How are we going to shame the national media into covering Trump correctly? What price will NBC pay for this farce? Why do they continue to put out under prepared young women, instead of older and more experienced interviewers like Jonathan Swan and Mehdi Hassan? What about her teams dinner with Trump advisors a few weeks ago? Does NBC care so little about democracy or its citizens? This is all deeply disturbing after the farce of the CNN town Hall.
I am one of the many who are sick and tired of American politics. Too sick to watch most news sources. Not surprised by NBC, CNN and sometimes even find NYT full of fluff. That said I read Hubbell essentially every day. I am grateful for the updates and especially the optimism and stories of many who inspire me to be more active. I live part of the year abroad and as bad as MAGA extremism and guns are in the US, I continue to appreciate how the US is a true country of possibility almost like no other. And yet, we must all work to protect it. Sadly, as Robert notes, again, Citizens United and the Supreme Court and the (new?)GOP have tortured our system. Kudos to those who continue to fight. Thank you. May your inspiration inspire countless others, like me, to greater activism.
I am sick about Texas. The failure to convict the AG is a kick in the gut.
I was born and raised in central Texas and still have family and friends there. I don’t go back often as I refuse to spend any money there that would generate tax revenue for the state.
The government has gone off the rails, drank the Kool-aid, crawled through the worm hole and landed in some alternate universe where up is down and batshit crazy seems to be the norm.
I know that there are good people in Texas, like in Florida, who are fighting an exhausting uphill battle for representation. God bless them. May 2024 be a turning point.
Robert, your last comment in the leading section, "Let’s hope that the grownups in the room take charge—soon" underscores the GOP's problem. There ARE no grownups in the room.
I just wrote the following to NBC/Comcast investor relations. They need to hear from us. Feel free to cut, paste and use:
"I want you to know how disgraceful Meet The Press's interview with Trump was, in my opinion and that of many, many viewers and investors. Just providing him a platform for his continuous lies is offensive enough. That the network would provide him such a prestigious free venue to broadcast his lies and traitorous pronouncements is a sign that NBC does not take its role as a member of the free press seriously or recognize the danger in giving an enemy of our country the air space to continue to promote his venomous lies and to try to influence the election process in insidious ways. The interviewer was NOT up to the task. Journalistic "once over lightly" will not do it to protect our constitution and democratic traditions. NBC News risks complicity with these fascistic forces by airing their views as if they were in some way mainstream and not, by design, highly destructive to our system and traditions. SHAME ON YOU, NBC NEWS!"
No one is in charge of House GOP, there are no adults in the room and our country continues to suffer. I was appalled that Meet the Press did that “interview” with Trump. I did not watch. I walk out of the room whenever his face or voice is on the television. I don’t watch the evening news anymore. My husband watched NBC with Lester Holt but I will suggest my husband find a different channel for now. And I think we should all write to NBC to share our displeasure.
Thank you, Robert, for continuing these true news letters!
So when will Kristen Welker interview Joe Biden in the same way she did with Trump? And will her second question be about Hunter? If she were to ask Joe why he wants a second term, he could do a lot worse than to say, “Well, one reason is to defend the rule of law. You know, Republicans—not all of them, but the ones with power—are against the idea that the law governs, even when you don’t like the results.”
NBC's softball interview of Trump, the indicted leader of the 1/6 coup attempt, on its Meet the Press show was an incredible disgrace. It was another historic low for our country. The corporate media is a big part of why Americans are so cynical about our government.
I use to live in Philadelphia and knew Kristen Welker as a child through her mother. She is a bright and accomplished journalists. If the media is going to interview Trump then they have to ask the hard questions and not tip toe around them. You can’t hurt his feelings and you need to make him uncomfortable and you need to cut through his bullshit and lies. Unfortunately this was not accomplished in this interview and Trump got fee air time. Biden should ask for equal time. The Paxton trial and acquittal demonstrated how dark money and Trump allies can threaten and intimidate perspective jurors and this should be a warning regarding upcoming trials. The reality is the MAGA cult will try and influence and intimate anyone who wants to convict Trump secretly and out of view.
I hope Texans send Ted Cruz back to Cancun. His 2015-2016 flip from ardent anti-Trumper to slavish pro-Trumper has to be among the top head-snapping turnarounds in modern politics. And as with the Dan Patrick-Ken Paxton love-in, it's all about and facilitated by the dark money pools so handily made possible by our GOP Supreme Court.
