,
10 tweets,
3 min read
Read on Twitter
I hereby call for total and complete shutdown on the word “Washington,” which both ignores the issue of asymmetric polarization AND materially aids the GOP by serving up their chief talking point that “Washington is broken” and government is disfunctional. 1/
The GOP has developed a remarkably blinkered conception of what governance means. Beyond tax cuts for the rich, cruelty toward the poor (especially if they are women,nonwhite, LBGTQ, or Muslim),military spending, and court packing, many members of the party disdain governing. /2
Tea Party Rep. Raul Labrador spoke truthfully when he used the word "governing" with air quotes. As he told @RyanLizza, “If people just want to ‘govern,’ which means bringing more government, they’re always going to choose the Democrat.”/3
newyorker.com/magazine/2015/…
newyorker.com/magazine/2015/…
As Labrador's quotation suggests, the GOP has shifted from a distrust of government to a disdain for doing the actual work of governing. Michael Lewis's book, "The Fifth Risk" shows the dire consequences of this attitude, by examining how the Trump administration runs things. 4/
Employing the word "Washington" rather than naming the Republican Party, creates a "both sides do it," style of reporting that helps the GOP whose goal is to create maximum cynicism about the ability of government to accomplish anything constructive. /5
The linked @CNN article, discussing the "hard consequences" of failing to agree on a budget says, "Democrats would have to accept equally painful cuts to domestic programs, which have long been their top priority in talks." /6
BTW, the "painful cut" the GOP would have to make, according to this article, is in defense spending, an area where spending has been huge. Why do Democrats "have to accept equally painful cuts to domestic programs"? Because this fits with the symmetrical narrative. /7
The piece notes," The talks are playing out in the wake of Trump's tax reform, which increased the deficit." Rather than report that Dems "have to" accept "painful cuts, " as if there were no alternative, another angle of reporting on this would be to highlight GOP hypocrisy. /8
So please @CNN and other media outlets, let's have a moratorium on the word "Washington," which is often used imprecisely and not only shifts blame from the GOP but actually amplifies their message. It is not a neutral phrase but a partisan one./9
Rather than the headline "Washington Is Flirting With a Debt Crisis," how about, "GOP Tax Cuts and Demands for Military Spending Make Debt Crisis Likely." Rather than a misleading frame that serves the interests of the GOP, make it one that accurately assesses the situation. /10
