Hopefully when E. Jean Carroll re-sues Trump for defamation, she'll include every one of the Warner Brothers Discovery scumbags from John Malone and David Zaslav on down who set the policy at CNN that led Licht to commit this crime against decency.
Definitely agree, although evidence against CNN is watered down by the so-called fact checking. But yes, nip it in the bud. It is so obvious CNN is kissing up to the radical right wing in search of increased viewer share.
Oh man! I could not process that thought fast enough! I felt like the Sheriff of Rottingham in Robin Hood, Men in Tights. βCall to morning sue attorney in Trump I must!β
Excellent point, Stephen. Neither she nor we need another circus. Letβs take the win and continue to hold our breath as we wait for Fani Willis and Jack Smith to move forward.
Thank you for this link Eric. This is the essence of whatβs been playing on in my mind: when do we say βStopβ to the destructive and immoral mouthpieces that claim their free speech right to denigrate and abuse others? Nazism and authoritarianism should not be supported as just another political choice in the US, or anywhere. White supremacists who promote violence against others should not be tolerated. Elected officials spewing lies ad nauseam should be called out by the media, and by their constituents, and by other elected officials who support truth, and the rule of law. And dare I say, corrupt Supreme Court justices should not be able to βpolice themselvesβ and remain in office. They must be held accountable. No one is above the law.
What is as much, or even more disturbing, is the audience reaction (clapping and cheering enthusiastically), at the insults, and the applause at his calling Kaitlin Collins nasty. CNN should have immediately stepped in. Ruth Ben-Ghiat likened it to whipping up a mob.
Did CNN hand pick the audience to create this abomination? The misogyny of the audience laughing and clapping when he called Ms. Collins βnastyβ was among the lowlights and at that point and others, (from what Iβve heardβ¦ couldnβt watch), she should have stood up and said she was done. No more lies and abuse. It feels like we are re-entering a barbaric time of stonings, lynchings, and entertainment at the Coliseum.
Group dynamics (aka mob mentality). Individuals who would not normally laugh at such crass, vulgar "jokes" will join in the "hilarity" because "everybody else is laughing". Same mechanism is also used to start riots.
To me, it has always been and will continue to be appalling that anyone with a brain or a heart would find admirable or funny the crass insults and venal accusations coming from a man who wants to be our president. What is wrong with these people?!?!?
May 12, 2023Β·edited May 12, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
When I read concerns and/or criticisms of Biden because of his age, one of my reactions is: yes....but. But Biden surrounds himself with first class counselors and the secretaries of departments of our government are first class minds. Compare that to the chaos delivered by the people that Trump attracted.
That's one of the points I made in my post, Age of Reason: "One thing that should be reassuring to voters is that contrary to his predecessor, Biden has surrounded himself with strong leaders, each of whom is capable of carrying on without him. Heβs restored much of the functionality and survivability that the Presidency requires."
Politics is seldom a choice between the best and the worst. Next year, if things hold (and over all, I give that less than a 50:50 chance), the choice will be between two old men. And the choice, to all decent people, will be clear as day.
The choice will between a racists who wants to blow up the country and a President who wants to continue building the country up for everyone. Age is not a factor.
I dislike the tone in the description βtwo old men.β There are plenty of people who reach their 80s and 90s whose thought processes are as lucid as anyone elseβs. I think of Jimmy Carter, Madeleine Albright, Jane Goodall (not that I think tfg is going to be one of those people)
At age 70, in for an annual checkup, I was told, βYou are NOT old. I see people in their 50βs and 60βs who ARE old, though.β Chronological age is only an indicator, not a determination of ability.
My age is between Biden and Trump. I still practice law. I have a boat that I sail myself, and prepare for the water. I cook, and shop for groceries. But I am old. It is a fact. And when people say that it's hell to get old, I tell them that it sure beats the alternative. But I am old.
I agree, and am in the same age range as you. But the comment above, imo, was meant as a criticism, or suggestion that the age factor is a detriment.
Bidenβs age is constantly being brought up as problematic. As long as he has his full faculties, I regard his age as a plus. Clearly, he has far more experience, better judgment, and better comportment, than many of the boneheads in Congress.
