The more things change, the more they are the same. This is true of so many things but particularly Fox News. It was thought that when the epic $787 million judgment was rendered against Fox and in favor of Dominion Voting Systems for defamation, that there would be some kind of an immediate turn around. Indeed, when Tucker Carlson ended up getting suddenly fired right after the verdict, that was seen as a sign of a sea change. But sea change doesn’t describe what happened next at Fox News. Musical chairs does.
You’re probably aware of the latest right-wing conspiracy theory promulgated by the New York Post, a Murdoch-owned outlet, that Joe Biden was “meandering” aimlessly during a visit to Italy. It was later confirmed that Biden wasn’t meandering, he was talking to a fellow who had parachuted down from an airplane and giving him a thumbs up. That was the front page story of the New York Post today. The lesson going forward for the next four months into the election is plain: Right-wing media v. the Truth.
They should be honest and change the name to Fascist News.
— jeff rasley (@jeffrasley) June 13, 2024
Speaking of Tucker, here he is on his own with his own “network” and advertising on Twitter.
Twisted speech is indeed free speech. Anyone and everyone can tell lies. We had a president for four years who lied all the time. Swallow bright light. Drink disinfectant. A new health care plan in two weeks. Infrastructure in two weeks. And Tucker lost a billions dollar law suit
— MacGregorGarlic 🧄🩴🏄♂️☮️ 🇺🇸🏴☠️🌎 (@MacGregorGarlic) May 29, 2024
We weren’t in this mess before Ronnie Raygun decided to do away with the Fairness Doctrine in the mid-80’s. I wonder if that isn’t the first order of business when Joe Biden gets reelected, to see about bringing back some version of the Fairness Doctrine. Even if a government-run fact checking service was used and could direct viewers away from Fox News “editorials” and to actual facts about the topic under discussion, a few times a day, that would be helpful.
Another suggestion has been for Fox News to run a fact checking chyron. That would be very practical. If you had a story, let’s say on Trump’s boast about crowd size in New Jersey, you could put on a chyron that the venue in question only holds “x” amount of people, not the number Trump boasts of, or add the context that many of the “rally goers” were people already there for the beach activities, not necessary to see him speak.
In Las Vegas recently Trump was found to have run an ad on Craigslist for people to show up at the Sunset Park rally. That made the news, but if it was run as a chyron, how much more effective that would be.
I don’t know if the First Amendment can take anymore of the beating it’s taken. Initially it was written into our law for the purpose of safeguarding divergent opinions. In modern times, since the abrogation of the Fairness Doctrine, it has become a means of cloaking lies and misleading vast amounts of the population in a perfectly legal manner. Lying isn’t illegal. Surely that was never the intent of the First Amendment, to put us here.
Expect to see a knock down drag out between right-wing media and the truth in the run up to the election. The GOP has given up and died. Just as the Old South surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in 1865 the Old Guard GOP surrendered to MAGA June 13, 2024 in a meeting at the Capitol — the first time Donald Trump had been in the building since January 6, 2021.
Mitch McConnell shook Trump’s hand and rallied the troops behind him. McConnell is no fool. He’s got to know that Trump is going to lose this election cycle for the Republicans like he has lost all of them since 2018 — and the special elections. But evidently McConnell has decided that a spin of the roulette wheel is better than simply refusing Trump the top of the ticket and putting somebody else, anybody else, up there. I would love to know his reasoning for this decision. Or, maybe it isn’t a reasoned decision, maybe he’s simply given up.
So deification of Trump is the course of action being pursued. Trump has rebranded the GOP in his own image. Trump is MAGA and the GOP is now MAGA. Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, Liz Cheney and a few other lone wolves can cry out in the wilderness but they’re not being heard.
The rest of the Republican party is securely on board the Trumptanic. I wonder if they’ll be surprised when it sinks on November 5 as it has sunk before? What’s next, Big Lie II, the Second Coming Of The Stolen Election? And will McConnell himself be cutting ads for MAGA to send in donations to have Trump “reinstated?” And to “Stop The Second Steal?” How weird is this going to get? We’re about to find out.
Welcome to Faux Noose (we put a stranglehold on real news)
The saddest thing about the GOP is that they’ve decided that they’ve got no-one better than a twice impeached, two-time presidential popular vote loser, fraudster, rapist and convicted felon to put forward.
Having seen their other ‘spokespeople’, of course, it’s hard not to concur.
They have no leadership. I figured Jeb Bush would get the nomination or heaven forbid, Ted Cruz. I was amazed when Trump began to win primaries. But it makes perfect sense now. Trump was talking sheer fantasy and there was nobody in the GOP to make a real world argument that sounded any better
I don’t think McConnell has an ideology other than to acquire and maintain power for himself. he saw Trump as a means to that end but he couldn’t control Trump and I think he decided to get out while he was ahead. by supporting Trump now he gets to leave on top.
If he can convince himself that this is leaving on top, McConnell’s mind is truly gone.
We used to have a concept of wise elders like King Solomon. That could be applied to President Biden because of this experience. C’mon Democrats. Get on the ball!
Aid and comfort to the insurrection. Lock ’em up.
A nest of vipers is the nicest thing I can say. Sorry vipers to disparage you.