The feeding frenzy would transfer to any other Democrat who took the mantle. The pundit class would find a new target while ignoring the one with a 34 count felony indictment who is also an adjudicated rapist and alleged child rapist, who stole state secrets and refused to return them to the government, who mounted an insurrection after he lost an election and refuses to concede the next one should he lose again. One who is criminally insane and promises to disregard the constitution and crown himself king. That guy is playing golf, free of the press’ probing questions and demands that he step down.
The Least and the Dimmest - who are all convinced they are the Best and the Brightest, despite all evidence to the contrary - aka the entitled Ivy League white boys of the DC Press Corpse who work for the Sulzberger Sniper and the Bezos Bugle, certainly performed down to their lowest level yesterday in the embarrassment known as the "White House Press Briefing" shouting at Karine Jen-Pierre to admit that what they "knew" was true about the President. And none of them said "oops, sorry" when they were hoist on their own petards by the White House letter that explained the visits of the Parkinson's specialist - that he was attending other people there - and the medical report (also signed by the Parkinson's specialist) that the president shows no signs of Parkinson's.
The good news of the past 12 days of this blast of bullshit is I unsubscribed to the Sulzberger Sniper and the Bezos Bugle, as well as the more egregious individuals among the Least and the Dimmest. I already feel more informed.
I unsubscribed too. The bandwagon—the day after the debate based on one debate performance, that continued for a solid week—in the NY Times of 5 articles and 5 op-eds top of front page, filling that space, was frightening, and illuminating. WAPO not much better. Meanwhile Biden IS out there campaigning and people are simultaneously saying, "Show us!" He is showing you, you idiots. No one will beat Trump unless people talk abotu how evil he is and there are a lot of people out there who do not know that.
thank you David, this calmly and clearly separates the issue of Biden's fitness from the feeding frenzy in political media. almost everyone else seems to feel they need to keep chiding angry, fed-up Dems, who have now endured almost a decade of failures by our political press, which is incapable of examining itself, explaining that the media has no culpability for this outrageous, unproductive obsession and their increasingly sloppy standards for coverage so we'd all better grow the eff up and stop sniveling.
Thank you David. I’ve yet to read anything that cuts to the heart of this issue, as well as the essence of the ‘Do Somethings’, than this piece.
For us laypersons nervously sitting on the sidelines, trying to understand what’s actually happening at this moment is like driving thru a midnight snowstorm. Every reporter, journalist, editor and media organization has a unique agenda… influenced by all sorts of external variables. I appreciate being able to understand what drives many media narratives. Unfortunately, and all too often, it’s not journalism in the pursuit of truth.
Thank you for your calm observations. It helps me navigate the hair-on-fire doomsday we are bombarded with hourly. I’m increasingly frustrated by the one-sided, short -sighted response from the media, to what appears to me, to be obvious. Compare Biden‘s policies to Trump’s policies and ask Americans to vote. I have made my choice between the cadaver and the felon.
This is a very thoughtful look at what is happening right now, I think. The thing I keep coming back to is that we don't know what voters are thinking. I heard there were people who were disgusted by Trump at the debate and decided to support Biden. What I personally keep coming back to is what I know for sure: Trump is evil and especially with the SCOTUS ruling recently, it would be bad for this country for him to win. So not knowing what other people are thinking, I think this is the thing to focus on, Trump Bad in order to sway those people on the fence who either can't decide between Biden and Trump or between voting and not voting.
Interesting, but not sure I get the point here, DK. Critical coverage is good but be critical of excessively critical coverage? I think the "sense of proportion" is about right given that 1) Biden will in all likelihood lose, 2) Biden is in all likelihood unfit to be president, and 3) Trump, a fascist, is headed back to his throne unless we "do something."
Biden's numbers are abysmal across the board compared to 2020, even in solidly blue states, before the debate and esp now. He trails Dem senators by 8-10% because 70-80% of the public can see with their own eyes that he is weak physically and mentally and I'm happy for the critical reporting b/c we need a strong president, and not just between 10-4pm. Age has been and remains the key issue. From my POV, it's absurd to think he can lead for 4.5 more years. So put me in the "do something." Better than "avert your eyes, suck it up, and fall in line."
