The very worst of punditry. A columnist advises Democratic Presidential hopefuls to fearmonger over NY bail reform to win. “Right now, this bail issue is a perfect ‘jump ball’ opportunity for any of the remaining presidential candidates to prove just how persuasive they can be.” 
I didn’t think it was possible to sink lower than sensationalist media & tabloids who aid & abet prosecutor & police efforts to use racist, cynical fear to undermine reform in order to maintain power. But Jake Novak actively rooting for candidates to seize on the tactic does it.
Novak understands how powerful fear is. “In case you need to be convinced how big a political issue this could become, remember that violent crime stories are visceral in many ways. Crime stories also have a rare ability to energize otherwise non-politically active Americans.”
But instead of acknowledging the reality that propaganda of crime, violence, & fear has led to some of the most illogical, racist, violent, & costly, laws that continue to drive the crisis of mass incarceration we now find ourselves in, he *encourages* the continued use of it.
Here is Jake Novak encouraging the horror of caging people pretrial as a political strategy: “The even better news is that some Democrats running could take almost as much advantage of this issue as Trump. That is, if they want to stand out from the still-crowded primary field.”
The oddest part of all is Novaks inexplicable gullibility for sensationalism around bail reform despite his awareness of the use of fear as propaganda. He uncritically cites the “hourly stream of depressing media updates“ to conclude “it sure looks like the naysayers were right.”
Novak’s excitement builds as he goes. At one point, He goads Trump to tweet more about it, bc, of course, calling to jail Black & Brown people is a “perfect example of the kind of easy-to-understand & emotionally charged issue that can become a major factor in a nat’l election.”
Novak warns NY Dem lawmakers they better fall into line & come out against reforms they supported just months ago or else: “We’re just a Trump tweet away from NY’s bail problem from becoming something the entire party & its remaining presidential candidates will have to bear.”
Shame on @CNBC for publishing this garbage. Shame on @jakejakeny for your cynicism. But Jake, maybe visit JusticeNotFear.org, learn some truth about bail reform, the devastation it causes, & how the fearmongering you’re encouraging has undermined fairness AND public safety.
Wow. Jake is really going for it. Doing his best to make his desperate hope for NY propaganda to go national reality. Tagging Trump. Gov. Cuomo. Tom Perez. Brad Parscale. Former NYPD Commissioner Bratton. Please, please make jailing poor people for their poverty a wedge issue!
