3 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

Damn CNN sold its soul to the devil for ratings!

They did that when they gave him airtime in the run-up to the 2016 election.  Tonight was just the devil finally collecting on the debt.

15 minutes ago, Vee said:

It's been fantastic purely for the faithful, who are pre-sold on Trump. It's not fantastic for CNN, which has been trying to pretend its pivot to 'the center' is Serious Journalism and that this event would not be an embarrassment. Both of those objectives failed. Most people didn't watch this live, they watched the ugly highlights on Twitter. They should never have done this.

 

 

You'll see (and are already seeing) the usual Beltway wagon-circling for poor valiant Kaitlan Collins who is one of the gang - she even roused apolitical access robot Peter Baker to her defense while he was studiously ignoring this event - but make no mistake, it was a disaster for their rep.

But the issue is, once again, the media has learned jack s*h*i*t from 2016. Keep pushing this POS, and he can once again have a chance next year.

And that will be the end of our democracy. Not hyperbole. FACT.

But as long as CNN and its ilk get $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, they no longer give a rat's f*u*c*k.

11 minutes ago, Wendy said:

But the issue is, once again, the media has learned jack s*h*i*t from 2016. Keep pushing this POS, and he can once again have a chance next year.

I doubt it. think the only silver lining of this shitshow is that it doesn't move the needle with anyone other than the faithful, and it drives the squishy middle further into our corner. It functions as a free attack ad for Democrats. That said, it's disgusting and should still never have aired.

What's really funny are the longtime CNN apologists/ex-employees like the professionally clueless Brian Stelter claiming Jeff Zucker would never have let this happen.

Edited May 11, 20232 yr by Vee

To those who are confused about being gullible

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/07/25/rupert-murdoch-donald-trump-splitsville-00047748

https://thespectator.com/topic/why-murdoch-dumped-trump/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/dumping-donald-trump-is-just-the-start-of-rupert-murdochs-ugly-new-era

Edited May 11, 20232 yr by j swift

2 minutes ago, j swift said:

To those who are confused about being gullible

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/07/25/rupert-murdoch-donald-trump-splitsville-00047748

https://thespectator.com/topic/why-murdoch-dumped-trump/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/dumping-donald-trump-is-just-the-start-of-rupert-murdochs-ugly-new-era

I'm aware these pieces exist, yes. We all are. There are many like them in the last near-decade. These pieces are always sourced to FOX execs, producers or on-air talent who approach sympathetic access journalists and try to whitewash the network's reputation in the wake of Carlson's firing - it's always '[Tucker/whoever] was the problem, FOX is great and is changing its tone, we swear.'

FOX has been ready to 'turn on Trump' no less than 5-10 times in the last 5-6 years. You can either understand the game we all already know, or you can act shocked when it continues. You and Brian Stelter will be the last two holdouts.

If there's a lesson to be learned from Trump's performance tonight it is that we would all be better served by refraining ourselves from name calling and try to express our opinions in first person personal in order to preserve a civil discourse.

Go public or shut up:

 

It's a shell game. It's bullshit. CNN loves to play this game, and they are amply rewarded for it. I wish they'd just admit it already and stop trying for respectability. 

This is who they used to help Trump win. And who the Beltway are now trying to make into a martyr, as her reward for 4 more years of carnage. 

 

Maybe CNN thought Kaitlan Collins was more capable of talking over a blowhard after her experience with Don Lemon?  Spoiler alert; she wasn't and she may have permanently destroyed the reputation of CNN.

Edited May 11, 20232 yr by j swift

She'll be fine. This is Licht's takeaway despite protest from staff (who I agree with Carl should all know better):

 

What Licht told his employees is almost verbatim what Jeff Zucker said back in 2016.

Elmo supposedly stepping down LOL

 

 

 

So much for the smash success.

 

There was always going to be a point when the general public (who WEREN'T diehards but who were nevertheless curious) would get tired and begin experiencing what I would call "Trump fatigue."  It's like watching MELROSE PLACE: you can take only so many Shocking Twists before the twists stop being shocking.