In Sept 2023, Josh wrote, "You getting all angsty about Biden’s age and worrying about it and coming back to it – you’re the problem. You need to grow up.” I'm still stunned by this. His diss of his readers hasn't aged well. It'd be nice to have some humility and reflection, esp post-debate, from those Dems and political journalists who have been telling this to the majority of Americans who for years have been asking for less chicken-shit Dem action on this very legitimate issue.
Political journalism is messy, click-baity, and sensational in this moment, yes, but we're in a political crisis and maybe that's what we need to get the Dems to show how a competent and deliberative party can respond and rise to the moment. Do something or lose.
Here's what the "Do something!" cry has brought to the presidential race and the Joe Biden "He's too old" narrative: Biden has gone the Full Monty on continuing his candidacy, digging in fiercely, rubbishing critics as "the elite", working the phones, and worse yet, insisting that only he can beat tRump, despite polling to the contrary..."I alone can fix it", remember that line?
Now, sure, a lot of this turmoil can be laid to the familiar journalistic "feeding frenzy"- horserace reductionism that you mention, and perhaps if the media - including and especially NYT and WaPo - had not made such an issue - a crusade, really - of chronicling "evidence" of the "He's too old" premise, we wouldn't be where we are today, politically speaking.
However - and this is key for me - tens of millions of American voters have held the opinion way, way pre-debate that Biden indeed was an aging octogenarian who should have acted on his earlier statement (pledge?) of four years ago that his candidacy was purely transitional, a bridge to a new generation of Dem leadership, and after disposing of tRump the first time, simply yield to that "new generation", and head back to Wilmington after a job well done.
Well, he didn't, the debate happened, ""Do something!" is dominating the news cycles - until it won't, which is the usual pattern of these "pressing issues of the day" - and here we are. But, while the frenzy may abate, questions won't, polls won't stop polling, and a new horse-race narrative may emerge: a tRump landslide.
What I'm saying here is that "Do something!" had been running behind popular opinion...now these voices are playing catch-up, end of.
There’s no one who polls higher, and that’s why Biden felt he had the responsibility to defeat Trump again, because Trump decided to run again. Even if Harris took over, the do something folks would take aim at her. I would think Biden’s rock solid administration would count for something.
A thought about the value of, and future of TPM. New ‘kids on the block”, craft beer brewers, Tesla electric cars and non main stream journalists have the advantage of being outside the old way of doing things, and the old brains that made old decisions.
David, we readers support TPM because your perspective shows alternative approaches to challenges. But there was a time when we had National Education Television and those brains wanted to inform we citizens. Eventually those with core competencies gave way to MBA-types with monetization the goal.
We readers hope TMP reaches a wider audience, but, the lessons learned from your 15 year story need to be protected.
I’m a fan - but one problem with this take is that some very sophisticated people are in the “Do Something” camp. For example, Prof. Sam Rosenfeld, co-author of the highly- regarded new book “The Hollow Parties.” (Princeton U. Press).
He sees this as not complicated: “There’s no honor in losing this way.”
Curious of your take of Zev Shalev bringing data that Joe was sabotaged by CNN in that debate. Plenty of sound engineers have weighed in. Finally, Dave Troy has words of wisdom on the political strategy of laying low for Joe
The feeding frenzy would transfer to any other Democrat who took the mantle. The pundit class would find a new target while ignoring the one with a 34 count felony indictment who is also an adjudicated rapist and alleged child rapist, who stole state secrets and refused to return them to the government, who mounted an insurrection after he lost an election and refuses to concede the next one should he lose again. One who is criminally insane and promises to disregard the constitution and crown himself king. That guy is playing golf, free of the press’ probing questions and demands that he step down.
A double standard exists in the coverage of both candidates! Trump get a pass, while Biden is crucified! 😡
No, it's a clear bias to the point that the mainstream's essentially a subsidiary of the GOP publicity office.
Sociopathic leadership provides sociopathic news media.
In the last five-odd years they've gone BSing to being literally harmful.
If they reported honestly on Trump, we'd be going all "Joe who, now?".
