February 23, 2017

What can we say about the new Washington Post catchphrase: "Democracy Dies in Darkness"?

It looks like this on the homepage:



Without reading any of the articles on the subject, I'll just jot down all the thoughts I can come up with:

1. Somebody loves alliteration!

2. Why not forefront death? There's usually lots of death on the front page of the newspaper? "If it bleeds, it leads," they say. So why wait until something bleeds? Why not scream DEATH!!! right at your bloodlusting readers?

3. It makes me think of the emotionalism of the Scott Walker recall election of 2012 — "Democracy died tonight!"



4. They're giving the premise for an unstated assertion. The assertion is: We are the light! The idea is that you need this newspaper because we are what keeps democracy alive.

5. So then why not put it positively? If only I could have listened into the brainstorming session:
We are the light that shines on democracy!

No, we don't just show democracy by illuminating it, we actually cause its continued existence. If you shine a flashlight on a brick wall at night, it lets you see a wall that is always there. It doesn't build the wall. It doesn't keep the wall from crumbling.

We need it to be more like a plant in the sunlight, feeding on the light, and dying in darkness.

We are the blazing sun keeping the plants of democracy growing...

Like kudzu strangling the gnarled trunk of Trump!

That monster. That Satan.

The Prince of Darkness.

The Prince of Darkness is killing democracy.

Death darkness democracy.

Democracy Dies in Darkness!
6. Maybe they knew they could get everybody to write about it and then they would take it out later. 

126 comments:

Big Mike said...

As they know very well because the Post and the Times have been conspiring to murder it for years.

Limited blogger said...

So much winning

Anonymous said...

I saw DDiD open up for Drone Strike and KMA (Kinetic Mikitary Action) back in 2013.

Great show.

Known Unknown said...

Oh, they're so brave.

MAJMike said...

Once you accept the concept that most "journalists" are DemCong operatives with bylines, then this howling by the running dog useful idiot lackeys on the Left is easy to understand.

Kudos to Glenn Reynolds for identifying and labeling the enemy.

Mike Sylwester said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Sylwester said...

For a while, all the journalists were barking that Donald Trump's speeches are "dark".

After that, all the journalists were barking that Trump's speeches are "lies".

Now it might be that all the journalists again are barking "dark".

All the journalists should move forward, not backward.

Bobber Fleck said...

Washington Post: News from where the sun don't shine.

David Begley said...

More TDS.

Bay Area Guy said...

Another false, LeftWing slogan.

Democracy doesn't die in the darkness. In WW 2, Germany invaded a lot countries (hence destroying democracies) in the pure light of day. After Yalta, the Soviet Union dropped an iron curtain over Eastern Europe, where several democracies also died in plain sight.

Many clear-eyed folks saw this and spoke out about it (Winston Churchill comes to mind), while many leftists ignored it, or worse, cheered it.

Democracy dies when you resist the Rule of Law, distort the plain meaning of the US Constitution, and import millions of people of foreign cultures, who don't believe in American democracy, tradition or values.

jaydub said...

And newspapers die in partisonship.

Laslo Spatula said...

All Cats are Gray in the Dark.

I am Laslo.

zipity said...

"Democracy Dies in Darkness"

"And we're the ones providing the shade.."

zipity said...

"Democracy Dies in Darkness"

At least they are honest about their mission statement.

Johnathan Birks said...

This is going nuclear on twitter. Very stupid move.
My fave: "Half the news for twice the price."

Clayton Hennesey said...

My favorite is from this tweet:

"Soon, all will be dust. In the distance, a lone dog howls mournfully. Ragnarök"

Fernandinande said...

"Democracy Dies in Darkness"

The world's biggest living thing exists almost completely in the dark.

Anne in Rockwall, TX said...

Bobber got a laugh out of me this morning. Good one!

Sebastian said...

Sounds racist to me. How diverse was the focus group?

WisRich said...

Not to be outdone, I just saw reported the NYT's is starting a major ad campaign called "The Truth" and will be running ads during the Oscars.

They're going all in..but hey, they're not biased.

Objective Journalism..I don't think it means what you think it means.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Are we sure "Democracy Dies in Darkness" isn't the WaPo's new mission statement?

Fernandinande said...

Laslo Spatula said...
All Cats are Gray in the Dark.


Schrodinger's cat is both grey and not grey until you hit it with a hammer.

Michael K said...

" a major ad campaign called "The Truth" and will be running ads during the Oscars."

If no one watches, will the Oscar producers refund any money ?

This is a pretty good week so far. 200 Inauguration protestors charged with felony rioting and going to prison. One tweeted that his "backer" had bailed him out. I winder who the backer is ?

