I have a “progressive” friend with whom I was sharing my apprehension about MSNBC and my thoughts that they are seeming more dangerous to me than Fox “news” in what I’m seeing as the push from the “right” for ANYONE calling themselves a republican winning the “White House” in 2016. My friend defended MSNBC as if they’re “progressive” and giving a fair treatment of the candidates for President on the republican side of the “isle.” Of course (I’m assuming you’ve read some of my previous posts) I don’t see it that way. Yes, there are two or three “commentators” “hosts” or whatever you call them that are clearly “liberal,” but the station is owned by a right wing corporation and I’m concerned that its “tilt” to the right is so subtle that it’s giving an almost subliminal message that legitimizes republican candidates that any true “liberal” would be doing everything they can to expose.
For example, MSNBC is presenting John Kasich as some kind of “positive” “moderate” alternative to the Trumps and the Cruz’s and Rubio’s of the world. He my well be more moderate than them, but that does NOT make him a moderate. They interview Kasich (and the others) by what many would call throwing “softballs.” They avoid the HARD questions and they do a disservice to their audience (which, presumably, is “liberal”) by failing to do ANY investigative reporting which would expose the FACTS about each and every candidate. I’m not a Hillary Clinton supporter (although, if she’s the nominee, I will vote for her over ANY of these republicans from the so-called “clown car.”), but it would be interesting to see MSNBC “vet” these republican candidates even half as much as Clinton has been “vetted.” The amount of absurd attacks on Clinton is causing me to take a second look – she must be better than I thought if the republicans are spending this much money attempting to uncover some terrible piece of news that will “undo” her. (Is this simply Deja Vu all over again circa the 1990’s?)
As I stated in a previous post, Kasich is a war monger (he wants to start a war with Russia if his words are not complete bluster), he is anti-union, anti-women, and he was pushing a voter suppression law in Ohio shortly after the Supreme Court (unbelievably) gutted the Voting Rights Act. John Kasich is no moderate. He came to office in Ohio in the same “Tea Party” surge that brought us Scott Walker in Wisconsin and Rick Snyder in Michigan (who’s instituted – somehow – a mini – Nazi regime in the state of Michigan which has resulted, in one instance, with the people of Flint Michigan being poisoned by their own water). Do a little research on these people before you start believing MSNBC that John Kasich is a “moderate.”
Then there’s Donald Trump, who clearly is espousing rhetoric that is Nazi like. In fact, Trump’s main campaign slogan, “We will make America great again” mirrors the words of Adolph Hitler as he rose to prominence in Germany back in the 1930’s. (If you check it out, there are some “eerily” similarities between Trump and Hitler – I know that’s not “politically correct” – but check it out for yourself). If your as old as I am, you might remember the “code” Ronald Reagan used to get the right wing (which includes the white supremacists) to “know” where he was coming from when he initiated his candidacy from Philadelphia Mississippi – infamous ONLY because of the civil rights workers slain there back in the 1960’s. You don’t find this type of information on MSNBC or any where else for that matter – but, the right wing “surge” has evolved to the REALLY dangerous stage for those of us who wish to preserve America’s “democracy” and I keep waiting for the “Muckrakers” (circa 1900) who are true investigative reporters willing to uncover the corporatism which is pushing America toward fascism. In my mind, Trump’s “coded” messaging is alarming, to say the least.
Honestly, the ONLY reason I can see for Trump to be the “front runner” in the republican party is the field of candidates he’s been running against. Now, it’s down to Ted Cruz (every time I write that name my little voice says, “Are you kidding?”), Marco Rubio (he’s trying to PROVE you can be president by doing NOTHING substantial but KISSING UP to the right people), and the above mentioned Kasich. (I suppose Ben Carson is still holding out hope, “It might be me”)
When Trump addresses his audiences after his primary “victories” (I believe his highest “winning” percentage total was in Nevada where he managed over 40% of the republican votes) he thanks his supporters by sub-groups. And, (each time) when he gets to what he calls the “poorly educated” his arms go out and up (as if he’s worshiping in church) and says “I love the poorly educated!” I will only say to that, I’m sure he does. He’s relying on voters who don’t “vet” their candidates to turn out in large numbers so that he can (somehow) “Make America great again.” (What on earth does he mean by that? I’m pretty sure it means get a white MAN back in the “White House.” I’m just sayin……)
What’s becoming really interesting with Trump is that reality is setting in with the so-called “establishment wing” of the party. They conveniently nurtured in the “Tea Party” after Bush/Cheney virtually destroyed republican credibility in 2008 with the disastrous wars, the bumbling handling of emergencies – ie Hurricane Katrina, and the destruction of our economy (actually, the world economy) which was “saved” via the TARP bailouts. (I guess that’s the republican version of “free market economics”) Of course, the republican propagandists, expertly using the theories of Goebbels, convinced their “brethren” that the bailout, the resulting deficits, the disastrous war effort, the job losses in the MILLIONS, and the bloated national debt were ALL caused by and the FAULT of Barack Obama! They were blaming the deficit and the debt crisis on Obama before he took the oath of office – and, the republican base, so lovingly referred to by Trump as “poorly educated” bought into the propaganda “hook, line, and sinker.” (The now infamous Koch Brothers saw an “opening” and took advantage – and, we ended up with a “Tea Party” controlling the republican congress – including Ted Cruz)
In the early primary states in the 2016 race for the republican nomination for president, something like 60 – 65% of republican voters, as per the exit polls, still believe Barack Obama is not an American citizen – they believe he was born in Kenya (or some such nonsense), and an even higher percentage believe he’s a Muslim. What’s interesting to me, is that President Obama was a member of a Black Church in Chicago for something like 20 years before running for president and, if you’ve ever been in a Black Church you know that it is an intense religious experience. All I can say is that if you haven’t experienced this, you shouldn’t be judging the Obama’s faith. The best way I can put it is that when you’re in that setting you discover that “Jesus is in the House” – in the words of my good friend who’s a minister in a Black Church where I live. I find it interesting that these republican “Christian” voters reject Obama’s spirituality and Trump holds up a Bible and says, “I’m religious” and the “evangelicals” flock to the polls to support him. When I heard Trump quote from “2 Corinthians” at Liberty University I thought, “Well, that should undo him with the ‘religious right'” and, instead his poll numbers went up. Go figure.