Also for Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, and other enablers and supporters of violent authoritarians (support is the net result of not actively opposing):
"Appeasement didnβt work in the 1930s and it wonβt work now. That doesnβt mean that people have to be angry or hate back or hostile, but it does mean they have to stand on principle and defend whatβs under attack. There are situations in which there is no common ground worth standing on, let alone hiking over to. If Nazis wanted to reach out and find common ground and understand us, they probably would not have had that tiki-torch parade full of white men bellowing βJews will not replace usβ and, also, they would not be Nazis. Being Nazis, white supremacists, misogynists, transphobes is all part of a project of refusing to understand as part of refusing to respect. It is a minority position but by granting it deference we give it, over and over, the power of a majority position."
I abhorred this having a town hall and what it produced. But there is another way to look at this. If Trump is the GOP then his statements represent GOP platforms going into 2024. These are the same clear exact points that every Democrat should be campaigning against and repeat over and over again. The polls as Robert has written are not accurate. This is just one event of a true wake up call. Democrats get on the offensive and donβt f#%?!g stop!
I used to subscribe to the morning readout of hot topics from CNN but no more. While unsubscribing I had the opportunity to provide a reason and my answer was that I was "totally disgusted" with their network due to the airing of the free infomercial for the former guy. Join me? Hey, we might make a difference.
I stopped doing anything to do with CNN last year. But yesterday, I did send my colorful complaint to CNN via their feedback link. I joined many who "cut the cord" with a channel that has completely discredited itself. The greatest justice for CNN will be the declining number of eyeballs.
CNN might want to hire Tucker to increase their ratings, I hear he's not doing anything at the moment. It is hard to believe that Anderson Cooper is supporting the trump dump.
May 12, 2023Β·edited May 12, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
While I haven't watched CNN for years because it was unwatchable, it was still part of my cable package. Yesterday, I dropped it. Like Fox, where I had a choice as well, I will not monetarily support them. I didn't go away mad, I just went away with no more thoughts for them. That is their worst option for people leaving, in my not-so-humble opinion, because they no longer exist for me.
I tried to do the same thing, but when I put in my reason and hit "submit" the screen just stayed there. I even shortened my reason, and it still just was stuck. Not sure if this was intentional on their part.
I agree with everything here, but have come to think CNN did us all a favor by shoving the real Trump into our faces and the faces of voters across the nation. I had forgotten how bad he is and he reminded us that he is worse than we think. And we are reminded of the greatest danger: his charisma with his base. He is colorful, excites your adrenalin, and stirs up the limbic brain. Itβs hard to believe how bad he is and CNN did us a favor by exposing the raw Trump to us. Biden is a brilliant president, but heβs not exciting. Trump is a disaster, but heβs exciting. We need to be stirred up and in fighting form to make sure Trump is never president. CNN served a great purpose in rubbing our faces in the excrement that is Trump. We will fight harder now! And hopefully the prosecutors will see that they need to step up their work to get him convicted for his seditious, treasonous, criminal behavior.
Ned, I agree with you. However, CNN encouraged the MAGA base by stacking the audience with pro tRump supporters, allowing TFG to ramble on and bulldoze his lies to viewers who expect nothing of substance to come from his mouth anyway, throw soft ball questions at him and then throw Ms Collins to the lions. Shameful. CNN is the new Fox.
CNN has set themselves up for multiple lawsuits comparable to those against FOX News and others. The Dominion lawsuit was quite costly for FOX. The Smartmatic lawsuit against FOX is underway. New defamation cases could be brought up by E. Jean Carroll, Speaker Emeritus Pelosi, and others. Did he defame Liz Cheney? And surely Jack Smith was taking notes.
May 12, 2023Β·edited May 12, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Agree! Sock 'em in the pocket-book since that is the only thing that makes them squirm. Except that CNN will claim they had a "fact-checker" on board. I hope someone can prove culpability that this move was intentional profiteering.
CNNβs platform for lies, defamation, and anti-democracy fulminations by a debased and dangerous man is unconscionable. But I guess conscience is in short supply in Trumpβs America. I will be boycotting both the man and the network.
