"Riffed from the Headlines" is Townhall's daily VIP feature with coverage on the deeply flawed aspects of journalism in the nation. We'll look to bring accountability to the mishaps, malaprops, misdeeds, manipulations, malpractice, and manufactured narratives in mainstream media.
08.24.21 (Update)
DNC PR Firm – THE BULWARK
- His years-long streak remains intact.
Bill Kristol has been a remarkable case study over the past years. Possibly the most visible figure afflicted with Trump poisoning, Kristol has been steadfast in opposition to anything remotely connected to the man. This has been the case with his support of politicians over the years. Kristol has justified his opposition to Trump as being dedicated to conservative values, but this seems at odds with his backing of notably Democratic candidates.
Told the Post I'd be voting for @TerryMcAuliffe for governor. His opponent, @GlennYoungkin, embraces the model of @GovRonDeSantis and FL on COVID, and Sam Brownback and KS on fiscal policy. Ugh. Proven moderate competence > reckless right-wing pandering. https://t.co/ZmOhC0M575
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) August 24, 2021
The best way to expose these Tru-Con™ voices is to ask them when they have backed conservative candidates, instead of the regular list of Democrats they always endorse. You may hear them bemoan the lack of serious or viable conservatives in an election, but this too undercuts their own messaging. It has been years since they have been opposing the supposed corrupted wing of the GOP; you'd think at some point they would have inspired some truly conservative names to step forward and promote their supposed agenda.
Pounce Of Prevention – VANITY FAIR
According to the vaunted minds at Vanity Fair, it is improper for Republicans to be looking at the disaster in Afghanistan and actually use the results for political gain.
Now, those GOP pouncers are weaponizing the disaster.
Ahead of next year’s midterm elections, the Republican political machine is wasting no time making the Afghanistan withdrawal the centerpiece of their attacks. https://t.co/xBVHdoPEFI
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 23, 2021
News Avoidance Syndrome – THE BULWARK
- Oh yea, well there are no tweets!
One of the minions over at the bad ship The Bulwark is Christian Vanderbrouk, and he has nailed it down that Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis was not doing a sufficient amount of promotion of the Pfizer vaccine. After all, CVB did not see DeSantis doing this on Twitter, so obviously he was not doing enough.
Did I miss DeSantis touting FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine yesterday? Would have been a good opportunity to help persuade holdouts.
— Christian Vanderbrouk (@UrbanAchievr) August 24, 2021
Or was he too busy showing off to conservative activists by bickering with Associated Press executives?
Small detail; DeSantis had, in fact, mentioned and promoted the Pfizer approval multiple times on Monday.
Yes, you missed it. @GovRonDeSantis had 2 press conferences in different parts of Florida yesterday launching monoclonal sites. Carried on all local TV stations & Florida Channel. Gov & Chief Medical Officer mentioned the full FDA approval of Pfizer.
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) August 24, 2021
Twitter isn’t real life. https://t.co/vcxCCWbj4u
It would almost appear that DeSantis sees fit to get his messaging out to Floridians, not a Twitter-obsessed desk jockey in New York.
Both Kinds Of Standards – CNN
Chris Cillizza has heard Herschel Walker is poised to run for the Senate in Georgia. Chris is apparently fearful of this, as he lists off a number of issues that create what he claims to be a nightmare for Republicans.
One is he has not lived in the state very long – something that never hurt Hillary Clinton in New York. Two, he has not been a candidate before – a reality that has not prevented Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from becoming a political star. Lastly, there is a history deep in Walker's past where he allegedly engaged in threatening behavior with his ex-wife. Walker is looking to challenge Raphael Warnock, a man who was elected in spite of recent violence against his wife.
Herschel Walker is in. That's a problem for Republicans. A big problem.https://t.co/MDzCky7HKo
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) August 24, 2021
08.24.21 (Original)
Presentation Paradox – MSNBC
In a completely staged affair, a South Florida hospital held a press conference with dozens of medical doctors in attendance. The intent was to underscore the importance of people getting vaccinated, but on "Morning Joe," they fortunately had a reporter on the scene just in time for this event (Ahem).
This was a quickly held affair with off-duty physicians, except "Morning Joe" saw it otherwise. After Joe Scarborough railed at length inaccurately about a lack of hospital beds for sick people because they were occupied with Covid patients (who are not sick, we have to believe here), they reported that this was a walkout by the doctors. Numerous outlets repeated this canard, and for much of the day, "Morning Joe" and others had to alter headlines to change the claim that a protest was underway.