Maybe MSNBC is so focused on Trump because they want to help him get the nomination to ensure a democratic victory in November. Personally, I’m a little more cynical. The other day I watched Chris Matthews, the “Bill O’Reilly” of MSNBC, do an one hour interview with Bernie Sanders (I believe) at the University of Chicago. I’ve seen Matthews interview Kasich and Trump prior to the interview with Sanders. The difference in the questioning was stark. It was as if Matthews was attempting to undo Sanders. He almost seemed belligerent in pressing Sanders with questions like “what have you ever accomplished” and, when Sanders (you could tell he was taken aback by the tone of Matthews) would attempt to answer him, Matthews would cut him off in the middle of his answer and blast him as if this was a debate. Compared to the interviews with Trump and Kasich I was left to wonder what is Matthews up to? I’ve written several times about him (and Chuck Todd, another of the MSNBC commentators who seems to be promoting republicans) regarding his legitimizing republican candidates by treating them with “kid gloves.” It seems to me that Matthews (and, MSNBC) is more interested in ensuring there is an exciting “race” for president than actually exposing the side of these republican candidates that ALL progressive voters should be aware.
In 1980 Ronald Reagan was a “fringe” candidate, and the republican propaganda machine, along with “the end justifies the means” philosophy of campaigning led to him winning the White House. Republicans hold Reagan up as an almost “god-like” figurehead while blaming (for the past 35 years) the burgeoning deficits and national debt on democrats and I don’t doubt that, with the help of the nearly $1 BILLION the Koch Brothers will invest in Trump (or anyone else who’ll follow the company line), along with the voter suppression that republicans have been instituting since the right wing Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, AND the FACT that 80% of the election will take place on electronic voting machines owned and operated by right wing republican corporations, republicans can win an election with someone as unqualified as Trump, Cruz, or Rubio. (remember, they managed – with the help of the Supreme Court – to get Bush/Cheney into office DESPITE losing by over 500,000 votes and LOSING Florida had the Supreme Court allowed the recount)
The depressing part in all of this is that, for people like me, we feel helpless as we watch what is happening. Every day I hope that I’m wrong in my gut feeling that this election will be as rigged as Bernie Sanders continually points out our economy is “rigged.” When you start getting your information from places besides the corporate media, things look a lot different. My optimistic naive side wants to continue to believe that our “liberal media” will actually start acting as if they’re a “liberal media.” And, in this instance, I’m pretty much talking about MSNBC. The more I watch (it’s getting harder and harder to do so) the more I wonder who’s side are they on. (of course, they will suggest they’re not on anyone’s side, but I certainly don’t buy that) I simply didn’t understand the contrast, for example, between Chris Matthews’ interviews of Sanders vs. Kasich and Trump. To me, if MSNBC is truly “liberal” they’d be pointing out the real consequences of a republican victory in 2016. They’d make sure “liberals” who might be watching their station understood the importance of EVERYONE participating in the process – and, what happens when only 35% of America’s voters show up at the polls.