From Axios: "On Thursday morningβs call, Licht noted that βwhile it mightβve been uncomfortable to hear people clapping in response to some of the presidentβs answers, that audience represents the views of a large swath of America. The mistake the media made in the past is ignoring that they exist.β He added, βJust as you cannot ignore that President Trump exists. The idea of doing so is [an] overcorrection of a time when nets took campaign rallies live.β
So there you have it. A major network lets Hitler hold a rally on TV because he exists. This is analogous to allowing poison from some factory escape into the air and doing nothing about it because, well, it exists.
Unfortunately, Licht is closer to the truth than people who are sanctimoniously attacking him. Trump IS supported by much of the American populace. And, unfortunately, many other Americans are susceptible to propaganda from Trump and his minions. Mere condemnation will not make them disappear.
Pretending they donβt exist, or calling them βdeplorablesβ, will not make them go away. Their votes count as much as the votes of good guys.
Abandoning the field of battle is not the way to win the battle or the war β and we *are* in a war.
Who else is wondering what Mr. Colbert thinks about his old boss? Hereβs hoping the writers strike gets settled soon so I can have my other source of news back.
It unfortunately IMO, is fundamentally impossible to refrain from using expletives when commenting on the abhorrent and morally absent state of the current state of the Republican Party.
It is well past the time to stop criticizing Maloneβs CNN and Murdochβs Fox for being bad news channels and recognize that they want TFG to win and are using their channels to try to make it happen.
CNN did not make a mistake in judgment. They (the owners) knew exactly what they were doing. They are aiding the enemy of democracy intentionally because this victory is what they want. and my guess is they are very
Very pleased to still be taken for βnewsβ. That their journalists are upset with the details of the coverage just reinforces the mistake that the intention was to do news when it was propaganda from the get go.
DK-this is the scariest thought of all, but one that makes complete sense. CNN management is not a bunch of neophytes who made a rookie mistake. They showcased their chosen candidate and gave him even more validity by packing the audience with a hardcore MAGA audience.
I didnβt watch, but I read TFG came out from behind a curtain (cheesy theatrical like the escalator and the fog at the convention.). It is naive to think this staging is not deliberate. Just because they didnβt play the theme from Rocky doesnβt mean it wasnβt all for making him look like the underdog coming back.
There is so much outrage and repeating of his most deplorable lines in the press. Are we all not just giving him more and more free press? We are outraged just as the trolls wanted us to be. (Iβm guilty if this too. It is a outrage porn. )
You are so right, Robert! For months now I have left the room when my husband turns on CNN. We did not watch the βtown hallβ. Iβm still trying to word my letter to CNN to express my disappointment and displeasure at their decision.
I've even convinced my husband to not listen in the car. Today he said (without prompting from me) that he was removing CNN from his favorite buttons on Sirius XM.
Hopefully when E. Jean Carroll re-sues Trump for defamation, she'll include every one of the Warner Brothers Discovery scumbags from John Malone and David Zaslav on down who set the policy at CNN that led Licht to commit this crime against decency.
From your pen straight to the higher powers that be. Are you guys listening up there? This shit show must be stopped soon and For the good of all.
Definitely agree, although evidence against CNN is watered down by the so-called fact checking. But yes, nip it in the bud. It is so obvious CNN is kissing up to the radical right wing in search of increased viewer share.
Oh man! I could not process that thought fast enough! I felt like the Sheriff of Rottingham in Robin Hood, Men in Tights. βCall to morning sue attorney in Trump I must!β
Wonβt happen. Take her victory and enjoy it. She doesnβt need another circus
Her attorney has announced they're proceeding.
Yay!!
Not worth it.
Another idiot pulls his head out of his ass to pontificate on what he doesn't understand.
I see the same people trolling Hubbell, Rather, Richardson, etc. I don't get why the authors don't block them.
They get reduced to their component electrons over at TAFM. One strike and out. :-)
Excellent point, Stephen. Neither she nor we need another circus. Letβs take the win and continue to hold our breath as we wait for Fani Willis and Jack Smith to move forward.
