Reminder: We don't do name calling here. You can disagree with someone and argue that they are bad actors, but don't do name calling. It's juvenile and it's beneath you.
Would someone please explain to me why all the brilliant never-Trumpers have not been able to bring more “normies” to the fold? How can the ultra-rich (and just rich) want American chaos and tyranny of the orange king? That’s not good for business? And if a Russian-style oligarchy is his “goal” - haven’t they seen what happens to oligarchs that cross Putin? Ugh. My brain does not compute.
I keep coming back to how conservative media, especially Fox News but also conservative talk radio - 10 of the top 20 radio shows in the US are conservative talk radio, with Hugh Hewitt himself even getting millions of weekly listeners - have told their viewers and listeners over and over again that liberals are evil. Liberals are trying to destroy the country. Liberals are trying to end all that you hold dear. I mean, that's the opening refrain of any Fox show - let me show you how liberals are destroying the country today. Fox and Friends just did an hour on how Bidenomics is destroying the country by creating an economic wasteland - a wasteland that grew 3.3% last year. Here I'm getting to another JVL point - why do people think the economy is so bad when its actually not? Well, one of my theories is that our 24/7 media is actually shaping our perception of reality. So even if your own situation is good, you believe that the country is really struggling if that's all you hear.
Anyway, if you are told liberals are evil over and over again for 30 years and are offered examples of the nefarious things liberals are doing (some of which may even flirt with some elements of the truth!), you will probably start to believe it. We are seeing the corrosive effect of that style of media. After all, sacrifices must be made in the war against evil, like support for an ethically, morally, and intellectually unfit person for president. Throw in the religious connotations of the war against evil for the evangelicals and you have one unholy brew.
As for Hewitt himself - isn't he a big Nixon fan who said Bob Woodward wasn't a real journalist? There is no line that a conservative can cross that will give him pause.
I don’t know why you would devote ink to Hugh Hewitt - a dim huckster blown by the direction of the prevailing republican wind. Biden and the Democrats have an excellent spokesman in Hewitt!
My thoughts on why WaPo pays Hugh Hewitt and MSM can’t quit covering tRump: I’m beyond tired of having TFG in my head where he’s taken up real estate since his ride down the elevator, but his behavior is so bizarre it’s like watching a horror movie where you cover your eyes but peek through your fingers in fascination. Like a freak show at the circus, or seeing something peculiar in public when you know it’s impolite to stare but somehow you just can’t look away. Trump said MSM would miss him when he’s gone and I’m sure they will because that kind of fascination sells papers and political writers want to ride the opportunity train he provides with his behavior. How can you not read on with the outrageous headlines he brings?! I’m like Mitch McConnell waiting for the Dems to solve his tRump problem, hoping to open my digital news one day and find DJT and his s**t show wiped from the news cycle when his MSM enablers finally decide he’s a psychopath whom they are empowering to take our democracy and society to the precipice. For all our sakes, that day can’t come too soon.
Is Donald Trump a terrorist? Many Republicans say they are afraid to cross Trump to to fear of violence from his followers. The FBI defines terrorism as the unlawful use of violence against people or property to intimidate or coerce a government, civilian population, or segment thereof. I know the word Terrorist is loaded , but it does seem to fit......
Given the common facts of human nature, it isn't terribly shocking that so many "conservatives" have been all too willing to accommodate Trump's conspicuous poverty of character - to call it mere "personality" or "style," or to redefine "good character" as "backs policies I favor."
What's harder to understand is that so many undeniably not-stupid people are comfortable with his obvious ignorance and stupidity, and his increasingly nutty public statements -- and so committed to the weird proposition that there's a deep wisdom beneath it all.
I think there's a species of intellectual arrogance in the "intellectual" defenses of Trump -- a pretense that it takes a special kind of intelligence to perceive the genius of Trump that's missed by MSNBC hosts. At the same time, there's a notion that Trump appeals to "common sense" and that's why he has a cult following of "ordinary Americans," and that people who respect "the common sense of average Americans" are smarter than the pointy-headed intellectuals who don't understand the appeal of Trump.
Then Trump keeps making his irrational and moronic statements (as do his fans) -- and I keep wondering: "Aren't the MAGA though-leaders just a little embarrassed by what they're defending?"
Maybe it's coincidental, but there have been other political pundits like Mr. Hugh Hewitt, who were anchors (2017-2021) on their own program on MSNBC, including Mr. Tucker Carlson (2005-2008). I point this out because I love watching MSNBC (and other networks - except Fox (Fix) News. Just sayin'...
It would help if the Substack ‘commentariat’ would dwell on the Supreme Court case to disqualify Trump.
You have one of the largest megaphones on Substack. You could use your voice to educate your followers about the history or political impact of Section 3 and how it is relevant to the Rebellion of January 6.
I started reading that story in The New Yorker the other day before you posted here. But after a few pages, I decided I couldn’t stand another 10,000 words with this person.
it has bothered me for few years that Hugh Hewitt continues to be presented as a normal voice for the Republican Party. I believe he and others like him is what allows/enables the 5-10% of people who continue to vote republican bc of "taxes" from truly realizing how dangerous Trump and the MAGA movement has become. We will never get the base but for the small sliver of Reagan Republicans who would suck up and vote for a Dem if they realized the dangers are real and not TDS, people like Hugh Hewitt could move them. Instead, Hugh and his kind do not inform but propagate Trump lies.
Reminder: We don't do name calling here. You can disagree with someone and argue that they are bad actors, but don't do name calling. It's juvenile and it's beneath you.
