07.19.23
Blue-anon – THE ATLANTIC
It really has been a delight to watch how the word "fascism" has been used to describe just about any type of political stance someone disagrees with. Ron DeSantis was declared a fascist for giving people the option to not wear a mask. Giving parents more control over their child's education over the state-run schools? Fascism! It was even called fascist when a court told the White House to stop censoring citizens – you know, actual fascist behavior.
Adding to this imbalance distemper is Anne Applebaum, who looks over the state legislature of Tennessee and sees a major problem: Everyone is a Republican! Imagine, in a traditionally red state, the people have elected red candidates. This seems to surprise Applebaum:
This is the Republican Party, the party that controls pretty much everything in Tennessee... They also want their opponents to fall silent, and they are doing what they can to make that happen.
Interesting that this sounds quite similar to the words we hear on occasion from New York Democrat leaders, who have said things about conservatives needing to leave the state. We missed Anne's piece covering the positions of that state's leaders being a Democratic Party supermajority or that of California, Illinois, Vermont...
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"This is the Republican Party, the party that controls pretty much everything in Tennessee. They are going to win the next election, and probably the one after that. Yet they sound as if winning isn’t enough," Anne Applebaum writes: https://t.co/IaHS32UPHV
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) July 18, 2023
Matching Media Memorandum – VARIOUS OUTLETS
- "Well, the song just FEELS racist, so we will go ahead and accuse the singer of racism."
Country superstar Jason Aldean has made many in the press enraged with his new single, "Try That In A Small Town." The tune, actually released as a single back in May, is only this week hitting the radar of many in the press, and they are losing their ever-loving minds, in delicious fashion.
In the song, Aldean lists off a number of unacceptable actions seen in the news – from attacking people on the street, carjacking a grandmother, assaulting cops, and burning the flag – and then goes on to say that neighbors in small-town America would not tolerate such as they stand by their neighbors. It is a calm promise and a steadfast defense of moral propriety in what most people would call a sane response to unacceptable violence.
The press, however, take offense because…well, because that is how they operate.
ROLLING STONE – The video shows Aldean and his band performing in front of a courthouse reportedly located in Columbia, Tennessee, which was the site of a 1933 lynching.
NBC NEWS – Aldean tried to paint the song as taking a positive attitude on small towns, and downplayed the belligerent threats to outsiders that make up most of the lyrics.
DAILY BEAST – The lyrics of the song, however, have drawn the most criticism. Seemingly taking issue with the BLM protests.
A long list of other outlets all make a point of covering the accusations, with almost all including allusions to the lynching, all done in order to "prove" the racism of the song. Yet, looking at the lyrics, you will find no reference to race anywhere, let alone anything approaching a pro-lynching message. Funny how that plays out.
This is a BADASS PATRIOTIC MUSIC VIDEO!!!
— Chad Prather (@WatchChad) July 19, 2023
Jason Aldean doesn’t miss.
Shameful that @CMT pulled the video. pic.twitter.com/mJZlVV5X7N
First Amendment Strike Force – COUNTRY MUSIC TELEVISION
- Panicking over social media outrage is not a good look.
After debuting the Jason Aldean video on Friday night, CMT buckled under the hysterical reactions and pulled the song off its rotation. Many of the perpetual outrage set were cheering this decision, such as anti-gun harper Shannon Watts, thinking they had canceled Aldean. Small problem.
All the hype they generated about the song has launched it to the top of the Country Music Charts.
Shannon spikes the football after being sacked for a safety.
— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) July 19, 2023
This is what it looks like when you subsist on symbolism and not substance. https://t.co/J3DPYrNlmQ pic.twitter.com/FNasiGhPVM
Pounce of Prevention – DAILY BEAST
Matching some of the coverage we went over yesterday, where the press that loves accusing GOP members of possibly inspiring anti-Semitism while defending/excusing/justifying actual anti-Semitism from Democrats, The Daily Beast joins in with their deflection of Rep. Pramila Jayapal's intolerant remarks about Israel from this weekend. Using the tried and tired effort of making the story about Republicans daring to notice a Dem controversy, the outlet embarrasses themselves in an attempt to mock conservatives over an issue with a political opponent.
Note the idiocy behind the comment that "Republicans weren't going to just let a good controversy die." Not only does this need to pretend that Democrats never resort to this type of politicking, but this outlet actually dares to publish such criticism at the exact same time they produce multiple pieces about the controversy of a country music song.
Hilarious obliviousness.
Republicans weren’t going to just let a good controversy die. https://t.co/E842rB5XVG
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) July 19, 2023
Pulitzer Prize Nomination – CNN
- The "Zombie Airline Network" delivers all the import behind a special counsel…buying a sandwich.
With news swirling that Donald Trump might be facing his third indictment, this time over January 6 events or such, CNN moved to deliver…something they insist was vital to the story. Using the same efforts that previously covered LIVE when Donald was driving from his home to an airport, this time, CNN was on the scene delivering EXCLUSIVE when Jack Smith – bought a sandwich for lunch. Yes…seriously.
An entire CNN segment on Jack Smith going to Subway. https://t.co/diFRuGbbSg
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 18, 2023
Seven talking heads – SEVEN! – were covering this "event," and not only that, they went so far as to state that his buying a sandwich from a Subway was in some way delivering a statement to Donald Trump. You could not make this up and have people believe you were serious.
JOHN KING: Jack Smith going to Subway today is a message to Donald Trump.
DANA BASH: They clearly wanted us to see him and that image to be very different from what we saw in the former president's post. The imagery was intentional and spoke volumes.
EVAN PEREZ: He stood in line, like everyone else!
I hope somewhere Chris Licht saw this segment and let out a lengthy laugh of sweet relief.
“Jack Smith can’t resist a $5 footlong. That’s according to…new and exclusive CNN video of the special counsel at Subway.”pic.twitter.com/WnaSTWN7nk
— Gabe Fleisher (@WakeUp2Politics) July 18, 2023
Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – SKY NEWS
In Los Angeles, a car caught on fire on a highway. That's it. That's the entirety of a story. But, if you are a stringer working for a news outlet and have some juicy video you cannot let pass by, you are fraught with the challenge of meeting the 250-word minimum for any dispatch you want to file. What is one to do?!
Well, you peer up from your desk, see a calendar, and then become reminded of the temperatures that have been in the news.
Ah-HAH! The car caught fire because of climate change!
Does your Buick burst into flames?
— Gordon Kushner (@Gordon_Kushner) July 19, 2023
Is your Isuzu an inferno?
Is your Dodge Ram flammable?
It could be climate change! My latest for Twitchy.
https://t.co/WiABmnWb7Q
Democratic Custodial Services – LEAD STORIES
Recently, Kamala Harris was speaking about the automobile-engulfing horror that is climate change, and in her speech, made a remark that turned heads across the country: "When we invest in clean energy and electric vehicles and reduce population, more of our children can breathe clean air and drink clean water."
The White House went into stealth spin mode and corrected the controversy, striking the word "population" and replacing it with "pollution." Next, the gang at Lead Stories sprung (pounced?) into action, declaring in a fact-check that pollution is the correct way to interpret what Harris meant.
This outlet is one of the main fact-check sources for Facebook, so it can be possible that anyone sharing Harris' correct quote will be flagged as delivering misinformation because what she never actually said is accurate – according to the "fact"-checkers.
Fact Check: Kamala Harris Did NOT Suggest That 'Reducing Population' Is Climate Change Movement's Goal On July 14, 2023 --- She Meant 'Reduce Pollution' https://t.co/MEb6llkfJm
— Lead Stories (@LeadStoriesCom) July 17, 2023
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