When the subject is gridlock and the fact that people are angry with a government that is getting virtually nothing of significance done, they’d be reminding people of the 700 – 800 filibusters in the senate by republicans, they’d be reminding people that republicans have been blocking President Obama’s nominations to important positions in the government needed for it to function efficiently by the HUNDREDS! They’d be pointing out that, due to republican obstruction, there are agencies without agency heads. They’d be pointing out that the main reason there’s a crisis in the VA health system for our veterans is because republicans REFUSE to fund the VA sufficiently for them to hire enough doctors and nurses to meet the demand (a demand, by the way, caused by two republican led incompetent misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan). They’d be reminding voters OVER and OVER again that republican leaders stated PUBLICLY (not my opinion but FACT) that their NUMBER ONE goal (as of January 20, 2009) was that President Obama would FAIL. They’d be pointing out the absurdity of the republicans stating (before the body was cold) that they would not even consider a nomination for the vacant Supreme Court seat – due to the death of Antonin Scalia – during the term of President Obama. And, they’d be pointing out all the code words used in the past 7 1/2 years that make it clear why they want our president to FAIL – as when John McCain referred to then Senator Obama as “That one” in a debate – and that shows the embedded racism in the republican party. If MSNBC was truly part of the “liberal media” I wouldn’t have to find all this out by reading book after book on what is really happening in America.
As I’m writing this I’m thinking why would you have to be “liberal” to point all this out. It’s just the reality of what is happening in America. Someone might want to defend what’s happening from the republican “side of the isle” but we shouldn’t be ignoring it. lets have a real debate. And, it all leads me to believe that the republicans (who, by the way are supported by white supremacist groups all over America – not the least of which is the John Birch Society of the Koch Brothers) hate our president because of the color of his skin. They just can’t get past that. I still remember just shaking my head when I heard people on Fox “news” (and Rush Limbaugh in an apparent concerted effort) calling our president an “elitist” a few years ago. Using their projectionist tactics they’ve often accused our president of using the “race card” while they’re giving their coded messages. It’s really disgusting (I can’t remember off the top of my head – which is where my rants come from – all the times I’ve heard racist remarks coming from the Fox people and Limbaugh and some of the other “right wing talkers,” not to mention the republicans in the Congress – do you remember “you lie?” I’ve just gotten to the point where I can’t even listen to them anymore.
All of this doesn’t even broach the subject of some of the actual “policy” statements of the republican candidates who seem to be each trying to outdo each other in the few areas of their rhetoric which actually relates to policy. For example, Mr. Trump has on more than one occasion (that I’ve actually seen) suggested he would authorize “Waterboarding and a lot worse.” (You can read my posts of a few years ago lamenting President Obama’s choice to allow Bush/Cheney to “get away” with authorizing WAR CRIMES of which waterboarding is one which the USA prosecuted Japanese soldiers post WW II for subjecting American troops to this TORTURE that violates the Geneva Conventions AND American civil AND military law – a decision which I predicted, at the time, could ultimately lead to another American president following suit because Bush/Cheney did it and were not prosecuted for their actions) Every one of the remaining republican candidates wants to not only keep “Gitmo” open, they want to EXPAND it – and, in the words of Marco Rubio, find MORE “terrorists” to put there. MSNBC should be telling the truth about “Gitmo” and should be pressing these candidates in their interviews about these issues. Why wasn’t Trump, for example, challenged on his public announcement that he will commit WAR CRIMES while Bernie Sanders was aggressively challenged on “when have you ever gotten 60 votes for anything? Why aren’t they challenged on why they believe we should keep a facility open that EVERYONE (who’s chosen to research it) knows is full of people who should NEVER have been put there and which is UNDENIABLY a “black mark” on America AND a recruiting “tool” for ISIL and other “terrorist” organizations who want to target the US. Americans should know the TRUTH about Gitmo and Abu Ghraib – to help them understand why so many in the Arab world HATE the United States of America.
Donald Trump on at least a couple of occasions accused America’s voters of being “stupid.” (and, of course, the next day his poll numbers rose – go figure) Additionally, he’s very clearly stated that he appreciates his “uneducated supporters.” In fact, he repeated himself one time by saying, “I REALLY like the uneducated voters!” I believe it’s the job of the “4th Estate” – the press – to help educate the voters. And, I also believe that, the more educated the voters, the less chance of a republican president in 2016! I almost believe MSNBC (and, maybe others, because I’m pretty much not watching TV anymore) is purposely NOT educating voters because their bottom line is enhanced by the “uneducated voters” that Mr. Trump is so thankful for because it leads to a more contested election. When you get exit polls where 75% of republican voters believe President Obama is a Muslim and 65% still believe he wasn’t born in America you KNOW there are a LOT of uneducated voters out there. They are easily manipulated via FEAR mongering. As FDR once said, “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Trump, Cruz, and Rubio (and the republican party) are successfully exploiting fear.
And, I place the blame for a lot of that on the media. They’ve allowed the misinformation to FLOW and just like the republican establishment is probably second guessing themselves at this point for embracing the “Tea Party” movement, should Trump or Cruz or Rubio (I almost feel as if he’s the sleaziest of them all) win the “White House” it could take a generation (or more) to overcome the damage. I’ve said this before and I’ll probably say it again, the rest of the world is watching and they’re wondering, “What has happened to America?” I truly hope our “liberal media” doesn’t find itself second guessing their failure to educate the American voters about the TRUTH of the republican party. (bring it on for the democrats as well – although, I can’t imagine what else they can do to Hillary Clinton, for example)