Four years ago, I was a hardcore, left wing, news junky. I watched morning news and nightly news and news satire on the late night shows and listened to NPR whenever I was in the car. I considered it my patriotic duty to stay informed. I loved Brian Williams and John Stuart interchangeably and considered them both to be absolutely trustworthy. They were on my side.
I was fascinated by Trump’s outrageous antics and watched coverage of him by the hour. I practically popped corn it was so much fun.
I didn’t take any of it seriously. Who could? It was entertainment.
When Trump started pulling ahead in the polls and the news coverage didn’t let up, I got a little nervous. I was assured by people who purported to know such things that CNN was not giving Trump more air time than anyone else, that CNN was, above all other things, “fair.” “But that’s just not true,” I thought to myself, “I’m literally watching hours of it every day.”
But all was not lost! I thought American Republicans would keep their own house in order. I know a lot of Republicans who are seriously good people. There are aspects of the Republican platform that I agree with. And I didn’t think the people who appeared to value fiscal responsibility and religiosity would let this man walk away with their party. I mean, it was THEIR party.
In the end, of course, Trump surprised a lot people.
I blame American Republicans for accepting so much bad for the sake of wins such as Supreme Court seats, wins they could have had with any Republican. They shouldn’t have let this happen. And they’ve since rolled over for his brand of Rule-By-Tweet and intimidation, citizens and politicians alike.
But I’ll tell you what. I also blame the “liberal, elite, left-wing media”. I blame John Stuart and the White House press crews at least as much as litmus test Roe vs Wade voters and the Republican politicians who are more afraid of losing their seats than of anything else. They propelled him into fame and instead of turning the conversation once things got not just ugly but dangerous, they have built careers and fiefdoms and popularity contests on his personality. It’s like the OJ Simpson case all over again. Reporters and camers and ratings. Where’s a solid Baptist shaming on modesty when you need one?
And so, I’ve stopped watching the news. I watch 11 minutes of Shields and Brooks on Friday evening on the PBS Newshour and that’s it. The media has failed me. And that sucks. Because apparently Theresa May is no longer the prime minister and Britain’s Brexit is about to go down in flames with Ireland taking the brunt of it. And I missed pretty much all of that because I can’t stand the news anymore.
I am also keeping a wary eye on the Democrats. I do not believe a Progressive candidate is the answer to an American population that is 1/3 moderate and 2020 is the Democrat’s election to lose. They’d best think carefully, put forward a candidate who can win, and not spend the next two years simply going after Trump because then the conversation never deviates from his interests. Or buying privileged Americans’ votes by promising to pay off their college debt or making impossible campaign promises like giving every child a savings account. Keep the conversation on practical, winnable terms. Health care. Thoughtful trade policy. Our place in the international community. Necessary and realistic environmental protections. Necessary and realistic gun control.
Because most importantly? I believe that the world is a big place with room for a lot of ideas and there’s a ying/yang to American politics that we jeopardize at our peril. Compromise. Balance. Give and take. Two steps forward, one step back. That’s what I really take away from rallying cries about democracy or the constitution: we are in this together. I believe in my fellow Americans, Democrat and Republican alike. We’re all still going to be here when Trump is out of office. We’re going to have to look one another in the face. We’re going to have to live on this planet and in our communities together, as will the next generations. We will outlast him and, I believe, his style of leadership. I don’t think this is the new normal but an aberration. It’s just a matter of minimizing damage and then moving on. I’m actually more concerned for run-of-the-mill, old-fashioned, traditional Republicans than the Democrats. They’re going to have some soul-searching to do once this is over.
But the Democratic Party is on notice: do not fail me in 2020.
It’s going to take another season of Newsroom to get me tune back into mainstream news. Did you hear HBO is bringing that back? Best thing I’ve heard all season.
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