Today’s Media Misses video looks at how Fox News and Donald Trump dishonestly accuse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz of a “far-left agenda.” They are determined to push the framing that the Harris-Walz ticket is some kind of dangerous extremism—or even “communist.” In fact, their positions on issues like abortion rights, gun background checks and paid leave are extremely popular with the public. It’s important that the public rejects these old and false labels.
Media Misses pairs me with Mark Jacob, media critic and author of the outstanding “Stop the Presses” newsletter. Check it out if you haven’t already.
You can watch our conversation here:
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Nate Cohn of the NYT in his personal newsletter said pretty much the same as Fox IMO. He said Harris in picking Walz had abandoned any idea of a balance ticket in favor of this left leaning boogie man scary ticket (that was the feeling I got when I read it - he didn’t say it that way but clearly painted Walz - a Governor I know (in a constituent way) very well - as the lefty who brings no balance or appeal to the middle.
I wrote him back pretty upset and said people will read that as if Fox had preached it as fact and not only would it damage them as a ticket but it simply wasn’t true.
I laughed when that was their first narrative against him. This man is no flaming liberal. He follows his conscience and does what he thinks will be best for the people - esp the children of MN.
One of the top ranked states for business AND happiness … Sounds like an ad for whatever they call too left leaning.
Trump can't stand being ignored And he's panicking. His impromptu talk cry for attention should give comedy central a lot to work with.
He now wants hundreds of debates. Everywhere. Everyday. And his bottle and pacifier.
But only with Joe Biden. He’s afraid of Kamala.
I have long since given up trying to figure out why things the majority of Americans want are "left wing," much less communist. No one is demanding that workers be given ownership of the means of production. The idea that we are engaged in "class warfare" in any Marxian way is absurd; everyone notes that the "lower classes" actually SUPPORT an oligarchy running things, at least if that's what their votes mean. What "communist" turned out to be in practice is strong-man rule, and only one party is in advocating that.
Seems to me what we do have is a crisis in education, an "education warfare" with those supporting the strong man/oligarchy side pushing for the destruction of it on all fronts: defund the schools, not the cops, is their cry even if no one is actually advocating defunding the cops. Project 2025's section on Education is terrifying. There is really nothing that says the average American, including those in the Cult, actually CANNOT think, cannot learn to distinguish emotional appeals from appeals that actually make sense.
I am not talking here "elite" education. I'm talking a basic awareness of how this country works; a hearkening back to Big Bird's lesson: One of these things is not like the other. An awareness of the dangers of overgeneralizing. All of this is perfectly within the capabilities of your basic high schooler.
Because the American education system, churches, media, and other propaganda arms from after WWII until—well, *now* painted anything to the Left of Joe McCarthy as "rabid Comminism!"(sic.).
"The Siren Song of the Red Menace!"
"God Bless Free Enterprise!"
And so on, and so forth—all the Cold War crap that bent our country so badly we're still playing those bad old tapes over three decades later. That's why President Biden has such a hard time chastising Netanyahu with more than with a sad headshake.
It doesn't help that Putin and Xi are both listening to those same tapes—and in Putin's case at least, getting his ass kicked by a "far weaker" nation he's trying to ::cough:: "liberate"....
Education is what separates us from ‘savages’. Red states are aware that less educated people are more easily influenced, and therefore managed by politicians. Those of us who had civics classes in high school have a much better understanding of government and its implications for individuals and families. I have been a Democrat since I first voted in 1961, and don’t plan to change any time soon.
Well.. you touch on a point I thought long past, and frowned upon, when I left grade school, and to some extent, high school. The “cliques” formed that made children feel like they belonged or accepted for who they were. Where one’s character was forming, being realized, irregardless of any specific athletic or intellectual ability. Now, it seems, some of these supposed “adults” missed a class, or two, regarding the humanities. How to treat fellow humans with respect, communicate (involves listening!) with benevolence, that sort of thing… Those lessons learned that help shape what used to be (is it still?) one’s conscience. It’s no wonder policy, as you state Steven, is not the forefront issue it once was. Now we have to confront those cliques that seem to think that shaming or belittling another’s character is somehow a sign of strength. The depth of immaturity is really disturbing.
I’m still Hopeful that more and more of the voting public will change their minds, as the light of Truth is revealed, and the Honesty and Integrity of the current Harris-Walz team will convince them they are making an “adult” choice.
What tells us all we need to know about their campaign, is that Trump/Vance can only resort to schoolyard taunts that are couched in lies and fabrications. (Tim W, you'll be proud of me: see how I got the word "couch" in there.)
