalise spin?
If the vote is secret I think Cheney will remain this time around. As to 2022, a lot can happen between now and then, so not sure. She’s supposed to have prez ambitions. She’s not my pick for any office at all but I like that she’s giving all those behind - kissing white boys in her party a run for their money. As I see it, Stefanik is a craven opportunist with a lot of ambition and smarts who has moved 180 degrees from a being a moderate anti Trumper to a cheerleader for the big lie. How does she sacrifice principles (if she had any) and sell her soul so easily? And, for sure, Dems are not in the conversation re: this soap opera/side show nor the scandalous demise of the Republican Party and the two party system. It should be front page news every day.
If the GOP wing of Congress doesn’t collectively grow a spine soon (which they won’t) I think Liz is toast. I can’t believe we’re at the point where I’m supporting someone whose political opinion is so diametrically opposed to mine. I so miss the days of honest and productive debate of policies. I just hope the GOP dies and a new party rises.
It's doubtful that Liz Cheney will be in Congress come January 2023. The one possibility for her to remain is if the DOJ, Georgia or the SDNY works a bit quicker to indict Trump for his many crimes. If the law fails to hold Trump and many other bad actors of Jan 6 accountable then she's toast and basically so are the rest of us. If there is no punishment for those that chose to carry out Putin's work (let's face it, these Republicans are in bed with the Russians), then our democracy is doomed. Every day that Trump is allowed to walk free is another day closer to authoritarianism taking over in the US. I for one am scared regardless of the great strides the Biden administration has taken. And finally I just re-uped for year two of Press Run. Eric, you are a fantastic journalist, a throwback to what journalism was when I was a kid. Keep up the great work you are doing. You are making a difference.
It"s remarkable that the Beltway elite press can turn everything into a "he said she said" inanity, especially the big lie. Liz Cheney has more courage? Catawampus.
I can' see Wyoming keeping her for another term unless there's a nationwide returning to the senses for Republicans.
I don't see Liz Cheney being in Congress after 2022. I don't even see there being a congress after 2022. More like a Reichstag if we don't get it together and keep it together!
I don't see Liz Cheney being in office after 2022. She ran on her Dad's name, but he is no longer relevant to today's GOP. I admire her for sticking by the truth, but it will cost her the election.
Over 69% of the people in Wyoming voted for Trump. The state Republican party has already started penalizing Republicans who don't exactly toe the line. There is a strong streak of independence in the people of Wyoming, but unfortunately, it's likely to translate into support for Trump, rather than the truth.
I agree with Diana M. This whole mess augers a realignment of democracy politics. First, we have a de-evolution of mainstream news brought about, largely, by the advent of the Internet and the advent of Everyone-is-a-Journalist-suddenly. Paywall news content is barely making it. Could this be the return of advocacy journalism to mainstream American news consumers(think Rupert Murdoch/Fox News on steroids.)? The U.K.; entire British Commonwealth; and much of Europe has remained that way, and what do we see? BREXIT, an independent Scotland, next, and WWIII, after that. (I’m a retired newspaper reporter, BTW.) For all her principled conservatism, Liz Cheney likely won’t survive being “primaried.” The U.S. political spectrum could evolve into a multi-party democracy, with BOTH major parties splitting up. In yesterday’s NYT, Thomas Friedman warned democracy is on more shaky ground, than ever.
Unless Liz Cheney goes balls to the wall, no. She has only one move: declare herself an Independent Republican and try to bring some other allegedly "disgusted" Republicans with her. See how that plays out and bring in Daddy Cheney for the election - maybe he has some sway with the 10 people in Wyoming who control things.
For four years Trump created the atmosphere, incited and then enabled an assault on the Capitol for the purpose of overturning the will of the voters. Cheney called for his impeachment. Democrats (and honest citizens of all political persuasions) should be hammering on those facts every time they can find a mic and/or a camera. The People must be convinced that truth matters, so I encourage everyone to repeat, and repeat, and then repeat again the truth, backed up by verifiable facts until it becomes, finally the real truth that all the people can share and believe. Democracy will not survive otherwise.
