June 18, 2024

"The Biden campaign seems to believe that journalists should stop reporting on polls, rallies, and other tentpoles of traditional presidential races..."

"... and instead devote their resources to telling Americans that Trump wants to be a dictator, over and over again. If that means ignoring Biden’s missteps and weaknesses, well, the Biden campaign can accept that.... [V]ilifying the media has been a building block of Trump’s political identity.... Trump can win this race without favorable media coverage... Biden is in a different, arguably opposite position. His campaign argues that Democrats, unlike Republicans, are actually tethered to reality. Biden’s people are desperately trying to convince voters that the country is in much better shape than most Americans seem to believe. That elections are safe. That the economy, and unemployment, are not as bad as you’ve heard. Biden’s team needs voters to trust reputable publications that reliably print and publish facts—such as the [New York] Times and the [Wall Street] Journal. Then some campaign staffers and high-profile Democratic supporters turn around and attack these publications, in the process casting doubt on their reliability. It’s a losing proposition.... Biden’s belief in the Constitution means he supports a free and independent press. Authoritarians rise by lying and sowing mistrust...."

Writes John Hendrickson, in "The Biden Campaign’s Losing Battle/Beating up on the media is Trumpian and ineffective" (The Atlantic)(free link: here).

Hendrickson's unexamined belief in Biden's belief in the Constitution makes me want to reverse engineer that sentence I boldfaced: Biden's failure to support a free and independent press means he does not believe in the Constitution. 

I'm not saying I agree with that statement. That's just my examination of Hendrickson's logic. I'd say a political candidate — Trump or Biden or anyone else — can openly criticize the press and tell them they're doing it wrong. That's part of freedom of speech and consistent with the Constitution. Nor is it "authoritarian" to stimulate critique of the press. The problem is acquiring governmental power and then using it to threaten and burden and punish the freedom of speech and press of private individuals and businesses... which is what the Biden administration is accused of doing. See Murthy v. Missouri (a pending case).

60 comments:

Jersey Fled said...

“Biden’s people are desperately trying to convince voters that the country is in much better shape than most Americans seem to believe. That elections are safe. That the economy, and unemployment, are not as bad as you’ve heard.”

Joe Biden. The not as bad as you think President.

Rocco said...

Jersey Fled said...
“Biden’s people are desperately trying to convince voters that the country is in much better shape than most Americans seem to believe. That elections are safe. That the economy, and unemployment, are not as bad as you’ve heard.

Joe Biden. The not as bad as you think President.“

True. He’s worse.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Biden and the collective left - including the corrupt D-hack press - lie.

The collective left are lying liars who lie. They project, fear-monger and vilify Trump - as the Biden-loyal leftists/Biden mob cabal, make every authoritarian move they accuse Trump of.

narciso said...

Hes a hack from rolling moss and esquire

Dave Begley said...

Here’s the thing folks. Biden is the anti-democratic one and the Democrat party is opposed to democracy. Watching Joe Biden speak and perform during photo opportunities, it is clear that he’s not running things. Unelected people are running the country. That’s called a dictatorship. We don’t know if Susan Rice, Ron Klain or Barack Obama are the dictators. No lie!

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Biden is an Arabella king-pin.

His family pocketed millions from illegal INTERNATIONAL pay-to-play schemes while he was Obama's VP.

The media DO NOT CARE.

Dave Begley said...

Retail sales didn’t met expectations and the last numbers were revised downwards. Things are bad. Look at the numbers.

tim maguire said...

The Atlantic is fully on board with their publication being run by the Biden campaign, why can't these other publications fall in line? What is wrong with them?

Jamie said...

His campaign argues that Democrats, unlike Republicans, are actually tethered to reality.

Well, that's a winner: denigrate everyone in the other party, not just the candidate. It seems an essentially defensive strategy: don't try to attract new voters, but flatter your existing ones so they don't jump ship.

Sebastian said...

"Biden’s belief in the Constitution"

Wait, is that still OK with progs? Or is it just the wink-wink "living" Constitution? The one you can ignore when you want to take some unilateral executive action Congress did not authorize?

