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Newspaper publisher Mark Guerringue sits in the left chair this week and the producer asked if Trump's anti-media "enemy of the people" rhetoric contributed to a physical attack on a BBC reporter at his recent rally in El Paso. I say that it probably did because Trump often berates the media gallery who are also physically present there, especially CNN. Mark agrees.
From there we discuss American attitudes toward media of all kinds. I contend most distrust media and see it as biased. Mark says it has always been perceived as such. Then we discuss the transition from hard copy newspapers to online news sources given that his newspapers got going in the late 1980s just before internet's huge growth. I asked him to reflect on the future of one versus the other.
Mark believes hard copy newspapers will be dead in the not-too-distant future and reflects on the various reasons -- corporate ownership vs private ownership, choked ad revenue, etc.
Mark points to the Cohen testimony in a US House committee alleging campaign finance violations by Donald Trump when he paid off a former mistress during the 2016 campaign. I cite opinions by Alan Dershowitz that these payoffs did not violate any campaign finance laws and Democrats can stop drooling over using them to impeach Trump.
Mark contends that "we know [Trump] is a basically a criminal..." I tell him "Don't say we. Don't include me in that..."
Then he pivots to Trump's declaration of a national emergency over central Americans coming over the southern border and asks if I agree. I say yes. He disputes the declaration claiming that we have over 700 miles of wall and that drugs are coming mostly through ports of entry. I say that because drugs confiscated at such ports doesn't negate that they could be coming in other ways, and that we are overrun with drugs here in the USA.
I relate my visit to the border and the chaos I saw in our Border Patrol nine years ago, and that it's a lot worse now. And, that the wall I saw was something I could scale even at my age -- that it was ineffective as a barrier. Mark says everyone supports border security, but I say the Democrats want open borders. Dem presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke now calls for dismantling the walls we have because they're "immoral."
At one point Mark said we should change the subject from immigration because I was getting upset, "before you blow your cork." I counter that I'm making points he cannot refute. Then I raise the Jussie Smollett fake hate crime and relate it to the Covington Boy's High school kids who were vilified for wearing MAGA hats and connect it to Smollett.
Then Mark seemed to get upset that I'm casting mainstream media in a bad light. "What's the point?" he asks. I then relate a Massachusetts incident in which a woman assaults a man wearing a MAGA hat in a restaurant and cops respond. They fingerprint her revealing she's an illegal alien and they report her to ICE. As for all the hostility against MAGA hats, Mark says, "I think you can blame Trump... There's a lack of civility in all those things and Trump is setting the tone."
I point out that all but three Democrats voted against Senator Ben Sasse's bill to provide medical care for babies born alive after attempted abortions. Mark doubts babies are ever left to die, that no mother would permit it.
What Democrat can beat Trump? Mark picks Biden. I pick Klobuchar.
10 comments:
So what is the issue concerning the apprehension/suspicion concerning Trump? I loved the recent statement by Rand Paul about losing his political soul if he treated Trump any differently than he treated Obama. Switch Russia for some enemy Muslim country during Obama's terms and what would you think? How about if Obama met with some Muslim thug and took his interpreter’s notes and instructed her not to discuss the meeting, like Trump did with his Putin meeting? What if Obama had been caught many times lying about contacts with that enemy Muslim nation even before that? What if our countries intelligence figured out that that country had meddled with our election, trying to help Obama, and that Obama had poofed it off by saying the Muslim leader told him that it was fake news, believing the thug over his own countries intelligence? What if Obama then fired the head of the FBI when they wouldn’t stop the investigation into these things? And so on and so on and so on. This would not only have raised your suspicions, but would have had Republicans howling so hard and creating such an uproar that what is happening with Trump would look like nothing.
So what is the issue with the Trump investigation? What are you scared of? You obviously can’t pretend the reason is wasting taxpayer money (because Tom himself just explained how financially irresponsible Republicans have become with the deficit, etc, and the countless costly investigations into Whitewater), so it seems the only thing you must be afraid of is the truth of what may be revealed.
...face it, those treating Trump differently than they would Obama have no political soul.
Newspapers ALWAYS perceived as biased?
"Mark contends that "we know [Trump] is a basically a criminal..."
Did Mr. G have the appropriate "ah ha" moment right then?
