Friends, it is important to know that millions of rank and file Democrats are concerned about Biden’s health and/or his ability to beat Trump. Accusing them of wanting a Trump victory is neither accurate nor honest. We have to be the party where people can freely express concerns about Biden — otherwise, we risk degenerating into the current Republican situation, where all dissent has been quashed. 1/
@heidilifeldman Yep, and blaming the media for reporting on what many Democrats are genuinely concerned about is also a very Trumpian tactic that we need to avoid adopting.
@VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman Three democratic congressman have called for Biden to step down. That doesn't happen unless a *lot* of normal people and political people are talking about it. It would be journalistic malpractice not to cover the issue.
But, yeah, as Trump (and now some liberals) has found, it's often easier to blame the media than to participate in introspection.
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
Why did you avoid my question?
Or, do you agree with the media that being too old is worse than rape?
@VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman If you haven't figured out by now that Republicans are perfectly happy to elect a rapist convict, then I don't know what to tell you.
More importantly, the reason people are calling for Joe to drop out is specifically because they don't think he has what it takes to defeat the rapist convict.
If a big bully at school is screwing with you and the kid you hired to protect you is too weak to handle it, you don't ask the bully to drop out. You fire the kid you hired and elect a tougher one.
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
You still didn't answer my question.
Let me try again. (As a reminder, you were stated that people who are "blaming the media" are using a "Trumpian tactic." My question was a direct response to that.)
The question is:
"Which MSM outlets have pushed (for weeks) for Trump to drop from the race because he was found to be a rapist? Or because he was found guilty of dozens of felonies?"
@VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman The answer is the same as it is to the question "Which newspapers reported a fart in the wind?"
What's next? Are you going to demand that they all carry exclusive stories about how "water is wet"?
The bottom line is that Republicans aren't concerned about these things. They won't call for their candidate to drop out over those issues. Newspapers demanding Trump drop out are like newspapers demanding the sky change color. We *all* already know he's a shitty person. The only personal question left is whether that's a selling point or a warning sign.
If you can't understand why the news only reports on what's newsworthy, then I can't help you.
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
You still didn't directly answer the question, so I will. The answer is zero.
Zero MSM outlets for wks called for Trump to drop from the race when he was found to be a rapist or when he was found guilty of dozens of felonies.
And your odd point that the media should *only* call for Trump to drop out if his base wants him to drop is moot.
It's moot because the MSM outlets started pushing Biden to drop *the night of the debate.* They had NO voter input.
@VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman Lol, really? I was watching it live. They were all on their phones getting texts from scared campaigners and voters and friends.
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
Sigh.
Yes, campaign people. Senate people. Political establishment. *NOT* voters. Voter feedback takes days.
In sum: You started by slamming people who criticize MSM as "Trumpian." Not because it's a rational, explainable position, but because you agree with MSM about Biden. Thus, you attack people who disagree with you by likening them to a rapist & felon and his ilk. Maybe not the best approach.
I'll save us both some time & end the convo here. Take care.
> Voter feedback takes days.
Lol, no it doesn't. You ask a room of people to raise their hands in response to questions. It takes seconds, and it's only a little less reliable than a massive phone bank.
> You started by slamming people who criticize MSM as "Trumpian." Not because it's a rational, explainable position, but because you agree with MSM about Biden.
I criticize the belief that the media are the cause, rather than the effect, of Biden's unpopularity as being "Trumpian" because, yes, that's exactly the tactic Trump has used.
If the media reports that your candidate is weak, you have a choice. You can either try to deal with that weakness, whether it be perception or reality, or you can complain about how the media isn't focusing on your opponents' weaknesses and they're all part of a conspiracy against your side. Which do you think is the best approach?
@VirginiaMurr
Call these people out.
I just read the entire health evaluation for President Biden.
There is nothing wrong with him.
Meanwhile more of the Epstein files have been released and there was a witness that testified about Trump raping a 13 year old.
@palin @VirginiaMurr yeah, nothing to see here. Move along. Do what you're told.
@LouisIngenthron @VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman "Three Democratic Congress-critters have called for Biden to step down in a pathetic effort to get the media to pay attention to them"
@TheNovemberMan @LouisIngenthron @VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman
Exactly, and Louis started his attack against Joe Biden by asserting that it was "many Democrats" when it's only three.
This collective madness that has convinced so many Americans to help our adversaries to weaken our commander-in-chief right before a hugely important #NATO summit has been so sad to watch.
@GreenFire @LouisIngenthron @VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman Well, Louis is obviously a clueless shit-flinger and the sort of useful idiot Stalin would love. 🙄
@TheNovemberMan
Are they on our call list?
@palin
Smith
Nadler
Takano
Morelle
@TheNovemberMan @LouisIngenthron @VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman Why are those critters, who called on Joe to leave, not presidents?
