The Ben Shapiro column also was met with massive negative response across the Beltway, including inside Politico. I am the first person to distrust the Beltway when taking its temperature. But the presence of apologist voices in isolation or as outliers does not automatically mean "these apologist voices will be listened to by many and will soon overtake and dominate the public discourse." That simply has not happened here with the riots - the mainstream opinion and general public polling remains overwhelmingly negative. It is important not to constantly assume the other side is victorious by virtue of their still existing.

 

 

Edited January 15, 20214 yr by Vee

10 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

It's been starting to trickle into the Beltway, which is why Politico had Ben Shapiro, who has downplayed the attack, write a column on the subject yesterday.

That's simply not true regardless of Shapiro. It's appalling that Politico ran that column as a "both sides" attempt. People living and working in the DC area are terrified.  My cousin lives in Maryland just outside of DC and they are hunkered down for the next week or so. She said everyone in the area is on edge and scared to death. I can't imagine any of the Politico staff that actually works in the area were happy they ran that.

41 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Even though I figured out about a month ago that the individual relief payments would be cumulative (with the $600) and add up to $2000 total, I agree that this is misleading messaging, as it clearly became muddled. I do believe that Kamala and Bernie's bill originally called for a 2K payment but Joe, as the incoming POTUS is the final arbiter of what ultimately gets put forth and he seems to be making a declaration of $1400. It will be interesting to see what ultimately gets put in the bill, as the political calculus seems to change daily, based on the reality of the situation in the U.S.

 

I think it's an honest mistake and error, but also a stupid one. Just up the amount, make the checks 2K checks and stop assuming you can explain it to death to the American people like too many Dem messengers think they can.

 

3 minutes ago, JaneAusten said:

That's simply not true regardless of Shapiro. It's appalling that Politico ran that column as a "both sides" attempt. People living and working in the DC area are terrified.  My cousin lives in Maryland just outside of DC and they are hunkered down for the next week or so. She said everyone in the area is on edge and scared to death. I can't imagine any of the Politico staff that actually works in the area were happy they ran that.

 

The internal response not just in the Beltway but at Politico was massively and almost uniformly negative, which surprised me since Politico is and always will be founded on Republican values and perception. I will never trust them no matter what good reporting they sometimes do. But the fact is the bulk of the staff were outraged.

 

And as for the riots, all mainstream reporting in media today is about the sweeping identification and mass arrests and how serious and dangerous these attacks were and could still be. There are zillions of huge long articles about how close these lunatics came to killing Congresspeople or the VP. This is not being laughed off or treated as a joke on television or in print outside of the right. Period.

 

Meanwhile:

 

 

 

Edited January 15, 20214 yr by Vee

9 minutes ago, Vee said:

 

I think it's an honest mistake and error, but also a stupid one. Just up the amount, make the checks 2K checks and stop assuming you can explain it to death to the American people like too many Dem messengers think they can.

 

I definitely don't believe that there was any deliberate attempt to mislead but I do believe that the messaging got muddled along the way, perhaps a lack of communication in the midst of a harried, long and fraught election season.

I do agree that they really just need to bump up the individual relief payments to 2K.  It would be better than having to explain and over explain how and why their messaging went sideways to befuddled and possibly irritated Americans expecting $2,000.

 

About Politico, I probably read 5 articles of theirs per year (if that), so I doubt that anything they say, or write permeates much of the consciousness of the average person. It all feels a bit too "Inside Baseball" to me.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/15/critics-say-bidens-covid-relief-plan-breaks-promise-of-2000-dollar-checks.html

 

  

OMG people, those complaining, shut up and be happy you got anything. Yes I understand the confusion, but geesh 

8 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

OMG people, those complaining, shut up and be happy you got anything. Yes I understand the confusion, but geesh 

Easier to change it to $2000 then spend time on explaining it especially on your first piece of major legislation. Then thank little Marco for brining it to their attention and that they are changing it and are thankful for his support.

Edited January 15, 20214 yr by JaneAusten

8 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

OMG people, those complaining, shut up and be happy you got anything. Yes I understand the confusion, but geesh 

47 minutes ago, Vee said:

 

I think it's an honest mistake and error, but also a stupid one. Just up the amount, make the checks 2K checks and stop assuming you can explain it to death to the American people like too many Dem messengers think they can.

 

 

Except these aren't people who are arguing in good faith. If they got $2,000 they'd demand three. Give them three and they'll demand that there be retroactive payments. The goalposts always move because the whole brand of the left is that nothing is ever good enough. If they want it to be another $2,000 then write a bill for $2,000. It's not up to Joe Biden, it's up to Congress. Biden put forth his plan but Congress actually has to write and pass the legislation.

 

What's really pissing me off is that these are people who are always talking about how they want to help the poor and working class but they've completely ignored everything in the plan that does that like the increase in unemployment insurance, eviction/foreclosure moratorium, increase in the EITC, funding for schools so that people can send their kids back safely, increase in SNAP, etc... all because they want to be performative on Twitter.

1 minute ago, marceline said:

Except these aren't people who are arguing in good faith.

 

Of course they're not, and I don't pay attention to them. But I do think it's a larger messaging error. I think it needs to be 2K checks because the vast majority of the public is expecting that, and as a side note, yes, grifters like this on either side of the aisle will make hay of it. Just add the $600, which will make the people happy but also add defuse these lunatics' arguments and let them move on to the next.

 

Meanwhile:

 

 

 

1 hour ago, dragonflies said:

OMG people, those complaining, shut up and be happy you got anything. Yes I understand the confusion, but geesh 

 

The biggest problem is how this may hurt vulnerable Democrats like Raphael Warnock, who will be called liars. 

 

Beyond that, everything else in the bill has now been eclipsed. That moment was lost,

 

Edited January 15, 20214 yr by DRW50

1 hour ago, dragonflies said:

OMG people, those complaining, shut up and be happy you got anything. Yes I understand the confusion, but geesh 

 

How much you want to bet a considerable amount (possibly a majority) of the folks whining did NOT lose their job due to Covid?  

First known service member, a Virginia National Guard corporal, has been arrested and charged in connection with Capitol riot. https://t.co/I6zBUXQz9Q

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 15, 2021