Some healthy soul searching is taking place in newsrooms across the country these days over whether the mainstream media should be covering President Trump’s every tweet and rally.
NO!!!!!!!!
My answer: Absolutely!
It’s the right thing for us to do professionally,(1) and, as last night’s election results indicated, it’s the right thing to do politically(2) if you want to see a check on Donald Trump’s power.
(1)Why is it the right thing to do professionally, Friedman? YOU BETTER ANSWER THAT BELOW! YOU BETTER NOT JUST LEAVE THAT WITHOUT EXPLANATION. (If I were a bettin' man (and I am) I would bet he does. But if he doesn't, I'll answer it for him: because he's a good company man and like all companies The New York Times wants to make MONEY. It's a business, it wants to make money, Trump is great copy, great for circulation, advertising, great for ching-ching.))
(2) Off last night's election results, yes. Off Roy Moore, yes. BUT WHO GOT THE TRUMPISTS THE PRESIDENCY? WHO GOT THEM THE COUNTRY? The media! An estimated $4 billion in free coverage before 11/8/16. "Ah, but now it's working."
It appears(3)that it’s the toxic lying, bullying and unpresidential behaviors that Trump exhibits most in his rallies and tweets — which we in the media so incessantly cover — that is turning off the very moderate, best-educated Republicans and suburban women that Trump will need to hold the G.O.P. majority in the House, let alone get re-elected.
(3)I HATE weasel words like "appears." Of course, Friedman is correct to use a weasel word about the future, who knows but that it appears this way or that way. BUT FRIEDMAN DOES NOT USE WEASEL WORDS ABOUT THE MEDIA'S ROLE IN CREATING TRUMPISM. That is what galls me.
So bring on the coverage. (emphasis in original)
SEE! Not, it "appears" we should continue to cover him "incessantly." No, "BRING ON THE COVERAGE"! That is just fundamentally dishonest opinion writing.
America’s unemployment rate is 3.9 percent, inflation for the moment is moderate, the stock market keeps setting records, and the president is coming off a crisis-defusing summit with North Korea. And yet, the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Trump having a personal approval rating of only 43 percent, with 53 percent disapproving...
All good points. All of the factors in the first sentence should mean Trump's approval is higher and the GOP is not stumbling. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET TO "PROFESSIONALLY," FRIEDMAN?
Yes, I want every American to know that two Trump supporters were spotted at the president’s last rally, in Ohio, wearing T-shirts that read, “I’d rather be Russian than a Democrat.” That’s an interesting data point. That’s whom you’re voting with when you vote for Trump.
(4) "Evidently." He doesn't know, yet he KNOWS "bring on the coverage" is the right thing to do
professionally an politically. This is tenth grade debating.
The veteran pollster Stanley Greenberg told me..."Seeing him in all of his overreach and mania and self-absorption doesn’t make them second-guess their choice, but it makes them uncomfortable about it.’’
NO!!!!!!!!
My answer: Absolutely!
It’s the right thing for us to do professionally,(1) and, as last night’s election results indicated, it’s the right thing to do politically(2) if you want to see a check on Donald Trump’s power.
(1)Why is it the right thing to do professionally, Friedman? YOU BETTER ANSWER THAT BELOW! YOU BETTER NOT JUST LEAVE THAT WITHOUT EXPLANATION. (If I were a bettin' man (and I am) I would bet he does. But if he doesn't, I'll answer it for him: because he's a good company man and like all companies The New York Times wants to make MONEY. It's a business, it wants to make money, Trump is great copy, great for circulation, advertising, great for ching-ching.))
(2) Off last night's election results, yes. Off Roy Moore, yes. BUT WHO GOT THE TRUMPISTS THE PRESIDENCY? WHO GOT THEM THE COUNTRY? The media! An estimated $4 billion in free coverage before 11/8/16. "Ah, but now it's working."
It appears(3)that it’s the toxic lying, bullying and unpresidential behaviors that Trump exhibits most in his rallies and tweets — which we in the media so incessantly cover — that is turning off the very moderate, best-educated Republicans and suburban women that Trump will need to hold the G.O.P. majority in the House, let alone get re-elected.