Lucien said...

Mark Twain gets credited with saying that Wagner’s music is better than it sounds.

Louie Miller said...

“The problem is acquiring governmental power and then using it to threaten and burden and punish the freedom of speech and press of private individuals and businesses... which is what the Biden administration is accused of doing. See Murthy v. Missouri (a pending case).”

This remark makes it seem as though you’re waiting for the Murthy decision before you accept that the current admin is strong-arming media and individuals. While that will be an “official” conclusion, many of us are skeptical that courts are unaffected by the same and perhaps other threat mechanisms. I have begun to prefer my own “lying eyes”!

doctrev said...

JFK had to be carried HARD by centralized media in a mostly homogenous and unaware country. But at least he had some personal charm and merit which made the lift possible.

Biden is trying to push the media into giving him tongue baths, but being a repulsive idiot is making that difficult. And with Biden's regime becoming increasingly unpopular, articles like this are a sure sign the incompetent media is getting sick of trying. But Joe Biden doesn't want to go, and he's at least aware of how badly off the oligarchs will be if he loses.

ron winkleheimer said...

I don't think that Biden gives a crap for the constitution. Obama criticized it for being a list of negative rights. That is, things the government cannot do. He, and most of his party, espouse positive rights. Things that people have a right to, like healthcare, housing, food, etc. All stuff that will have to be extracted from someone else and transferred to loyal supporters.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

I think I heard that average household costs under Biden are up over 11,000 per year.

But do not believe your own bank account. You should trust the lying hack D-Biden Soviet loyalist press. Crime is up - as we all know and experience. But again- you are not to blame the corrupt left.
Because democracy and stuff.

Aggie said...

Biden’s team needs voters to trust reputable publications that reliably print and publish facts......

Well, there's your problem !

I think Hendrickson has his focus wrong. The Biden team is not 'desperately trying to convince voters that the country is in much better shape...' by using the progressive media to shift opinion - the Biden team is jawboning the Corporate Legacy Media and trying to get them to soft-pedal bad news - like polls, and inflation news, and so on. It's a warning to fall in line.

Meanwhile, the Biden team's voter outreach is limited to calling on star power. They can fudge the economic data with the cooperation of the Administrative State, and if the Corporate Legacy Media will fall in line, they can keep the 'Hitler !' propaganda rolling against Trump. No polls to report, Lawfare Update! The media will make their money - But virtually all of the voter-outreach stories have been about Biden's support within the glitterati: Everybody loves Joe. Obama and Bill love Joe. Babs loves Joe. Spielberg loves Joe. George Clooney, Julia Roberts love Joe. Jack Black sez You should love Joe, too. The recommendation from famous people - that's all the voters should need, to decide.

I think it's a critically-flawed strategy, short-sighted. But I still don't trust that a Red Wave's Comin'

BillieBob Thorton said...

"Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?"

rhhardin said...

"want to reverse engineer that sentence I boldfaced"

It's called the contrapositive, equivalent to the original. X->Y means ~Y->~X

West TX Intermediate Crude said...

Biden's only hope for victory (outside massive cheating) is for the Wylie Coyote economy to continue doing better than the underlying fundamentals support.
Unemployment remains very low- is that because everyone has a good job, or because a lot of people have given up and illegals are taking low level jobs?
Stock market at record high- benefits a certain class of people, who in large part are Biden's supporters. I remember reading last year about how a recession was inevitable; it never arrived. The Fed will no doubt time the single predicted interest rate cut for maximal Biden Benefit, but, "Events, dear boy, events." The stock market, especially the NASDAQ, has a Jenga feel to it. When it corrects, there will be blood on the streets.
The hundreds (thousands?) of terrorists that have crossed the southern border should have the sense to hold off on their mischief until after the election, but the domestic terrorists (Antifa, Gaza Goons) ain't that bright, and predictions for an interesting and possibly kinetic summer are likely on the mark.
Polling is much less reliable than it once was as nobody has a landline anymore, only certain types of people answer cell calls from unknown callers, and many people are hostile to polling in general but trends are trending, and not in a good way for Biden.
Buckle up for an interesting summer.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

If you dare notice how bad things are under Biden - you will be labeled a fascist.

narciso said...