Another example of the press rushing headlong into a wall with eagerness to report a confirmation story.
— Brad Slager - Focused On Lasers (@MartiniShark) August 24, 2021
Yesterday off-duty doctors took about 10 minutes to stand in solidarity for a pro-vaccine photo-op.
The press incorrectly insisted they walked off the job in protest. pic.twitter.com/a2xvveNDS3
Legalized Press-titution – MSNBC
- We can call it American-splaining when a journo lectures a victim of the Saigon retreat of '75.
Speaking of Mr. Scarborough, he also took the time to condemn a recent article that dared to compare the evacuation taking place in Afghanistan to that infamous exit that took place in Vietnam in the 1970s. There has been an avalanche of news outlets drawing that exact comparison for over a week now, but for reasons unknown to those who adhere to logic and awareness, Scarborough attacked The New York Times over a piece it ran with this comparison.
Please don’t embarrass yourself by comparing Afghanistan to Vietnam or the events of the past week to Saigon in 1975. Dear Lord. pic.twitter.com/MvSQojhzwF
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) August 22, 2021
Oh, say it ain't tweeted, Joe. The article was written by author Viet Thanh Nguyen, a Pulitzer Prize-winner who also happened to live through that exact event in Saigon when the city fell in 1975. When Mr. Nguyen politely called out Joe, he backtracked so fast he outraced the warning alarm.
My apologies. My words were not directed toward you or your moving, persuasive article. It was directed at the NYTimes editors who chose to stamp the words “Our Saigon” on the single image dominating the front of the Sunday Review. Your piece on page 4 is a must read. https://t.co/vNu0inIkQJ
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) August 23, 2021
Stealth Story Evolution – THE NEW YORK TIMES
As a result of the census report, it has been learned where Americans have been shifting to over the past decade. The New York Times noted a curiosity in Texas, where the city of New Braunfels has become the third fastest-growing urban center in the country, with over a 56% population increase. The headline however showed that the East Coast elites are not all that urbane, considering they described the city as being "a remote town."
This earned the paper quite the blowback. New Braunfels can hardly be described as remote, considering it is positioned perfectly between San Antonio and Austin, about a 30 minute drive from both cities. The Times was embarrassed enough that this led to a pair of revisist updates, as well as altering the headline – How This Texas Town Became One of America's Fastest Growing Cities.
Remote? We're like 20 minutes from the seventh largest city in the country and maybe 40 minutes the other direction from the 11th. It's not like you have to dog sled across the tundra or hack through a jungle to get here. https://t.co/MccHYJTZ8S
— NB Herald-Zeitung (@NewBraunfelsHZ) August 19, 2021
DNC PR Firm – ASSOCIATED PRESS
As Vice President Kamala Harris deplaned in Singapore, she was asked about the details in Afghanistan. AP reporter Alexandra Jaffe provided the video of the brief interview Harris gave.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke briefly to reporters before boarding AF2 to head to Singapore. “We couldn’t have a higher priority right now,” she said. pic.twitter.com/FVHCRUpr6S
— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) August 21, 2021
That is to say, Jaffe gave most of the video. Conveniently there was about a nine-second segment at the very beginning that was clipped from this. It seems that Jaffe thought it was a poor look to have Vice President Harris being asked about the tragedy seen in Afghanistan and responding with her trademarked disturbing cackle.
WATCH: Kamala Harris laughs when a reporter starts to ask her about Americans trapped in Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/7863Seq36C
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 22, 2021
Both Kinds Of Standards – WASHINGTON POST
The latest batch of media hype surrounds the treatment for Covid using Ivermectin. There are some wanting to politicize this as a right-wing effort, but starting last summer, it was actually believed there were sound medical studies showing it to be an effective treatment. Now that those studies are in question, it is classified as a political suggestion – go figure.
The press is now jumping at the stories of those who are ingesting livestock-caliber Ivermectin as a self-remedy technique.
At least 70% of the recent calls to Mississippi Poison Control have been related to ingestion of livestock or animal formulations of ivermectin purchased at livestock supply centers. https://t.co/JkWVVkYVNL
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) August 21, 2021
Yes, it is the fish tank cleaner/hydroxychloroquine hysteria all over again, but just to place this new hysteria into perspective – this is based on all of one person being hospitalized for taking the anti-parasitic.
