The Media/Journalism Thread

[DRW50]

The whole thing was disgusting and cynical. Headlines and optics coming out of the event are going to be of him stirring up race drama about Kamala Harris, the divide and conquer he loves best (and which the press is happy to play along with - they now have an opportunity for endless "is she seen as black" and "is she just an opportunist" stories) and his cult seeing their tough leader sparring with a black female reporter who in their minds needed to be put in her place. This is what he has done over and over and over - stigmatizing women, often black women, because it drives up his base and distracts from his problems. It repulses us but it pays off for him. And whoever at the NABJ greenlit this must have been happily complicit. 

[Xanthe]

I don't doubt that the press can spin this if they want to, but part of me wonders whether Trump has confused Kamala with Nikki Haley. I mean he doesn't care about facts and will say as many contradictory things as he likes in order to attack other people, but that was so perplexing. 

[DRW50]

I wouldn't be surprised, but this is a longstanding attack against Harris, which is one of the reasons so many of his sycophants, like Boobert, were out there with headlines. I saw that Judge Joe Brown was also going around claiming her father told him he wasn't really black. This was all planned. Divide and conquer, trying to get black voters to think she is using them and to cause more conflict over biracials, and trying to get the public at large to see her as a liar and opportunist. And the media will lap it up.

[Vee]

It doesn't distract from his problems, though - it is his problem. He's been bleeding voters, Harris is stalking him state to state and he is not building more base. Firing up your base doesn't help you if it's shrinking and can't win an election.

That event was a disaster and does nothing outside of the faithful but damage him further. It's another bad news cycle. And it's going to hit his numbers more.

It's not working.

[DRW50]

I suppose I'm still stuck in 2016. These puerile, gutter-level attacks paid off for him then, and many of the same people in power who were pushing for him then are doing the same now, only backed up even more with huge tech moguls and industry figures.

[Vee]

I get that, but we both know it's been a long time and he's a much, much weaker figure with a much deeper floor and lower ceiling with voters.

[soapfan770]

Norah O’Donnell is leaving the CBS Evening News anchor position after the election:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2024/07/30/norah-odonnell-leaving-cbs-evening-news-anchor/74608609007/
 

Sad as I was hoping Norah to succeed but yeah a 30 minute evening newscast on broadcast TV isn’t some big thing anymore. I thought she was at least better than Pelley and Glor, both who were terrible IMO. No anchor replacement announced yet it sounds like CBS will be rotating anchors after she’s out.

[wonderwoman1951]

well… sure, it galvinizes his base and if they were the only ones listening. but what he doesn’t seem to realize is that people who are on the fence are listening too. 

same with ‘never have to vote again’ . upthread, someone asked why is his campaign signing off on his bullshit — and who — inquiring minds want to know. 

 

i’ve had a hard time watching her since that 2016 60 minutes piece where she badgered valerie jarrett. 

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/05/please-enough-schmooziness-theory-presidential-power/

 

 

[Vee]

 

[DRW50]

Never even heard of this network. Adele blaring in the background at the hate rally (I assume she said no but they use it anyway). I guess this is the next step of the GOP's plan - having biracial people recycle these talking points so you can't point out the racism as easily.

[Khan]

How quickly we forget the "one-drop rule."

[DRW50]

This sums it up all too well, sadly.

And here's this GOP-friendly scumbag, lying that Kamala is an immigrant. 

 

Edited August 1, 2024 by DRW50

[Vee]

Wishful thinking from The Hill. Any time he does anything stupid there's a segment of media that kvell and say 'he's won back the news cycle! What a genius plan!'

This fumble atop a colossal mess will not play well for him, despite poor attempts to launder it and put it over. Such as:

It's not going to get much traction AFAIC, it's just going to turn more people off.

 

[DramatistDreamer]

I am darker skinned than VP Kamala Harris and I have had people dismissively stating that I am not Black because my parents (who are also visibly Black people) are foreign born.

This is not a new phenomenon, people. People casually express this degree of ignorance all the time.

[j swift]

What I appreciate is that media (for the most part), has stayed away from a debate over biracial identity, and instead has highlighted that Trump causes chaos and anxiety everywhere he goes.  I think the Harris campaign has been very successful in steering away from defending themselves from an obvious racist attack into the message that everyone deserves respect. 

Americans are anxious about the type of mobs that Trump motivates, and that is a useful tool in this campaign.  The messaging that Harris can bring about stability really helps her, and he could not have given her a better gift.