"You are what you tolerate." - Joyce Vance, a couple days ago.
Shame on Anderson Cooper. Emboldening fascists...well, emboldens fascists. Learn from history -- say, history from 2015 and 2016. Cooper and others normalizing anti-democratic individuals and cult members should read https://johnpavlovitz.com/2022/03/18/no-all-opinions-are-not-equally-valid/
Thank you for the link!
Thank you for this link Eric. This is the essence of whatβs been playing on in my mind: when do we say βStopβ to the destructive and immoral mouthpieces that claim their free speech right to denigrate and abuse others? Nazism and authoritarianism should not be supported as just another political choice in the US, or anywhere. White supremacists who promote violence against others should not be tolerated. Elected officials spewing lies ad nauseam should be called out by the media, and by their constituents, and by other elected officials who support truth, and the rule of law. And dare I say, corrupt Supreme Court justices should not be able to βpolice themselvesβ and remain in office. They must be held accountable. No one is above the law.
Thank you, Eric, for sharing this powerful piece by John Pavlovitz. I'm going to repost on Notes. This is the piece that we need to share.
What is as much, or even more disturbing, is the audience reaction (clapping and cheering enthusiastically), at the insults, and the applause at his calling Kaitlin Collins nasty. CNN should have immediately stepped in. Ruth Ben-Ghiat likened it to whipping up a mob.
Did CNN hand pick the audience to create this abomination? The misogyny of the audience laughing and clapping when he called Ms. Collins βnastyβ was among the lowlights and at that point and others, (from what Iβve heardβ¦ couldnβt watch), she should have stood up and said she was done. No more lies and abuse. It feels like we are re-entering a barbaric time of stonings, lynchings, and entertainment at the Coliseum.
She wouldnβt stand up and say anything. Sheβs a right wing nut job like the rest of them.
Group dynamics (aka mob mentality). Individuals who would not normally laugh at such crass, vulgar "jokes" will join in the "hilarity" because "everybody else is laughing". Same mechanism is also used to start riots.
To me, it has always been and will continue to be appalling that anyone with a brain or a heart would find admirable or funny the crass insults and venal accusations coming from a man who wants to be our president. What is wrong with these people?!?!?
Exactly the techniques Hitler used at his rallies to whip up the mobs against Jews.
When I read concerns and/or criticisms of Biden because of his age, one of my reactions is: yes....but. But Biden surrounds himself with first class counselors and the secretaries of departments of our government are first class minds. Compare that to the chaos delivered by the people that Trump attracted.
That's one of the points I made in my post, Age of Reason: "One thing that should be reassuring to voters is that contrary to his predecessor, Biden has surrounded himself with strong leaders, each of whom is capable of carrying on without him. Heβs restored much of the functionality and survivability that the Presidency requires."
Nice essay! I just subscribed to your Substack blog!
Thanks, Robert! I'm honored!
This is not mentioned enough.
Feel free to share it. Also, check out the rest at https://bobmorgan.substack.com/p/age-of-reason
I just subscribed. Thanks for sharing the link and ggrbb be wisdom.
And the
Thanks, Judith!
Politics is seldom a choice between the best and the worst. Next year, if things hold (and over all, I give that less than a 50:50 chance), the choice will be between two old men. And the choice, to all decent people, will be clear as day.
The choice will between a racists who wants to blow up the country and a President who wants to continue building the country up for everyone. Age is not a factor.
Exactly! Letβs be sure that message is as clear and broadly disseminated as possible.
I dislike the tone in the description βtwo old men.β There are plenty of people who reach their 80s and 90s whose thought processes are as lucid as anyone elseβs. I think of Jimmy Carter, Madeleine Albright, Jane Goodall (not that I think tfg is going to be one of those people)
At age 70, in for an annual checkup, I was told, βYou are NOT old. I see people in their 50βs and 60βs who ARE old, though.β Chronological age is only an indicator, not a determination of ability.
My gram died at 104 and was more with it than TFG
My age is between Biden and Trump. I still practice law. I have a boat that I sail myself, and prepare for the water. I cook, and shop for groceries. But I am old. It is a fact. And when people say that it's hell to get old, I tell them that it sure beats the alternative. But I am old.
