If you want to know how much of a disaster the new Republican majority in the house is you need only look at the Republican Party’s political officials and media and their end-of-the-world coverage of weather balloon. To hear conservatives in our country explain it, China has decided to turn back the clock on espionage a few decades, and, instead of using satellites like the rest of us, have sent a weather balloon over Montana to get the secret of grizzly bears or something.
Mark Sumner has a solid explanation of what and why you don’t need to run into your bomb shelter because of this balloon. The balloon has been traveling at about 80,000 feet above the planet, and right-wing scaredy cats across the country are ready to exercise their Second Amendment rights against ... the sky. In their defense, the shrill and cartoonishly intense freak-out Republican leadership and media types are showing over this event is pretty surreal.
RELATED STORY: The whole 'Chinese spy balloon' story is the absolute definition of malarkey
Aaron Rupar gave a pretty solid breakdown on the reaction being seen in airport bars everywhere.
The artist Banksy summarized it even better a few years ago.
Now, let’s look at the Republican Party. First up is everyone’s saddest oldest child.
I wonder how that would go?
Hold up for a second. Let’s get a closer look at that balloon.
Oh boy. How are Nikki Haley’s attempts to fundraise for her presidential loss?
Sounds about right. Wait, we have an updated shot of the balloon.
Oh my. Looks like the world’s most boring terrible person is also fundraising today.
Someone says they have a photo of the balloon before it was released into our airspace. Seems legit.
Got me again. Rep. Jim Jordan is just thoroughly terrible. Here’s his attempt at what a libertarian might call “clever.”
This was a fun response.
And here’s the House Oversight Committee Chair, now a Republican, saying this for real.
It looks like this balloon is closer to landing.
Oh, man. Guess who is still 100% pure ludicrosity?
You don’t need to be particularly clever to respond to Ms. Lake.
Finally! Someone sent me a shot of the balloon.
D’oh!
We're chatting with one of our favorite fellow election analysts on this week's episode of The Downballot, Kyle Kondik of Sabato's Crystal Ball. Kyle helped call races last year for CBS and gives us a rare window inside a TV network's election night decision desk, which literally has a big button to call control of the House—that no one got to press. Kyle also dives into his new race ratings for the 2024 Senate map, including why he thinks Joe Manchin's unlikely tight-rope act might finally come to an end.
In their Weekly Hits, co-hosts David Nir and David Beard recap big developments in two Senate contests: Rep. Adam Schiff's entry into the race to succeed Dianne Feinstein, and the GOP's unexpected show of unity in the open-seat election in Indiana. They also dissect the first poll of this year's hotly contested race for governor in Kentucky and highlight another 2023 battle that shouldn't get overlooked: the race for a vacant seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
