If you want to understand the @CNN / @joerogan situation, think of the media as a clique-obsessed high school.
A brief thread:
Rogan is the stoner who does wild stuff, breaks all the rules with with few consequences, and hangs out with shady characters (and some straight-up criminals). Therefore most of us don’t want to be associated with him, even though a bunch of us secretly love to get high with him.
CNN is the pompous rich kid who lives in a bubble. He gets high, too, but rarely faces the kind of accountability he preaches for the stoner. That drives some of us crazy—but we tend not to say anything, because you’d rather stay on his good side. Plus, he throws awesome parties.
When the rich kid bullies the stoner, some of us feel paralyzed. The stoner has been really irresponsible, doing little to earn the benefit of the doubt. But in this case, he’s clearly being wronged. Do we stand up to the rich kid? Or do we pretend we saw nothing and walk away?
Most of us are too concerned with our social status to defend the stoner or confront the rich kid. So we walk away. Which is shameful. Because if it was Fox News—the loud, insecure, race-baiting jock—doing this sort of lying and bullying, we wouldn’t hesitate to call him out.
This is why our high school has such a lousy reputation. Because the standards are inconsistent; the code of conduct is selectively applied. Fairness and credibility and truth—the values our student body claims to exemplify—are sacrificed on the altar of favor and popularity.
Rogan is reckless: platforming Alex Jones, broadcasting junk science during a pandemic, etc.
But cable news can be just as reckless. In this case CNN repeatedly—and gleefully—misled the public.
You’re worried about the media’s credibility? Good. Then call bullshit on them both.
p.s. don’t come with the #bothsides false-equivalence stuff.
CNN purports to be a world leader in serious, fact-oriented journalism. We should hold them to a *higher* standard than a comedian-turned-podcaster.
Mistakes happen. Call them out. Correct them. Be accountable.
/end
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"I have on many occasions criticized the abuse of the word coup in our politics, but that is what this is: an attempted coup d’état under color of law. It would be entirely appropriate today to impeach Trump a second time and remove him from office before his term ends."
"Trump’s media cheerleaders, who like to call themselves constitutionalists & patriots, are no such thing. They are, for the most part, profiteers who will justify anything if it helps them to hold onto one point of audience share as they peddle their various blends of snake oil"
States administer elections in this country. States canvass. States certify. States appoint slates of electors to the EC.
Once those state results are certified, and EC votes cast, there is no federal role beyond Congress tallying them and the sitting VP announcing a winner.
This is very straightforward. Can members of Congress object to the count? Yes. But objections have historically been extremely rare and narrow in scope. They've also been ineffectual—because federal lawmakers wouldn't dare, with the stakes so high, usurp the will of the states.
This is what makes 2020 so special. The same folks who've screamed about federal overreach and #makeDClisten are now proposing Congress disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans and strip states of their electoral sovereignty.
9 of 10 Trump voters I’ve talked to believe mass voter fraud occurred.
8 of those 9 cite the protracted counting and Biden’s “comeback” after Trump led Tues night.
Again: Legislatures in MI/WI/PA failed America by not allowing pre-processing. This madness could’ve been avoided.
There was no reason—none—to deny clerks the ability to process ballots early. Other red states allow it. Makes perfect sense re: efficiency AND accuracy (less rush, fewer mistakes.)
But Rs there decided to indulge Trump’s war on mail voting. The consequences have been ruinous.
Some credit goes to Lee Chatfield, the Republican House speaker in Michigan, who refused to allow pre-processing—and now admits that was a mistake.
Will Republican leaders in other states follow suit? Hopefully. But I fear a tremendous amount of damage is already done.
John Kasich's campaign manager, Beth Hansen, picks Dems to win the House and Senate.... Biden to win the popular vote by 8 million.... and Biden to win the Electoral College w/ 278 EVs. Total turnout: 148 million.
Jeb Bush's campaign manager, Danny Diaz, picks Dems to win the House and Rs to win the Senate.... Biden to win the popular vote by 6 million.... and Trump to win the Electoral College w/ 278 EVs. Total turnout: 150 million +
Funny thing about the streak? Nobody here knew about it.
"I’ve never felt that people around here are real fluid in their political beliefs," said Dale Thule. "Maybe the swings back & forth are on account of people taking turns getting so frustrated that they don’t vote at all.”
I asked Kenneth Tiger (right), a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat, how he thought Valencia County would vote this fall.
“Whatever happens, it’s not going to be good. I’ve already lost 30 friends in the past four years. It’s going to get worse."