Because the can't and Joe Biden can do the job of serving Americans.
They should try harder to serve Americans & their country, uniting behind President Biden to tackle the threat of the psychopathic insurrection inciter, who's exclusively serving himself — and the Kremlin.
#RuleOfLaw #DefendAmerica #DefendDemocracy #Law #DefendTheConstitution #DefendTheUnion #Democracy #YourVoiceMatters #VOTE #BidenCares #PresidentBiden #BidenHarris #USPol #USPolitics
@LouisIngenthron @VirginiaMurr @heidilifeldman
Yeah! Hen and egg problem. What came first? Obsessive reporting or the concern?
I'd say the age is blown out of proportion. Biden was old in the first term, it didn't stop him from a good performance on the job.
@VirginiaMurr @LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman This is exactly my stance.
Anyone who whines about Dems not doing enough for _them_ individually are unreasonable idiots. There's 330 million people.
Anyone who doesn't comprehend the danger the country has been in and will continue to be in BECAUSE people aren't voting?
I don't have words to express how stupid these people have to be.
Are there that many people with a death wish???
The media IS an utter failure.
@VirginiaMurr @LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman Saying blaming the media for utterly failing to do their job is trumpian is absolutely asinine.
They have been up Biden's ass for no reason other than his age.
Trump is responsible for a million dead Americans bc of his failed covid response. That's WAY more important than Biden's age.
You really want to see what Trump does next? He tried to use military on citizens last time.
Now? HE CAN.
They're utterly failures.
Politics
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
I actually do blame the media for a scandal-focused bias that amplifies controversy over substance. Coverage of politics is just a proxy for coverage of governance- but our media environment has forgotten that. Democratic concern over Biden is exactly that the impression that he is too old will hurt his ability to defeat Trump. That impression is amplified when there are 100 stories about the issue for every 2 stories about Trump’s embrace of far-right and fascist policies - which he does not seem to understand. If every story about Trump emphasized his own limited cognitive ability. His lack of knowledge of details. His inability to express coherent positions, then I could take the media coverage of Democratic Party deliberations about Biden’s age as “reporting” - but what I am seeing are deliberate editorial decisions to create a scandal. For that, the media deserves blame.
> a scandal-focused bias that amplifies controversy over substance
True, but that goes both ways.
> but our media environment has forgotten that. Democratic concern over Biden is exactly that the impression that he is too old will hurt his ability to defeat Trump
It's not their job to get Biden elected. It's their job to report on what others are doing and saying.
We know Trump is incompetent. Why discuss it? But whether or not Biden is competent to make it through the election is a matter for discussion, so it's being covered. That's just how news works. It worked against Trump the last two cycles, but this time we have such a weak candidate that it's working against us this time around.
politics
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
"t's not their job to get Biden elected. It's their job to report on what others are doing and saying."
No. It is their job to make money for their company. It SHOULD be their job to report on what is happening. The scandal-focus is about the money, not the journalism.
"We know Trump is incompetent. Why discuss it? "
Because it is news that an incompetent radical is trying to be president. The radicals that are supporting him are continuing to talk and act That is news. And the story ISN'T just lots of people support him. The story is that he has plans that will have consequences, that he doesn't have the skills to control the radicals that surround him. Reporting on what people are saying and doing during a political campaign should be about the consequences of making one choice over the other - NOT about the popularity contest, primarily.
politics
@icastico @LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
Trump is all in, when it comes to white property supremacy.
Trump is not a people's president.
Trump is a sociopathinc malignant narcissistic billionaires president.
The corporate media ia outrage farming. Currently, exploiting Dems anxiety and thereby amplifying said anxiety is more profitable. This is not journalism, that's staged "reality" entertainment.
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman The only thing the "media" is being blamed for is NOT doing their job, NOT being fair and balanced, and advocating against Biden.
The "media" is longer trustworthy. The NYT, MSNBC, even CNN no longer care about truth and facts; their only mandate is to act as a mouthpiece for their oligarch owners.
Trump is a felon, a rapist, has stolen and hidden and handed out America's secrets like candy.
Biden has a stutter and a cough.
There's no proportionate coverage.
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
There is reporting and there is obsessive propaganda. 192 articles on the debate by the NYT is obsessive propagandists.
Biden admits he had a bad 90 minutes.
People, who work with him and foreign allies, confirm that Biden is fine, prepared and up to the task and badass prepared, apparently.
How about moving on and concentrating on what matters. Results! Biden delivered under challenging circumstances.
Impromptu interview + rallies show, it was a one-off.
@LouisIngenthron @heidilifeldman
Which MSM outlets have pushed (for weeks) for Trump to drop from the race because he was found to be a rapist? Or because he was found guilty of dozens of felonies?
Rapist vs "too old" are not remotely equivalent.
It's absolutely proper to criticize journalists and media outlets who don't see rape & felonies as worse than old age.