Sep 18, 2023·edited Sep 18, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
The MAGA GOP has entered the realm of moral turpitude, "committing an acts or behaviors that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of the community". They brazenly embrace greed, corruption, and deceit.
Dismissive and contemptuous of the American electorate, they pillage the legislative process to bully their extreme agenda down our throats. Any semblance of thoughtful leadership in advancing the common good of our country has been willfully abandoned.
Capitulation, denial, and rationalization have been the cowardly retreat of those GOP politicians and media networks attempting to stay afloat and hoping that this storm will pass. These actions only empower Trump's influence and confuse fair minded people.
The Democrats must be far more aggressive in pushing back and calling out the destructive, insurgent, and reckless behaviors and actions of the GOP. Moral turpitude must be exposed and condemned.
I hate to be defeatist --- the press will not change. It's only getting worse. As it relates to Trump and Biden, they are becoming a more polite, softer version of Fox News. As Robert always says - it's up to us to continue our efforts to get Democrats in power.
Robert, your closing comments about Texas buoyed me. I am up early, preparing for LWV registrations at college campuses and naturalization events. We’ll keep plugging. Texas readers, encourage your friends to get certified as volunteer deputy registrants--Texas is a non-voting state, largely due to the hassle of registering to begin with. We need more volunteers to turn this around!
There's no reason for the national media to "cover" Trump that serves the common good. The only right, "democratic" thing to do is to make a fashion statement: arrest the Tangerine T*** and "cover" him in an orange jump suit to compliment his hair. And there's no need to coach him on the proper facial expression for media appearances; he's already got the scowl of a rabid fox caught in a trap down pat. He should have been incarcerated weeks ago, right after Judge Chutkan warned him not to intimidate witnesses and contaminate the jury pool with his vile bullshit, but there he is, on national television no less, spewing lies and terrorizing the American people with his fascist demands.
Trump did accomplish something, however. He exposed the illegitimacy of our mainstream media for all to see, well, at least for those who "have eyes to see." Throw your televisions in the dumpster, my fellow Americans, and subscribe to Today's Edition Newsletter and wake *#F***up!
How are we going to shame the national media into covering Trump correctly? What price will NBC pay for this farce? Why do they continue to put out under prepared young women, instead of older and more experienced interviewers like Jonathan Swan and Mehdi Hassan? What about her teams dinner with Trump advisors a few weeks ago? Does NBC care so little about democracy or its citizens? This is all deeply disturbing after the farce of the CNN town Hall.
I am one of the many who are sick and tired of American politics. Too sick to watch most news sources. Not surprised by NBC, CNN and sometimes even find NYT full of fluff. That said I read Hubbell essentially every day. I am grateful for the updates and especially the optimism and stories of many who inspire me to be more active. I live part of the year abroad and as bad as MAGA extremism and guns are in the US, I continue to appreciate how the US is a true country of possibility almost like no other. And yet, we must all work to protect it. Sadly, as Robert notes, again, Citizens United and the Supreme Court and the (new?)GOP have tortured our system. Kudos to those who continue to fight. Thank you. May your inspiration inspire countless others, like me, to greater activism.
I am sick about Texas. The failure to convict the AG is a kick in the gut.
I was born and raised in central Texas and still have family and friends there. I don’t go back often as I refuse to spend any money there that would generate tax revenue for the state.
The government has gone off the rails, drank the Kool-aid, crawled through the worm hole and landed in some alternate universe where up is down and batshit crazy seems to be the norm.
I know that there are good people in Texas, like in Florida, who are fighting an exhausting uphill battle for representation. God bless them. May 2024 be a turning point.
Robert, your last comment in the leading section, "Let’s hope that the grownups in the room take charge—soon" underscores the GOP's problem. There ARE no grownups in the room.
End Citizens United! It will solve a host of problems with which we have been contending.
NBC deserves a boycott.
I just wrote the following to NBC/Comcast investor relations. They need to hear from us. Feel free to cut, paste and use:
"I want you to know how disgraceful Meet The Press's interview with Trump was, in my opinion and that of many, many viewers and investors. Just providing him a platform for his continuous lies is offensive enough. That the network would provide him such a prestigious free venue to broadcast his lies and traitorous pronouncements is a sign that NBC does not take its role as a member of the free press seriously or recognize the danger in giving an enemy of our country the air space to continue to promote his venomous lies and to try to influence the election process in insidious ways. The interviewer was NOT up to the task. Journalistic "once over lightly" will not do it to protect our constitution and democratic traditions. NBC News risks complicity with these fascistic forces by airing their views as if they were in some way mainstream and not, by design, highly destructive to our system and traditions. SHAME ON YOU, NBC NEWS!"
