Should we "fight every day to save our democracy?"

[Azrael]

America the Beautiful Creative was built on fairytales so 24 people, if that many, really care about entirely fake and a creation.

Journalists should care.

 

[Songbird]

Mark Singer agrees. Who are the other 23?

 

[BTExpress]

Had Hillary won in 2016, Trump could have run against her --- and beaten her --- in 2020 (they would have blamed her for COVID, and parties almost never win four consecutive terms). And we'd be dealing with an incumbent Trump today . . . with what democrat to challenge him?

 

[Azrael]

Mark Singer agrees. Who are the other 23?

So your argument is that in a nation of 335 million people, only two dozen care about the nature and quality of reporting on Donald Trump?

OK.

I'd certainly add Tim O'Brien to that short short list.

Had Hillary won in 2016, Trump could have run against her --- and beaten her --- in 2020 (they would have blamed her for COVID, and parties almost never win four consecutive terms). And we'd be dealing with an incumbent Trump today . . . with what democrat to challenge him?

Not sure that's a journalism question.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Providing an accurate account of what public officials do is one thing — and it's a very important and difficult thing (to do well).

Just as important and difficult: getting the public to read it.

When newspapers had enough personnel to do an adequate job, they would set the agenda for other media. Radio and TV would regularly pick up on news that the papers broke, giving their impact a multiplier. Now I seldom see local TV news follow newspaper reports.

 

[Songbird]

So your argument is that in a nation of 335 million people, only two dozen care about the nature and quality of reporting on Donald Trump?

That wasn't really what you said.

There could have been a thousand dozen reporters carefully and critically reporting on Trump over the decades, and he still would have won.

Journalists weren't stopping the Don Train in 2016.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Had Hillary won in 2016, Trump could have run against her --- and beaten her --- in 2020 (they would have blamed her for COVID, and parties almost never win four consecutive terms). And we'd be dealing with an incumbent Trump today . . . with what democrat to challenge him?

COVID never happens at this level--or maybe at all--with competent American leadership, or at the very least someone who doesn't insist all will be well by Easter.

 

[Azrael]

That wasn't really what you said.

There could have been a thousand dozen reporters carefully and critically reporting on Trump over the decades, and he still would have won.

Journalists weren't stopping the Don Train in 2016.

It was the "nature and quality of the reporting" that led Trump from Queens to Atlantic City to Studio 54 to the escalator to the Oval Office.

 

[BTExpress]

COVID never happens at this level--or maybe at all--with competent American leadership, or at the very least someone who doesn't insist all will be well by Easter.

Sure it does. Red states/counties would have opposed shutdowns BECAUSE Hillary ostensibly would have been for them. "Government overreach!!!!!!'' DeSantis still would have been DeSantis, etc.

People in this country react IN OPPOSITION to the leader as much as they react with him/her.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Sure it does. Red states/counties would have opposed shutdowns BECAUSE Hillary ostensibly would have been for them. "Government overreach!!!!!!'' DeSantis still would have been DeSantis, etc.

People in this country react IN OPPOSITION to the leader as much as they react with him/her.

No chance for two reasons. Without a complete forking moron goading them on from the White House, the red state dummies aren't opposing shutdowns, vaccinations, etc.

More importantly, Hillary would have been intelligent enough to prepare us for this, if it even happened, and greatly minimize the impact. Even George W. Bush, previously the dumbest simpleton and most nightmarish person to occupy the White House, was consumed by pandemic preparation.

George W. Bush in 2005: 'If we wait for a pandemic to appear, it will be too late to prepare'

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

As journalists, should we "fight every day to save our democracy?" If so, what should we specifically do?

Incidentally, the publisher of the newspaper I work for is a friend of Rob Reiner. (That is only a part-time job I hope to leave soon.)

Yes, and it has nothing to do with Trump. It has to do with Kansas.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Without a complete forking moron goading them on from the White House, the red state dummies aren't opposing shutdowns, vaccinations, etc.

I vehemently disagree.

The grievance machine has been in high gear for a long time now. Opposition is a reflex. They would oppose literally everything that came out of Hillary's mouth.

They were anti-vaxx during the last pandemic, too. By a wide margin.