The Least and the Dimmest - who are all convinced they are the Best and the Brightest, despite all evidence to the contrary - aka the entitled Ivy League white boys of the DC Press Corpse who work for the Sulzberger Sniper and the Bezos Bugle, certainly performed down to their lowest level yesterday in the embarrassment known as the "White House Press Briefing" shouting at Karine Jen-Pierre to admit that what they "knew" was true about the President. And none of them said "oops, sorry" when they were hoist on their own petards by the White House letter that explained the visits of the Parkinson's specialist - that he was attending other people there - and the medical report (also signed by the Parkinson's specialist) that the president shows no signs of Parkinson's.
The good news of the past 12 days of this blast of bullshit is I unsubscribed to the Sulzberger Sniper and the Bezos Bugle, as well as the more egregious individuals among the Least and the Dimmest. I already feel more informed.
I unsubscribed too. The bandwagon—the day after the debate based on one debate performance, that continued for a solid week—in the NY Times of 5 articles and 5 op-eds top of front page, filling that space, was frightening, and illuminating. WAPO not much better. Meanwhile Biden IS out there campaigning and people are simultaneously saying, "Show us!" He is showing you, you idiots. No one will beat Trump unless people talk abotu how evil he is and there are a lot of people out there who do not know that.
thank you David, this calmly and clearly separates the issue of Biden's fitness from the feeding frenzy in political media. almost everyone else seems to feel they need to keep chiding angry, fed-up Dems, who have now endured almost a decade of failures by our political press, which is incapable of examining itself, explaining that the media has no culpability for this outrageous, unproductive obsession and their increasingly sloppy standards for coverage so we'd all better grow the eff up and stop sniveling.
Do something? VOTE BLUE
up and down ballot!
That's what you CAN do.
Don't take one step back
from your RESPONSIBILITY
to help save our democracy.
Quit wringing your hands and
reading all the doom sayers
and pundits who continue to
chum the political waters,
waiting for the SCOTUS
approved King to descend his
golden escalator again.
This is the ONLY country far
too many of us have. We
better not lose it.
yes exactly
David, thanks for this edition of TPM; it's the clearest, sanest reasoning I've read behind what's been happening lately.
Thank you David. I’ve yet to read anything that cuts to the heart of this issue, as well as the essence of the ‘Do Somethings’, than this piece.
For us laypersons nervously sitting on the sidelines, trying to understand what’s actually happening at this moment is like driving thru a midnight snowstorm. Every reporter, journalist, editor and media organization has a unique agenda… influenced by all sorts of external variables. I appreciate being able to understand what drives many media narratives. Unfortunately, and all too often, it’s not journalism in the pursuit of truth.
Excellent, as is all your stuff.
Another great one, David, thanks, as always.
Others have, but Team TPM hasn't yet me regret the subscription.
Thank you for your calm observations. It helps me navigate the hair-on-fire doomsday we are bombarded with hourly. I’m increasingly frustrated by the one-sided, short -sighted response from the media, to what appears to me, to be obvious. Compare Biden‘s policies to Trump’s policies and ask Americans to vote. I have made my choice between the cadaver and the felon.
This is a very thoughtful look at what is happening right now, I think. The thing I keep coming back to is that we don't know what voters are thinking. I heard there were people who were disgusted by Trump at the debate and decided to support Biden. What I personally keep coming back to is what I know for sure: Trump is evil and especially with the SCOTUS ruling recently, it would be bad for this country for him to win. So not knowing what other people are thinking, I think this is the thing to focus on, Trump Bad in order to sway those people on the fence who either can't decide between Biden and Trump or between voting and not voting.
Interesting, but not sure I get the point here, DK. Critical coverage is good but be critical of excessively critical coverage? I think the "sense of proportion" is about right given that 1) Biden will in all likelihood lose, 2) Biden is in all likelihood unfit to be president, and 3) Trump, a fascist, is headed back to his throne unless we "do something."