"Choked" ad revenue"? Have banks been instructed to not process payments from advertisers to newspapers?
Operation Chokepoint? NO.
Thanks to the electronic data mining and reselling, on "The Web of things"
I'm getting unsolicited ads from an oil company in North Conway, and
(fill-in-the-blank) available in Bartlett. Both "intruding" (not just on the side)
on "National" sites.
I guess sensationalism,yellow journalism, will ALWAYS be tools in competition.
Can't complain about the price.
Keep Mr. G as a "guest". Much like many of the letters to the editor that are chosen for print, including the ones from far away, it's helpful in reminding me of "Lest we forget", and eternal vigilance.
"His" paper may not alleviate the Gell Mann Amnesia effect, but extrapolation from the classified section is useful in evaluating the prevailing local PoliSci/Economic
broken windows, magic hands, and of course...fallibly of magic dirt.
Of course I have no one to blame but myself, as I do not offer Nobel Prize worthy submissions myself, lest I be "unfriended", and "boycotted", by the progressive socialist social justice warriors currently in my sphere of influence.
In regards to knowing that Trump is "basically a criminal"....it takes willful ignorance to think otherwise. It is clear that Trump is attracted to thugs. Take his admiration for goons like Putin and Kim Jung Un. Consider his inner circle. His former campaign manager (Paul Manafort), his former deputy campaign manager (Rick Gates), his former national security adviser (Michael Flynn), his former personal lawyer: All convicted felons. And don't forget Roger Stone. Does anyone really think it is a "coincidence" that Trump surrounds himself with these people? Are you really that naive?
I find it most disappointing that people think one is guilty based on the media and one's position in life--mob rule. In America, all are innocent until PROVEN guilty. In this case, Mueller has been at this for almost 2 years and so far, has not produced any evidence to indict Trump. The media is completely biased and, worse, censores news to meet their agenda. Most media people are dems--due to the fact they have had an indoctrination for their entire lives--starting with education, the device of the communists/fascists. It is 1984 now,the early beginnings of "lost records" (Hilary Clinton, Lois Lerner--justice was absent with these two dems)--to all-out control. Orwell's book used to be required high school reading...it should be again. The Bernie's of the world think by giving people things that they will have renewed hope and promise. Truth is, by giving people things and spoiling, the Bernie's are actually depriving people of their pride, dignity, and responsibility. This will not produce hope, independence, or self worth, but completely the opposite...and we will end up like Venezuela--financially and morally bankrupt. Sadly, there are too many people in the northeast and in some other regions of the country who have been part of the indoctrination for the last 30-40 years and this has left them blind. Blind to truth, justice morality, goodness, and virtue. The irony is that it is they who are ignorant, and some who are outright evil, and are not to be trusted.
Anybody in the party who's mobs chanted "Lock her up!" should not be lecturing others on "innocent until proven guilty".
Before judging the Mueller report wait until it is released and remember that it took over two years for the Watergate investigating. I didn't see anybody denying that all that secret Russian contacts looks extremely suspicious.
1984 was a fantastic book, and it is no coincidence that it went to number 1 on Amazon sales during Trump's term. There are many connections:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/orwells-1984-and-trumps-america
Yes, I believe Trump to be blind to truth, justice morality, goodness, and virtue, and I find it truly ironic that you blame others of this.
Anyone that thinks Hiliary Clinton isn't a criminal is delusional
Mr Ed, it looks like you need to be arguing with Cowboy Ted about being innocent until proven guilty as he believes that to be the case and you don't.
I actually don't need to be arguing with anyone, Both Clintons are criminals and their non prosecution shows how there is no Rule of Law in America. It is a big fn farce, the left single out the right for non-rule of law, the right single out the left for non-rule of law. BUT fact is both are right, there is no rule of law in America. There is rule of no law for the elite, but pay your fine, you peon. It is about that simple.
I do agree with you Ed about the elite on both sides getting off relatively scott free for their crimes. Just look at all that got off after the banking fiasco that caused our last economic collapse. Which is good news for our current criminal in the White House because the likelihood is that he becomes yet another case of a non prosecution farce.
Long time no post....hope all is well in the McLaughlin household. Hopefully a nice vacation.
Cheers!
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