135 Comments

Trump's constant BS gets normalized while Biden gets little or no credit for his accomplishments. Sickening.

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Biden is not good at getting his message out. Perhaps, a new crew. What he has is not working. trump will not win.

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You can't get your message heard when the day you are doing a major speech on infrastructure the media is focused on Trump's incoherent ravings in a New York courtroom.

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Bad Theatre over substance every time.

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well...substance is 'bo-o-ring'; even bad theater is more entertaining and news is all about entertainment these days. (I started this thinking it would be sarcasm...alas, it is actually truth)

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So true, its just accepted as a given that nothing Trump says makes sense, while Biden is constantly critically scrutinized. Tonight on CNN they were reporting on the fraud trial, and referring to "President Trump." Trump drives ratings, that's all even the supposedly mainstream media cares about.

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🤬🤬🤬. Mainstream media with their shameless pandering to the immoral & conscience-less liar and their total subjugation to the rule of the almighty dollar.

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Biden needs to stop talking about his accomplishments and start pointing out that Trump stole nuclear documents, showed them to his friends and said he wanted to suspend the Constitution. Biden is not supposed to put his finger on the scale of active federal and state trials but he's running against a guy who puts his grubby fingers on the scales of everything.

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Yes they need to go after Trump especially with regard to the plans (plots) they are busy hatching for a 2nd turn at destroying the country.

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I have no idea why they're NOT talking about TFF's plans. it's insane. he's stating out loud his intention to utilize the first chapter of the old fascist playbook. it's almost like a gift the Democrats refuse to unwrap.

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Agreed. These machinations are ignored at our peril.

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The vaunted Gray Lady is morphing into the New York Post. Disgusting. Somebody up there in the Times editorial department has some axe to grind with Mr. Biden. Enough.

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Let’s call it what it is: bullshit.

Lucien it’s clear that the gears are turning for a renewed -old- assault.

The difference this time is that it’s obvious, tired and unless they can think of another model (the surge of anti-Israel rhetoric casting Biden as a murderer of children?) its tired and tedious and probably worse for their readers (okay I’m one I admit it) really exhaustingly boring. Probably the ultimate sin in media.

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Could the Gray Lady be getting streaks of orange since that seems to be what sells?

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I have been known to call it the Vichy Times.

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Ooo, I like it.

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in the case of the NYT, their main fault is only partially the slant of the articles themselves as much as the headlines, which would lead anyone scanning them to think that Biden is practically comatose and TFF is merely "controversial."

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Yes.

It's not just the NYT. I wrote this back to Andrew Yang in response to his latest email:

"You write, 'A generic Democrat – one not saddled with doubts about age and vitality – would defeat Donald Trump.'

Doubts about President Biden’s age and vitality are media driven, including this email of yours. If you want to create a third party, or challenge to Biden, by all means do so. But I challenge you to cite meaningful examples of the President’s frailty in a fair assessment of his accomplishments and political handling of big issues such as the automobile industry strikes and Ukraine.

Without such examples - and I don’t believe they exist - your phrasing helps make his age a valid (sic) issue when no supporting data can be found."

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Ageism violates DEI. BIDEN HAS MORE FOCUS and DRIVE than trump He’s disciplined and runs a god administration. He demonstrates WISDOM. I’m sick of ageism. Time to shame and call it out.

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Seems to me it's rather stupid to ridicule the Presidents' age in a country where millions of aging baby-boomers vote. As a baby-boomer, it pisses me off. And I vote.

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Damn straight.

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EXCELLENT!

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The Times has a political agenda beyond the editorial page, IMHO. Whatever you think of Bernie Sanders, they attempted to smear him and trash him immediately with a front page profile and never really let up. With Biden all they want to do is pontificate, create crises, minutely examine what has very little meaning at this point (polls), and find individuals with interesting "quotes". The due diligence, digging for the truth and details, and writing relevant articles seems to be a lost skill, not to mention a lost art for all those "great names" we see on the bylines. Lucian I get far more from you, HCR, TCinLA, Robert Hubbell, Timothy Snyder, Joyce Vance, et al than I get from the Gray Lady with her yellowed gray. Sad situation---they ignore all the truly great things that Biden has done for this country. They only see negatives in Biden's successes. Well, I've rambled on; should edit, but its late...... ON THE OTHER HAND, WE DID IT IN MY STATE OHIO AND THE BLUE WAVE IS ROLLING.......

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Yay Ohio!!!

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Grover, the yes vote in Ohio is FAR more important than the prattling about too-early polls in NYT. Excellent news!

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Blue Beshear in Kentucky!

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This is not a good sign heading into 2024.

Dr. Juan Cole is always worth reading about Mideast issues on Informed Comment: https://www.juancole.com/ -- Cole knows the region, the peoples, the history, and speaks the languages and can discuss news sources and policies from the perspective of the peoples involved. He's been doing this for nearly 20 years, if not longer.