Biden's numbers are abysmal across the board compared to 2020, even in solidly blue states, before the debate and esp now. He trails Dem senators by 8-10% because 70-80% of the public can see with their own eyes that he is weak physically and mentally and I'm happy for the critical reporting b/c we need a strong president, and not just between 10-4pm. Age has been and remains the key issue. From my POV, it's absurd to think he can lead for 4.5 more years. So put me in the "do something." Better than "avert your eyes, suck it up, and fall in line."
In Sept 2023, Josh wrote, "You getting all angsty about Biden’s age and worrying about it and coming back to it – you’re the problem. You need to grow up.” I'm still stunned by this. His diss of his readers hasn't aged well. It'd be nice to have some humility and reflection, esp post-debate, from those Dems and political journalists who have been telling this to the majority of Americans who for years have been asking for less chicken-shit Dem action on this very legitimate issue.
Political journalism is messy, click-baity, and sensational in this moment, yes, but we're in a political crisis and maybe that's what we need to get the Dems to show how a competent and deliberative party can respond and rise to the moment. Do something or lose.
CB
ok comradeski
There’s nothing like a straw man. The criticism is of blindered, reductive coverage, not overly critical coverage.
Here's what the "Do something!" cry has brought to the presidential race and the Joe Biden "He's too old" narrative: Biden has gone the Full Monty on continuing his candidacy, digging in fiercely, rubbishing critics as "the elite", working the phones, and worse yet, insisting that only he can beat tRump, despite polling to the contrary..."I alone can fix it", remember that line?
Now, sure, a lot of this turmoil can be laid to the familiar journalistic "feeding frenzy"- horserace reductionism that you mention, and perhaps if the media - including and especially NYT and WaPo - had not made such an issue - a crusade, really - of chronicling "evidence" of the "He's too old" premise, we wouldn't be where we are today, politically speaking.
However - and this is key for me - tens of millions of American voters have held the opinion way, way pre-debate that Biden indeed was an aging octogenarian who should have acted on his earlier statement (pledge?) of four years ago that his candidacy was purely transitional, a bridge to a new generation of Dem leadership, and after disposing of tRump the first time, simply yield to that "new generation", and head back to Wilmington after a job well done.
Well, he didn't, the debate happened, ""Do something!" is dominating the news cycles - until it won't, which is the usual pattern of these "pressing issues of the day" - and here we are. But, while the frenzy may abate, questions won't, polls won't stop polling, and a new horse-race narrative may emerge: a tRump landslide.
What I'm saying here is that "Do something!" had been running behind popular opinion...now these voices are playing catch-up, end of.
There’s no one who polls higher, and that’s why Biden felt he had the responsibility to defeat Trump again, because Trump decided to run again. Even if Harris took over, the do something folks would take aim at her. I would think Biden’s rock solid administration would count for something.
Well, polling I've seen have Harris running better against tRump, FWIW.
I would be scared of that changing the minute she became the lead candidate. Either way it’s Biden or Harris yeah.
A thought about the value of, and future of TPM. New ‘kids on the block”, craft beer brewers, Tesla electric cars and non main stream journalists have the advantage of being outside the old way of doing things, and the old brains that made old decisions.
David, we readers support TPM because your perspective shows alternative approaches to challenges. But there was a time when we had National Education Television and those brains wanted to inform we citizens. Eventually those with core competencies gave way to MBA-types with monetization the goal.
We readers hope TMP reaches a wider audience, but, the lessons learned from your 15 year story need to be protected.
Thank you for your thoughtful perspectives.
Hi -
I’m a fan - but one problem with this take is that some very sophisticated people are in the “Do Something” camp. For example, Prof. Sam Rosenfeld, co-author of the highly- regarded new book “The Hollow Parties.” (Princeton U. Press).
He sees this as not complicated: “There’s no honor in losing this way.”
One of many tweets along these lines.
https://x.com/sam_rosenfeld/status/1810712671349588203?s=61&t=EUEPNorcS2G_uwppF61fMQ
I keep waiting for someone to tell me what exactly the Biden Administration kept hidden. That he got tired after 14-hour or -more days? Dog my cats.
Curious of your take of Zev Shalev bringing data that Joe was sabotaged by CNN in that debate. Plenty of sound engineers have weighed in. Finally, Dave Troy has words of wisdom on the political strategy of laying low for Joe