Eight years ago, I argued the White House Correspondents’ Dinner should end. The years since have only made the case stronger. And Saturday wasn’t even the worst part.
It's funny (read: depressing) how mainstream media outlets are consistently featuring more conservative-friendly personalities and viewpoints to appease Republicans, but it's still not enough to endear them. You'd think they'd learn the lesson by now, but they either haven't noticed or, notably in the case of CBS News, are specifically promoting a right-wing agenda.
Seems like a very big event to just flip off the switch. However, and it doesn’t seem to raise much awareness but this administration is like a cartoon that has its storyboard posted in the hallway. We have to take control of the future storyboard, complete with roles, tasks, and contingencies. No reason we can’t start to show the world how the current imbalance becomes corrected, and the current evil is vanquished and buried in the desert. If the WHCD can’t regain control of outcomes it should be left to whither on the vine. BTW, Ms. Molloy, thank you for introducing Ed Zitron. His honest (screamingly honest) assessment of the firehose of AI lies has reduced my anxiety around tech and reminded me that the tech oligarchs are mortals like us.
Paramount will get what it wants out the dinner (among other things) while Trump and the Republicans have received more out of that tawdry affair than they could have imagined in their wildest dreams.
I'm not sure what they're getting, I don't think it can be public sympathy, most of the public is long past that. Maybe another talking point for his stupid ballroom? Personally, I'd be happy it the Republicans talk All Ballroom All The Time until November, it's a beautiful way to remind the voters how out-of-touch they are. Yes please, and throw in a reference to the Triumphal Arch every once on a while too, thanks.
Republicans get to frame the narrative (with help from their all too willing accomplices in national media) that the would-be assassin (who never laid eyes on Trump) is yet another example of the same "violent, anti-Christian left" which murdered Charlie Kirk, despite the fact none of that is true, all while ignoring the glaring hypocrisy of a maga-verse steeped in vile rhetoric calling for terrorist violence against Democrats. Meanwhile, national media treat the grossly lopsided sources of political violence of the extreme right when compared to "the left" as reason for "concern" because of extremism from "both sides". That is the same narrative behind the bogus charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center: their use of paid sources to infiltrate and report on white supremacist and right-wing extremist groups actually "created" those groups, which, if true, begs the question as to what it was the informants were "infiltrating". It's the same unhinged "logic" behind the maga claim violent J6'ers who attacked our nation's capitol in an attempt to kidnap members of Congress in support of Trump's coup attempt were actually "antifa" plants. Such irrational people aren't even bothered by the question why Trump would pardon over 1,500 "antifa" foot soldiers who had been arrested, charged, tried and convicted of criminal acts.
Does this dinner do anything useful like raise money for scholarships for prospective journalist or support independent media?
(laugh track plays)
"The New York Times has been boycotting the dinner for over a decade."
Whoa, something actually good about the New York Times! I am shocked.
It's funny (read: depressing) how mainstream media outlets are consistently featuring more conservative-friendly personalities and viewpoints to appease Republicans, but it's still not enough to endear them. You'd think they'd learn the lesson by now, but they either haven't noticed or, notably in the case of CBS News, are specifically promoting a right-wing agenda.
Thank you! I constantly marvel that this even still exists.
Seems like a very big event to just flip off the switch. However, and it doesn’t seem to raise much awareness but this administration is like a cartoon that has its storyboard posted in the hallway. We have to take control of the future storyboard, complete with roles, tasks, and contingencies. No reason we can’t start to show the world how the current imbalance becomes corrected, and the current evil is vanquished and buried in the desert. If the WHCD can’t regain control of outcomes it should be left to whither on the vine. BTW, Ms. Molloy, thank you for introducing Ed Zitron. His honest (screamingly honest) assessment of the firehose of AI lies has reduced my anxiety around tech and reminded me that the tech oligarchs are mortals like us.
Paramount will get what it wants out the dinner (among other things) while Trump and the Republicans have received more out of that tawdry affair than they could have imagined in their wildest dreams.
I'm not sure what they're getting, I don't think it can be public sympathy, most of the public is long past that. Maybe another talking point for his stupid ballroom? Personally, I'd be happy it the Republicans talk All Ballroom All The Time until November, it's a beautiful way to remind the voters how out-of-touch they are. Yes please, and throw in a reference to the Triumphal Arch every once on a while too, thanks.
Republicans get to frame the narrative (with help from their all too willing accomplices in national media) that the would-be assassin (who never laid eyes on Trump) is yet another example of the same "violent, anti-Christian left" which murdered Charlie Kirk, despite the fact none of that is true, all while ignoring the glaring hypocrisy of a maga-verse steeped in vile rhetoric calling for terrorist violence against Democrats. Meanwhile, national media treat the grossly lopsided sources of political violence of the extreme right when compared to "the left" as reason for "concern" because of extremism from "both sides". That is the same narrative behind the bogus charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center: their use of paid sources to infiltrate and report on white supremacist and right-wing extremist groups actually "created" those groups, which, if true, begs the question as to what it was the informants were "infiltrating". It's the same unhinged "logic" behind the maga claim violent J6'ers who attacked our nation's capitol in an attempt to kidnap members of Congress in support of Trump's coup attempt were actually "antifa" plants. Such irrational people aren't even bothered by the question why Trump would pardon over 1,500 "antifa" foot soldiers who had been arrested, charged, tried and convicted of criminal acts.