No, I don't think Liz Cheney will survive in '22. And it's hard for me to really care; she IS a Cheney and a staunch conservative after all so I'm in no mood to throw her a parade for simply telling the truth and acknowledging reality is a thing nor a pity party if doing so costs her her job. That doesn't mean it's not an ominous sign and another bucket of ice for the big chill Republicans are putting on Democracy. It's not just Liz Cheney that may not survive the next election cycle...
I am disgusted at how the mainstream media is failing to do its job as it should...it does not report important news...It is as if the former guy has grabbed hold of mainstream media and controls what it covers...why are they still covering this irrelevant guy? because the republicans have sold their soul to him??? Then the democrats should speak up..I believe Biden has a bit of an idea what is happening to the republican party...it has lost its way and no longer knows what it stands for...as for mcconnell's republicans...I am not sure even they can keep the party together.
Why not? How is it that the press has lost its ability to just report the news? If they simply lay out reality - Cheney speaks against the big lie, GOP sidelines her, democracy is threatened, then they’ve done their job But they won’t do that? Why is that?
This is not recent problem. Maureen Dowd is hardly a young journalist yet she has often focused on shallow snark. The late so-called Dean of Washington Journalists, David Broder, was part of Sally Quinn’s Kool Kids’ Beltway Club along with Dod and most political journalists. When Gore ran against Bush Broder wrote that in his acceptance speech Gore went on so much about what he would do if elected Broder almost fell asleep. These two were among the group that thought Bush was better than Gore because he was “more fun to have a beer with”.
There is nothing that Liz Cheney stands for that I agree with BUT she at least believes in Democracy. Dems need not involve involve themselves in this fight. What is needed? DEMS should be pointing out at EVERY NEWS CONFERENCE WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS BECOME AND REMIND EVERYONE THAT ANOTHER JAN 6TH IS AROUND THE CORNER IF THEY VOTE REPUBLICAN. EVERY.NEWS.CONFERENCE.NEEDS.TO.END.WITH.THAT.STATEMENT.
The biggest story not being covered with the front page, top of the show presence it deserves is the mass disenfranchisement of voters across the nation. This is the greatest most dangerous assault on our republc since its founding.
A recent poll in WY says 50% of republicans won't vote for her. I can't say it breaks my heart to see the GOP, that the Cheney family was so instrumental in building, is self-destructing, but I am ready for all of this madness to end.
I am kept awake at night, worrying about the representation of the least populated state, and how the third-ranking member of the minority party might be betting her career on opposing a carnival barker.
Thank you Eric. Here's the math: Cheney is 54; the former guy is 74 with all sorts of health issues. Unfortunately, the cult will not disappear until the former guy meets his maker. Sorry to wish ill-health on anyone really, but it is THE ONLY WAY, he will disappear because he is a malignant narcissist, who got an incredible dose of what he needs for his daily fix, in winning the EC and NOT the popular vote, in 2016. This need will not end until he is 6 feet under. Cheney has time on her side and all the true conservatives who are still out there. She's not going away.
Cheney's out of politics after 2022. On another point in your column today: I don't believe Democrats WANT to comment on the Cheney/GOP affair. They take the position that it's not their concern, as it's an internal GOP matter, and they don't want to comment and get involved, which just draws them in to a controversy they don't need to be involved in. Reporters may have asked Dems their views, but declining to comment is the better option for them.
Good point and I understand the idea that you stay out of the way when yr opponent is launching civil war. But in this specific case bc it’s abt The Big Lie etc, I think Dem voices should be heard
I agree with you. There has to be a concerted effort to keep telling the truth and get that message on MSM in vast numbers (using their own Nazi tactics) or regret it in (less than) two years.
Who besides Eric and my old pal, Bob Somerby, were there calling out the media since the 90s, when all this crap started, back when MSNBC was at the center of the attempt to drive Clinton from office, then helped Dubya steal the re-election and then cheerleaded us into endless wars? A problem with the left is that they think that the journos not on Fox are fair, intelligent and stawarts of our Democracy. BS, the political media arent the 1st amendment heroes they pretend to be, these ¨but her emails¨ jerks are the ones (along with Bernie or busters and Putin) who gave us Trump to begin with and then helped Barr and Trump push the outright lie that the Mueller report cleared Trump of treasonous acts involving Putin and Russia. The DC/NYC media are much more responsible for this horrific period in our history than clowns like Gaetz and the Q nutter/white nationalist who believes in Jewish space lasers.