Let's face it, though, we can expect no better from the MAGA folks than to toss out tawdry insults. As for policies that matter, they wouldn't recognize one if it jumped up and spat in their faces. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, on the other hand, are taking exactly the right approach by ignoring the taunts and staying on message.
Where, however, are the media in all of this? It is their absolute responsibility to call out Trump's lies at every turn. It was sickening to watch reporters lobbing questions to Trump during his recent "press conference" in Florida without challenging the lies with which he responded every single time.
It shows how morally bankrupt most of the media are if the best they can do is to urge Harris and Walz to "move towards the center." Face it, though, that's what their paymasters, the advertisers, want in order to maximize their product sales. He who pays the piper...
The good news is that Harris and Walz are at the vanguard of a movement that is sweeping this country. But the other, the dark side, is nothing more than a cult.
(Posted on Mark Jacob's Substack posting as well.)
You know, I really appreciate these quick takes on the hot issues of the day. You've really nailed what's going on.
Here's what I think we should do with this info: Let's take a look at what Waltz and Harris are putting on the table, right? Then, we should check out those visuals floating around about "Project 2025" and what the GOP is trumpeting these days.
Here's the kicker - we need to think about how all of this fits into our lives. I mean, really consider it. How does it impact you personally? What about your family? Your buddies and the folks you know around town? And don't forget about your job and the people you work for.
But let's think bigger too. What kind of country do you want to be living in 2 years from now? That's the real question, isn't it?
By looking at all of this side by side, you can get a clearer picture of which path feels right for you and aligns with your hopes for the future. It's not about someone else telling you what to think - it's about you taking a good, hard look at the options and deciding what makes sense for your life and your vision of America.
What do you think? Does this way of putting it help make things clearer?
So many journalists have abandoned their responsibilities to discern fact from fiction and are just parroting talking points. As Orwell once wrote….its just PR.
On X there was a picture of Walz hugging his dog. Under it was trump's "Tim Walz will unleash hell on earth." I commented, no, that's not his dog's name !
I sent my Trump-adoring, FOX-watching sister who lives 300 miles away a positive message about Walz and Harris. Sadly, I wasn't shocked when I got her response. I said: "Walz has done good things for MN--the people there really like him." . . . . and "Kamala is smart, qualified, and a good person." I mentioned that numerous countries have had women leaders and we are behind the times.
She replied: "Walz lied about his military service. He quit before being shipped out to Iraq with his team. During the riots in MN he did nothing. Do not be so quick to praise when he had so many failures. The lady you admire in charge of the border has done nothing. My neighbor's son died of fentanyl overdose. I am not impressed by either one. Wake up!! Do you really want the border open 4 more years with millions more people flooding into our country? In NY the school kids stay home so the illegals came live [sic] in the schools. Etc., etc., etc." And she mentions Kamala's husband as a loose cannon for previous infidelity.
To keep peace in the relationship, I usually avoid such discussions. So sad. I hear that the more you hear some statements (like the untruths/slanted truths such as on FOX news, which is what she watches), those statements become your truth. I'm not sure what my step steps would be, if any, at this time.
Crowd size is really the most important thing according to trump. He certainly spent enough words on it today. It may shock a lot of people to know only about 1500 people are showing up at VP Harris/Walz rallies & the media refuses to report on his crowds of up to 1,000,000 (on Jan 6). 100,000 on another occasion etc and so forth the nonsense continued.
— Responding to a reporter's question about his light schedule, Trump called the question "stupid" and said he is not campaigning this week because he is "leading by a lot." —
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-rally-mar-lago-press-conference-1936553
That would be news to Larry Sabato who was interviewed today about changes in their analysis of the election since last week. Electoral College Rating Changes:
• GA Back to Toss-up from leaning to the Republicans
• MN/NH Better for Democrats.
• “Looking nationally, Harris currently leads in all national polling aggregators.” (with all his usual caveats):
People in Europe shake their heads in wonder at our politics — because what some of us call “far left” would be right-wing over there. The political spectrum in Europe is so much broader than ours that we’re practically color-blind by comparison.
"Far Left"?
Kamala "I Go HARD Against Decriminalized Pot and Single Moms with Truant Children" Harris?!?!?
🤣 🤣 🤣
Are these people out of their Vulcan minds?
https://y.yarn.co/7d1f2549-fbff-40e0-9954-916216875d8a_text.gif
TRUMP is more lenient on Marijuana and Truancy than Kamala Harris is!
Donnie Diapershit and his MSM handmaidens must be *terrified* of Harris's "I'm a former prosector, so I know crooked rich people and sexual predators like Donald Trump's really well" campaign trail pitch to pull that line of BS out of their asses....
We needed to hear this. Labels are dangerous.
Preaching to the choir. I doubt anyone here needs to be told not to believe what the Trump campaign says.