Then we get the inevitable Drumpf news. The orange Mussolini lucked into not having many foreign emergencies to manage during his reign of error. But we can tell from his dazzling response to the COVID pandemic how inept he would prove in another catastrophe. Hell, his forthcoming power move next year will be catastrophe enough. Then OUR reaction will be on trial.

We are committing slow-motion national suicide and nothing yet seems to be changing the outlook. Do some of these journalists not even realize how they'll be among the first to be corralled under a new regime of Trumpism?

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Thanks. I just signed up for his newsletter. Beside Lucian here, I also like to read Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium, Robert Hubbell and Heather Cox Richardson on substack.

I’m a BIG proponent of Substack writers in general (although not all Substack writers follow good journalistic practices so we have to stay attentive) Thank heaven I have these (& other) sources.

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good point. I don't think they're taking it seriously and consider it "just campaign bullshit."

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It's about time the New York Times is called out for their slanted, right wing, tRumpish coverage. And we thought it was because Hillary is a woman that the Times gave her such a hard time. Hmm. Perhaps the New York Times is actually biased in favor of the "Orange One".

Once again Lucian, you have cleared away the fog and clarified what might actually going on. WTF indeed.

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Indeed WTF???

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"Perhaps the New York Times is actually biased in favor of the "Orange One's" massively

greater "news worthiness (sic)," actually observable for decades - especially from being sited IN New York City, by the likes of the NY TIMES - that is, an ongoing potential for creating constant chaos, controversies, authoritarian, quasi-fascist crapola-on-stilts, amidst a barrage of utterly incoherent bilge, besides being supported by a GOP inherently biased in favor of the ultra-wealthy Powers That Be.

My suggested edit, to expand and amplify your remarks, Senatuh!

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Polling at this time is totally stupid and I’m really ashamed that the Gray Lady is stooping this low. Crap…shall we cancel our subscriptions as a protest?

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The Times newspapers are piling up daily: the glossy, full page sections, the black and whites columns , the pandering coverage of anything that sells.

Harry, says l, it’s high time we cancel the weekdays and just continue with Friday and weekends. After all, we have Lucien and Heather Cox Richardson and Steven Dundas to follow. And my Substack Notebook and the careful responses to Lucien and Steven and Patti Smith, who just can’t seem to stay in one place.

And all the Zoom lectures and correspondence with our far-flung tribe. The highlight of the week is running into strangers in the market, Or neighbors you haven’t seen in ten years.

Seems as if we’re living in cages these days, and flying isn’t fun anymore with austerity no frills pretzels. Heck, the networks don’t thrill with their formulaic, copt-cat copy and the ratings game of self/promotion and sponsorship.

Watching sunsets seem to be the only dailies we can count on that don’t raise the anxiety count. Harry comes in to report that another trump loyalist was won over the turncoat Dem who was denounced as a Democratic Socialist.

Hey, Mama, can this really be the end, to be stuck here inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again ?

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Great final sentence, Babette and excellent comment. 👍👍

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I have a feeling the broadcast networks will really suffer from the writers' and actors' strikes..... They have even stopped putting out reruns and have now have a whole new bunch of "reality" and game shows (gag.....). We have gotten out of the habit of watching the dreck and probably won;t go back.....

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problem is that the really "good stuff" is getting increasingly rare. that "golden age" of the cable series is OVER. there'll be good stuff, but not nearly as much. this is acknowledged by everybody in the business. in fact, two books about it were just released.

speaking of the good stuff, Season Three of "Slow Horses" starts on the 29th.

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Someone pointed out that only old folks, who trend toward TFG, answer calls from unrecognized numbers. Might be a factor. That said, the Times needs to get over itself, they have hated him (as do most New Yorkers) forever. Accept it and repot the truth!!!

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In 2020 I took a look at the %s of Republicans and Democrats responding to several polls and compared them to national numbers. In every case the GOP was disproportionately overepresented in the polls. I don't know the reason, but it was always about a 3-5% difference.

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Speaking as one of the officially old, I *never* pick up a call when I don’t know who it is. Got burned, and learned. I have been known to Google the number. Only if I recognize the source do I call back. And, yes, sometimes it’s a poll, but usually not political.

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Same here...got burned once and never again.

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I hope this is true.

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I'm glad you called out the paper of record. Why does The Times--as well as other major national media outlets-- put Trump-- usually with a photo-- on page one so frequently? Every move he makes, every thing he tweets is not news. It could be if presented as the lies they are. Biden and Blinken are doing the hard work , but that does not sell ads or create exciting news. To make so much of a poll this early in the election cycle and in midst of a very messy middle east situation as well as the Ukraine/Russia mess is what I call biased journalism.