Oh noes...anyways

rehajm said...

They plan to cook the vote again. They will warn you not to look at the suspect states. No conservative observers of the vote will be allowed there…

Retail sales didn’t met expectations and the last numbers were revised downwards. Things are bad. Look at the numbers

Watch how many emails from retailers offering discounts you receive in the next few weeks. Sitewide sale! I’m already getting them. That and vacation deals…

cfs said...

Dave Begley said...
Retail sales didn’t met expectations and the last numbers were revised downwards. Things are bad. Look at the numbers.

6/18/24, 8:18 AM


Downward revisions are the norm now and has been over the past three years. Retail sales were dismal yet the media join together in a chorus each day of "Everything is awesome" in hopes they can convince the voters that they are the only one suffering in this economy.

Job seekers in the tech sector are reporting that the jobs advertised are ghost jobs and do not actually exist. If the truth were known, I suspect we are technically in a recession and things are about to get a whole lot worse.

Yancey Ward said...

People who defame the press should be punished, right, Chuck?

Rusty said...

West Texas.
I was talking to an institutional investor not long ago and I asked why the market was doing so well and everything else was so bad. He said because every other market in the world was worse. China is doing a slow meltdown and middle and upper middle class Chinese are looking for someplace to put their money. Ditto for Russia. It isn't that Biden is doing so bad,he is, it's just that everywhere else is doing worse.

A new Iowa poll, which tends to be pretty accurate, has Trump over Biden by 18%. That's a YUGE lead. Wisconsin usually follows Iowa so things are probably not as bad in Wisc. as the polls reflect.

ga6 said...

Somewhere a dark haired, cripple with orthopedic shoes who killed his own children laughs, applauds and raises his right arm in salute...

Mason G said...

"He, and most of his party, espouse positive rights. Things that people have a right to, like healthcare, housing, food, etc."

Things that can be withheld if you don't do as you're told.

tommyesq said...

Biden’s belief in the Constitution means that he will routinely ignore its tenets (like following Supreme Court precedent on student loans, like unilaterally changing immigration policy without even trying to go through the legislative process, like enforcing the laws of the country as they were enacted when he doesn't like them).

gilbar said...

resident Biden has provided More Jobs to illegal aliens than ALL former Presidents Combined!
resident Biden has provided medical care to illegal aliens than ALL former Presidents Combined!
resident Biden has provided free housing to illegal aliens than ALL former Presidents Combined!
resident Biden has provided FREE MONEY to illegal aliens than ALL former Presidents Combined!

resident Biden has made US such a shitty place that he has to PAY illegals to come here

TaeJohnDo said...

Once again, FB removed the link to this post stating it was SPAM. So there must be truth to it.

Big Mike said...

“Your reality is not real” sounds like a great campaign slogan for the Democrats They need to use it a lot between now and November.

Michael said...

About that strong stock market. Two things have increased steadily thus far in 2024: the S&P500 and Trump's chances of winning the election. Could there be a connection here...?

cfs said...

From the Kobeissi Letter:

Foreign holdings of US stocks has reached an all-time high allocation of ~60%.

In 4 years, the percentage has increased ~15% and exceeds 2000 Dot-com bubble levels.

Since 2009, foreign holdings of US equities has DOUBLED.

During this time, the S&P 500 has seen a 695% rally while the Nasdaq 100 has skyrocketed by 1729%.

By comparison, the MSCI World ex USA index has risen only 147%.

Foreign investors are piling into US markets.

Two-eyed Jack said...

West Texas IC asks
"Unemployment remains very low- is that because everyone has a good job. . .?

The answer is, of course, "no."

Everyone has a half-job (maybe two) with irregular hours and no benefits.

No one is buying anything, and no one is going out to dinner, so that extra half-job may be hard to come by, but two half-jobs certainly gooses the monthly job numbers.