The Dakota squatters being arrested if they don't leave the garbage dump they created. They've got to clean that place up before the spring thaw.

Kelly telling Guatemala citizens not to try to go north.

Hari said...

What reason did the WP have to exist during the administration of Obama the Lightbringer?

Brando said...

Well they did get you to make me think about it for a few seconds longer than I otherwise would have, so mission accomplished?

Francisco D said...

Let me see if I understand this correctly:

Democracy will die if the dark forces of Trump (who was democratically elected) have more power and influence than the light forces of the Washington Post (privately owned and not democratically elected).

I am going to file their brilliant slogan next to Dan Rather's "Courage."

Matt said...

Maybe they can't word it positively ("we are the light") because some of the light/dark sayings are from the Bible: "The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." John 1:5. Even the Washington Post doesn't have the arrogance to compare themselves to Jesus. Or "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matt. 5:16. Again, I don't think the Washington Post is willing to say they are doing "good works" to glorify God.

So we're stuck with the lame darkness slogan.

traditionalguy said...

Au contraire. Democracy dies by censorship of news. And running a narrative of Big Lies and Faked News is a tactic that censors news.

WaPo can run 100 stories on the Alt-Right, but it still does not exist and never has existed.

Bob Boyd said...

Primum non nocere

Nonapod said...

I think they must have been reading a bunch of Warhammer 40k.

Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

WisRich said...

traditionalguy said...
WaPo can run 100 stories on the Alt-Right, but it still does not exist and never has existed.

2/23/17, 9:21 AM


I follow politics pretty closely and hadn't heard the term "Alt-Right" until last Spring from the MSM. I'm still not sure what its suppose to mean.

JPS said...

Darkness. Like, for example, members of the press coordinating behind the scenes with a presidential campaign to make sure their stories helped that candidate. That would be a really insidious threat to democracy. I'm glad the Washington Post is there to shine a light on such activities.

They did, didn't they?

PB said...

WaPo? Who cares?

mockturtle said...

These nitwits wouldn't know democracy if they tripped over it on Main Street in broad daylight. Why does anyone read this rag?

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Speaking of darkness:

Richard Spencer said ...
Ronald Reagan is dead, and we killed him. #AltRight #CPAC2017

Christy said...

Darn that modern spelling! The WP has confused the lite they bring with light they shade.

AllenS said...

Washington Post

We're not as bright as Twitter

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Speaking of Democracy:

Douthat said ...
Milo would be a queer champion indeed for a cultural or religious conservatism confident in what it stands for and what kind of society it wants to build.

But for a cultural conservatism united only by a shared outsider sensibility, neither consistency nor propriety are consensus virtues any longer — and indecency in the service of attacking liberalism is no vice.

tcrosse said...

Fiddle Dee Dee

rhhardin said...

It's 50% off too. Sale always ends today.

Birches said...

Such smug self importance.

tola'at sfarim said...

we need laszlo to comment if this is a double d or a triple d. But seriously, the wapo is going full 1933 on us

rhhardin said...

"Opinion is knowledge in the making."

rhhardin said...

"The tale of the donkey."

rhhardin said...

"Without bureaucrats, memocracy dies."

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

ARM, who care what Richard Spencer says?

You, like Ritmo, like to pretend that loser, who lives out in Montana someplace, has some sort of significant following on the Right.

He doesn't. Better worry about the loons on your side of the aisle. They're much more numerous.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Douthat said ...
Milo would be a queer champion indeed for a cultural or religious conservatism confident in what it stands for and what kind of society it wants to build."

Milo champions "leave me the hell alone" conservatism.

mockturtle said...

These nitwits wouldn't know democracy if they tripped over it on Main Street in broad daylight. Why does anyone read this rag?

For that matter, they wouldn't know darkness if they stumbled over it in broad daylight.

Marc in Eugene said...

ARM, I appreciated Douthat's column, although some of the argument didn't much resonate (e.g. 'the Right' I'm familiar with, the people I personally deal with on an ordinary basis, are in fact Christians whose sincere faith informs their political goals, who haven't in any real sense 'given up the culture wars'). One of the hard choices (cf Mr Trump and the offensive notion that 'indecency in the service of attacking liberalism is no vice') will be whether the ad hoc alliance between us and the secularist 'outsiders' will survive. I avoided having to vote for the winning candidate last November.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Quoting Iowahawk's great tweet from memory.

"The job of the media is to cover the news. With a pillow, until it stops breathing."

Michael K said...

ARM, who care what Richard Spencer says?