Liz Cheney at least gives a fig about democracy, and when the GOP finishes purging people like her, all that will be left are Jim Jordan, Louie Gohmert, Boebert and Taylor-Green and other bomb throwing dimwits. There will be no one to push back on the next attempted putsch. I think Cheney will get re-elected because she will slice and dice whatever Trumpist nitwit emerges out there.
I think the Dems are smart not to try to take on this issue. The conflict is Republican vs Republican. If the Dems insert themselves it becomes red vs blue. I think they are lying low on purpose and it’s smart. Let the Republicans own this.
I agree with this. The infighting in the GOP is not helping them. Less and less people are identifying as Republican these days. 70% of 48% is not a lot.
A different problem is the power gained on the ground by local Rs taking over local governments. They’re organized and have been doing this for years. That’s a huge story in my book, Arizona being one recent example.
I watched conservative Rs being voted onto a school board in a small school district where I worked back in the 90s as high schools were discussing students forming an on campus Gay alliance. They were at all the meetings ready to fight with polite, bigoted opinions not backed up with fact; they’re stronger now than they ever were and haven’t looked back.
I just left a school board after 14 years and the only time I saw politics come into play was when we were putting together a policy about guns on school grounds. I wanted no guns allowed anywhere but lost to a conservative that said we could ban them in the building but if someone wanted to have one in their car we couldn't regulate that.
God bless you for staying so long. It’s as tho we’re from different planets. I was an elementary principal for many years, now retired, and the thought of guns in school makes me crazy.
I do believe she will be here in 2023. She is playing a long game which most Republicans are incapable of. They don't recognize that Trump is being more and more sidelined and he is facing all manner of legal problems, state and Fed. He is also in his 70s and not in good health. When he's gone, so is all his nonsense.
There's a lot not to like about Rep. Cheney, and it pains me to agree with her on this very critical issue she has with her party. I doubt she'll win her next election unless something drastically changes with republicans. The odds of that happening are slim. They've had a lot of opportunities to get back to being awful, instead of unbelievably awful, and they keep on with their disgusting ways. They didn't stand for much before, but it's gotten even worse after the November election.
So you are assuming that everybody believes that the past election was not stolen? The it was fair and square? Those people who believe so are out of their mind - democrat or republican! You gotta be kidding me!!! What are you inhaling? Are you out of your mind???
Thanks for asking us Eric.
I do think Liz Cheney will be re-elected. More information about the previous administration will be coming out as time gones on and the GOP's love with the orange man will start to disminish, slowly. Too slowly.
The media will not let the Democrats define themselves until the Democrats force them to. As frustrating as it is to see the media be so derelict in their duty, it is incumbent on the Democrats to craft a message that the media cannot ignore. And not some ridiculous James Carville rant about educated people not being able to connect with other people. All messages matter to save our democracy now given that GOP is determined to strip the USA's citizenry of our right to vote.
Grateful to Press Run Media for all the wonderful critiques, insights and music that come to my inbox. Keep it coming !
You know, there's another way to look at this. DJT and his RepubliCon sycophants in Congress have made Liz Cheney a very famous woman. People of all stripes admire a person of strength, a person who stands by their convictions. I can imagine a time - just a few months away, I hope - when DJT is indicted and the long string of his many crimes and sins against the country and a Constitution he took an oath to protect and defend start to unravel before our very eyes. I do not think his base will continue to support him to the extent it has thus far. And in such a scenario, people like Kinzinger and Cheney, Rick Smith and Steve Schmidt and others will start to make a lot more sense to some people on the right. I don't know if she'll be able to save her seat - kinda depends on how quickly all this unfolds (the Trump indictments that are coming), but she IS a force to be reckoned with and I predict she'll be in the news a lot more than the Trump fascists would like.
