I think this journalist got played by Tucker. Tucker believes in Tucker's bank account. Ful stop. Tucker is playing the role he needs to play right now to attract racist viewers. He's not going to break character for some Atlantic journalist. theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
I was surprised that this article used Tucker's own, right wing framing, with insufficient self-awareness. For example, using the antisemitic dog whistle term "globalist" without scare quotes stood out to me. As if "corporate globalism" is just an objective thing. 
This passage also stood out. Immigration restriction and attitudes about race have always been intertwined in American history and politics. They are inseparable. There's nothing "voguish" about seeing that connection.
This just replicates the line run by Tucker and other far right populists that "the people who talk about race are the real racists, and they just do it to be voguish and popular." That is complete BS, and I'm shocked that an Atlantic journalist would just repeat that line.
And this "litter" moment. I mean, come on. We're supposed to believe this gives us insight into the real Tucker? There is no real Tucker. It's racist turtles all the way down. He never broke character once.
And Tucker hating on David French? These statements by Tucker have as much authentic meaning as a boxer talking trash about their upcoming opponent. It's all just theater, that is mistaken here for insight into someone's persona.
For his whole career Tucker has been an opportunistic entertainer in the field of politics. He is a good talker. He can sense where the wind is blowing and move that direction. The people who respected him were those playing in that same, cynical world.
Ultimately, this moment in 2004 should have put an end to Tucker's career. But it didn't. And he's the same person today who Jon Stewart called out then. Anyone who doesn't see that is just getting played.
This is also a key piece of context. The narrative of "what happened to once noble Tucker" gives cover to the old school conservatives who don't want to confront the Tuckerism/Trumpism that was always under the surface.
Tucker has no interest in finding political solutions to the ills of working class Americans. He's monetizing their resentments & frustrations by feeding them stories about "dangerous Mexicans" and "Muslims and leftists who hate Western Civilization." It's pure, greedy cynicism.
Tucker's show is a racism factory. He takes in bigotry, gussies it up with some images, words, and snarky facial expressions, and then sends it back out into the world via Fox News Network. That's the only value-added for which he gets paid handsomely.
If you think Rupert Murdoch is paying Tucker all that money because he admires the world-changing, brilliant, populist economics of a frozen food heir who will bring down global capitalism, then...well...
This is a more recent moment that should have ended Tucker's role in our public life.
For crying out loud. The Atlantic itself published a piece showing that Tucker's Daily Caller employed a white nationalist, and yet Tucker goes on TV and says "white nationalism is a hoax." There's no need to be subtle about this. theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
This article is from August of 2017. Those who cared to pay attention have known for a long time who Tucker "really" is. salon.com/2017/08/21/tuc…
When you read that Atlantic piece from today in the context of those last two articles I linked to, it basically comes across as a puff piece masquerading as an expose.
One last thought here. Tucker knows he hasn't made some heroic, "complete break" from his old world. He's just being rightly shunned by the decent humans in his social orbit who are appalled by him. He's chosen to prioritize a paycheck and fame over not being a social pariah.
That laughter is the sad laughter of a man who has chosen the virtual admiration of millions of anonymous racists (and the $$$ of the advertisers who will pay for the attention of those racists) over the respect and human warmth of an actual, embodied community.
Shame on him for engaging in this charade. Shame on any journalist who does not call it out for the charade that it is. Shame on the advertisers who fund this drek. And shame on the Fox executives who allow this to continue.
The GOP allowed itself to be taken over by a fame-seeking sociopath. The MAGA media world is now dominated by such people (Alex Jones & Milo just being the most extreme examples). Here's an interesting story about a similar media sociopath from the 1930s. gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-al…
That podcast is great. You should really listen to it. It's got a goat testicle cure for impotence, the Carter Family, Nazis, and a radio station so powerful it made people's fillings hum.
Tucker is just the latest in a long line of fame (and money) seeking sociopaths who use their media-savvy to sucker ordinary people out of their money, all in the name of "fighting the elites."