Narayanan said...

Biden’s belief in the Constitution means
=================
what if FJB is modern day 'Leonardo renascent holding Constitution to mirror' and doing opposite!

gadfly said...

RNC co-chair and daughter-in-law Lara Trump suggested on Fox News that if Donald Trump has a bad debate next week it’s because Joe Biden is on drugs.

She seems to be familiar with the drug trade, so she and failson Eric may have ready access to high-quality illicit drugs.

TreeJoe said...

I'm a right-leaning fella but the analysis by both left and right on economic news and realities are just awful.

Let me give an example:

- Left-analysis "Inflation has tamed and we should celebrate that inflation has been conquered" ignoring the real loss of purchasing power by lower and middle class folks that continues, unabated, as inflation continues to rise - just at a slower pace.

- Right-analysis "People are working two jobs and unable to buy things due to all the inflation. It's so awful out here." Ignoring that if people were unable to buy things, prices on those things would fall assuming that supply remains available. Also ignoring that the Fed has actually navigated the inflation crisis rather well, albeit it was caused largely by global government monetary supply pumping.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Democrats, unlike Republicans, are actually tethered to the Media.

There FIFY.

Jamie said...

I'm going to put this here because it seems to me to bear on the question of Democrat - and particularly Biden administration - strategy for the upcoming election, as well as on voter trust, but I'll understand if it gets moderated out:

In October 2021, the official New York State voter list showed 109 particular voters who apparently voted twice in the 2020 general election, through two different ballot entry points. In July 2023, the same document showed 226,000 particular voters who voted twice in the 2020 general election, through two different ballot entry points. Can there be an explanation for edits to an election certified as accurate three years prior?

From Issues and Insights, https://issuesinsights.com/2024/06/03/why-arent-election-audits-required-in-every-state/.

The article is an interesting read. As is clear from the URL, it highlights the difference between a "recount" and an "audit."

Narayanan said...

isn't there paragraph or two in Atlas Shrugged where papers publish to their readers do not believe what you hear around

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Hendrickson's unexamined belief in Biden's belief in the Constitution makes me want to reverse engineer that sentence I boldfaced: Biden's failure to support a free and independent press means he does not believe in the Constitution. The problem is acquiring governmental power and then using it to threaten and burden and punish the freedom of speech and press of private individuals and businesses... which is what the Biden administration is accused of doing.

All good stuff there Althouse. IMO they are very credibly accused of doing so.

But my beef with Hendrickson and the Media he represents is that they will never admit two key truths about "Trump's criticism of the media:"

1. It is specific to the "fake news" they propagate.
2. They never apologize, never acknowledge the HUGE lies they spread about Trump.

Greg the Class Traitor said...

His campaign argues that Democrats, unlike Republicans, are actually tethered to reality. Biden’s people are desperately trying to convince voters that the country is in much better shape than most Americans seem to believe.

People who are "actually tethered to reality" don't have to tell teh voters "who are you going to trust, me or your own lying eyes?"

That elections are safe.

You're giving voter registration forms to illegal aliens, and fighting GOP efforts to make sure people who aren't US citizens don't get to vote in US elections.
Which means no one is going to believe you about the quality of our elections

That the economy, and unemployment, are not as bad as you’ve heard.

No, they're worse. Because the Biden Admin is routinely lying about things like employment, unemployment, and inflation, and then "revising" the numbers with no headlines

Biden’s team needs voters to trust reputable publications that reliably print and publish facts—such as the [New York] Times and the [Wall Street] Journal.

No, "reputable publications that reliably print and publish facts" are to the Democrats like sunlight and garlic are to vampires. What the Biden team needs are dishonest hacks who are in the take for them, which is the NYT, WaPo, and the WSJ "news" division.


Then some campaign staffers and high-profile Democratic supporters turn around and attack these publications, in the process casting doubt on their reliability. It’s a losing proposition....

Why yes, attacking your propagandists when the refuse to carry ALL your water really is a stupid move.
But the Dems ARE stupid.