(3)I HATE weasel words like "appears." Of course, Friedman is correct to use a weasel word about the future, who knows but that it appears this way or that way. BUT FRIEDMAN DOES NOT USE WEASEL WORDS ABOUT THE MEDIA'S ROLE IN CREATING TRUMPISM. That is what galls me.
So bring on the coverage. (emphasis in original)
SEE! Not, it "appears" we should continue to cover him "incessantly." No, "BRING ON THE COVERAGE"! That is just fundamentally dishonest opinion writing.
America’s unemployment rate is 3.9 percent, inflation for the moment is moderate, the stock market keeps setting records, and the president is coming off a crisis-defusing summit with North Korea. And yet, the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Trump having a personal approval rating of only 43 percent, with 53 percent disapproving...
All good points. All of the factors in the first sentence should mean Trump's approval is higher and the GOP is not stumbling. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GET TO "PROFESSIONALLY," FRIEDMAN?
Yes, I want every American to know that two Trump supporters were spotted at the president’s last rally, in Ohio, wearing T-shirts that read, “I’d rather be Russian than a Democrat.” That’s an interesting data point. That’s whom you’re voting with when you vote for Trump.
That...That...That just seals the deal, doesn't it. It's America 2.0, the new Russian Oblast.
...
I want every Republican running for office to hear every syllable of Trump’s bullying arrogance, when he warned at his Ohio rally that he destroys any G.O.P. politician who dares to defy him, saying, “I only destroy their career because they said bad things about me and you fight back and they go down the tubes..."
I want all of this heard and spread from sea to shining sea. Because though these words do rally Trump’s base, they also rally Democrats and evidently(4) embarrass Republican moderates and alienate independents.
(4) "Evidently." He doesn't know, yet he KNOWS "bring on the coverage" is the right thing to do
professionally an politically. This is tenth grade debating.
The veteran pollster Stanley Greenberg told me..."Seeing him in all of his overreach and mania and self-absorption doesn’t make them second-guess their choice, but it makes them uncomfortable about it.’’
Friedman. Friedman, Friedman, Friedman: Are you fucking stupid? That does not support your position. "The veteran pollster Stanley Greenberg" just told you all of Trump's shit "DOES NOT make [Trump voters] second-guess" their vote.
In a close election it doesn’t take many uncomfortable moderate Republicans to just stay home to make a big difference. That’s all I am looking for, not a tsunami — that’s not in the cards. Just a little wave of disgust among G.O.P. moderates is all that is needed to turn several key districts from red to blue.
Friedman! That's GOOD! That's a very good point. I lined out "Are you fucking stupid?" You're welcome.
It’s too late to move Trump’s core base..but I would not give up on his passive supporters. The latest polls and special elections tell us we shouldn’t.
Below is what to me is the kernel of Friedman's true thoughts on this:
Below is what to me is the kernel of Friedman's true thoughts on this:
I still believe that plenty of Americans of all political stripes are better than this president and that when given their next chance to say so, they will. Will there be enough? I don’t know.
That is actually pretty intelligent. He "doesn't know" if there are "enough" Americans who are "better" people than Trump to defeat him in 2020. That is pretty grimly intelligent. It's a whole different country, Friedman-y, a whole 'nuther country. And it is GRIM.
...there are decent Republican moderates who, while they may never pull the lever for a Democrat, just might get too disgusted to vote. It’s the best hope. So let’s keep them fully informed...
That's it? That's it! Okay, Friedman, that's a fucking FAIL! The WHOLE FUCKING COLUMN! You in NO WAY politically justify "bring on the coverage" with "I believe," "don't know," "hope," "evidently."
AND YOU NEVER EXPLAINED WHY "IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO PROFESSIONALLY" BECAUSE YOUR PROFESSION, FRIEDMAN, IS PROSTITUTION! YOU'RE A FUCKING HO! TRUMP IS YOUR CRACK AND YOU SOLD THE COUNTRY FOR A FIX. YOU'RE A CRACK HO, FRIEDMAN, A CRACK HO!
AND YOU NEVER EXPLAINED WHY "IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO PROFESSIONALLY" BECAUSE YOUR PROFESSION, FRIEDMAN, IS PROSTITUTION! YOU'RE A FUCKING HO! TRUMP IS YOUR CRACK AND YOU SOLD THE COUNTRY FOR A FIX. YOU'RE A CRACK HO, FRIEDMAN, A CRACK HO!
