The Politics Thread

[DRW50]

Well said, @Vee . Just as I type this I see a new Washington Post article giving the "well, actually" line to tell people there's nothing wrong with Trump turning the White House into campaign propaganda. 

 

It's so pervasive that even those the right sees as far left extremists, like John Oliver and the repulsive Bill Maher, have to perfunctorily trash the Democratic convention, just as Oliver needed us to know he has a Republican wife, so he would get brownie points. 

 

Much of the criticism of Trump is performance art. People on CNN, MSNBC, etc. yell and scream, for the camera, but most of that isn't genuine. It's the modern equivalent of when Aaron Brown on CNN would take off his glasses and sigh over Iraq while reporters drove around in tanks, grinning and giddy, their GI Joe fantasies come to life. 

 

They need Trump for financial reasons, and beyond Trump, they need their "strong father," "brainy policy wonk so gutsy in standing up to those dirty poors," and "noble and brave Republican minority" figures to help keep them going psychologically, which is why so many acres of sympathetic newsprint went out about frauds like Dan Crenshaw or Paul Ryan or Nikki Haley, or why, when Mitt Romney made a few very belated, very minimal efforts to separate himself from Trump, you had reporters trying to shame and berate voters for not electing him in 2012. 

 

It's a sickness. And no, not all reporters are like this, not all media is like this. But those who are are the ones who have all the power. Until that changes, the disparity and danger in coverage won't get any better - it will just get worse. We will continue to have Andrew Lacks here, there and everywhere. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by DRW50

[AdelaideCate007]

 

Well of course, you're getting to no objection on this from me on this. I avoid Sky News unless necessary because they're so bad. I agree they totally helped the Libs. It's gross to see them fawn over the likes of ScoM or Pauline Hanson or whoever every time you turn it on.

 

As for the rest @Vee @DRW50 , I admit that I was wrong and thank you both for the insight. At the risk of sounding ignorant, I have to admit I was not aware of all that and hadn't put much thought into. I only get and see the most surface level of US political news from places like CNN, twitter,  or Australian news media, so I'm admittedly  usually on seeing things that appeal to me and my biases.Thanks for opening my eyes a little on this subject.

Edited August 24, 2020 by AdelaideCate007

[DRW50]

 

I don't think you're wrong - it's all just opinions in the end. Not to downplay everything Australia is going through but I just hope your government is better than ours as I'd like to think other countries can move on even as ours is pretty clearly just sinking further into the mire.  

Edited August 24, 2020 by DRW50

[marceline]

 

It makes more sense if you stop thinking of them as journalists and think of them as pundits or web content providers.

 

Look at the Washington Post. They had a journalist murdered by the Saudis  with the blessing of Trump and Kushnerand yet they still allow right wing propagandists like Marc Theissen and Hugh Hewitt to publish the most twisted of propaganda in their opinion pages. Too many in the media really just can't grasp that they are as vulnerable as the rest of us. That was the interesting part of the George Floyd protests. White journalists who were attacked were shocked at how they were treated by police because they thought identifying themselves as media would protect them. 

[marceline]

So over the last week we've seen:

• Steve Bannon and a bunch of GOP grifters arrested
• The Conways forced out of public life because of their daughter
• The Fallwells' throuple marriage outed
• NY sues the Trump Organization
• Dozens of Republicans endorse Biden
• Day one of the RNC is pretty much what we expected

I feel like it's just the beginning.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by marceline

[janea4old]

 

[victoria foxton]

 

   

[Faulkner]

 

The soaps wouldn’t touch a story like this these days. But they should.

[Faulkner]

 

[ChateauCardboard]

I agree. I hope I didn't sound like I was calling you out or correcting you. I just wanted to make the point that Murdoch has destroyed the press on three continents. And the bastard STILL won't die.

[Vee]

 

The perils of no live audience.

[Toups]

Katie Porter, one of my favourites!  "As a professor, I've always told my students that one of the most important rules in life is to read the instructions." 

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[DRW50]

Katie Porter even warned him days in advance and he still didn't bother. I guess he knew he didn't have to make an effort. 

 

I see people clowning dead-eyed Don Jr and his grifter girlfriend, but beyond that, I mostly see the media yet again fawning and begging the GOP to make Tim Scott or Nikki Haley President. Good luck there (Haley is worthless in every way but even her intense self-hatred isn't going to be good enough for the base).

 

CNN people are also pushing narratives already - they sure know who writes their checks.

 

More on the speakers tonight:

 

 

 

[victoria foxton]

 

   

[Vee]

I do not think media is fawning over this event. I do think some of them will try to prop up Haley, as always.