Whenever an emerging totalitarian regime starts to reveal its intentions, there are weak citizens and organizations that seek to get in front of the tyrannical train and declare their allegiance to the dawning dictatorship before it actually assumes power.
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That display of spinelessness was evident when the Washington Post and other media enterprises withheld their endorsements of Kamala Harris prior to the election. It's especially disturbing when comedy news satire programs are more credible journalists than mainstream media...
SEE THIS: The Media Still Doesn’t Get the Danger that We – and They – Are In, But the Daily Show Does
With the election behind us, it took less than two weeks for a usually reliable news network to fall under the spell of the demagogic cult leader, Donald Trump. On Monday morning the hosts of Morning Joe, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, opened their program with a report on their recent visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago home/hotel. It was not exactly a story of courage or journalistic integrity (video below). Mika began...
"Over the past week, Joe and I have heard from so many people from political leaders to regular citizens deeply dismayed by several of president-elect Trump's Cabinet selections, and they are scared. Last Thursday, we expressed our own concerns on this broadcast and even said we would appreciate the opportunity to speak with the president-elect himself. On Friday, we were given the opportunity to do just that."
Joe said that he talked to Trump about a lot of issues, including those with which they disagreed. "What we did agree on," Mika said, "was to restart communications" [and that] "He seemed interested in finding common ground with Democrats on some of the most divisive issues." And if she believes that Trump has any genuine interest in finding common ground she is terminally naïve. She continued...
"We have been as clear as we know how in expressing our deep concerns about President Trump's actions and words in the coarsening of public debate, but for nearly 80 million Americans. election denialism, public trials, January 6th, were not as important as the issues that moved them to send Donald Trump back to the White House with their vote. Joe and I realized it's time to do something different and that starts with not only talking about Donald Trump, but also talking with him."
First of all, Trump had less than 77 million votes, and only about two million more than Harris. It was one of the closest elections in modern times, and not in any way a mandate for Trump, or reason for Democrats to cave in. Furthermore, merely because Trump came out slightly ahead is no reason to forget the atrocities he was responsible for, including the violent January 5th insurrection, and his dozens of felony charges and convictions.
Joe suggested that "this is a president who is not seeking reelection, so maybe, just maybe now could be time for both parties to get to work." Which is patently absurd. Trump is not thinking about reelection as a factor in pursuing his authoritarian power grab. In fact, he may not be thinking about ever having to stand for election again at all, while still staying in power.
Mika added that "Hyperbole and personal attacks will not work. My hair on fire doesn't work. We have all seen that. What also does not work is threatening political opponents with arrest, harassment and even jail. That is a failed path." Of course, she's wrong. Trump succeeded with his threats and fear mongering and therefore, will see no reason to abandon those tactics now. Continuing...
"We know that this will be a consequential presidency. The question is whether it will be constructive. It will take a new approach from all sides, from both parties, and a leader who can bring them together. And only time will tell if Donald Trump can be that leader."
Wrong again. Trump has no intention of bringing anyone together. He has said so explicitly, reiterating his threats against his critics, political opponents, and the media.
Joe closed by saying that he is "not here to defend or normalize Donald Trump." But that's precisely what he is doing. How else can he justify cozying up to someone he once compared to Hitler? A comment that drew a response from Trump's spokesperson threatening that "their sad, miserable existence will be crushed when president Trump returns to the White House."
This would be a good time for MSNBC to reconsider whether having Joe and Mika on for three hours every weekday is really a good idea while Trump and his regime are dismantling democracy. And it will be interesting to see how their network colleagues (Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, Jen Psaki, Alex Wagner, Nicole Wallace, etc., respond. Katie Phang has already made her feelings clear...
UPDATE: CNN is reporting that “According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, Scarborough and Brzezinski were credibly concerned that they could face governmental and legal harassment from the incoming Trump administration.” [and that] "the incoming Trump administration could use its wide-ranging powers to punish people deemed enemies."
So in other words, the cowards capitulated.
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