No one is in charge of House GOP, there are no adults in the room and our country continues to suffer. I was appalled that Meet the Press did that “interview” with Trump. I did not watch. I walk out of the room whenever his face or voice is on the television. I don’t watch the evening news anymore. My husband watched NBC with Lester Holt but I will suggest my husband find a different channel for now. And I think we should all write to NBC to share our displeasure.
Thank you, Robert, for continuing these true news letters!
So when will Kristen Welker interview Joe Biden in the same way she did with Trump? And will her second question be about Hunter? If she were to ask Joe why he wants a second term, he could do a lot worse than to say, “Well, one reason is to defend the rule of law. You know, Republicans—not all of them, but the ones with power—are against the idea that the law governs, even when you don’t like the results.”
NBC's softball interview of Trump, the indicted leader of the 1/6 coup attempt, on its Meet the Press show was an incredible disgrace. It was another historic low for our country. The corporate media is a big part of why Americans are so cynical about our government.
There wa# never any reason to believe that the Texas Snate would do what the US Senate would not when controlled by corrupt Republicans.
I use to live in Philadelphia and knew Kristen Welker as a child through her mother. She is a bright and accomplished journalists. If the media is going to interview Trump then they have to ask the hard questions and not tip toe around them. You can’t hurt his feelings and you need to make him uncomfortable and you need to cut through his bullshit and lies. Unfortunately this was not accomplished in this interview and Trump got fee air time. Biden should ask for equal time. The Paxton trial and acquittal demonstrated how dark money and Trump allies can threaten and intimidate perspective jurors and this should be a warning regarding upcoming trials. The reality is the MAGA cult will try and influence and intimate anyone who wants to convict Trump secretly and out of view.
I hope Texans send Ted Cruz back to Cancun. His 2015-2016 flip from ardent anti-Trumper to slavish pro-Trumper has to be among the top head-snapping turnarounds in modern politics. And as with the Dan Patrick-Ken Paxton love-in, it's all about and facilitated by the dark money pools so handily made possible by our GOP Supreme Court.
The MAGA GOP has entered the realm of moral turpitude, "committing an acts or behaviors that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of the community". They brazenly embrace greed, corruption, and deceit.
Dismissive and contemptuous of the American electorate, they pillage the legislative process to bully their extreme agenda down our throats. Any semblance of thoughtful leadership in advancing the common good of our country has been willfully abandoned.
Capitulation, denial, and rationalization have been the cowardly retreat of those GOP politicians and media networks attempting to stay afloat and hoping that this storm will pass. These actions only empower Trump's influence and confuse fair minded people.
The Democrats must be far more aggressive in pushing back and calling out the destructive, insurgent, and reckless behaviors and actions of the GOP. Moral turpitude must be exposed and condemned.
I hate to be defeatist --- the press will not change. It's only getting worse. As it relates to Trump and Biden, they are becoming a more polite, softer version of Fox News. As Robert always says - it's up to us to continue our efforts to get Democrats in power.
Robert, your closing comments about Texas buoyed me. I am up early, preparing for LWV registrations at college campuses and naturalization events. We’ll keep plugging. Texas readers, encourage your friends to get certified as volunteer deputy registrants--Texas is a non-voting state, largely due to the hassle of registering to begin with. We need more volunteers to turn this around!
There's no reason for the national media to "cover" Trump that serves the common good. The only right, "democratic" thing to do is to make a fashion statement: arrest the Tangerine T*** and "cover" him in an orange jump suit to compliment his hair. And there's no need to coach him on the proper facial expression for media appearances; he's already got the scowl of a rabid fox caught in a trap down pat. He should have been incarcerated weeks ago, right after Judge Chutkan warned him not to intimidate witnesses and contaminate the jury pool with his vile bullshit, but there he is, on national television no less, spewing lies and terrorizing the American people with his fascist demands.
Trump did accomplish something, however. He exposed the illegitimacy of our mainstream media for all to see, well, at least for those who "have eyes to see." Throw your televisions in the dumpster, my fellow Americans, and subscribe to Today's Edition Newsletter and wake *#F***up!