Biden’s belief in the Constitution means he supports a free and independent press.

Democrats have no respect for the US Constitution. That's why they support twisting it into a "living document"

Authoritarians rise by lying and sowing mistrust...."
Gosh, you mean by censoring people, and screaming about "misinformation" and "disinformation", rather than trying to engage in public debate?

Yeah, that's your side Hendrickson.

Greg the Class Traitor said...

Big Mike said...
“Your reality is not real” sounds like a great campaign slogan for the Democrats They need to use it a lot between now and November.

You've won the thread. I'm stealing that for later use

Greg the Class Traitor said...

TreeJoe said...
I'm a right-leaning fella but the analysis by both left and right on economic news and realities are just awful.

Let me give an example:
- Right-analysis "People are working two jobs and unable to buy things due to all the inflation. It's so awful out here." Ignoring that if people were unable to buy things, prices on those things would fall assuming that supply remains available. Also ignoring that the Fed has actually navigated the inflation crisis rather well, albeit it was caused largely by global government monetary supply pumping.


1: What's happening is people are running up debt to buy the things they have to have. SO no, they can't afford it, but they're buying anyone
Which will lead to a big crash at some point

2: The Fed has screwed up by the numbers, repeatedly. And will continue screwing us through November, in a vain attempt to help the Democrats.
If you want to know what actual inflation is looking like, look at the interest rates people are paying. They're not down, at all

Mary Beth said...

They liked polls about a week ago when the Biden X account and other mouthpieces were posting about a poll that showed Biden "surging" in key states. None of them linked to the poll. It showed Biden ahead in a few states, but not more than the margin or error and only among all voters, but not among likely voters.

If another outlier poll comes up, I'm sure they will suspend their dislike of polls long enough to tweet out cherry-picked bits again.

Rocco said...

Sebastian said...
"Biden’s belief in the Constitution

“Wait, is that still OK with progs? Or is it just the wink-wink "living" Constitution? The one you can ignore when you want to take some unilateral executive action Congress did not authorize?”

Standard prog response:
Yes, we emphatically support the Constitution. We believe in “Our Constitution” just like we believe in “Our Democracy”.

(Ours, not yours)

stlcdr said...

TreeJoe said...
...

- Right-analysis "People are working two jobs and unable to buy things due to all the inflation. It's so awful out here." Ignoring that if people were unable to buy things, prices on those things would fall assuming that supply remains available. ...

6/18/24, 10:48 AM


I would call this a mis-quote attributed to the wrong people.

This 'two job' message is coming from the people who have to have two jobs, and they would not be able to afford the necessities otherwise.

For most of people, they are still working their one job, but more of their take-home is being spent on the necessities, and luxury item spending is down.

Now, it may seem that luxury item spending is up, which technically is true total dollars, but because of inflation, it's more dollars per unit, with fewer units. For example, interest rates are extortionately high (even though they are not at a record high).

TreeJoe said...

Interest rates are at levels our economy has sustained for extended periods with good growth records.

They are not extortionately high.

Everyone is treating rate cuts as some sort of necessary and desirable thing. Why. Why would our government loan money to banks at a hyper low rate of return?

Much like taxes, there is a zone of interest rates for such lending that is good the majority of the time. It’s not 0-2% and it’s not 7-10%

And it’s reflective of capital availability and the ability to generate returns above
That interest rate with the conditions of the broader markets.

cfs said...

“Biden’s people are desperately trying to convince voters that the country is in much better shape than most Americans seem to believe. That elections are safe. That the economy, and unemployment, are not as bad as you’ve heard."

---

I can understand that narrative. All politicians try to convince the voters that their policies are the best. All Presidents in slow economic times have tried to tell the voters that if they will just take a "wait and see attitude" they will realize the actions taken by the President is better for the nation in the long run. It's politics. But the Biden administration is not even admitting that some are struggling greatly under his economy. Still, I can understand. The Biden administration wants to be reelected.