It's immaterial to 2022, which is about the only thing that counts right now. Either way, the misdirection of the GOP is fodder for Wisc., N.C., & Pa. voters to choose Dems senators, each of whom will be running in states that elected the current (and in two cases, retiring) GOP senators by less than 5% in 2016. Win those three and, Manchin be damned, you can probably nix or reform the filibuster and pass most of the Biden agenda. I think the GOP circular firing squad can get us 5%. And in 2020, about 15 GOP congress people won their seats by less than 5%. Focus and let Stacey Abrams et al do their thing.
To answer your question, I think it is unlikely that Cheney will survive. If she does, it will be in a greatly diminished capacity. How ironic is it that a miserable neocon, the daughter of Dick Cheney, is somehow the height of sanity and integrity in what we still, by long habit, call the Republican Party? The purges will continue until purity is achieved. I'm not sure what this portends for America or our politics, but it doesn't strike me as anything healthy.
To answer your question...the wagon's are continually circled around Republican's like Lynn Cheney when they are perceived victims and when they are perceived perpetrators. Not a fan of Cheney. Her 'conservatism' is disgraceful and exactly like her parents. She chose political strategy and Republican amorality when she rejected gay marriage. Her sister is gay and she still is against gay marriage.
Eric- I try to look at journalism through the lense you center your work on these days. MJT and Gaetz, Cheney, McConnell, even blogger DJT is creeping back in....their opinions are always big media stories. But, is it simply because media focuses on Republican's or because Democrats continue to follow the old rule book of civility and passivity? I am progressive, and resist messaging that is divisive within the part of America that is sane, rational, moral and above all else terrified of losing our Democracy. Liz Cheney supported all of DJT's crap before the insurrection. If she's not in politics she'll be absorbed by the Heritage Foundation or some other right wing group.
Liz Cheney has done one thing in her life I agree with. She will state publicly that a free and fair elections was indeed free and fair. Will the voters in her home state return her to Congress? I don't know. I do know that I am not at all happy with the press coverage of all of this. This is not a horse race or a sideshow. I feel like we are in an ongoing Republican attempt to control our government even though they (and their ideas) are in the minority. Every day that we give the Big Lie oxygen is another day our representative government is under threat. State by state, Republican legislatures are working overtime to pick their voters by targeted suppression. The illegal circus of a vote recount in Arizona is scary. That is the big story.
Don’t underestimate Liz Cheney. At. All. As a 4th-gen Wyomingite, who’s adopted by NYC, I can say that the DT-GOP has much that Wyos question.
Outsiders have consistently tried to colonize Wyo since its creation. Voters there see it at 100 paces. With a tiny population, Wyos know they’ll be left behind in a heartbeat, especially by a nationally focused party. DT will not tolerate a candidate who doesn’t praise him. That'll make it worse.
Gaetz showed East coast hypocrisy by flying to Cheyenne, saying he “loved Wyo” after being there for an hour, and put DT Jr on a speakerphone! Neither one could even spend the night to listen to state GOP leaders. This matters. Cheney’s consistently delivered for statewide concerns, and has a very strong ground game. DT’s appointees did little.
Moreover Wyomingites don’t swarm around indicted politicians. The motorcycle MAGAs at Gaetz’ rally? The could easily have ridden in from Colorado. In short, despite appearances, she’s not as vulnerable as it may appear.
BTW, yes, DT won Wyoming with 70% of the vote. That's a national job. Considerations for Congress and statewide elections have different considerations.
Thanks, Eric. You are doing a wonderful job of bringing us the truth. Would that the rest of the media were like you!
Nah, I don't think Liz survives. Those Republicans as she well knows are ruthless and ain't really anyone coming to her defense plus she's a woman. She's going to lose her seat for sure.
In several recent columns you've identified examples where the press is disproportionately quoting Republicans on major issues. I think this topic could be a theme for a future column and you could perhaps cite several examples. To me this is a vital issue because the press claims that it can't call out Republican lies and hypocrisy because it needs to be objective and give both sides, but in reality it's only featuring one side.