You, like Ritmo, like to pretend that loser, who lives out in Montana someplace, has some sort of significant following on the Right.


I follow politics and have for years and had never heard of the guy until the left made him famous last year.

It's a bit like the rioters and demonstrators who are outnumbered by the TV camera men and reporters.

A Brit posted a correction on the anti-Trump demonstration in London that had been described as "300,000 people". He said it was 2,000 at best.

I wonder if the leftists disrupting the Republican town halls are going to increase the GOP vote next year?

Do these people even think ?

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Marc Puckett said...
ARM, I appreciated Douthat's column


Although I am not entirely sympathetic to Douthat's world view I have come to appreciate his ability to state and maintain a coherent position. I think he has also become a better writer while at the Times. He and Dowd are the only columnists I ever read there.

mockturtle said...

I never heard of Richard Spencer until I got on this blog. Robert Spencer, OTOH, I've read every day for years. I hate it when people get them confused.

Bob Boyd said...

The Online version of the paper uses the click bait motto:

Democracy Dies In Darkness and That's A Good Thing!

GrapeApe said...

Just another instance of the WaPo showing their partisan interest. And another instance of a "respected" news organization stepping on a rusty nail. Get that tetanus shot, though it might be too late.

Jupiter said...

Douthat said ...

"for a cultural conservatism united only by a shared outsider sensibility, neither consistency nor propriety are consensus virtues any longer — and indecency in the service of attacking liberalism is no vice."

When the Left is destroying the society you live in, you don't need to be a conservative to want to stop them. But most of the people calling themselves conservatives these days want to conserve something that no longer exists, and in service to this pathetic fantasy they are ready to collude with the Left in their own destruction. Douthat is a Quisling, an Eat Me Last cuck.

Jupiter said...

"Democracy". Talk about your last refuge of a scoundrel!

Sam L. said...

The WaPo IS The Dark Side.

Achilles said...

Democracy failed the WaPo. It must be banished to darkness.

southcentralpa said...

I'm still not convinced it's not a manifesto ...

(I liked the old Baltimore Sun masthead: Light for All! http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=jW62K7af&id=17776A96B269D426FD9D8316952CA10F8ADB5705&q=baltimore+sun+light+for+all&simid=607998084338682859&selectedIndex=0 )

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

To illustrate its' commitment to democracy and light, the WaPo just hired John Podesta.

Michael said...

I'd go with mission statement. A hope and an objective.

Static Ping said...

I suspect the goal here is for us to come up with some of our own slogans. Stuff like:

The Washington Post: Swatting at Flies Since 1877

I will have to do better than that. It is very Patterico derivative.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

The Washington Post:

Coasting on Watergate since 1974.

wendybar said...

Democracy Dies In Darkness..and it also dies when the Main Stream Media is more interested in destroying people, than actually reporting the truth!!

Alexander said...

"Democracy dies in the darkness, but I can guide you through," offered the Will-o'-the-WaPo .

Bob Boyd said...

More from the brainstorming session:


"Okay everybody, there's no bad suggestions. I'll kick it off. What about, Democracy Dies In Darkness, but at least we're not contributing to Climate Change...No? Why not?"

"Wait, I've got one, Democracy Dies In Darkness So We Put Together This Collection Of Dim Bulbs....you're right. Sorry, I just meant...forget it."

"This one's a little edgy guys, but tell me what you think, Democracy Dies In Darkness When It Has It's Head Up It's Own Ass For Too Long....What?"

"Ooo,ooo! I got one! How about, Democracy dies because some nut with a gun shoots it...Well it's true...I mean narrative-wise. Alright, alright."

"Maybe Democracy doesn't have to die. Maybe it's just not feeling at all well...I'm just saying, like, how about, Democracy is just sick...or something like that?"

Rusty said...

The Washington Post:

The greatest high school newspaper in the country.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Very good, Bob Boyd!

Patrick Henry was right! said...

We are not, and have never been, a democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic formed by the states to handle federal responsibilities.
It would help immensely if supposedly learned people would use the correct terms for our form of government.

mockturtle said...

Well done, Bob Boyd.

mockturtle said...

Basis explains: We are not, and have never been, a democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic formed by the states to handle federal responsibilities.
It would help immensely if supposedly learned people would use the correct terms for our form of government.


You are right, of course. Perhaps they don't teach that in school any more. Some of us use the term democracy in the Jeffersonian sense.

narciso said...

So bozos didn't cover the it story nor the gitmo one so its fake news

Earnest Prole said...