However, for the media to pile onto that narrative and publish article after article telling the voters that it is just their ignorance (you uneducated rubes!) that makes them think the economy is in bad shape. There are no slow economic times under Biden. Unemployment is low and wages are increasing so obviously YOU are doing something wrong.

They tell us to look at our 401(k) and we can tell the economy is strong. The problem is that not everyone has a 401(k) and for those that do, unless they are over 59, withdrawing from those funds results in large penalties and taxes. A 401(k) is no help for paying the ever increasing costs of food, housing, utilities, and insurance.

One reporter even pointed us to a Wendy's $3 breakfast meal to show that the working class should have no problem in finding food to eat at little cost. Just eat a $3 breakfast meal (loaded with carbs and sugars) 3 times a day and food is practically free! Or, you can always eat Kellogg's cereal for dinner you ingrates!

I hate the media with a passion.

Kevin said...

“Biden’s people are desperately trying to convince voters that the country is in much better shape than most Americans seem to believe. That elections are safe. That the economy, and unemployment, are not as bad as you’ve heard."

Trump: These bad people who are going to come and see you, they're gonna ask you about me. You need to tell them that you don't know me. June? You need to tell them you don't remember anything... and you need to avoid getting into any vehicle with them at all costs.

American People: Wait. Who are them?

Trump: Serious people, June. They'll probably identify themselves as federal agents, and they'll DIP you.

American People: Dip me? In what?

Trump: Disinformation Protocol. They'll tell you a story about me, about how I am mentally unstable, paranoid... I'm violent and dangerous and it'll all sound very convincing.

American People: We're already convinced.

Trump: Here's a few common DIP cue words to listen for: Reassuring words. Words like stabilized, secure, safe. If they say these words particularly with repetition, -... it means they're going to kill you.

Yancey Ward said...

"Interest rates are at levels our economy has sustained for extended periods with good growth records."

Not with debt levels this high.

Leland said...

Gadfly,
Hunter was just convicted based on the testimony of two ex-girlfriends that he constantly smoked crack and was under the influence of crack when purchased a gun, and you pretended it never happened. Provide the evidence that others did about Hunter that Laura Trump is knowledgeable of illicit drugs.

This is why nobody believes Democrats. Even their no name hacks on the internet can't tell the honest truth.

effinayright said...

Greg the Class Traitor said...
Big Mike said...
“Your reality is not real” sounds like a great campaign slogan for the Democrats They need to use it a lot between now and November.

You've won the thread. I'm stealing that for later use.
**************

Too late! I stole it as soon as I read it.

I plan to accompany it with an Obi-Wan Kenobi "these are not the droids you're looking for" vibe.

RMc said...

telling Americans that Trump wants to be a dictator

For a lot of Americans, that's a feature, not a bug.

Inga said...

“RNC co-chair and daughter-in-law Lara Trump suggested on Fox News that if Donald Trump has a bad debate next week it’s because Joe Biden is on drugs.

She seems to be familiar with the drug trade, so she and failson Eric may have ready access to high-quality illicit drugs.”

Thanks Dr. Ronny!

Ralph L said...

I just watched a Biden ad with Bernie on mute. If that was the best take they could get of him just standing there, trying to look focused, his campaign is in trouble and also stupid--or self-sabotaging.

Drago said...

LOL

White Savior Karen Inga is now fully onboard with gadfly's lunatic claims on Trump children on illicit drugs!

Inga will literally believe anything.

Inga is the kind of cultist that makes the other cultists uncomfortable with her cultishness!

Big Mike said...

Rachel Maddow says she’s afraid Donald Trump will send her to a reeducation camp. Can you believe it?!?!?

I mean who try to re-educate someone who has demonstrated time and again that she’s ineducable? Total waste of time.

Oligonicella said...

John Hendrickson:
Biden’s team needs voters to trust reputable publications that reliably print and publish facts—such as the [New York] Times and the [Wall Street] Journal.

Bwahahahahaha!

Greg the Class Traitor said...

TreeJoe said...
They are not extortionately high.

Debt consolidation loans are going for 20 - 30%

If that's not "extortionately high", exactly what is?