I take Eric's point to be that the in-fighting and Cheney isn't the important story. The important story is the radicalization of the Republican party, and the failure to allow Democrats to weigh in. And I agree. We are witnessing a major American party abandon the right to vote, free and fair elections, and therefore democracy. Cheney's ouster is a symptom, not the disease. Report on the disease.
I read Press Run to feel connected, encouraged and at times learn things I knew nothing about before opening the page. In days gone I needed encouragement watching the attacks on Muslims, children taken from their parents, unbridled criminality and corruption--well we all know the list-as at times I felt the desire to just quit. Thank you Eric and readers.
I have no opinion about Liz Cheney, who ran on her name, and her father was likely the chief architect of WMD and the invasion of Iraq. Disgusting. But what is happening to her is important even if she isn't.
I have 4 children under 25. Their lives are full and eyes wide. They don't know how the filibuster or Senate Rules work, how many states have passed or proposed voting restrictions, or the history of the expression The Big Lie. (Coined by Adolf Hitler, in Mein Kampf, to describe the use of a lie so "colossal" that no one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.")
They believe that things will just work out.
It actually upsets me greatly to see Liz Cheney portrayed by the media as some kind of heroine when she's nothing but her father's daughter, a champion of waterboarding and a member of Congress heavily promoting the fossil fuel industry and opposing women's reproductive rights. I don't consider Cheney an asset to Wyoming or to the GOP. She's no less disgusting than the cult that wants to oust her.
So much can happen in a year. The lawsuits against Fox and company for disparaging the manufacturer of the voting machine will force those involved to recant their lies. God willingly trump and company will be arrested for their crimes. The Big Lie is built on a house of cards that can fall at anytime. Whether or not the MSM press be cover it as closely as they’re covering Chinese space debris is unknown. I do know that the influence of that press group is dwindling
They along with the Republican Party are complicit in their own demise. Good riddance
I've been more than hopeful that justice would prevail. Sadly, I no longer expect it to happen.
No justice in our lifetimes. The Republicans will succeed in their efforts to control US policy causing major disruptions to our country while the wealthy live in guarded, protected gated communities. As long as we live in chaos, the super-wealthy are assured of their supremacy.
The only surprise is that they aren't promoting Bobert or Greene for her leadership position. Stefanik? A total opportunist with zero credibility but an endorsement from Trump.
That a member of the Cheney dynasty is getting tossed over the side for a Trumplican shows the GOP is unsalvageable. The only question is how much damage they are going to do before they self-destruct. Is this going to be the American sequel to Throne of Swords?
Cheney may still be around in 2022 - it depends on who they find to primary her, and how bad the crazy gets between now and then.
We are witnessing the demise of the Republican Party.
The demise of the GOP has its roots in the disastrous election of Reagan. From 1980 until the present, unions have been shrinking (by GOP design, don't forget the PATCO union), the advent of social media and its unpredictable influence, and the unwillingness of politicians on the wrong side of the aisle to come to some form of common sense, and until there is a grassroots movement to wake more people up and the GOP returns to some form of sanity I cannot see anything getting better on their side.
Those that still believe the 'big lie' are doomed to repeat that lie for the foreseeable future.
So... Friends don't let their friends vote for republicans. Speak out. Be reasonable. Be consistent. Be a producer of "good trouble" it's all we have left to save this democratic republic.
No, that time is far behind us.
What has been underreported is the process for deposing a GOP leader. Under the current rules, it requires a two-thirds vote. They can change the rules and make it a simple majority, but it's still a secret ballot. If Adam Kinzinger is anywhere near correct - that most rank and file members don't believe Trump's Big Lie - what's to stop them from voting to keep Cheney? Not that that will happen, but why should we believe the McCarthy-Scalise spin?
If the vote is secret I think Cheney will remain this time around. As to 2022, a lot can happen between now and then, so not sure. She’s supposed to have prez ambitions. She’s not my pick for any office at all but I like that she’s giving all those behind - kissing white boys in her party a run for their money. As I see it, Stefanik is a craven opportunist with a lot of ambition and smarts who has moved 180 degrees from a being a moderate anti Trumper to a cheerleader for the big lie. How does she sacrifice principles (if she had any) and sell her soul so easily? And, for sure, Dems are not in the conversation re: this soap opera/side show nor the scandalous demise of the Republican Party and the two party system. It should be front page news every day.