I agree, and am in the same age range as you. But the comment above, imo, was meant as a criticism, or suggestion that the age factor is a detriment.
Bidenβs age is constantly being brought up as problematic. As long as he has his full faculties, I regard his age as a plus. Clearly, he has far more experience, better judgment, and better comportment, than many of the boneheads in Congress.
Also for Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, and other enablers and supporters of violent authoritarians (support is the net result of not actively opposing):
"Appeasement didnβt work in the 1930s and it wonβt work now. That doesnβt mean that people have to be angry or hate back or hostile, but it does mean they have to stand on principle and defend whatβs under attack. There are situations in which there is no common ground worth standing on, let alone hiking over to. If Nazis wanted to reach out and find common ground and understand us, they probably would not have had that tiki-torch parade full of white men bellowing βJews will not replace usβ and, also, they would not be Nazis. Being Nazis, white supremacists, misogynists, transphobes is all part of a project of refusing to understand as part of refusing to respect. It is a minority position but by granting it deference we give it, over and over, the power of a majority position."
(Source: https://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-on-not-meeting-nazis-halfway/ )
Thank you for the link!
Appeasement NEVER works.
I abhorred this having a town hall and what it produced. But there is another way to look at this. If Trump is the GOP then his statements represent GOP platforms going into 2024. These are the same clear exact points that every Democrat should be campaigning against and repeat over and over again. The polls as Robert has written are not accurate. This is just one event of a true wake up call. Democrats get on the offensive and donβt f#%?!g stop!
I used to subscribe to the morning readout of hot topics from CNN but no more. While unsubscribing I had the opportunity to provide a reason and my answer was that I was "totally disgusted" with their network due to the airing of the free infomercial for the former guy. Join me? Hey, we might make a difference.
I stopped doing anything to do with CNN last year. But yesterday, I did send my colorful complaint to CNN via their feedback link. I joined many who "cut the cord" with a channel that has completely discredited itself. The greatest justice for CNN will be the declining number of eyeballs.
I did the same thing earlier today! It felt good.
CNN might want to hire Tucker to increase their ratings, I hear he's not doing anything at the moment. It is hard to believe that Anderson Cooper is supporting the trump dump.
Itβs all about money and profits and CNN is courting Fox viewers because itβs profitable
While I haven't watched CNN for years because it was unwatchable, it was still part of my cable package. Yesterday, I dropped it. Like Fox, where I had a choice as well, I will not monetarily support them. I didn't go away mad, I just went away with no more thoughts for them. That is their worst option for people leaving, in my not-so-humble opinion, because they no longer exist for me.
I did the same (sane) thing last week!!!
Thanks for the suggestion. DONE!
I tried to do the same thing, but when I put in my reason and hit "submit" the screen just stayed there. I even shortened my reason, and it still just was stuck. Not sure if this was intentional on their part.
You always leave us with suggestions for positive thoughts and productive next action Robert. Good on ya!!!
I agree with everything here, but have come to think CNN did us all a favor by shoving the real Trump into our faces and the faces of voters across the nation. I had forgotten how bad he is and he reminded us that he is worse than we think. And we are reminded of the greatest danger: his charisma with his base. He is colorful, excites your adrenalin, and stirs up the limbic brain. Itβs hard to believe how bad he is and CNN did us a favor by exposing the raw Trump to us. Biden is a brilliant president, but heβs not exciting. Trump is a disaster, but heβs exciting. We need to be stirred up and in fighting form to make sure Trump is never president. CNN served a great purpose in rubbing our faces in the excrement that is Trump. We will fight harder now! And hopefully the prosecutors will see that they need to step up their work to get him convicted for his seditious, treasonous, criminal behavior.
Ned, I agree with you. However, CNN encouraged the MAGA base by stacking the audience with pro tRump supporters, allowing TFG to ramble on and bulldoze his lies to viewers who expect nothing of substance to come from his mouth anyway, throw soft ball questions at him and then throw Ms Collins to the lions. Shameful. CNN is the new Fox.
