The Media
Yeah, Biden is old. He walks slow. He has a speech impediment. He moves too fast in answering lies and ignorance. etc. Due to all of this, we ignore the stench in the room call trump. And you all appear to believe trump is eligible to be the president despite his past actions and his planned future actions? You are ok with this and Biden has to go? And why is the media afraid of trump?
Opinion Piece: Margaret Sullivan at The Guardian, “The media has been breathlessly attacking Biden. What about Trump?“
It is possible for two conflicting ideas to be true at once.
And so it is with the mainstream media’s unrelenting focus on Joe Biden’s mental acuity, following his terrible debate performance earlier this month.
First truth: the president’s stumble and the political fallout that followed is a huge, consequential news story that deserves a lot of coverage.
Second truth: the media coverage is overkill – not only too much in quantity and too breathless in tone, but also taking up so much oxygen that a story even more important is shoved to the back burner.
Of course, the bigger and wholly ignored story, of course, is the former president’s appalling unfitness for office, not only because he tried to overturn a legitimate election and is a felon, out on bail and awaiting sentencing, but because of things he has said and done in very recent weeks. As just one example, he claimed that he doesn’t know anything about Project 2025, the radical rightwing plan hatched by some of his closest allies to begin dismantling our democracy if he wins another term.
Trump’s disavowal is a ridiculous lie, but I doubt most members of the public know anything about it, nor do they likely know much – if anything – about Project 2025.
But anyone following mainstream media coverage could not miss knowing about the latest polls on whether Biden should step aside, how Kamala Harris would fare in a head-to-head competition with Trump, and which members of Congress have called for a new Democratic nominee.
And those are just the news stories – not to mention the nonstop punditry on cable news and the near takeover of the opinion sections of major publications.
Meanwhile, what of Trump’s obvious cognitive decline, his endless lies, his shocking plans to imprison his political enemies and to deport millions of people he calls “animals”, his relationship with the late accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein?
“Sure, you can say, we’ve covered those things,” commented Norman Ornstein, emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a longtime observer of media and politics. But, Ornstein pushed back: “Where? On the front page above the fold? As one-offs before moving on? In a fashion comparable to the Defcon 1 coverage of Biden’s age and acuity?”
There really is no comparison in the amount or intensity of coverage. One journalist, Jennifer Schulze, counted New York Times stories related to Biden’s age in the week following the debate; she counted a staggering 192 news and opinion pieces, compared to 92 stories on Trump – and that was in a week when the US supreme court had ruled he has immunity for official acts.
Nor is there much self-scrutiny or effort to course-correct. Only self-satisfaction and an apparent commitment to more of the same.
Erik Wemple of the Washington Post queried the Times about any pushback, specifically from the White House. “Have you gotten any complaints about age coverage since the debate?” Wemple asked top Times editor Joe Kahn, who recently praised the paper’s coverage in a note to staff. Kahn said no.
He also dismissed as “factually wrong” the criticism from former Times editor Jill Abramson that the Times “failed in the first duty of journalism: to hold power accountable” because reporters didn’t break through what she described as an enormous White House cover-up of Biden’s mental and physical decline. Kahn also brushed off criticism on social media from the left and the right.
Thanks Ten Bears . . .
Two ideas:
$11 billion in donations to keep genocide going oin Gaza
$60 billion for Kiev with world war the “success” path.
“Overkill” is opinion.
The Russian agent reacts!
non sequitur
Two ideas, among many others, why someone other than Biden should be president.
What is saying “I want to stop the industrial strength killing (aka genocide)” and then sending free of charge the weapons doing the genocide?
None dare call it genocide.
As to “free ride” for Kiev to defeat Russia, is the sanctity of the city of Kiev worth the risks of nuclear war?
I do not trust Biden!
JackD,
Reply worthy of you!
@Paddy,
As you know, Trump would support Netanyahu even more strongly than Biden who is at least making some effort to restrain Netanyahu. As to a “free ride for Kiev”, tell it to the victims of the targeting of the children’s hospital. You continue to be a transparent flack for the would be resurrection of the Soviet Union.
“Trump bad” is no answer.
Is Nethanyahoo bad bc “Trump!”?
No one in vast USA media worried about dead women and children, bombed out hospitals and embargoed food deliveries in Palestine the past 9 months!