If the GOP wing of Congress doesn’t collectively grow a spine soon (which they won’t) I think Liz is toast. I can’t believe we’re at the point where I’m supporting someone whose political opinion is so diametrically opposed to mine. I so miss the days of honest and productive debate of policies. I just hope the GOP dies and a new party rises.
It did die. They're now zombies.
It's doubtful that Liz Cheney will be in Congress come January 2023. The one possibility for her to remain is if the DOJ, Georgia or the SDNY works a bit quicker to indict Trump for his many crimes. If the law fails to hold Trump and many other bad actors of Jan 6 accountable then she's toast and basically so are the rest of us. If there is no punishment for those that chose to carry out Putin's work (let's face it, these Republicans are in bed with the Russians), then our democracy is doomed. Every day that Trump is allowed to walk free is another day closer to authoritarianism taking over in the US. I for one am scared regardless of the great strides the Biden administration has taken. And finally I just re-uped for year two of Press Run. Eric, you are a fantastic journalist, a throwback to what journalism was when I was a kid. Keep up the great work you are doing. You are making a difference.
I am also with Lou... #4?
Im with Lou.
Me too!
Me three.
It"s remarkable that the Beltway elite press can turn everything into a "he said she said" inanity, especially the big lie. Liz Cheney has more courage? Catawampus.
I can' see Wyoming keeping her for another term unless there's a nationwide returning to the senses for Republicans.
THAT (the GOP returning to sanity) is what I would see as a miracle-- and as a staunch atheist, I don't believe in miracles, only coincidences. So...
Thanks so much for Press Run!
I don't see Liz Cheney being in Congress after 2022. I don't even see there being a congress after 2022. More like a Reichstag if we don't get it together and keep it together!
I don't see Liz Cheney being in office after 2022. She ran on her Dad's name, but he is no longer relevant to today's GOP. I admire her for sticking by the truth, but it will cost her the election.
Over 69% of the people in Wyoming voted for Trump. The state Republican party has already started penalizing Republicans who don't exactly toe the line. There is a strong streak of independence in the people of Wyoming, but unfortunately, it's likely to translate into support for Trump, rather than the truth.
But then, I'm a Democrat. What do we know.
I agree with Diana M. This whole mess augers a realignment of democracy politics. First, we have a de-evolution of mainstream news brought about, largely, by the advent of the Internet and the advent of Everyone-is-a-Journalist-suddenly. Paywall news content is barely making it. Could this be the return of advocacy journalism to mainstream American news consumers(think Rupert Murdoch/Fox News on steroids.)? The U.K.; entire British Commonwealth; and much of Europe has remained that way, and what do we see? BREXIT, an independent Scotland, next, and WWIII, after that. (I’m a retired newspaper reporter, BTW.) For all her principled conservatism, Liz Cheney likely won’t survive being “primaried.” The U.S. political spectrum could evolve into a multi-party democracy, with BOTH major parties splitting up. In yesterday’s NYT, Thomas Friedman warned democracy is on more shaky ground, than ever.
Unless Liz Cheney goes balls to the wall, no. She has only one move: declare herself an Independent Republican and try to bring some other allegedly "disgusted" Republicans with her. See how that plays out and bring in Daddy Cheney for the election - maybe he has some sway with the 10 people in Wyoming who control things.
there are several GOPs who should clearly opt for “independent” but they never do
For four years Trump created the atmosphere, incited and then enabled an assault on the Capitol for the purpose of overturning the will of the voters. Cheney called for his impeachment. Democrats (and honest citizens of all political persuasions) should be hammering on those facts every time they can find a mic and/or a camera. The People must be convinced that truth matters, so I encourage everyone to repeat, and repeat, and then repeat again the truth, backed up by verifiable facts until it becomes, finally the real truth that all the people can share and believe. Democracy will not survive otherwise.