That is CNN's entire goal, and we don't have to guess because Chris Licht posted a tweet saying they were courting Fox viewers.
The βTown Hallβ was held in New Hampshireβ, well-known to be a conservative state. Of course Trump supporters would show up.
Should CNN have tried to hold the βtown hallβ in Berkeley, California?
CNN has set themselves up for multiple lawsuits comparable to those against FOX News and others. The Dominion lawsuit was quite costly for FOX. The Smartmatic lawsuit against FOX is underway. New defamation cases could be brought up by E. Jean Carroll, Speaker Emeritus Pelosi, and others. Did he defame Liz Cheney? And surely Jack Smith was taking notes.
Agree! Sock 'em in the pocket-book since that is the only thing that makes them squirm. Except that CNN will claim they had a "fact-checker" on board. I hope someone can prove culpability that this move was intentional profiteering.
Sooner rather than later. CNN should feel the sting of their lack of journalism.
CNNβs platform for lies, defamation, and anti-democracy fulminations by a debased and dangerous man is unconscionable. But I guess conscience is in short supply in Trumpβs America. I will be boycotting both the man and the network.
From Axios: "On Thursday morningβs call, Licht noted that βwhile it mightβve been uncomfortable to hear people clapping in response to some of the presidentβs answers, that audience represents the views of a large swath of America. The mistake the media made in the past is ignoring that they exist.β He added, βJust as you cannot ignore that President Trump exists. The idea of doing so is [an] overcorrection of a time when nets took campaign rallies live.β
So there you have it. A major network lets Hitler hold a rally on TV because he exists. This is analogous to allowing poison from some factory escape into the air and doing nothing about it because, well, it exists.
Unfortunately, Licht is closer to the truth than people who are sanctimoniously attacking him. Trump IS supported by much of the American populace. And, unfortunately, many other Americans are susceptible to propaganda from Trump and his minions. Mere condemnation will not make them disappear.
Pretending they donβt exist, or calling them βdeplorablesβ, will not make them go away. Their votes count as much as the votes of good guys.
Abandoning the field of battle is not the way to win the battle or the war β and we *are* in a war.
Who else is wondering what Mr. Colbert thinks about his old boss? Hereβs hoping the writers strike gets settled soon so I can have my other source of news back.
Enjoy your weekend with your family!
It unfortunately IMO, is fundamentally impossible to refrain from using expletives when commenting on the abhorrent and morally absent state of the current state of the Republican Party.
It is well past the time to stop criticizing Maloneβs CNN and Murdochβs Fox for being bad news channels and recognize that they want TFG to win and are using their channels to try to make it happen.
CNN did not make a mistake in judgment. They (the owners) knew exactly what they were doing. They are aiding the enemy of democracy intentionally because this victory is what they want. and my guess is they are very
Very pleased to still be taken for βnewsβ. That their journalists are upset with the details of the coverage just reinforces the mistake that the intention was to do news when it was propaganda from the get go.
DK-this is the scariest thought of all, but one that makes complete sense. CNN management is not a bunch of neophytes who made a rookie mistake. They showcased their chosen candidate and gave him even more validity by packing the audience with a hardcore MAGA audience.
I didnβt watch, but I read TFG came out from behind a curtain (cheesy theatrical like the escalator and the fog at the convention.). It is naive to think this staging is not deliberate. Just because they didnβt play the theme from Rocky doesnβt mean it wasnβt all for making him look like the underdog coming back.
There is so much outrage and repeating of his most deplorable lines in the press. Are we all not just giving him more and more free press? We are outraged just as the trolls wanted us to be. (Iβm guilty if this too. It is a outrage porn. )
I think you are spot on. Time to acknowledge this straight on and respond accordingly. This will take a concerted effort in and of itself.
You are so right, Robert! For months now I have left the room when my husband turns on CNN. We did not watch the βtown hallβ. Iβm still trying to word my letter to CNN to express my disappointment and displeasure at their decision.
Thank you for the reading recommendations!
I've even convinced my husband to not listen in the car. Today he said (without prompting from me) that he was removing CNN from his favorite buttons on Sirius XM.