Drew Holden Profile picture
Link to my Substack about the media, @Holden_Court, is below. Also seen in: @nytimes @NRO @federalist & more. Keeper of receipts. Maker of🧵threads🧵

Sep 23, 2020, 24 tweets

The Kavanaugh hearing was a clarifying moment for countless conservatives because it revealed the depths to which the other side will sink in order to get power.

I don’t think most conservatives need a reminder, but in case you‘ve forgotten...

🧵Thread🧵

We saw how eager the media, Dems, and others were to push baseless claims to destroy someone without evidence.

They’ll make a monster out of you for clicks. That includes @thedailybeast, @NBCNews, @Newsweek, @KamalaHarris, among countless others.

They’ll take unsubstantiated claims and level accusations against you as if they were already true. Elected officials, members of the media, thought leaders, and beyond would attack you from all sides.

@CoryBooker, @USATODAY, @greenhousenyt, @NYTimesCohen , @JaneMayerNYer

Even the future Democratic Vice Presidential nominee would be involved. @KamalaHarris

These attacks and general skepticism will only apply to you, of course. Your accuser will get only fawning coverage. Here’s @nytimes and one of their opinion columnists, @michelleinbklyn.

They’ll amplify conspiracy theories and baseless accusations against you without making any pretense of vetting them first.

Here’s @NYMag, @HuffPost, @CNBC, and @ajplus (or don’t you remember the ‘fifth’ accuser?)

And they’re happy to do it to the tune of a seedy snake oil salesman, a charlatan and a fraud.

When @MichaelAvenatti comes knocking with invented allegations, they won’t hesitate to run with them.

Here’s @politico, @voxdotcom and @TIME.

You’ll see countless editorials, op-eds, thinkpieces and more where complete strangers assail your character in the strongest possible terms.

Here we’ve got @JillFilipovic, @JohnBrennan, @tedlieu and @CharlesMBlow, who called Kavanaugh a “lascivious predator”

They’ll write “straight news” pieces that treat the situation as if the baseless claims have already been confirmed.

@RollingStone, @businessinsider, @AP, @nytimes

Rather than have a shred of incredulity when the most ridiculous of allegations, pushed by an outright fraud, come to light, they buy the claims hook, line, and sinker.

@tribelaw, @JohnWDean, @DavidCayJ, @qz

Hard to overstate how pervasive this phenomena was.

Here’s @CNBC’s White House reporter @christinawilkie running with the entire allegation.

I needed an entire tweet to highlight @SethAbramson, who said of @MichaelAvenatti and his invented claims “the man plans to run for president; my gut tells me he doesn’t go public with these allegations unless he’s got some pretty compelling witnesses and evidence”

Even their fact checkers will push unverified allegations that would eventually be referred for prosecution. Here’s @CNN’s @ddale8.

The truth of it doesn’t matter at all. If it bleeds, it ledes.

Here we’ve got @GQMagazine, @nytimes, @VICE and @CNN

Are you getting the picture, here?

@tedlieu, @tribelaw, @MSNBC, @CNN

They’ll assassinate your character over the meaning of slang terms you used decades ago in high school.

Here we’ve got @BuzzFeedNews, @voxdotcom, @VICENews and @Slate.

They’ll publicly crucify you for the crimes of others, or the crimes of a system. Here’s @voxdotcom

And if you dare protest - if you push back with even a hint of frustration as you see your good name dragged through the mud - you’ll have that used as a mark against you, too. Here we have @JohnBrennan, @MSNBC, @MalcolmNance and @lithub.

Really hard to overstate how frequent this line of criticism was.

I wonder if @NAACP, @NickKristof, @JoyAnnReid or @peterdaou could envision why someone would be angry for having their character picked apart on baseless claims?

And then they’ll demand you complete yet another background check - after you’ve passed SIX of them - if you want any hope of convincing them.

Plenty of voices from the Senate got involved, including @RonWyden, @SenSchumer, @ChrisCoons and @SenSanders.

And even if you make it through the entire ordeal, with your reputation forever sullied without evidence, they won’t stop.

Some of the most powerful people in the country will continue to heckle you and call for your head.

Here’s @ewarren doing just that.

So, conservatives, my question to you is this:

Are these the people and institutions you think you can trust and count on? Are these the parties you think you can negotiate with on a new SCOTUS Justice? Are these your good faith partners?

Because I, for one, have had it. I’m not interested in another round of this bad faith insanity.

Put on your armor. Hold the line. Do your jobs.

#FillTheSeat

And my (unsolicited) advice to Dems (and the media): ignore the lessons of the Kavanaugh hearing at your own peril.

Nothing brought together the conservative coalition the way that it did.

But a remake of it with a new justice certainly will.

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