Would someone please explain to me why all the brilliant never-Trumpers have not been able to bring more “normies” to the fold? How can the ultra-rich (and just rich) want American chaos and tyranny of the orange king? That’s not good for business? And if a Russian-style oligarchy is his “goal” - haven’t they seen what happens to oligarchs that cross Putin? Ugh. My brain does not compute.
I keep coming back to how conservative media, especially Fox News but also conservative talk radio - 10 of the top 20 radio shows in the US are conservative talk radio, with Hugh Hewitt himself even getting millions of weekly listeners - have told their viewers and listeners over and over again that liberals are evil. Liberals are trying to destroy the country. Liberals are trying to end all that you hold dear. I mean, that's the opening refrain of any Fox show - let me show you how liberals are destroying the country today. Fox and Friends just did an hour on how Bidenomics is destroying the country by creating an economic wasteland - a wasteland that grew 3.3% last year. Here I'm getting to another JVL point - why do people think the economy is so bad when its actually not? Well, one of my theories is that our 24/7 media is actually shaping our perception of reality. So even if your own situation is good, you believe that the country is really struggling if that's all you hear.
Anyway, if you are told liberals are evil over and over again for 30 years and are offered examples of the nefarious things liberals are doing (some of which may even flirt with some elements of the truth!), you will probably start to believe it. We are seeing the corrosive effect of that style of media. After all, sacrifices must be made in the war against evil, like support for an ethically, morally, and intellectually unfit person for president. Throw in the religious connotations of the war against evil for the evangelicals and you have one unholy brew.
As for Hewitt himself - isn't he a big Nixon fan who said Bob Woodward wasn't a real journalist? There is no line that a conservative can cross that will give him pause.
I LOVE Midsomer ! Not only weirdos, but very inventive methods of murder.
I don’t know why you would devote ink to Hugh Hewitt - a dim huckster blown by the direction of the prevailing republican wind. Biden and the Democrats have an excellent spokesman in Hewitt!
My thoughts on why WaPo pays Hugh Hewitt and MSM can’t quit covering tRump: I’m beyond tired of having TFG in my head where he’s taken up real estate since his ride down the elevator, but his behavior is so bizarre it’s like watching a horror movie where you cover your eyes but peek through your fingers in fascination. Like a freak show at the circus, or seeing something peculiar in public when you know it’s impolite to stare but somehow you just can’t look away. Trump said MSM would miss him when he’s gone and I’m sure they will because that kind of fascination sells papers and political writers want to ride the opportunity train he provides with his behavior. How can you not read on with the outrageous headlines he brings?! I’m like Mitch McConnell waiting for the Dems to solve his tRump problem, hoping to open my digital news one day and find DJT and his s**t show wiped from the news cycle when his MSM enablers finally decide he’s a psychopath whom they are empowering to take our democracy and society to the precipice. For all our sakes, that day can’t come too soon.
Is Donald Trump a terrorist? Many Republicans say they are afraid to cross Trump to to fear of violence from his followers. The FBI defines terrorism as the unlawful use of violence against people or property to intimidate or coerce a government, civilian population, or segment thereof. I know the word Terrorist is loaded , but it does seem to fit......
Don’t see the Parkland article here…
Given the common facts of human nature, it isn't terribly shocking that so many "conservatives" have been all too willing to accommodate Trump's conspicuous poverty of character - to call it mere "personality" or "style," or to redefine "good character" as "backs policies I favor."
What's harder to understand is that so many undeniably not-stupid people are comfortable with his obvious ignorance and stupidity, and his increasingly nutty public statements -- and so committed to the weird proposition that there's a deep wisdom beneath it all.
I think there's a species of intellectual arrogance in the "intellectual" defenses of Trump -- a pretense that it takes a special kind of intelligence to perceive the genius of Trump that's missed by MSNBC hosts. At the same time, there's a notion that Trump appeals to "common sense" and that's why he has a cult following of "ordinary Americans," and that people who respect "the common sense of average Americans" are smarter than the pointy-headed intellectuals who don't understand the appeal of Trump.
Then Trump keeps making his irrational and moronic statements (as do his fans) -- and I keep wondering: "Aren't the MAGA though-leaders just a little embarrassed by what they're defending?"
Maybe it's coincidental, but there have been other political pundits like Mr. Hugh Hewitt, who were anchors (2017-2021) on their own program on MSNBC, including Mr. Tucker Carlson (2005-2008). I point this out because I love watching MSNBC (and other networks - except Fox (Fix) News. Just sayin'...
It would help if the Substack ‘commentariat’ would dwell on the Supreme Court case to disqualify Trump.
You have one of the largest megaphones on Substack. You could use your voice to educate your followers about the history or political impact of Section 3 and how it is relevant to the Rebellion of January 6.
https://open.substack.com/pub/johnadamsingram/p/is-he-responsible-for-jan-6-rebellion
Should Texas start bussing immigrants to Mar-A-Lago since Trump is now taking the blame?
I started reading that story in The New Yorker the other day before you posted here. But after a few pages, I decided I couldn’t stand another 10,000 words with this person.
it has bothered me for few years that Hugh Hewitt continues to be presented as a normal voice for the Republican Party. I believe he and others like him is what allows/enables the 5-10% of people who continue to vote republican bc of "taxes" from truly realizing how dangerous Trump and the MAGA movement has become. We will never get the base but for the small sliver of Reagan Republicans who would suck up and vote for a Dem if they realized the dangers are real and not TDS, people like Hugh Hewitt could move them. Instead, Hugh and his kind do not inform but propagate Trump lies.
The GOP was a cheap date, a lot cheaper than Stormy Daniels.
JVL, here's a small book you may be interested in. Godric by Frederick Buechner. It's a monk's tale.