No, I don't think Liz Cheney will survive in '22. And it's hard for me to really care; she IS a Cheney and a staunch conservative after all so I'm in no mood to throw her a parade for simply telling the truth and acknowledging reality is a thing nor a pity party if doing so costs her her job. That doesn't mean it's not an ominous sign and another bucket of ice for the big chill Republicans are putting on Democracy. It's not just Liz Cheney that may not survive the next election cycle...
I am disgusted at how the mainstream media is failing to do its job as it should...it does not report important news...It is as if the former guy has grabbed hold of mainstream media and controls what it covers...why are they still covering this irrelevant guy? because the republicans have sold their soul to him??? Then the democrats should speak up..I believe Biden has a bit of an idea what is happening to the republican party...it has lost its way and no longer knows what it stands for...as for mcconnell's republicans...I am not sure even they can keep the party together.
GOP clearly become a dangerous, radical entity. press has no idea how to cover that story
Why not? How is it that the press has lost its ability to just report the news? If they simply lay out reality - Cheney speaks against the big lie, GOP sidelines her, democracy is threatened, then they’ve done their job But they won’t do that? Why is that?
I worry that these younger reporters don’t bring with them any historical perspective to their reporting EVER. Political gossip rules the day.
This is not recent problem. Maureen Dowd is hardly a young journalist yet she has often focused on shallow snark. The late so-called Dean of Washington Journalists, David Broder, was part of Sally Quinn’s Kool Kids’ Beltway Club along with Dod and most political journalists. When Gore ran against Bush Broder wrote that in his acceptance speech Gore went on so much about what he would do if elected Broder almost fell asleep. These two were among the group that thought Bush was better than Gore because he was “more fun to have a beer with”.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2007/10/gore200710
Right. But presumably at least some of them went to journalism school. What are they teaching, these days?
See my post above yours.
There is nothing that Liz Cheney stands for that I agree with BUT she at least believes in Democracy. Dems need not involve involve themselves in this fight. What is needed? DEMS should be pointing out at EVERY NEWS CONFERENCE WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS BECOME AND REMIND EVERYONE THAT ANOTHER JAN 6TH IS AROUND THE CORNER IF THEY VOTE REPUBLICAN. EVERY.NEWS.CONFERENCE.NEEDS.TO.END.WITH.THAT.STATEMENT.
At least the traditional republican version of democracy. In my voting lifetime, their commitment to democracy has been weak at best.
The biggest story not being covered with the front page, top of the show presence it deserves is the mass disenfranchisement of voters across the nation. This is the greatest most dangerous assault on our republc since its founding.
A recent poll in WY says 50% of republicans won't vote for her. I can't say it breaks my heart to see the GOP, that the Cheney family was so instrumental in building, is self-destructing, but I am ready for all of this madness to end.
I am kept awake at night, worrying about the representation of the least populated state, and how the third-ranking member of the minority party might be betting her career on opposing a carnival barker.
Brilliant! This is like that part of the cartoon where one character is in hysterics and the other one slaps him to bring him back to reality. 🤣
OTOH - the fact that Cheney is getting zero support from the rest of the party is a little disconcerting. 😬
Thank you Eric. Here's the math: Cheney is 54; the former guy is 74 with all sorts of health issues. Unfortunately, the cult will not disappear until the former guy meets his maker. Sorry to wish ill-health on anyone really, but it is THE ONLY WAY, he will disappear because he is a malignant narcissist, who got an incredible dose of what he needs for his daily fix, in winning the EC and NOT the popular vote, in 2016. This need will not end until he is 6 feet under. Cheney has time on her side and all the true conservatives who are still out there. She's not going away.
Cheney's out of politics after 2022. On another point in your column today: I don't believe Democrats WANT to comment on the Cheney/GOP affair. They take the position that it's not their concern, as it's an internal GOP matter, and they don't want to comment and get involved, which just draws them in to a controversy they don't need to be involved in. Reporters may have asked Dems their views, but declining to comment is the better option for them.