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Yeah! Why not an article on how batshit crazy the Mango Menace is and how he really wants to be a dictator, not President?

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"NY TIMES EDITORS - introspecting just below waking consciousness anxiously as the Advertising Honchos, Always Appearing as A Specter in their Subconscious, whisper the words: `OK Wise Gal, WHICH PATH SELLS MORE AD SPACE, answer me that!

Now get outta here and interview a victim's shocked and grieving family, any victim, anywhere in the city, dammit!"

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Journalistic malpractice is what I call it.

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The long answer? Yes.

It's all about selling papers or ads or for that matter the USA out.

Nothing more, nothing less.

I remember when the NYT was something you read for clean journalism.

Now they make the NY Post look (other than the use of a lot of red ink) Fair and balanced. Oh. Wait. That is the motto of another media outlet we all love and trust.

I doubt many will ever wake up and see they are being played.

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To be honest, I don't blame Biden for either war having begun and continuing. As an ally, the US has a responsibility to support our allies, and the Republicans would rather not talk about that, but abortion will stop the promotion of military officers because 1 specific jackass named Tuberville is stopping them because he doesn't like abortion.

The Times has been playing footsies with itself for quite some time and I'm getting tired of their constant harping on Biden's age, when Trump is literally incoherent while testifying on his own behalf at a trial that's going to determine if he even has a business.

He 77, and nobody blinks twice while he drools, stutters and screams about things that have nothing to do with the election.

One poll does not an election make. I take exception to everyone going insane over it, and let's see what happens when Trump's convicted of actual crimes to see if his 'support group, (aka the cult) is going to actually be there when the ballots are being counted next year.

I'm not even too sure he will be on the ballot in some states-Colorado is having a trial about that, but you couldn't tell from the Times reportage about it.

And forget the WAPO-for some reason their entire digital paper has gone wonked out all over the place lately and I can't even read it. They'd better get a handle on that, because I've heard they're losing customers, and money hard.

The media thrives on blood-either real or hypothetical and they're doing what they always do-but we don't have to buy into it.

I have stopped watching the nightly news because that's what they do-scare you to death and then ask you to support them for it.

No more. I'll read about the outside world, and I'm sleeping better because of it. I refuse to live in terror because some jerk on TV is screaming at the top of his voice for me to do so.

But: Ohio overwhelmingly passed the abortion measure todayand it will now be enshrined in their state constitution. Republicans should be very afraid-what they asked for we're going to give them in spades next year.

And so should Trump. Democrats are not forgetting one iota.

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Brilliant, Mary!

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Yes WaPo just hired ex Murdoch acolyte William Lewis as CEO to shore up recent declines in readership. Trying to appeal to MAGAts like CNN is trying to do won’t help. They’ve been slowly becoming more MAGA for the last couple of years.

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I quit reading the NYT years ago for just this kind of mendacious horse droppings.

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No, it will not be a repeat of 2016. trump will not win. That is all.

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Thank you for calling out the NYT. I have been disgusted with their reporting for years. I would love to know the origin of their biased coverage of Biden. Who at the top is responsible for this atmosphere of poisonous coverage? MAD (Media and Democracy) does a good job of exposing their slanted word choices in headlines, etc. It’s actually shocking. I used to believe it was true, if it was in the Times. That was a long time ago. No more.

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Like the Don Henley song…everyone loves Dirty Laundry on the tv news and in the papers as it’s good for ratings and selling newspapers. Good news is boring for people with sort attention spans…

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Plus, "How DARE you media jackals minimize our victimization by the liberal-progressive-Deep State- International Banking Conspiracy -"Woke" - Critical Race Theory" propagandizing - godless atheist fiends - and -fellow travelers of Globalist -George Soros - financed - puppets of anti-Christians - WHO HATE AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Actually, the big fluctuation in Trump support between the Biden v Trump data and the Any Dem v Trump data suggest a lot of Biden haters — anti-Biden propaganda must be working.

While my polling friends tell me that polls a year away from election day are meaningless, the NYT-Siena poll in yesterday’s paper is troubling nonetheless.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/us/politics/biden-trump-2024-poll.html

This poll was all done via phone (landline and cellular) which, despite low response rates, has been shown to be a reliable method. Siena has a good track record:

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/pollster-ratings/siena-college/

My one critical comment about the method/sampling is:

This poll was weighted for over-sampling of R identifiers (32% R vs. 30% D) but does not seem to have been weighted for oversampling of R leaners (44% to 38%) among Independents.

In 2022, 42% of Independents voted D vs. 38% R, and in 2020, 52% of Independents voted D vs. 37% R.

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Thanks! I've done political polling, Public Citizen /PIRG polling on environmental issues connected with bills in the Minnesota legislature and ballot initiatives, fundraising for the DFL House caucus, and others, and phasing, "issue framing,' as well as the crucial factors you highlight, really really matter.

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