Two thoughts:

1. The slogan itself is dopey, as even Slate is capable of seeing (15 Metal Albums Whose Titles Are Less Dark Than the Washington Post’s New Motto)

2. The slogan’s underlying concept is not dopey, though the Post’s commitment to it would be a whole lot more believable if the slogan had appeared during the Obama administration, which attempted to silence journalists on an unprecedented scale.

Bay Area Guy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Marc in Eugene said...

Have been accessing WaPo online without charge because of some deal at Prime but I discovered a couple of weeks ago that (promotion being done, I suppose) they have begun to charge $3.50 per month. I have better things to do with that $40 per annum, although it has been amusing, counting the number of critical-of-'Trump' articles &c on the front page each day (8 out of 10, today; I ignore what's below the begging-for-confidential information box).

Bob Boyd said...

Democracy Dies If Its Head Explodes Because Of Something Trump Tweeted

Big Mike said...

@Jonathan Birks, as a former Post subscriber since the early 1970s, I'd say more like a quarter the news at eight times the price.

Bay Area Guy said...

For Democrats who don't read the Constitution, don't understand the Electoral College, and don't want to understand the Electoral College, losing two presidential elections to George W Bush and Donald J Trump, is, in their minds, the death of democracy (or its close equivalent).

But they are not very bright.

Bill said...

Sounds like a line from an Amanda McKittrick Ros novel.

n.n said...

Washington Post is projecting from the twilight of their faith and religious/moral convictions.

n.n said...

Fresh from elective regime changes (i.e. social justice adventures), forced refugee crises (a.k.a. immigration reform), judging people by the "color of their skin" (i.e. [class] diversity), and denying life unworthy (i.e. Pro-Choice/abortion), the Left and Washington Post/Pravda progress to the next stage of grief.

Seeing Red said...

It's getting beyond parody.


All this cognitive dissidence.



All the winning! I can't stand it!


Love my IRA balances tho!

narciso said...

Chuck was so impressed with this guy, he was just a drone for rhodes:

https://mobile.twitter.com/omriceren/status/834792210164019200?p=v

Static Ping said...

The Washington Post: Everything Is Watergate

The Washington Post: Fake It Til You Make It

The Washington Post: Because Bureaucrats Need Friends Too

The Washington Post: We Reject Your Reality and Substitute Our Own

The Washington Post: Remember to Buy Thru the Amazon Web Portal

The Washington Post: Voted #1 Babysitting Service for Self-Righteous Know-It-Alls Five Years Running

narciso said...

And daschle and kirk

http://www.redstate.com/streiff/2017/02/22/washington-post-let-democrat-operative-edward-price-lie-readers

Deb said...

Pearl clutching drama queens.

n.n said...

The Washington Post is recovering from exposure of JournoLism by Deep Plunger during Water Closet. Or maybe it was the Nigerian Phishing Expedition that hooked a live one at the DNC.

The tell-tale hearts beat ever louder as the twilight faith recedes at dawn.

Clyde said...

'Democracy Dies in Darkness.' Because 'Courage!' already was taken.

narciso said...

As I was trying to point out, the post got this reputation because mark felt a disgruntled FBI suprrgtade leaked to Woodward and bernstein, and max Holland in his Bo noted how overblown many of the claims were against nixon

EsoxLucius said...

My choice would be: "We took down Nixon, you're next"

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Progressives love co-opting Biblical themes and words for their own satanic purposes. "We are the light," Will and Grace, redemption, etc. Don't even get me started on using misquoted passages to support their positions, like "Money is the root of all evil." Using the true quotes in context would be too contradictory to their aims.

EsoxLucius said...

narciso: The Post got its reputation because the Times, which used to be Washington's liberal newspaper, was bought by the Moonies and became a republican rag.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

I'm happy to see crying "Democracy Died" boy again. That clip (and the one featuring Thistle, the poor little protester who just couldn't give up) are comedy classics.

One would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh at Crying Boy.

Joanne Jacobs said...

"Democracy lives in the light"

Or "thrives" instead of "lives" if the Post is willing to give up on alliteration.

tcrosse said...

Democracy is wasted on the People.

Andrew said...

"Democracy's Bespoke Birdcage Liner"

Leora said...

Subscribe or we'll shoot this dog.

Static Ping said...

The Washington Post: If We Take Down Trump, Melania Is Back on the Market!

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

It would be easier to take them seriously if they had exhibited any enthusiasm for democracy during the last 8 years.

buwaya said...

As with (nearly) everything, follow the money.

mockturtle said...

Not to worry. Maher can bring his sunshine to illuminate--as well as disinfect!--the darkness.