Good point and I understand the idea that you stay out of the way when yr opponent is launching civil war. But in this specific case bc it’s abt The Big Lie etc, I think Dem voices should be heard
I agree with you. There has to be a concerted effort to keep telling the truth and get that message on MSM in vast numbers (using their own Nazi tactics) or regret it in (less than) two years.
Unfortunately, Liz Cheney will lose her seat. She does not represent the trump alliance in her state.
That’s where my money is, too
Who besides Eric and my old pal, Bob Somerby, were there calling out the media since the 90s, when all this crap started, back when MSNBC was at the center of the attempt to drive Clinton from office, then helped Dubya steal the re-election and then cheerleaded us into endless wars? A problem with the left is that they think that the journos not on Fox are fair, intelligent and stawarts of our Democracy. BS, the political media arent the 1st amendment heroes they pretend to be, these ¨but her emails¨ jerks are the ones (along with Bernie or busters and Putin) who gave us Trump to begin with and then helped Barr and Trump push the outright lie that the Mueller report cleared Trump of treasonous acts involving Putin and Russia. The DC/NYC media are much more responsible for this horrific period in our history than clowns like Gaetz and the Q nutter/white nationalist who believes in Jewish space lasers.
Liz Cheney at least gives a fig about democracy, and when the GOP finishes purging people like her, all that will be left are Jim Jordan, Louie Gohmert, Boebert and Taylor-Green and other bomb throwing dimwits. There will be no one to push back on the next attempted putsch. I think Cheney will get re-elected because she will slice and dice whatever Trumpist nitwit emerges out there.
McCarthy: Sycophant in Suit
The media are ambulance chasers. Whatever story is the most sensational is covered out of proportion to other important news.
This is a dumb generalization.
And pretty damn accurate.
The press is only interested in shiny objects, the CW, being on script and personal advancement.
Sorry sucker.
I think the Dems are smart not to try to take on this issue. The conflict is Republican vs Republican. If the Dems insert themselves it becomes red vs blue. I think they are lying low on purpose and it’s smart. Let the Republicans own this.
I agree with this. The infighting in the GOP is not helping them. Less and less people are identifying as Republican these days. 70% of 48% is not a lot.
A different problem is the power gained on the ground by local Rs taking over local governments. They’re organized and have been doing this for years. That’s a huge story in my book, Arizona being one recent example.
You can thank the Koch Bros for that. They have been building up GOP in state government for a long time.
I watched conservative Rs being voted onto a school board in a small school district where I worked back in the 90s as high schools were discussing students forming an on campus Gay alliance. They were at all the meetings ready to fight with polite, bigoted opinions not backed up with fact; they’re stronger now than they ever were and haven’t looked back.
I just left a school board after 14 years and the only time I saw politics come into play was when we were putting together a policy about guns on school grounds. I wanted no guns allowed anywhere but lost to a conservative that said we could ban them in the building but if someone wanted to have one in their car we couldn't regulate that.
God bless you for staying so long. It’s as tho we’re from different planets. I was an elementary principal for many years, now retired, and the thought of guns in school makes me crazy.
I do believe she will be here in 2023. She is playing a long game which most Republicans are incapable of. They don't recognize that Trump is being more and more sidelined and he is facing all manner of legal problems, state and Fed. He is also in his 70s and not in good health. When he's gone, so is all his nonsense.
She is 54 years old. The former guy is 74. An actuary might make something of that fact.
We forget the real Liz: "Democrats are “the party of anti-Semitism, the party of infanticide, the party of socialism.”
You must have read Charles Blow's Opinion piece in the NYT. Very good.
yeah, very important not to forget her true colors
There's a lot not to like about Rep. Cheney, and it pains me to agree with her on this very critical issue she has with her party. I doubt she'll win her next election unless something drastically changes with republicans. The odds of that happening are slim. They've had a lot of opportunities to get back to being awful, instead of unbelievably awful, and they keep on with their disgusting ways. They didn't stand for much before, but it's gotten even worse after the November election.
Ever thought I’d see it but it’s becoming the Louie Golmert party.
What brain active doesn't agree? Might as well say you agree with sun rising. So what?
hahaha
Short answer: no