25 Comments

I no longer consider Politico a reliable source for news. They are clearly, like most media outlets, biased against the Democratic nominee. “Less off script”, please. Maybe it’s that she knows what she is talking about. Perhaps they should be asking the stable genius to stay on script.

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I was annoyed this morning when Axios AM (Mike Allen) complained again that the Harris/Walz team was "silent," while Trump and JD are persistently seeking airtime for their scurrilous comments. I'm a journalist (albeit one from an earlier generation) and I don't find the exercise of "tough questions" all that useful in my decision-making about candidates. I'd note that the ballyhooed CNN was repetitious or focused on old topic. (BTW: The matter of issue-flipping seems to ignore occasions where the Vice President has shown growth in her positions. In most situations, I find "growth" a very appealing development.

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Sep 19Liked by Steven Beschloss

You know. They're journalists. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

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I’m not certain they are journalists. Their bios say, reporters. Reporters do less research so have less original material to use. It took 3 of them to write this.

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VP Harris staying on script & being coherent is such an uplifting experience for those of us who follow her & are usually bombarded with things that don't makes sense & conspiracy theories from the incoherent, ramblings, narcissistic former president 45.

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Politico has been absolutely corrupted.

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In 2021 Politico was bought by right-wing German media conglomerate Axel Springer.

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Sep 19Liked by Steven Beschloss

I have not been a fan of politico for quite some time now and this does not make me want to change my mind. Great work Steven!

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Sep 19Liked by Steven Beschloss

America wants entertainment. The media wants headlines. My advice ... move to Switzerland. True democracy. Genuine leaders. Fresh air, gorgeous lakes, and high mountains ... keep you sane. And fit.

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Very funny. The Swiss immigration rules that would apply to US citizens have a number of requirements, expenses & exclude most retirees. Although, if you-know-who wins and Dems and their donors lose citizenship, maybe we’d be accepted as stateless persons.

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Unbelievably unhelpful to what I assume journalists are supposed to be doing. As you said, they seem disappointed that Kamala is cogent and intelligible? Politico's corporate slogan, albeit probably unofficial: "Making a sow's ear out of a silk purse"

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I consigned both Politico and Axios to the bin that years ago would have been labeled yellow rag journalism up there with STAR and all the other checkout rags with screaming headlines about alien babies and Bigfoot. Only good for birdcage liners.

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Speaking of Media integrity…or the lack thereof. What happened to all the blather about mental decline and age that Biden had to suffer through? Looks like The Convicted Felon is getting a very generous “Pass” on both counts! Why is that!?? Also…depending on the outcome of the Election…Who makes it and When, will a decision on The Convicted Felon’s mental capacity be made before he is handed the Key to the World’s most dangerous Arsenal? The Mental Decline seems to be advancing more quickly of late.

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Yes, aside from the lies and hate speech, I found the “giant faucet’ and the invisible debate audience that “went crazy” for him bizarre.

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I agree, he is much more incoherent, less able to answer question, and can’t complete a full sentence without going off topic. Dr. Bandy Lee said he is suffering from dementia, and I believe her.

My dad died from Alzheimer’s, and tfg sounds more like my dad’s last days every time he makes a “speech”.

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I agree ladies. He certainly is not well in the head. That said…what concerns me more is the pathological lying. Based on what I experienced earlier in my life with a close friend he more than likely believes his own lies. Which could be very dangerous…especially when that person could wield great power and literally answer to no one!

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Ah, journalists... If only they would learn that our words, as the embodiment of our thoughts, have power.

The reverse is equally true, of course: the words a person utters are an indication of how vacuous the mind of that person might be.

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Well they believe in both sides not the truth. So what can one expect. I don't believe they do much work at all besides looking through Google for an "angle". They frankly have ALL become prostitutes for corporate media.

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Steven, thank you and Mark for pointing out Politico’s shameful title. Even they have disappointed me for too long now. They started out being rather legitimate and informative but it’s now just clickbait. I do not have time for them nor WaPo & NYT’s blabbering of insane stuff.

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Heh. Perhaps Harris could just have a few introductory comments to mollify Politico. "Well, since there are no sharks or sightings of Hannibal Lecter in Springfield, I want to address the seriousness of what is going on there."

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I read the Politico write up.I think they made a point of saying it is difficult in her situation to veer off on various topics because Biden is, after all, still the president. She cannot really feel free to perhaps point out her differences with him.That doing so if different , could undermine his ability to negotiate on the international stage, as they put it. It is he, after all, who must make the immediate decisions about our handling of the situations in Gaza and Ukraine. It is he who must consider China's present dealings with the Philippines. Putin's threats of possible nuclear inclusion. He, not Harris, is speaking with the UK on the use of weaponry against Russia.

I am in no position to comment on these subjects as the two of you can, but to me, they were simply saying she stuck to her talking points and were not reprimanding her for doing otherwise.

Sorry.

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Politico is, like most of the new source, undisciplined. If Kamala Harris had veered from or stumbled over her her agenda, the headline would have been this or some variation:

Harris fails to deliver campaign message in her second high-profile interview

It is the mark of a good candidate to know their message and not be distracted. For years they’ve benefited from DJT and some of the other ‘off script’ or conflicting scripts from the GOP.

Real journalists would look at her proposals and explore the pros and cons with a heavy dose of objectivity and clarity.

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