Static Ping said...

The Washington Post: Party in the Front, Corrections in the Back

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

EsoxLucius said...
My choice would be: "We took down Nixon, you're next"

2/23/17, 12:26 PM

Nobody takes them seriously anymore.

They are Jeff Bezos' little hobby newspaper.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Clyde said...
'Democracy Dies in Darkness.' Because 'Courage!' already was taken.

My vote would be for "What is the frequency, Kenneth?"

n.n said...

Perhaps the Washington Post is referring to the baby trials that started at twilight, but that solution was chosen and progressed to soil society decades ago. Not exactly breaking news.

Sigivald said...

"... and here at the Post we want to keep you in the dark."

Sprezzatura said...

"Nobody takes them seriously anymore."

Post-Bezos, Althouse has been more Post-centric.

Of course, folks who don't get payola from Jeff may see things differently.

ddh said...

What a lame motto. Democracy can also die in the plain light of day, and the Washington Post is hardly Diogenes looking for an honest man.

mtrobertslaw said...

I give the shelf life of WP's new motto less than 6 mo. After Black Lives Matter threatens massive demonstrations, it will quietly disappear.

Karen said...

Bay Area Guy said...

"Democracy dies when you resist the Rule of Law, distort the plain meaning of the US Constitution, and import millions of people of foreign cultures, who don't believe in American democracy, tradition or values."

Bay Area Guy: I'm from the Bay Area, too, and a number of us congregate in a private group on facebook to discuss issues of the day. If you want to join us, search facebook for The 53 and request to join. I'll let you in.

ddh said...

Having subscribed to the Washington Post for more than 40 years, I cancelled my subscription a couple of years ago. The final straw was when the Post published a story on Benghazi in which it said that its "journalists" were unable to find even one of the 50 or 60 Americans who had been present in Benghazi on the night of the attack. This inability apparently extended to the contract guards who were giving interviews on Fox News.

Sammy Finkelman said...

Stephen Colbert had as one alternative motto something about they got Nixon.

Sprezzatura said...

ddh,

Smart move. Just watch Fox.



Carry on.

Michael said...

ARM

A reader of Stormfront and Richard Spencer. Good to know.

Big Mike said...

And now the New York Times is apparently going with "The truth is more important now than ever." And since the only thing they print that is within shouting distance of truth are the sports scores, we can assume they mean "sports are more important now than ever."

Except for Duke Lacrosse.

urbane legend said...

Fernandinande said...
"Democracy Dies in Darkness"

The world's biggest living thing exists almost completely in the dark.


So it reads the Post?

Steven said...

Sometimes you have to wonder at the people who worship the idol of Democracy but call Populism the devil. The whole point of a democratic element in any system of government is to allow populism to disrupt the establishment, to force the governing class to regain the consent of the governed.

Darrell said...

I'm glad WaPo dropped their old tag line "Now With More Giant Schnauzers!" I never saw the relevance.

Fritz said...

I can't wrap fish guts in the Internet.

wildswan said...

Democracy Dies in Darkness:
Wapo Profits Up

Make America Sick Again
Vote Democratic

Vote for Donald Trump
He Will Not Divide US

mockturtle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wildswan said...

Subscribe to the Washington Post -
Where Democracy Dies in Darkness.

If you like your lies you can keep your lies
At the Washington Post

Faithful Reader, Hillary Clinton, Comments:
"All through the election season I never missed reading the Washington Post. That's why I lost. Campaigns Die in the Darkness of Unknowing and the Post had just no idea. Still doesn't. Are you taping this?"
Crashing sound as of large whiskey battle going through large TV screen.
From: James O'Keefe
To Agent 47:Good job.

Democracy Dies Unless You Subscribe to the Washington Post.
Do you want Democracy to Die?
Send $40.00 and you're password to Prince Okewonageh, PO Box Fredom 2017, Lagos, Nigeria
I'm John Podester and I approved this message.






MountainMan said...

This is long but worth reading.

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/225587/trump-american-press

mockturtle said...

From Mountain Man's link, regarding the media & Trump:
" They’re thin-skinned hacks outraged that Trump dared violate the inherent dignity of that most important of American political institutions, the presidential press conference. And as we all know, this is the apex of real journalism, where esteemed members of the press sit side by side with other masters of the craft to see who gets their question televised."

Well stated and good article about the paucity of evidence on the Trump-Russian connection.

Mike Sylwester said...

MountainMan at 8:26 PM

This is long but worth reading.

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/225587/trump-american-press


Thanks for the link. The article indeed is worth reading.

I think Ann read it.