It is now bad to strike hospitals when it is in Kiev! Even though there is suggestion of a mis-shot AIM 120 from NASAMS.
When do we start counting Palestinian dead?
Are bombing civilians and Nethanyahoo good bc Biden?
“No one in vast USA media worried about dead women and children, bombed out hospitals and embargoed food deliveries in Palestine the past 9 months!”
Simply not true.
Quit trying to load your url also. I keep having to delete it
My hypothesis is simple. The media discussed here nearly universally wants Trump to lose, but are convinced Biden won’t beat him. Plenty of time to get after DJT once Biden retires. Many in the media probably figure that is still going to happen. Among other developments, the odd answer by Pelosi feeds that. After the President was really clear he’s in this, she’s rambling on about how he needs to make his decision! Possible translation: “Wrong decision, Joe.”
You are right, your hypothesis is simple.
Media makes more money when they sell controversy. We experienced the same issue in 2016 with Hillary Clinton with trump stating silly things. Ok, if the media wants to make their money, they could expose trumps project 2025 for what it is. Instead they concentrate on a man who delivered an excellent economy over the last 4 years in a negative manner. Biden is not the issue here, trump is. And he means to do what he could not accomplish in 2020.
As far as Pelosi, the lady is still sharp. And she is correct, it is not her decision, Look Mr. Supposed Sage which you are not. If it is not said or written, you can not say “possible translation. Pelosi . . .
““I’m not going to be making any comments in the hallway about the fate of our nation, okay?”
Reporter: “Are you concerned whether or not he can win in November?” she asked.
“I think he can,” the former speaker said.
Reporter: “Do you think he should run for reelection?” she asked.
“I’m not … am I speaking English to you? I’m not going to be making any statements about any of that right now in the hallway.”
Enough fools, the stupid, and the ignorant are speaking nonsense. And your supposition, conjecture, and inuendo is nonsensical.
It is not for the pundit’s to decide either. I find it reprehensible they are not addressing trumps criminal activity now and in the past. If Biden fails, they will own it as well as those who are whining about Biden.
When I finally saw it, I was thinking that it was like toothpaste not capable of going back into the tube. I understand what you’ve written here. It’s clear how much you don’t like this, but a lot less clear if you think this is a real problem as far as reelecting the President. It’s not clear if you think your complaints have a good chance of being acted on as you would like to see. I probably read lots less of this than you do, but the signaling seems clear and brutal; that this goes on until he quits, but once he quits, the pledge seems to be to make the media a part of an anti-Trumpathon of incredible intensity. Televised townhalls with 5 or 6 candidates calling for Trump’s head, each one many times more vigorous than the expected nominee. If that’s the offer, is it a fair one? Maybe the media “contraption” already had pressure in the lines, but it doesn’t move if Biden took care of business last month, particularly after a few weeks of loudly discussing the idea of cheapfakes. Well, he did not get it done.
Eric:
What is a paragraph? I weary of sorting out a jumbled mess to get to the points of your replies or rebuttals.
Get this into your head. trump is not a man. He is a coward first and foremost. He has no ability to defend what he says as he knows he will not have to do it. He will recruit you and others to come to his defense just by his words and you will rise up to do it. What trump does now and did in his last four years is wrong by any measure. Much of it is immoral.
You are right, Biden did not get the job done. He could not convince you or others of the immorality of trump and his failures in life.
Get him a wheelchair like FDR.
Bill
the media are all owned by the people “Laocoon” warned you about. They’d be just fine with Project 2025. They can’t endorse Trump because he is too ridiculous, but they can sabotage the Democrats. I saw a video not obviously fake that showed the Pelosi interview that looked nothing like the reporting about it.
the last paragraph in the Post strikes me as contrary to the main point of the Post. In any case “holding power accountable” does not seem to fit reporting about the alleged (by Trump originally) failing age of an otherwise successful President, whose greatest political challenge seemed to be the failure of the left to support his “genocide” [an abuse of the term that wouls describe every military action of the United States since the Philippines (not counting the Indian wars), i.e the nature of war itself. and the probably russian propaganda about “saving Kiev at the risk of nuclear war.”
I think the confuion about all of theis comes from failur to fully appreciate the stupidity of the voters and the evil of the politicians and those who pay their expenses.
I don’t know how sick Biden is… he has been looking okay since the debate…but i see no plausible alternative to him or fighting for him until/unless his disability becomes too sever to ignore…a judgement call, yes, but he is not near that point yet. and meanwhile to prepare a credible successor just in case.
and just in case..speaking of stupidity…i just read an essay essentially saying opposition to Kamala is that ol’ glass ceiling thing. so we probably should just nominate Marjorie Taylor Greene to lay that to rest.
No, the simplest solution is to round up all the Russia-Lovers, stuff them into cattle-cars and send them to Russia, Putin needs volunteers for his war on Ukraine
As to the Republican Lite sellouts, they can go too. Can’t help but notice that same crowd insisting Bernie couldn’t win eight years ago are the same crowd insisting Joe must go
As to Palestine, I don’t see any difference twixt Israel and Russia. They both need to be bombed back to the stone-age …
Ten Bears:
You have the intellect to beat back anyone here. Please use it. As XCorps, I do not go to that level which makes me very different than the standard issue Marine. And quite frightening to them. I could do everything they could plus some physically. I would outthink most of them and put it aside to follow the orders given to me. Which makes me more wicked and appalling than them.
You get my drift?
We are all in this together. The reality is that the voter-observable cognitive and motor decline is, with a high probability, progressive. With the available and articulable issues facing America and the world, an unencumbered candidate could easily beat 45. With the powerful issues facing America, maybe – maybe… 46’s campaign would not suddenly implode because of cognitive concerns; and he might pull out a November win. But as a veteran of over 30 years, demonstratively willing to sacrifice myself for the good of the republic, I do not want a commander and chief with dementia. No serving military person wants to follow life and death orders of a less than fully mentally competent commander and chief. I also (and many/most military service members) do not want to swear allegiance (0r the military chief of staff to swear allegiance) to an autocratic king, ending the American experiment. We are all in this together.
TEF:
I am not a doctor and I doubt your opinion of Biden. What General followed Trumps orders? Milley refused to do what Trump wanted. Trump blathered onward with well just shoot them in the leg or the foot. The military refused trump. What makes you believe Biden would do what trump did and was refused?
YOU ARE MAKING SHIT UP ON ANGRY BEAR AND I RESENT THE HYPERBOLE OF YOUR COMMENTARY.
Do you get my drift?
Why aren’t you discussing trumps efforts to stimulate a riot and order Milley to attack protesters. trump is the only freaking coward president who has pulled this act of treason in the last 100 years. And here you are mouthing support for him.
I was a prisoner chaser my last 8 months taking people to the commissary to get toothpaste and a brush, taking them to the Brig, and then too their court-marshal.
4th Bn 10th Marines was trained in riot control in case D.C. blew up. The same as elements out of Bragg. Do you have any idea what we would have done to the bastards who attacked the Capitol. No bullets except for snipers. Just an M14 and a bayonet. Do you have any idea what I could do to your head with a butt stoke with the heel of the stock coming up under your chin and the barrel crashing down on your head.
No general is going to do what you said. Least of all with Biden, Biden is not like that coward, trump. Knock it off with your fallacious argument.
Before the US invasion in Iraq in March 2003 at Camp Commando Kuwait General James Conway, the theater commanding officer, who later became Marine Corp Commandant gave the most inspiring talk I’ve ever heard. During the last portion of the talk, I got a cell message about a guard who had a very severe hand arm laceration on concertino wire. The general saw me walking back to the BAS which was about 1/2 – 3/4 mile away and sent a humvee to transport me. I will, forever, have the greatest respect for the US Marine Corps, in war your greatest friend and your most terrifying oppositional enemy. Forever, Semper Fi.
TEF:
You, we end up doing things we do not wish to do. It comes with your duty to follow legitimate orders. I knew some of the prisoners I had to chase. Why they smoked Marijuana baffles me as they knew of the penalties they would face. My goal was to serve my time and leave. There was not much they could offer me, college, OCS and the deal with the Annapolis grads. I would always be a Tier two. It was time to leave and strike ut on a different course. In 71 got married, worked for a bit at a dead-end job and then started college using my benefits.
It was up hill for a while and we made it work. There are better ways to do what I did.